The Tale of Two Cuomos

[JBGUSA]

There have been two Democratic governor of New York named “Cuomo.” They look alike – father and son. Their voices are somewhat similar. There the similarity ends. Mario’s speech at the 1984 Democratic Convention (Link to Mario Cuomo 1984 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address) was soaring in its delivery and content. Excerpts below:

@Mario Cuomo

Now for 50 years – for 50 years we Democrats created a better future for our children, using traditional Democratic principles as a fixed beacon, giving us direction and purpose, but constantly innovating, adapting to new realities: Roosevelt’s alphabet programs; Truman’s NATO and the GI Bill of Rights; Kennedy’s intelligent tax incentives and the Alliance for Progress; Johnson’s civil rights; Carter’s human rights and the nearly miraculous Camp David Peace Accord.

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We know we can, because we did it for nearly 50 years before 1980. And we can do it again, if we do not forget – if we do not forget that this entire nation has profited by these progressive principles; that they helped lift up generations to the middle class and higher; that they gave us a chance to work, to go to college, to raise a family, to own a house, to be secure in our old age and, before that, to reach heights that our own parents would not have dared dream of.
That struggle to live with dignity is the real story of the shining city. And it’s a story, ladies and gentlemen, that I didn’t read in a book, or learn in a classroom. I saw it and lived it, like many of you. I watched a small man with thick calluses on both his hands work 15 and 16 hours a day. I saw him once literally bleed from the bottoms of his feet, a man who came here uneducated, alone, unable to speak the language, who taught me all I needed to know about faith and hard work by the simple eloquence of his example. I learned about our kind of democracy from my father. And I learned about our obligation to each other from him and from my mother. They asked only for a chance to work and to make the world better for their children, and they – they asked to be protected in those moments when they would not be able to protect themselves. This nation and this nation’s government did that for them.

By contrast, Andrew Cuomo’s remarks yesterday (link to Andrew Cuomo remarks) were in my opinion carping, cheap and cheesy. Excerpts:

@Andrew Cuomo

“We’re not going to make America great again. It was never that great…We have not reached greatness, we will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged, we will reach greatness when discrimination and stereotyping against women, 51 percent of our population, is gone and every woman’s full potential is realized and unleashed and every woman is making her full contribution…”

Trump, an elected President, is being treated like a cartoon pin-up. While I did not vote for the Democratic candidate in 1984, I did not vote for Trump either.
However, the contrast is breathtaking. As is Andrew’s hypocrisy. His chosen Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, resigned in disgrace after spearheading the “me-too” movement and then turning out to be a serial abuser. Would that political debate return to the level of the 1960’s or even 1984.

[Procrustus]

Treating Trump like a cartoon pin-up is way too much dignity then he deserves.

PS: I don’t think the elder Cuomo would have found anything objectionable in the Andrew Cuomo bit you quoted. I certainly didn’t.

[adaher]

Mario was a better person but Andrew seems to be the better governor. Mario’s 'record" seems to mostly be about how great a person he was and what a great spokesman for the liberal wing of the party. Andrew has been less ideological and far more effective.

[Shodan]

@JBGUSA

By contrast, Andrew Cuomo’s remarks yesterday (link to Andrew Cuomo remarks) were in my opinion carping, cheap and cheesy.

To give me as much credit as I can stomach, his press secretary issued a statementback-pedaling like mad.

Cuomo Jr. is being pushed left by a primary challenger, and perhaps lost track of how this kind of rhetoric plays in Peoria.

Regards,
Shodan

[E-DUB]

I didn’t even know there was a Peoria in New York. Ignorance fought.

[Kent_Clark]

@E-DUB

I didn’t even know there was a Peoria in New York. Ignorance fought.

Just west of Geneseo.

[dalej42]

I’d vote for Cuomo over Cynthia Nixon if I lived in New York. But, Cumuo, in trying to appeal to the so-called progressives, ended up sounding like a college freshman coming home for Christmas after a semester of American history taught by a fairly leftist professor.