Why Won't Cuomo Commit to New York?

A Siena Poll released yesterday shows that most New Yorkers still want Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to run for governor. Before we get excited about a second Cuomo in New York State’s top job, let’s remember: He hasn’t even announced his intentions to run for governor! So the man New Yorkers want to rectify the mess in Albany isn’t even “officially” in the race.

I ask: Why won’t Andrew Cuomo commit to New York?

According to the Troy Record: “For months, voters have said that Cuomo has time to declare what he’s running for — seemingly agreeing with the attorney general that it was time for governing rather than politics,” said Siena pollster Steven Greenberg. “As we are now less than seven months from Election Day, the tide has swung and voters want Cuomo to declare his intentions, and they’d prefer, particularly Democrats, that he run for governor.”

In my opinion Cuomo’s continued line about staying solely focused on politics is a bunch of BS. Right now, more than ever, this state needs someone to stand up and say, “I want to lead this state and I have a plan.” Cuomo’s insistence to remain in the weeds, putting political strategy over what’s right for New Yorkers, is quite frankly selfish and a bit cowardly if you ask me. Say what you want about David Paterson, and believe me I’ve said a bunch, but at least he’s out there hitting this budget mess head-on, despite the fact that he has no future in Albany. That’s more than I can say for our Legislators, who last Wednesday, with the budget weeks late, went home for the weekend. Home for the weekend on Wednesday! Costing thousands of New Yorkers their jobs because there’s no money plan in place. And it’s more than I can say for Cuomo. Like the old saying says, “crap or get off the pot.”

Currently Cuomo has a 66% approval rating.

66% Approval rating? For what? This poll finding is everything that’s wrong with New York. The man who leads all other potential gubernatorial candidates by 35 points is not even a nominee. It’s the same thing with our current government and legislators. We have a band of damn jokers who’ve dug this state into a 9-billion-dollar grave, and are still taking 5-day weekends with the budget once again way overdue. But of course we won’t vote any of them out. In fact 45% of voters say New York’s moving in the right direction. The right direction! Incumbents like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand saw a recent spike in her popularity. Are you kidding me!? A spike for what? The state’s never been worse. What does it take to get these idiots out of office? How many New Yorkers need to lose their shirts? Like I’ve said so many times before: You’re asking millionaires to get their hands dirty with this fiscal mess. It won’t ever happen. Never.

And now the man who most New Yorkers want to lead us out of this abyss is waiting in the weeds? And I ask: for what? If this is some kind of political strategy, I don’t get it, not at this point. But I do promise if New Yorkers actually banded together and took control of our government again with a collective, connected voice, this nonsense would end, across the board. I don’t know what that means, but anything has to be better than telling polls that the state is moving in the right direction. But nah. Like complete idiots, we give no-show Cuomo a 66% favorability and send the message that our incumbents are doing good work and shouldn’t worry about reelection. So in the end, we have ourselves to blame for this 9-billion-dollar deficit. And if that’s the case, I say: Take your time Andrew Cuomo. Don’t worry about New Yorkers knowing your intentions until YOU’RE ready, on YOUR time table. I mean, why not, right? It’s all about you and your political career.

Brian Huba
4/20/10