Turns out David Paterson is really, really good at one thing — going on the radio! His words come easily, he’s dynamic, flexible, and he comes across as thoughtful and knowledgeable. Why? “I don’t have to worry about looking at the camera, whether my tie is in place, whether my hands are flying in one direction,” he told the Times. “I think it’s the reason my conversation is a lot more fluid. In TV interviews, I have difficulty relaxing, because I’m trying not to look to one side of the room.” It’s sweet! (Though he still does go a bit off-message on the air.) He’s constantly calling into shows, for scheduled appearances or impromptu ones. Sometimes, even, he hides his identity, going by “David From Harlem” so people don’t realize who is on the line. But that doesn’t work as well these days. “I’m listening to a sports station the other day,” Paterson said. “I grabbed the phone and then said: ‘Nah, I can’t do it. They’ll know it’s me.’” Good call, David From Harlem. When you have Fred Armisen doing impressions of your voice on Saturday Night Live, it’s probably time to stop calling radio shows anonymously.
