Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Will Cuomo Pull a Northam?

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by

James A. Bacon
in

Andrew Cuomo

by Kerry Dougherty

I was on the elliptical at the gym yesterday, flipping through cable news. It was all Cuomo, Cuomo, Cuomo. Even on the networks that once treated the New York governor as if he tinkled perfume.

One after another, New York politicians called for Cuomo’s head and predicted that he’d be gone soon. A month at most.

“There is no way Andrew Cuomo survives this,” one declared. “Every Democrat in the country has called on him to resign.”

Hah, I thought. Does Ralph Northam ring a bell?

National Democrats demanded his head, too, back in February 2018 after the country learned that Northam had pranced around in blackface and/or Klan robes and found it so cute he put it in his medical school yearbook.

Anyone else remember Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Doug Wilder, Terry McAuliffe, Elaine Luria, Al Sharpton and scores of other Dems indignantly demanding that Northam resign?

“We now know what Ralph Northam did when he thought no one was watching. The person in that photo can’t be trusted to lead. Governor Northam must resign immediately,” said Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Northam was so badly damaged, the yearbook photos so stunningly racist, that almost no one predicted that he’d still be calling the Governor’s Mansion home three years later.

He survived, of course, because top Virginia Democrats in the line of succession began to fall. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax was accused of sexual assault and rape by two credible women. Then Attorney General Mark Herring admitted that he, too, had dabbled in blackface.

Next up? Republican leader of the House of Delegates Kirk Cox.

Ooops.

And just like that all the moral outrage evaporated. The indignant Democrats from coast to coast became the silent Democrats.

They knew it was more important to cling to power than to principle.

With that lesson in the rearview, Virginians watching the scandal in Albany are skeptical.

Maybe Andrew Cuomo will be impeached and removed from office. Maybe he’ll give up and resign.

But I wouldn’t bet on it.

Ralph Northam has provided a roadmap for disgraced Democrats to survive even the most tawdry scandal.

Pass the popcorn.

This column has been republished with permission from Kerry: Unemployed & Unelected.

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31 responses to “Will Cuomo Pull a Northam?”

  1. James A. Bacon Avatar
    James A. Bacon

    I think Cuomo is toast. The Cuomo/Northam parallel breaks down for the very reason cited in Kerry’s column. Northam’s two potential successors had scandals of their own. As far as I know, Cuomo’s potential successors are scandal-free (for the moment at least). As long as he is replaced with another Democrat, the #metoo crowd will feel comfortable evicting him from the governor’s mansion.

  2. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    Cuomo is done. He is a disgusting person, and to compare to Northam is disgusting. Northam is guilty primarily of one disgusting and ignorant act. He does NOT have a history of being a racist. I’ve seen little if anything else cited to show he has such a history.

    Cuomo is an arrogant megalomaniac – and far from alone IMHO. We’ve seen this movie before as they say.

    1. DJRippert Avatar
      DJRippert

      How do you know Northam’s history? You don’t. Let me tell you a secret – asshats like Northam don’t go to one racist party and then realizet heir mistake. I’ll bet Coonman went to plenty of parties dressed in blackface or klan robes. Christ, he put a picture of himself going to a racist party in his medical school yearbook.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        Yeah we do. The same folks that found the blackface and opponents have very likely done that look. And the point is – YOU don’t know either and yet you use that one incident to impugn him as Gov.

        No forgiveness from you louts. One mistake and you’re no different than a Cuomo!

        And NOW, the man is WOKE – he’s bent over backwards to make amends for his sins to the consternation and head-exploding ire of largely white “Conservatives”!

        1. emjak Avatar
          emjak

          “No forgiveness from you louts.” Try telling that to many liberal Democrats, progressives, “woke,” and members of the lame stream media —- who never forget or forgive any mistake or misstep (real or imagined) by those they dislike, disfavor, despise, deplore, or otherwise oppose. Yet, they often seem quick to ignore, rationalize, excuse, or forgive any mistake or misstep of people they like, favor, admire, or support.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Simply not true. It all gets covered over and over but in Northams case, if he was truly a racist with a lifetime record of it, you know dang well it would be well known.

            He did a dumb thing but he’s not a racist and,in fact, is actually being accused of being the opposite – WOKE!

        2. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          I would forgive the “blackface”. Depending upon the context I don’t find it offensive. I understand some people find it offensive in any context, but how else is a pale, lily-white, white guy supposed to dress like Michael Jackson for Halloween? To me the get-up in that photo looks more like minstrel show black face than black pop singer black face, but on the other hand, doing a bad job on one’s Halloween costume is not a crime.

          No forgiveness for klan robes. None.

          And, based on his varying statements, I’m not 100% sure which of the people in that picture is Ralph Northam. If he had told one story and then stuck to it, I’d be more inclined to think he has nothing else to hide. Which brings us to his lying about the incident…

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            He did vacillate…

  3. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    We revel in the self-destruction of those in the other party. The more vile and contemptible the person is, the better.

    But, your thrill with this one will be short lived since even the Democrats didn’t like the guy. Cuomo stood on toes, not shoulders.

    1. kls Avatar
      kls

      Where’s all the ‘Me Too’ Dems on this one? Cuomo didn’t stand on toes, he used his hands and mouth……

    2. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      But, your thrill with this one will be short lived since even the Democrats didn’t like the guy.

      That’s a nice try at deflection and prevarication, but prior to this issue, it was only the most hard-core far-left liberal dems who disliked Andrew Cuomo. The rest of his party liked/loved him.

      They won’t admit that now, of course, but a universally disliked democrat does not get elected governor of New York three times.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        In that period of time – he made, quite obviously, a LOT of enemies including other Dems who still feared him but are happy to leave him now.

        Not totally unlike the control Trump has over the GOP these days. More than a few hate him and what he stands for but are too afraid to stand on their own principles. Cowards – all.

        1. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          Another another nice try at deflection and prevarication. Bring up Donald Trump and the GOP to try to distract people from the cesspool that is the democrat party.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            cesspool of the GOP in kowtowing to Trump, conspiracy theories, disinformation, lies and worse? Yes indeed. Sorry, I’ll take the Dems warts and all ANY day over the likes of those that like Trump and his approach to governance.

          2. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Yet another nice try at deflection and prevarication. Bring up Donald Trump again and the GOP again to try to distract people from the cesspool that is still the democrat party.

          3. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            No comparison between the Dems and idiot Trump and his ignorant followers…

            That’s not prevarication and distraction, it’s the horrible truth.

          4. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            No comparison between the Dems and idiot Trump and his ignorant followers…

            That’s not prevarication and distraction, it’s the horrible truth.

  4. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    Cuomo fails what has always been my test — just how many accusers are there. We all have seen guys like this in action, and it is always a strong pattern of behavior, almost like an irresistible impulse. This is way too many accusations to dismiss or forgive as a slip in judgement. And I agree with Larry, far different than Northam’s dumb act back in college.

    1. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      At least he has proven his qualifications to be president…

  5. Chris Braunlich Avatar
    Chris Braunlich

    In a way, the analogy to Northam-Fairfax-Cox is spot-on:

    1.) Under the New York Constitution, the minute he is impeached (not convicted, impeached), Cuomo ceases to have the powers of the Governor and they fall to the Lt. Governor — a little known former upstate one-term Member of Congress named Kathy Hochul. If he is convicted, she would become Governor and get a year’s start on the 2022 race for Governor.
    2.) But the Attorney General who conducted the investigation, Letitia James, wants to run for Governor herself.
    3.) The New York Democratic Party does not want an upstate legislator who would be less appealing to the NYC Dem base to be the candidate for Governor.

    Cuomo survives through his term.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      I’m sure watching this from the Empire State this week has been fascinating, Chris.

      Larry, I was very quick to forgive Ralph. I have noted often that my big issue now is having two stories out there tells us all one of them was untrue. Where I’m no longer giving him any deference is his rush to destroy his own beloved VMI to win Woke Points. That is first class betrayal.

      1. JuniusQuercus Avatar
        JuniusQuercus

        In VMI parlance, a first class BRF!

      2. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        So you won’t allow that Northam truly feels this way and is acting on principle? On what do you base the idea that he has cynically betrayed VMI for “woke” ?

        It looks to me that what he has done with VMI is pretty consistent with his attitudes towards confederate states, K-12 issues, across the board. no?

        1. Stephen Haner Avatar
          Stephen Haner

          Oh, brother. And when pray tell did this battlefield conversion occur? Come on, even you ain’t that stupid. Every black appointee in state government signed a mass letter of resignation and he only stopped it by promising to listen to all their desires, make this his focus for his term. Best untold story of his administration.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            but consistent, right ?

            all the actions that he has taken seem to be consistent on these issues…

            removal of statues,
            allowing localities to remove theirs.
            name changes for community colleges
            name changes for roads and other

            The changes that VDOE is making.

            THe DEI changes on many college campuses…

            The appointment of blacks to many positions in his administration.

            THe VMI thing seems totally consistent as opposed to out of character from these other…

            I think it’s stupid to NOT see that…

          2. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            No. The actions he has taken seem like those of a man terrified of having his true nature revealed.

    2. energyNOW_Fan Avatar
      energyNOW_Fan

      OK now I remember Kathy Hochul was born in Buffalo. Me too: Kimmelwick sandwiches in my DNA. Can’t get much more upstate.

      I dunno the outcome. Was reading article yesterday about the controversy with CNN anchor Chris Cuomo giving PR control advice.

  6. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    Story is already fading as the media circles the wagons to protect one of their favorite liberal blowhards, Killer of the Elderly. Had this been DeSantis or Abbott? Wall to wall coverage for days…weeks…

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Nah, they’re waiting. This is a juicy one. The media is keeping quiet in the hopes that if they aren’t raising cane, the idiot will think he can beat the rap. THEN…

      I believe the tactic is called, “Rope-a-Dope.”

  7. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    He’ll pull a Vitter… oh, wait, he can’t. Doesn’t have a pretty wife to stand behind him, weeping, as he begs forgiveness.

  8. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    Will he have to give back the Emmy?

    On second thought, since Emmys are awarded for outstanding performances, he may end up winning another one. After all, for many years he has fooled a lot of people into thinking he was not a misogynistic troglodyte and that took some serious acing ability.

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