BALLSTON LAKE, N.Y. - Andrew Cuomo on Saturday openly mocked GOP opponent Carl Paladino and urged New Yorkers to reject what he said are attempts to prey on their fears and anger.
Without mentioning Paladino by name, Cuomo in the waning days of the gubernatorial race suggested his Buffalo flame-throwing foe tanked his own campaign with his bombastic behavior.
"You cannot make this stuff up," he quipped during a rally before 200 supporters in upstate Saratoga County. "My campaign, I just let them talk."
But then becoming more serious and fiery, Cuomo accused Paladino of trying to divide the state along geographic, racial, sexual preference and gender lines.
He cited Paladino's verbal attacks during the campaign on illegal immigrants and gays, in particular, as efforts to "pit one against the other."
"The political calculus was this is a time when people were nervous and people were anxious ... and they were going to prey on that fear, and they were going to prey on that anger."
A new Marist College poll released yesterday shows Cuomo going into Election Day on Tuesday ahead by a 56% to 37% margin.
Paladino, whose slogan is "I'm mad as hell," has vehemently denied being a racist after it was revealed he forwarded racial and sexist emails. He also says his beef is with illegal immigrants, not those in the country legally.
He also has apologized for a recent anti-gay rant, saying he has nothing against the homosexual lifestyle and just opposes same-sex marriage.
"I don't think New Yorkers are buying what Andrew Cuomo's selling," said Paladino campaign manager Michael Caputo. "He's the one who started this whole negative campaign."
Paladino spent yesterday in upstate New York trying to rally supporters. He again accused Cuomo of sparing political cronies like disgraced former Controller Alan Hevesi jail time through selective prosecution during his time as attorney general.
Cuomo, who secured a felony plea from Hevesi and wouldn't say whether he will seek prison time for the former controller, said he is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Paladino also tried to tie Cuomo to the recent scandal over the Aqueduct racino bidding process.
klovett@nydailynews.com
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