Politics with Nolan: The End of an Era

The Hudsonian Student Newspaper Tuesday, August, 24Tuesday, August, 24 0 Comments News, Nolan Cleary

By Nolan Cleary, Editor-In-Chief

The Hudsonian Student Newspaper | The Hudsonian New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a press conference to discuss the first positive case of novel coronavirus or COVID-19 in New York State on March 2, 2020 in New York City. – Governor Andrew Cuomo said March 2, 2020 he expects the new coronavirus is spreading in New York, a global hub of commerce and finance, as it deals with its first confirmed case.”I’ve been saying for many days, it’s not if but when. We’re New York. This is a global situation,” he said on CNN.The city’s first confirmed coronavirus case was detected in a health care worker, a 39-year-old woman who tested positive after returning from Iran. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

After 10 and a half years, a series of political highs and lows, potential Presidential ambitions, national attention, and a series of political scandals, the administration of Governor Andrew Cuomo is finally coming to an end.

Cuomo, 63 years of age has announced he will be resigning from office in disgrace after a report from Democratic Attorney General Letisha James concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women during his time in the Governor’s Mansion.

The announcement comes as a massive sting to the Cuomo family legacy, as it wasn’t long ago when Andrew Cuomo was considered a major rising star within the party.

The Cuomo name dates back to the mid-1970s when Andrew Cuomo’s father Mario Cuomo. Cuomo’s father Mario also quickly gained national popularity, as he served three terms in office, and was considered a potential Presidential candidate. Those aspirations faded after Cuomo lost re-election to a fourth term in a political upset in 1994.

From a young age, Andrew Cuomo was also considered a rising political star. At 35 years of age, Cuomo was tapped by President Bill Clinton to serve as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. In 2010, he was finally elected Governor.

Considered an influential voice in the party, some perceived Cuomo as a highly effective liberal Governor that Democrats statewide and nationally could admire.

Cuomo passed the Marriage Equality Act and passed the Excelsior Act, which granted free college tuition to some college students in New York.

Cuomo was elected to office three times. Some Democrats speculated that Cuomo could attempt to run for President in the 2016 or 2020 Democratic primaries, though he ultimately declined both times.

In 2020, Cuomo received national attention for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. His live press briefings were viewed by millions of people each day, including people outside of New York state.

For a time, it appeared Cuomo reached his high point. Earning an 80% approval rating from his constituents, then-Presidential candidate Joe Biden called Cuomo the “gold standard” for how he handled COVID-19 cases. Cuomo also received a commemorative Emmy for his briefings and wrote a best-selling book about leadership.

Following heaps of media praise and attention, Cuomo’s was put into the spotlight as many Democrats called for him to replace Joe Biden as the party’s nominee for President in 2020.

In December, a Siena College poll Andrew Cuomo leading the pact of potential 2024 Democratic candidates for President. Then came the Governor’s preverbal fall from grace.

In late 2020, new reports surfaced alleging Cuomo covered up nursing home deaths from COVID-19, a report Cuomo adamantly denied.

Then came the allegations of sexual harassment from women in Cuomo’s administration and other Democratic Party officials. To this date, 11 women have accused the Governor of sexual misconduct.

11 women accused Governor Cuomo of inappropriate sexual behavior, including an anonymous state trooper, two anonymous employees for the Governor, and an unspecified employee who goes only by the name “Kaitlin”.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat investigated the allegations and concluded in August that had indeed sexually harassed women.

Cuomo continues to fight the report, claiming his interactions with the women, though intimate, weren’t sexual. He also claimed that James’ report was biased, even though she is a part of the same party he is. Cuomo’s response to the report earned almost universal backlash from both sides of the aisle.

Both New York U.S. Senators called on Cuomo to resign, as did President Joe Biden. Following the resignation of Chief of Staff Melissa DeRosa, Cuomo finally announced he would resign.

The decision taints the legacy of a Governor once thought to be revered by his party and puts into question the legacy of the Cuomo dynasty.

Jasper Marynczak, a student in electrical construction and maintenance major believes Cuomo’s brand of politics was destined to lead to scandal.

“Anyone in politics is vulnerable to corruption, Cuomo identified with a traditional brand of New York corruption which I think helped him achieve more in government. None of that is ideal.” Marynczak said.

Christopher Stalker, a student studying mathematics, agrees with that statement. “I feel like it happens all the time nowadays. Which sucks, but it isn’t surprising,” Stalker said.

Robert Whittaker, a political science professor at Hudson Valley Community College said that the scandal doesn’t just put Andrew Cuomo’s legacy into question, but the legacy of the Cuomo name in general.

“It certainly has raised questions about Chris Cuomo’s ability to continue hosting his show on CNN because it’s known now, and Chris Cuomo acknowledges this, that he was actively advising his brother on messaging and strategy and public response as this crisis developed,” Whittaker said.

“I think it’s going to be very hard for New Yorkers to reflect on Governor Cuomo and his policy accomplishments without considering the contents of the Attorney General’s report,” Whittaker said.

Marynczak said he thinks that Cuomo’s resignation was the right thing, as his ongoing scandals distracted from important issues.

“I have not read the investigation but I think Cuomo made the right decision to step down. There was no need for a back and forth circus on the precipice of unemployment payments running out, mortgage forbearance expiring, as well as student loan forgiveness uncertainty,” Marynczak said.

Cuomo has been succeeded by Kathy Hochul, a political unknown from the upstate, who serves as New York’s first female Governor.