Richard Mahoney Independent candidate for governor

Independent gubernatorial candidate likens politics to sitting on pencils, owns no TV

Wildcat: Have you ever sat on a pencil?

Mahoney: I've never sat on a pencil. I've sat on a lot of things but never a pencil.

Wildcat: What was the pokiest thing you sat on?

Mahoney: Given my native discretion, I'm not going to get in to that. I'll just leave it to your imagination. It was pretty gnarly.

Wildcat: One time I sat on a pencil and the lead was stuck there for a couple of years. My little brother actually planted it there.

Mahoney: Good for him.

Wildcat: Are you fearful of sitting on a pencil?

Mahoney: Politics is like a bed of nails, or sitting on a pencil.

Wildcat: So you liken being a politic to sitting on a pencil?

Mahoney: Yes, it's a good analogy. Particularly when you have a budget deficit of $1 billion.

Wildcat: Yeah, I'm not seeing it. Outside of politics, what is your biggest fear?

Mahoney: Pencils that go into places where they should not.

Wildcat: Really? Mine too.

Mahoney: It's amazing, I didn't anticipate this, but I appreciate the opportunity.

Wildcat: Well, we do what we can.

Mahoney: What's my biggest fear? My biggest fear is being bored.

Wildcat: What do you do when you are bored? Are you a thumb-twiddler?

Mahoney: No. I listen to salsa music, read.

Wildcat: That's all terribly interesting. Do you ever watch reruns of "The Brady Bunch" when you are bored?

Mahoney: Well, I don't own a television. So, I only know about television second hand.

Wildcat: From what you've heard about "The Brady Bunch" characters, who are you most similar to?

Mahoney: I really don't know.

Wildcat: Let me tell you about them. Well, Greg Brady was a big stud back then, not so much now though. Do you consider yourself a big stud?

Mahoney: Unfortunately not. Am I supposed to be honest?