It’s not clear if there actually was a winner in the only scheduled debate between incumbent New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro amidst an almost constant barrage of accusations and name-calling.

Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News (file)
Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News (file)
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The verbal sparring match, which isn’t likely to be held up as a good example of the art of the argument for high school debate teams, saw the moderators struggling to control the candidates as they interrupted each other and repeatedly demanded more time for rebuttals.

Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News (file)
Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News (file)
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Third party candidates, Independent Stephanie Miner, Libertarian Larry Sharpe and Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins were not invited to the table.

Also absent were questions of concern to areas of the state outside of New York City.  Other than a question regarding a sports stadium for Buffalo, no issues specifically of interest to the Southern Tier, Central New York or other portions of the state were directed to Cuomo and Molinaro.

The debate was recorded at the CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan in the afternoon for webcast and televised feed at 7 p.m. October 23.  Several CBS affiliates, however, had difficulty meeting the feed at the appointed time with the start of a repeat of the CBS Nightly News coming on the screen, along with a barrage of campaign ads and finally a silent blue screen before the feed from Manhattan sputtered in.

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