Speech shows Paterson defies stereotype of TV skit

[Lavender Brown]

An editorial on the State of the State address.

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=758164

"Much has been made about Paterson's disability, and the questions it raises about his dependence upon aides for his sense of the world around him. I think that's bunk: If recent history teaches us anything, it's that the most powerful political leaders can have all five senses and remain almost completely insulated from objective reality. Most politicians carry around figurative blinders that are far more restrictive than Paterson's sightlessness; quite a few are morally lacking in ways that make physical defects seem inconsequential."