It has gotten to the point where I’m actually afraid to read or watch anything about Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Carl Paladino. I just don’t want to know about his latest affront or speculate over which group of New York voters he’ll alienate next.

My liberal friends and co-workers are having a field day of course, watching this oh-so-public meltdown of the Republican Party. And Paladino’s opponent, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, has to be thrilled. Think of all the money he’s saving on campaigning. Paladino’s doing enough damage to himself without Cuomo even having to lift a finger. Heck, the Chenango County Democrats didn’t even feel the need to open an election headquarters this year. I think that speaks volumes.

But me? I weep a little every time I see another person “like” the New Yorkers Against Carl Paladino page on Facebook. Because it’s an indication of how the Republican Party is missing out on the chance of a lifetime.

Governor David Paterson’s inability to pass a budget on time – even with his own party in the majority in both the Senate and Assembly – created that opportunity. Then there are the staggering cuts in school aid which led to teacher layoffs across the state, threats to close to state parks, the proposed tax on sugary beverages, reinstating the clothing tax ... Yeah, the list goes on. All that dysfunction provided the entree Republicans needed to make a resurgence in Albany.

But they dropped the ball in a big way.

Their first mistake was endorsing Rick Lazio. I’m sure they considered him as electable as any Republican could be. Unfortunately Lazio, who served four terms in Congress representing New York’s 2nd District, was probably best known throughout the rest of the state for losing to Hillary Clinton in the 2000 Senate race.

Nothing against Lazio, but the endorsement showed the growing disconnect between the party leadership and all those registered Republicans out there. They also underestimated the pull of the Tea Party, which, although it has an unmistakable air of “lunatic fringe” at times, has certainly managed to shake things up.

If they’d put a Rudy Giuliani-type out there, it might have gone down differently on Primary Day.

Now, I guess, it’s time for me to enter the Ballot Box Confessional. Because the oval I filled in on my ballot in the September primary was not the one next to Lazio’s name, but that of Carl Paladino.