For political theater, New York has California beat this year

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California prides itself on its theater, and its politics are often no exception. We have elected two actors as governor (Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger) and even elected George Murphy to the U.S. Senate, where he earned the moniker ‘the tap-dancing senator.’

We are often home to political rarities, earning guffaws and puzzled looks from national pundits. But this year, California politics is taking a backseat to New York in the wacky department. Just look at the New York gubernatorial debate, to be held Monday night.

In California, the debate drama centered on Meg Whitman’s illegal-immigrant former housekeeper and the use of the word ‘whore’ by an associate of Jerry Brown. In New York, one of the candidates employed prostitutes for a living. Kristin Davis, the former madame who procured prostitutes for former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, is running for governor as the nominee of the Anti-Prohibition Party.

Davis will share the stage at Monday’s debate with Democrat Andrew Cuomo, son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo, and ‘tea party’ favorite Carl Paladino, the Republican nominee who shocked the GOP establishment by defeating former Rep. Rick Lazio.

-- Anthony York in Sacramento