With all craziness surrounding Charlie Rangel’s primary and a lot of discussion about Andrew Cuomo in 2016, I thought it would be fun to do another post about New York State politics.
Cuomo has insanely high approval ratings but a lot on the left are ambivalent about him.
I asked Chris Higgins, who is running for NYS Assembly (web-page here) what his thoughts were on Cuomo. His thoughts are below the dotted line:
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I think it’s important to recognize that Governor Cuomo is not a true “progressive” Democrat. So to me, it’s not surprising that members of the progressive community have been disappointed in some aspects of his administration. Nevertheless, the Governor deserves credit for advancing several important progressive goals.
Governor Cuomo spearheaded the drive towards marriage equality in New York state. As a Senate Democratic Counsel I saw first hand his leadership on this issue, as he pushed and prodded a recalcitrant Senate to stand up for what is arguably the biggest civil rights issue of my generation. I think we should rightly view this as a major achievement for our community and for the Governor’s administration. I believe, however, that we can go further. I have sponsored the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act at the county level and I have been disappointed by the Governor’s lack of support on this issue. I believe, as do many in the progressive community, that the Governor’s support would make this proposal a reality, ending invidious discrimination in this state for people of transgender orientation in the LGBT community.
The Governor has also enacted good government reforms. As I noted in previous correspondence, the ethics overhaul, including new, smaller brackets for disclosing outside income and new Joint Commission on Public Ethics are good first steps towards disentangling money from New York politics. However, I have been disappointed by the lack of lasting reforms. As you know, I believe that an Independent Redistricting Commission is essential to these efforts. Further, moving New York to a system of full public financing for campaigns is, in my opinion, one of the only ways we can limit the influence of money in politics. Needless to say, Governor Cuomo’s abandonment of these types of reforms, while simultaneously reaping the benefits of special interest money has set the wrong example and should be admonished. It is a perfect example of “do as I say, not as I do.”
I also applaud the Governor for his efforts to decriminalize marijuana. The sad fact is that marijuana arrests disproportionately target minority youths, staining their records and sowing mistrust between police and minority communities. We need to move past our failed drug policies. Again, I think we can do more. If elected, I would advocate a program similar to Hawaii’s HOPE program in an effort to extricate drug offenses from other criminal offenses. In my opinion, drug addiction is a public health issue, not a criminal one and we should pursue programs that help people overcome addictions, not punish them for it.
My disagreements with the Governor are generally ones of degree; however, in several instances I think he has been wrong on policy and principle. For example, as assaults over women’s rights are launched across the country, it is important that the home of Lady Liberty leads the way in securing a woman’s freedom of personal choice. The Women’s Reproductive Health Act would guarantee a woman the right to make her own personal health decisions and would move reproductive health issues from criminal law to public health law, where they rightly belong. Governor Cuomo has not yet supported the Woman’s Reproductive Health Act, which has stalled this important initiative. Similarly, I have been disappointed by Governor Cuomo’s tepid support of a minimum wage increase. The minimum wage is an essential protection for lower income workers. It is critical that make sure that a minimum wage is actually a livable wage. If elected I would advocate indexing the minimum wage to inflation so that we no longer have to fight entrenched interests for meager increases in wages.
In other cases, it has not been simply inaction by the Governor, but implemented policies with which I disagree. As you may have read, Governor Cuomo has proposed allowing hydro-fracking in the southern tier of New York. I think this policy is an unmitigated disaster. Hydro-fracking is a serious public health problem with long lasting effects. In Albany we have learned from PCB contamination of the Hudson River that when governments take shortcuts with environmental health, the public pays the price in both health effects and monies for cleanup. I am a staunch advocate for strong environmental policies and regulations and would work to undo such disastrous policies.
Frankly, I think Governor Cuomo’s tenure has been one of successful, but limited steps. I applaud his efforts but I think we can, and must, go further than he has thus far been willing to go. Given the Governor’s popularity across the state, I hope that he decides to leverage his support for the lasting reforms that I have identified. If I am elected I will advocate these programs and push the Governor’s Office to adopt a more progressive stance on our priorities.
texascowgirl
I think Gov. Cuomo will have a serious Wall Street problem. So far the Gov. of Maryland, Martin O’Malley is my favorite potential nominee for 2016.
Davis X. Machina
No mention of Cuomo’s plan to move new public employees into a defined-contribution, 401(k)-style, retirement system? It’s one of his good friend Mike Bloomberg’s pet projects.
gelfling545
Living, as I do, in WNY I believe that if Cuomo is our Candidate in 2016 we will have a Republican president unless they run a halfwit like Palin. Cuomo doesn’t have Obama’s charisma to overcome his distressing degree of moderation. I can’t picture Cuomo inspiring the personal devotion Obama has.
gogol's wife
OT — What happened to the Mexican election thread? I was saving it to read this morning because it looked funny, but it’s gone.
rb
@texascowgirl: Agree, I think O’Malley is the one to beat at this point. He was quite a good mayor of B’more when I was there, and I’ve been following his governorship fairly closely. So far I’m liking what I’m seeing, but I would love to hear from someone on this board who lives in MD and has a more relevant perspective.
c u n d gulag
I live in upstate NY, and I’d much rather have Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley as a Presidential candidate in 2016.
Andrew ain’t his father.
Of course, by “druther” would be an Elizabeth Warren/Kirsten Gillibrand ticket – with Warren at the top – but wouldn’t mind at all if it was the other way around.
beltane
@texascowgirl: I don’t think that any Democrat with an inability to tap into Americans’ economic grievances is going to make it. Martin O’Malley “has it” while Andrew Cuomo does not.
The Ancient Randonneur
Any chance Billy Joel will run or is he too busy drunk driving and crashing his Mercedes? New York State of Mind!
Valdivia
Thanks for posting this DougJ. The one and only part of the NYT I miss reading is their local politics section. I should remember to check it out online.
Anya
All my acquaintances hate Cuomo with the passion of burning thousand suns. I guess I run in a very close circle.
texascowgirl
@rb: The guy is also pretty fierce. He never backs down from defending and promoting the president and he gets in the GOP’s face. There is a video of him taking Gov. McDonnell to the woodshed during a debate. He showed no mercy. With lines like these, he’s my guy. He’s aggressive, but it never stops him from being likeable.
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/06/gov-omalley-gop-likes-mandates-when-theyre-transvaginal-probes-for-women.php
Jeff(the other one)
Two points about AC:
first he is deliberately playing small-ball to keep his approval numbers high– he doesn’t want to try any big changes that would bring his popularity down, ala Paterson, or Spitzer, and that leads to
second, the only reason he wants thsi insanely high approval is so he can position himself in 2016 after Obama’s 2nd term.
(yes, Virginia, there is a second term)
Davis X. Machina
Cuomo’s probably close to what all those Americans Elect people — all forty-seven of them — wanted in a candidate.
Taylor
I found this profoundly depressing.
“Cuomo ticks off on some of my favorite identity politics stuff, so he gets a pass for his support of the corporatocracy that is dismantling the middle class and destroying the world our children will have to live in.”
Pretty much sums up the institutional Left in the US today.
dr. bloor
The “on one hand, on the other hand, and on balance…” approach to Cuomo is an exercise in false equivalences. His good stuff is good, but his bad stuff (that Higgins and other commenters have mentioned) is disasterous. Really, we’re supposed to be enthusiastic about a pro-fracking, lousy labor and tax policies guy because he’s good on gay rights?
Cuomo is the Democratic Romney: he’s an ambitious fuck, and his core is built around getting what daddy never got.
DougJ
@gogol’s wife:
I posted it early by accident. It will be there again at 8 tonight.
Valdivia
@gogol’s wife:
I was wondering too. Maybe Doug will re-post again tonight when the results come in? Don’t know if he can post the exact same thread. It was a fun discussion, I really liked that a poll worker came in and explained how they are selected and assigned and how it works on the ground, hope he comes back.
@DougJ: Thanks Doug. Even by accident we managed a good discussion :)
Frankensteinbeck
Chris Higgens does not exist. He self-identifies as a ‘true progressive’, talks passionately about how moderate left achievements need to go farther, but gives credit where it is due and understands his allies exist in a spectrum. It’s hard finding anybody of any stripe who grasps that. Me likey this guy.
Baud
Agree on O’Malley. So far, he’s been excellent at presenting himself as a strong Democratic voice without undercutting the Party in some way. That’s big in my book.
Jay C
@Taylor:
Color me another Noo Yawker wildly underimpressed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Yeah, he’s been visibly out front on gay issues, but that (and probably by design) basically seems to be meant to serve him as screen for what are otherwise – at best – middle-of-the-road corporatist DLC-type Democratic policy choices. Yeah, he’s no wingnut, and a “safe” choice on social policies, but underneath it all (IMO) Just Another Albany Pol. Better than nothing (or any Republican), but that’s about it…
beltane
@dr. bloor: I just don’t see the Cuomo appeal unless you’re a single-issue voter on gay rights. What does Cuomo offer the rest of us?
Villago Delenda Est
@Davis X. Machina:
This.
Safe for the hedge fund parasites. Not so great for the 99%.
Oh, he’s fine on social issues. But economic ones? He’s a whore for bankster vermin.
Fuck him.
Linda Featheringill
Cuomo is not terribly popular in the fly-over country. Hell, he’s not even well known out here in the hinterlands.
Serving time as mayor of NYC is a negative in much of the country. North-East-Coasters might not understand that fact.
Anoniminous
Cuomo’s position on Gay Rights is a two-fer:
1. gets him support from Progressives generally and the Progressive oriented GLBT community in particular
2. is non-threatening to Wall Street and the 1% — the status quo
The only people it alienates are fundamentalist Conservatives who aren’t going to vote for him anyway.
BGinCHI
Cuomo won’t fly as a national candidate, unless things change a lot in the swing states. He could probably beat Mike Pence.
Baud
The thing about gay rights is, there’s no chance that any viable Democratic nominee in 2016 won’t be for full equality. It’s not going to be a distinguishing characteristic for Cuomo.
Valdivia
I love O’Malley too. Have been a fan since I started noticing him.
Anoniminous
We’ll know the Dem insiders candidate for the 2016 run when we learn who will give the keynote speech at the convention.
taylormattd
Is he talking about in New York? I mean I would assume so.
Steve
@Linda Featheringill: Cuomo has never been mayor of NYC. Heck, Bloomberg and Giuliani have the last 20 years covered between them.
taylormattd
@gelfling545: Oh, that’s bad.
BGinCHI
@Valdivia: I’d love to see O’Malley slap down the bishops.
Literally.
Walker
Not that I am a supporter, but is there any reason no one is seriously considering Biden for 2016? For many years that is how the “rule of succession” worked.
Valdivia
@BGinCHI:
Ooooh me too! Better with video and pictures! I hope he headlines in the Dem Convention.
Cassidy
@Walker: He won’t win.
dr. bloor
@Walker: He’ll be 74 in 2016, and he’s shown no signs of any interest in the job recently.
Linnaeus
@Walker:
Age might be an issue; he’ll be nearly 74 by Election Day 2016. That’s about as old as Reagan was when he won his second term.
Pillsy
Huh, I’ll have to pay closer attention to O’Malley. I was sort of assuming it would be Cuomo unless Hilary decides for a second shot (which seems increasingly unlikely), but haven’t been exactly enthusiastic about the guy because the only real virtue he has is that he’s Not A Republican. That’s more than enough to get my committed support in the general, but it does him no good in the primary.
BGinCHI
@Walker: Too old.
BGinCHI
What about Nader?
/slinks away, covers ears
texascowgirl
@Pillsy: President Obama will stay out of the race until there is a nominee, but watch the Obama campaign people move to O’Malley. His campaign will be largely comprised of former Obamaites. I bet he gets the keynote at the convention as well.
robertdsc-iPhone 4
Not interested in Cuomo. Anyone who won’t tax the wealthy even a smidge isn’t worth the time.
befuggled
@BGinCHI: Too old. He’ll be 82 in 2016.
Your tar and feathers will be hand-delivered.
Linda
@dr. bloor:
What he’s “good” about is identity politics and what he’s bad about is, as you note, bad–the issue of preserving the middle class, and cutting down on economic inequality. It’s the burning issue of our time, and he’s out to lunch.
boss bitch
I am a New Yorker and I don’t want any NY Dems on the ticket in 2016. I don’t want any Democrat that has been tepid in their support of Pres. Obama. Next person is going to need the loyalty of Obots and Cuomo ain’t gonna do it. That’s why I prefer O’Malley. That guy is the ultimate surrogate. Always on point. Very good looking. Great voice and plays music. Yes, those superficial things are important especially coming after a guy like President Obama.
If Biden wants it, I’m perfectly fine with that. Hillary? eh, I still don’t like the company she keeps outside of Obama and his cabinet. They will be very old though.
CaseyL
Cuomo sounds like another Lieberman: good on the signature civil rights issue of the day, not good on fundamental economic issues. (Lieberman was very active in the 60s civil rights movement.)
The problem for Cuomo is that marriage equality is on a winning tide. By 2016, his early support for it won’t matter as much as his corporatism. That’s going to be esp. true if the Dems can’t move any legislation through Congress in the next four years – as seems likely, if we keep the WH but the GOP holds the House or takes the Senate. The destruction of the middle class could shape up to be THE issue in 2016.
Which would not be at all good for Cuomo.
Lol
I’ve been trying to get a read on O’Malley’s viability as a candidate. The main things I’ve heard from people is that he’s not running for President in 2016 and that he’s like Ted Kennedy in goods ways and bad. Which is sort of a shame because he’s a great candidate otherwise from what I can tell.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@BGinCHI: La la la la la. I can’t hear you.
PeakVT
@DougJ: I hope you didn’t kill all the comments. The ones by Javier and Valdivia were good.
Linda Featheringill
@Steve:
See, I told you he wasn’t well known. :-)
What is he and why do the Northeasterners keep talking about him? Gov or something?
Pillsy
@Linnaeus:
Yes, as much as I like Joe Biden, he’ll just be too goddamned old at that point. I’d be sincerely worried the job would kill him. And like boss bitch says, Hilary will be pushing it too, even though her performance at State has really dispelled my doubts about her.
Upper West
What about Schweitzer — he was great on Up with Chris Hayes today. I know there’s a big downside on Keystone and other environmental issues, but he is very smart and though I really like someone like O’Malley, he may be susceptible to “East Coast elitist” rhetoric that Schweitzer can handle.
PeakVT
I don’t see why any Dem would want Cuomo after he championed a property tax cap. It’s not as bad as Cali’s Prop 13, but it’s still mighty stupid. Mechanistic limitation of taxes is a Republican idea through and through.
Mino
Undoubtedly, Cuomo would have been one of the the Dems staying in the House to vote to censure Holder. I’m no big fan of Holder, but that NRA cowardice was inexcusable.
After watching the economic damage to middle America from Republican-lite policies, I think progressives would shit the bed if faced with another who was so transparent.
Mino
@Upper West: I don’t know. Western Dems seem to be more libertarian/populist than progressive. Tester is pretty typical, I think.
asiangrrlMN
@texascowgirl: I love Gov. O’Malley. I briefly considered moving to Maryland because of him, but then, you know, heat. Hate it. His push-back against Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation was a thing of beauty. No matter how Schieffer tried to frame the questions (about the ‘private sector is doing fine’ gaffe that wasn’t a gaffe), Gov. O’Malley stuck to his guns and his message. He wasn’t swayed at all. I really wish more Dems could focus like that.
Phil Perspective
@dr. bloor: Cuomo is the Democratic Romney: he’s an ambitious fuck, and his core is built around getting what daddy never got.
Bingo!!
Phil Perspective
@Upper West: And don’t forget one thing about Schweitzer. He’s the anti-Obama. Meaning, he’ll rub every victory in Orange Julius’s and McConnell’s face. He does that in Montana all the time, albeit with Montana’s GOP.
Phil Perspective
@boss bitch: So you are okay with the Senator from MBNA? You don’t think the economy is going to be a big deal in 4 1/2 years? It will be because, as long as the filibuster rules don’t change, McConnell will still try and screw everything up if he’s still in the minority.
Brachiator
There are places in New York called Guilderland and New Scotland?
Speculation about 2016 is about as useless as was the speculation about the Supreme Court health care decision.
Is New York’s budget balanced? What’s the unemployment rate? What’s the condition of the schools?
I have no idea why anyone would talk about marijuana use in the context of drug addiction. New York ain’t got no meth users? Are there any medical marijuana clinics, or is New York as dumb as California in this area?
Are there assaults on women’s reproductive rights in the state to the same degree as in wingnut states? It’s not clear what the legislation that Higgins mentions seeks to accomplish.
Interesting NY snapshot.
Valdivia
@asiangrrlMN:
was that this am? or last week? I need to go look for that.
HRA
It will be no to Cuomo next election from a lot of NYS union workers. To be explicit, they are not the 1% we can count in their own state union status and were not forced to give 9 days pay to “save the jobs of other state workers”.
burnspbesq
@Mino:
“progressives would shit the bed”
You say that as though it’s something I should care about.
Jewish Steel
@BGinCHI: Why won’t Cuomo play nationally or in the swing states? I know nothing about him. Is he too Noo Yawkah or something?
socraticsilence
Schweitzer and Omalley would be my picks, people dont realize behind the cowboy persona schweitzers actually a brilliant guy, phd, fluent in arabic, etc
sharl
I live in Maryland, but I don’t have much a feel for the level of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s popularity inside the state. I hear the usual and continuous grumbling that are to be expected against someone who regularly has to make decisions that will always leave someone unhappy. But I haven’t heard any calls for pitchforks and torches, although I assume such calls could be found with a bit of digging. State politics here – liberal (by U.S. standards) and usually urban-friendly – is mostly driven by the two major urban population centers: in and around Baltimore, and the MD suburbs of Washington DC.
I would be interested in hearing how the national media is treating O’Malley; perhaps it is too early for them (or their corporate overseers) to have decided on how to spin him.
I did hear a local news person try to give O’Malley a beating over his response to the recent derecho that left so many people around here without power, a particularly bad thing when you can’t run your A/C to provide sanctuary from these sweltering temperatures. Del Walters of all-news DC station WTOP was (IMO) quite unprofessional in his questioning of The Guv – I assume Mr. Walters was playing Valiant Media Protector of the A/C-Deprived Taxpayer, rather than engaging in something partisan – but it was still uncalled for. O’Malley handled it about as well as could be expected, and I noticed that when he pushed back against Walters’ insinuations (basically summed up as: “Governor, why DIDN’T you declare a State of Emergency as early as the Virginia governor?”), ol’ Del didn’t have a reply.* I also noticed that the rebroadcast of the most provocative segment of that interview disappeared fairly quickly; maybe more rational and professional judgments prevailed at the station.
*O’Malley said that VA declared only about two hours earlier. If true, Del Walters really was being a jerk.
Bobby Thomson
Carcetti has his bad points, too, but I’d be happy with him as the nominee. However, I don’t sense that he has as much organization lined up as Cuomo. Being demure is mandatory when non-campaigning for VP or SCOTUS, but it doesn’t work anymore for president. Candidates don’t have to issue Sherman statements to be ignored during the critical organizing phases.
But once this year’s elections are over, it’s entirely possible things will get rolling very quickly.
sparky
bring back Al Smith! the 1928 one, that is.
Jesse Ewiak
One of the best things about O’Malley even running for President is that it might give David Simon to write a Presidentially-focused show.
JWL
I haven’t even read your words yet, but thanks for the insight into contemporary NY politics.
New York figures so prominently in our national history, but damned if I’ve ever understood what once did-and/or-still does makes it tick. It always interests me when those with a clue explains the great State of New York.
One question: whereabouts north of NYC does “upstate NY” begin?
jayjaybear
Cuomo’s big draw is his name. His dad was tons better in most ways than him, but had this bad habit every four years of stringing along the DNC in order to stroke his own ego. The people clamoring for Andrew are the same masochists who spent months every four years camping outside Mario’s metaphorical front door like lovesick teenagers hoping to catch a glimpse of him on his way to the office.
Maude
@JWL:
Fourteenth Street.