You probably know of my great hatred of Andrew Cuomo. A big part of this is simply that he has coasted on his father’s reputation — but in the name of policy that his father would have hated. He’s even claimed that his unpopular support of Wall Street is equivalent to his father’s principled stand against the death penalty. Really, the man deserves to fall through a manhole.
Independent Democratic Conference
One of Cuomo’s worst aspects is his support for the traitor Democrats in the New York Senate. These are the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC). They caucused with the Republicans, depriving the Democratic Party control of the Senate from 2013 through 2014, even though the Democrats had more representatives.
The IDC has been a free-floating group. It seems there are always New York Democrats willing to betray their voters in the name of corporation-friendly policy. That’s especially true when they are wedded to big campaign contributions and later industry jobs.
Andrew Cuomo’s Gang
But even though Andrew Cuomo has claimed to have nothing to do with the IDC, it is clear that the group has everything to do with him. By giving power to Republicans, Cuomo avoided having to take a stand on actual liberal policy. Cuomo was thus positioning himself to run for president. Given that Democratic Party voters have decided that they would like it very much if the party offered them, you know, liberal candidates, it seems Cuomo’s quest for the presidency is done.
Most damning is that Cuomo met with the IDC in April. One meeting and the IDC disbanded — what a surprise! The meeting was part of Cuomo’s rush leftward. It’s important to remember that in addition to all his horrible qualities, Cuomo is also craven and lacking in principles.
Defeat of the IDC
There seems little doubt that the IDC would get back together as soon as they (and Cuomo who, like other New York cockroaches, is hard to kill) got re-elected. Luckily, that didn’t happen.
Of the eight current IDC members, six lost their primaries. Since the IDC was disbanded, and it wouldn’t work with only two members anyway, I assume these traitors will caucus with the Democrats.
It seems odd though. I would think there would need to be some punishment. Public whipping, perhaps. But New York is an odd place. You only have to look at Chuck Schumer who doesn’t seem much interested in fighting the Republican take-over of the federal judiciary so long as his corporate bosses keep sending him those sweet, sweet campaign contributions.
Less Bad Than Fascists
This is why we in the democratic wing of the Democratic Party are so upset with the Republican wing. These people have convinced themselves that they are the reasonable ones. But the fact is that there is almost no constituency for them. Democratic Party voters want liberal representation. Republican Party voters want fascist representation. The only people who want these “moderates” (read: corporate sell-outs) are pundits who will always see the right policy as that which is hated by the greatest number of people.
It’s great that the IDC went down in flames yesterday. Just the same, two of them won. And Andrew Cuomo won decisively. As long as people like Cuomo can coast to victory despite working against the interests of their constituencies, we are lost.
It isn’t enough for a Democrat to simply be less crazy than the fascist opposition party.
Orwell once wrote “by 50, everyone has the face they deserve,” and nowhere is this truer than with Cuomo. Just look at the guy. He exudes a kind of smugness that suggests pure diabolical delight at constantly destroying anyone who opposes him on anything so pathetic as principle.
As to his Presidential aspirations, I would assume they’re flying higher than ever. He won’t be able to run New York like his personal fiefdom anymore, so what’s the point? (People like him are interested in power, not actual governance.) Onward and upward.
The rational part of my brain says, “despite all his Wall Street suckupitude, they’d never be stupid enough to sink money into a national campaign backing this eminently slappable nepotistic asshole.” The realistic part of my brain says “it’s Wall Street — that’s exactly the kind of arrogant blowhard with no chance at winning they’d totally support.”
My original guess was that 2020 would come down to somebody from the Democratic liberal wing versus some nothingburger “centrist” who looks more like voters than Dukakis (think Dukakis with darker skin pigmentation and/or ovaries). But it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they also had a truly loathsome contender arise, from the ooze, like a Cuomo or Zuckerberg. (Jamie Dimon has been fervently denying his intentions to run, which translates to he’s really been thinking about it.)
Remember, we all blew off Steve Forbes’s idiotic campaigns until someone even more blatantly foolish and privileged proved that model could work.
I definitely have the face I deserve. It is the face of defeat! I think Cuomo has always had the face he deserves. He’s always had the face of a trust-fund baby. But it definitely shows its hatred more now than in the past.
I think that if Cuomo runs in 2020, it will be Jim Webb all over again. The Democratic base is in no mood for a return to corporate “liberalism.” But actually, I suspect a Cuomo run will be more like Rudy Giuliani in 2008: there will be a lot of press and the pundits will be shocked that no one gives a shit. The Democratic Party isn’t like the Republican Party. And regardless, Democrats aren’t looking for a Republican with a “D” after his name.
But you are totally right: he will be swimming in money. Fortunately, at least for now, money isn’t enough. He could do the world a favor and do as I fantasized: fall down a manhole. Cuomo for Manhole 2018: A Positive Step!
I got a new license last year, and I was stunned at how badly my face had changed. The old picture had a wry smile, as if suggesting “you ain’t seen nothing yet!” The new one looked like a telephone-pole poster for somebody’s missing gerbil. So it goes, so it goes.
You’re probably correct about Cuomo’s future. I can’t imagine voters in the other 49 states getting one ounce of him and not gagging. I could definitely see the media pimping him as up-and-comer-of-the-week. The way they did Michele Bachmann or Tim Pawwlenty.
I beg to disagree that there’s no constituency anymore for corporate Democrats. There is a definite constituency, albeit a shrinking one.
It’s the office-crowd, the people in “strategic consulting management” who are utterly contemptuous of working-class losers, yet socially liberal. (They like NPR and Ted Talks.) Those jobs are disappearing fast; as Mrs. James put it, “they’ve effectively served the system that made them disposable.” 25 years ago, you could get some bullshit corporate job with an English Lit diploma; fuggitaboutit now. Better have a tech or finance degree today, and those folks do not always vote Democratic.
Cuomo For Manhole! He’d probably survive in the sewers, living on roaches and discarded McDonald’s scraps, proclaiming himself “Lord Of The Rats” (who would wisely ignore him).
Jamie Dimon should take a hard look at the current President and conclude that white collar criminals should stay in the private sector where they can hide.
Correct! Except that Trump isn’t white-collar, and that’s his perfection.
He’s a lifelong loser who survived on his dad’s money, and because he’s a loser, he was able to convincing say to voters, “I had to come back from poverty. I’m down with you folks.” Like fucking Reagan, a celebrity whose act played well the third time around. Like Reagan, he was in no remote danger of actual suffering. Hell, Reagan actually grew up poorer. But he worked a lot harder than Trump.