Lee Zeldin’s Viral Debate Strategy

Who won Tuesday night’s debate between New York governor Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger, congressman Lee Zeldin? Declaring someone the winner or loser of a political debate invariably involves a cross between partisan advocacy and sheer guesswork. The most important element of a debate is the audience. In this case, the two candidates made starkly different bets on who the audience was.

Despite the fact that their state is home to the broadcast media capital of the United States, Hochul and Zeldin held just a single debate on Spectrum NY1, a cable channel not carried in many homes throughout the state (including my own — I had to find it live-streamed elsewhere). That was a choice by Hochul that sparked a furious protest from Zeldin, who had asked for multiple broadcast debates and complained that the debate came a month into mail-in voting and was aired where many New Yorkers couldn’t even see it.

About the Author

Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute.

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Who won Tuesday night’s debate between New York governor Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger, congressman Lee Zeldin? Declaring someone the winner or loser of a political debate invariably involves a cross between partisan advocacy and sheer guesswork. The most important element of a debate is the audience. In this case, the two candidates made starkly different bets on who the audience was.

Despite the fact that their state is home to the broadcast media capital of the United States, Hochul and Zeldin held just a single debate on Spectrum NY1, a cable channel not carried in many homes throughout the state (including my own — I had to find it live-streamed elsewhere). That was a choice by Hochul that sparked a furious protest from Zeldin, who had asked for multiple broadcast debates and complained that the debate came a month into mail-in voting and was aired where many New Yorkers couldn’t even see it.