Candidates prepare, in their own way, for debate

BUFFALO - Carl Paladino bounded up the stairs of his campaign headquarters here Saturday before taking a question. "Oh, I'm going to go practice," he said, before disappearing behind the closed doors of a fluorescent-lit conference room.

Inside, the Republican developer and gubernatorial nominee huddled with top advisers and debate experts over wings and pizza to prep for Monday night's faceoff with Democrat Andrew Cuomo and five minor party candidates.

In New York City, Cuomo and his advisers were also practicing, an aide said.

Neither campaign would reveal much about the prep work, but debate experts said this weekend would be a crucial few days of cramming, arguing and even primping before the session at Hofstra University.

"It's like sparring before boxing - you have to learn how to get hit before you can defend," said Michael Dawidziak, a Bohemia political consultant who has helped prepare two GOP presidential candidates for debates.

The main event in preparations, experts said, is almost certainly a mock debate, with an experienced political pro acting as the main opponent.

Douglas Muzzio, a Baruch College political science professor who helped prepare David Dinkins for his 1989 mayoral debate with Rudy Giuliani, said the Cuomo and Paladino campaigns had likely created hefty briefing books for the candidates. And they were almost certainly videotaping mock debates and analyzing their candidate's answers, gestures and expressions.

"It's theater. It's not only about the issues but how you look and act," Muzzio said.

At Paladino headquarters, the atmosphere was relaxed. Junior aides brought in three boxes of pizza and wings. Advisers wore sweatshirts and jeans. Paladino's pit bull, Duke, lounged on the conference room floor.

The minor party candidates had even less formal plans Saturday. Kristin Davis, the former madam running on the Anti-Prohibition Party line, went shopping and had a manicure but planned no formal debate practice, said her main political consultant Roger Stone.

The Green Party's Howie Hawkins planned to buy a suit Sunday and get a haircut before practicing talking points at a friend's Brooklyn apartment. Jimmy McMillan, the Rent Is 2 Damn High candidate, said he was "relaxing."

Libertarian Warren Redlich said he spent three hours Saturday morning in his friend and political consultant's living room repeating and honing his message of less government, but he was undecided about the red, blue and silver tie he'd chosen. The friend liked it, but Redlich's wife wasn't so sure.