When Martyrdom Comes A-Knocking: Does Andrew Cuomo have a Political Future?
The week of August 1 – 7, a few friends and I had a chat about the Cuomo allegations. We concluded that his term was over and that he was done. We saw no possible political future given the climate. Last week, while talking to other New Yorkers, I’ve come to realize that the idea of Cuomo’s political demise wasn’t universal. In fact, some are opposed to his stepping down from the governor’s chair. “Cuomo has done a lot for the state”, some said. Others remarked on his leadership during the pandemic (standing up to Trump) and don’t see further than harmless displays of affection. Still, others point to the sordid history of previous politicians that weren’t punished for their alleged sexual harassment misdeeds. In other words, NYC (at least) is divided.
I didn’t engage in the conversations on whether or not he should step down. Instead, I focussed on what is next in his political future. I don’t see a future for Andrew Cuomo in any area pertaining to politics. I predict that Cuomo will disappear.
Cuomo’s Reason for Resigning
This situation by its current trajectory will generate months of political and legal controversy. That is what is going to happen. That is how the political wind is blowing. It will consume government. It will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. It will brutalize people.
— Andrew Cuomo
He continued. . .
The State Assembly yesterday outlined weeks of process that will then lead to months of litigation, time and money that government should spend managing Covid, guarding against the Delta variant, reopening upstate, fighting gun violence and saving New York City. All that time would be wasted. This is one of the most challenging times for government in a generation. Government really needs to function today. Government needs to perform. It is a matter of life and death — government operations, and wasting energy on distractions is the last thing that state government should be doing. And I can not be the cause of that.
New York tough means New York loving, and I love New York, and I love you. And everything I have ever done has been motivated by that love. And I would never want to be unhelpful in any way. And I think that given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing. And, therefore, that’s what I’ll do because I work for you, and doing the right thing is doing the right thing for you. Because as we say, “It’s not about me. It’s about we.”
The full transcript of Cuomo’s resignation speech can be found in the New York Times. The selected citations are what I believe captures the essence. Cuomo states that his resignation comes because of the love he has for New York despite the fact that his natural instinct (being a New Yorker) was to fight. Love is what he claims to be his motivation. Cuomo paints himself as a martyr with the state’s best interest in mind because he wants to prevent the following from happening:
- Wasting of taxpayer dollars
- Wasting of government time and resources
- Brutalizing of persons
These concerns should be essential to anyone holding office. He appears to be the ideal head-of-state with all the right motivations. Whether what is articulated is true, is up for grabs. It could be all *cap (a lie). I hardly doubt that significant numbers were moved by what was said. In other words, he probably didn’t gain new friends or make new enemies. In fact, contrary to those that I’ve spoken to, according to a Marist Poll of 614 New York State Adults, “59% of New Yorkers, including 52% of registered Democrats, say New York Governor Andrew Cuomo should resign from office.”
This should be contrasted to early 2020 where the Wall Street Journal reported that “the number of New Yorkers who view the governor [Cuomo] favorably surged to 71% in March, up from 44% in February.” Fast forward to March 2021, a year later, Cuomo’s overall popularity was at 52% (Morning Consult). This was after the public was made aware of the nursing home scandal and Lindsey Boyan’s sexual harassment allegations. By May, it was down to 49% (WSJ). As of August 10, “38 percent of New York voters approve of Cuomo’s job performance” (Morning Consult).
In regards to those I’ve had conversations with, it would be interesting to look at several polls concerning Cuomo’s popularity among black New York voters. That’s for another time. However, he doesn’t seem to be polling high enough for a possible future appearance of significance at this point.
Resurrection Requires a National Stage
Cuomo was the leading figure when it comes to voicing concerns held by the general public. He was basically the president in terms of public confidence and access. “Mr. Cuomo transformed almost overnight into a national leader of the Democratic Party and a foil for President Donald J. Trump” (New York Times). He was so widely esteemed that the initial allegations and his administration’s withholding of nursing home death numbers went relatively well from a political perspective (see above). I have to admit that even I was cheering for Cuomo’s presidential aspirations.
Losing access to the resources available to a New York governor leaves the possibility of Cuomo’s ability to counter and influence the narrative concerning himself, basically non-existent. What would he use as his mouthpiece? Twitter? 2.5M followers do not sound like much of a national stage. Just having a blowhorn isn’t enough. Cuomo needs a blowhorn announcing some grand deed. What grand deed will be available to be done if he isn’t in an office to treat big problems?
Cuomo Comes off as Hyper-Aggressive
I’m not too comfortable with laying out an argument that may not necessarily be correct. Is Cuomo hyper-aggressive? I don’t know. I don’t know the man. I’ve never met him. I can only speak to how he appears on television and in pictures. Even then, my perspective is very subjective. Others may not agree with my take. The question is whether or not it is far-fetched that Cuomo appears confrontational.
In an article entitled, “The Imperious Rise and Accelerating Fall of Andrew Cuomo”, Shane Goldmacher takes an exhaustive look at Cuomo’s demeanor throughout his political career. Mr. Cuomo is described as stomping on Diblasio, dismissive toward the state legislature, burning bridges, intimidating, wrathful, lashing out at aides, bullying, strong-arming legislators, and dividing and conquering. All this paints a picture of an inhospitable man.
I don’t see a future. What about you?
Featured image source: Wikimedia.