New York Gubernatorial Debate 2014: The Show Outside the Show in Buffalo

The sky was black, and the air was acquiring that Buffalo winter chill outside the studio of public television station WNED, where incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his opponents, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins and Libertarian Party nominee Mike McDermott, squared off in their one and only debate this season. But dozens of protesters from all ends of the political spectrum gamely soldiered on, waving banners and signs long after all the candidates, reporters, and aides had entered the building.

The most tenacious group was the anti-fracking nonprofit Food & Water Watch, whose 65 activists milled about and shouted slogans to any car that drove by. Some hefted signs that declared, “Water=life” and “Frack is whack.” Unlike the more than thirty other states that have approved the controversial natural gas extraction process, New York State officials have put off the decision whether to green-light fracking until the state Health Department concludes a long-running study of the process' possible health and environmental consequences, which Cuomo said during the debate would finally be completed in the next three months.

Nonetheless, the local members of Food & Water Watch weren’t content to passively sit back and wait for the report. “The governor has not taken a stance one way or another, so that’s why we’re here,” said Rita Yelda, Food & Water Watch’s Western New York regional organizer, adding that Buffalo had banned fracking within its city limits. “To show him that everywhere he goes in the state, people opposed to fracking will be there.”

Just twenty feet away, a decidedly different group of protesters lingered against the police barricades erected in front of the studio’s plaza. A loose affiliation of Tea Party supporters waved “Don’t Tread on Me” flags and signs displaying an image of “The Governor,” a villain from the television show The Walking Dead, along with the caption, “I trust this governor more than Cuomo.”

“It’s everything—the SAFE Act, Common Core, releasing pedophiles into the community, you name it,” said Jim Fisher, who designed and waved the sign, along with a T-shirt that bore the image of a minuteman and the phrase “Standing guard for American liberty.” His fellow protester Dawn Fisher was an even more fervent Astorino supporter. “I don’t think Cuomo’s doing anything right by any child in this state—born or unborn,” said Fisher, who was decked out in camouflage pants and boots. “The Buffalo Billion is a farce! … I’d take my dog over Cuomo.”

It was a far different scene just a few blocks away at Buffalo’s famous Pearl Street Grill & Brewery where more than three hundred of Western New York’s most influential Democrats were nice and warm, watching the debate and chatting between glasses of wine and dishes of pizza, cheese cubes and fruit. Earlier, more than 110 members of the Carpenters Union Local 276 had rallied outside WNED, hollering their support for Cuomo. Now, they were throwing back Jack Daniels on the rocks and waiting for the governor to wrap up the debate and make an appearance.

“We’re here to support Cuomo for all the construction,” said Daryl Bodewas, who also sits on the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters. “The Buffalo Billion, the medical corridor—that’s a lot of good jobs.”

“Local labor supports those that support us,” added fellow carpenter Bill Bing. “And we showed that in force tonight!”

In truth, no one paid much attention to the debate—the revelers at the restaurant were too confident in Cuomo’s reelection and too busy drinking. Only a fraction of the crowd sat in the chairs set up for the purpose of watching the debate on the big screen. One of those viewers was Lynn Dearmyer, a member of the Cheektowaga Democratic Committee who unsuccessfully ran for the Erie County Legislature last year. But not even she could sit still after a while.

“Astorino is delusional!” she shouted shortly after the challenger criticized Cuomo’s “radical” abortion views. “Having choice for women is not only important for women, but important to the economy. … I literally screamed at the television and walked away. And everybody clapped when I did.”

When the debate ended and the flat screens went dark, everyone readied for the governor to show up. The sound crew checked the levels on the speakers, and 300 people began moving toward the stage, which was cordoned off by a red velvet rope. The governor’s aides began moving back and forth and muttering to themselves, preparing for the moment when Cuomo would emerge from the back of the tavern. Five minutes passed. Then ten, fifteen, twenty minutes.

Finally, the moment arrived. A who's who of Western New York’s most important Democrats marched onto the stage: Erie County Executive Mark Polancarz, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, State Senator Tim Kennedy, Erie County Democratic Committee Chair Jeremy Zellner, and Cuomo’s running mate for lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul, who warmed up the crowd. “It wasn’t really a fair fight!” Hochul shouted. “But it felt as good as getting the Buffalo Billion!”

Cuomo took the stage to cheers and flashbulbs. He glad-handed the local pols assembled behind him, but stayed back from the crowd. Finally, turning to his supporters, he had a few words to say. “Let me tell you why I wanted to do this debate in Buffalo,” he said. “It is so clear that Buffalo is on the right track. … The jobs are coming back, the people are coming back … Buffalo’s got its mojo back!”

With that and two or three more minutes of remarks, the event was oddly, awkwardly over. Cuomo turned around and went back the way he came, followed by everyone except Zellner, who stuck around to schmooze a bit. The bar was still open, but most people filed out in short order. Some of the union guys giggled and filed into a truck parked across the street, which was emblazoned by a flashing neon “Cuomo 2014” sign. And over the public address system, someone announced, “Marvin, I’ve got your wings at the bar.”