We’re late to this one, but oh well. The editor in question is Fred Dicker, who’s covered Albany for the Post since forever and whom Paladino accuses of being in the tank for Andrew Cuomo (maybe with some justification). Last weekend, the Post ran a story about the child Paladino had with a former mistress 10 years ago and reportedly sent a photographer to the house where Paladino’s daughter lives to get a shot of her. Here’s their campaign statement about it; that invasion of privacy is what spurred Paladino to tell Dicker he’d take him out. Paladino also wants to know why his affair is the subject of a Post blockbuster cover story while Cuomo’s affairs are left uncovered. The Post’s reply: There’s no evidence of any Andrew Cuomo affairs. Paladino’s reply to that: There will be soon.

So there’s the context you need for the clusterfark you’re about to see. My worry here is that, as much as people will sympathize with Paladino for wanting to protect his daughter, New Yorkers have had two massive trainwrecks in a row as governor. In any other state this year, a tea partier who’s willing to be a loose cannon to shake up government is a good thing. In New York, given the past three years, maybe not so much. People are weary of drama, I think, and Paladino going around threatening to take a baseball bat to Albany and to “take out” reporters (he clarified today to say he meant it in the sense of taking out the trash) is, perhaps, not the best way to assure them that he’ll be different. Especially since his opponent, by dint of his parentage, recalls an era when the drama in the capital wasn’t so lurid.

The latest poll of likely voters from Marist, out just this afternoon: Cuomo 53, Paladino 38. Survey USA and Quinnipiac had the race within single digits just last week, which might have been noise or might have been a bounce Paladino got from winning the primary. I’m curious to see how the next round of numbers looks, especially now that this clip’s getting attention on the local news.