I tuned in to C-Span to watch the Senate approve the bipartisan infrastructure bill this morning, August 10. When it was approved, I turned to the cablenets to hear commentary on the bill.
Lo and behold, there was the Governor of the State of New York announcing his resignation. But first he did a kind of a mea culpa attributing his stone-deafness to the complaints of women to generational factors which were “wrong” and for which he took responsibility and offered apology; a recitation of what it would cost the state in time (“months”) and money if he insisted on the prescribed procedures of impeachment and trial; and a recitation of his considerable achievements as Governor.
Cuomo emphasized that the process he was facing was political and not really based on the merits.
After actually announcing his resignation, Cuomo spoke of the negative reaction his bad behavior evoked in his three daughters, something he said he had to try to correct.
After his speech, my quick-witted channel surfing from CNN to Fox News and MSNBC disclosed–wonder of wonders–that the instant analysts at these warring stations were in agreement!
All three cablenets’ instant sachems dumped on Cuomo à toute pompe and without mercy. Don’t you love instant analysis? The chief conclusions by CNN, Fox and MSNBC, who never agree on anything: Cuomo has no political future, cried crocodile tears and was just saving his butt.
On Cuomo’s political future, each bloviator had his or her own infallible crystal ball predicting political ruin!
The truth is that no one has the slightest idea what will happen to Andrew Cuomo once out of office. What will be the next act in the Cuomo saga? Here are some alternative scenarios.
The state Assembly decides to impeach him anyway. Use of state personnel to produce his book; lying about nursing home deaths from Covid; and defective bolts on the Mario Cuomo Bridge provide plenty of reasons to impeach, proponents of impeachment of the absent ex-Governor would argue.
Since the Assembly can hardly get it together on anything anyway, even if legal, this will go nowhere but not without some substantial disputation.
Cuomo’s polling numbers improve. Let’s face it: the numbers have no place to go but up. A tectonic 70% of New Yorkers wanted his resignation according to at least two leading polls.
Some Democratic leaders may take the cue from President Biden who said this afternoon that Cuomo had done “a hell of a job” professionally. The other Democratic pols, the “usual suspects,” merely said that Cuomo had done “the right thing” to resign.
Criticism continues, more women come forward and one or more District Attorneys charge Cuomo with misdemeanors. These charges merit an appearance notice, not an arrest, and will result in a plea to a lesser misdemeanor than the one(s) charged.
Cuomo goes away, starts a new life, and is never heard from again. Highly unlikely but possible. What would he do?
During the winter of 2021-2022, the state begins to founder as disease continues, the state’s role in infrastructure implementation is weak, and crime gets worse. These dangers, not far-fetched, may cause people to think of the Cuomo governorship as the good old days. What might be missed the most as these evils proliferate is Cuomo’s excellent communication skill as seen during his Covid news conferences.
These circumstances may lead to a political comeback for Cuomo even to the point of his running for Governor again.
The public loves a comeback. People know of slips and falls in their own families and among their friends. They may like the idea of the comeback of a new political Cuomo. To the consternation of the platoon of people seeking to win a Democratic primary for Governor, Cuomo may be welcomed by voters who want a centrist.
Just ask Bill Clinton, that “comeback kid.”