The Governor New York Deserves
The Unearned Second Chances that Keep Men in Power

I am upset. Very upset.
Angry. Frustrated. Irritated? Not quite rage. But close.
Yesterday, the The New York Times endorsed Andrew Cuomo for governor.
The endorsement went something like this:
Andrew Cuomo has done some good stuff as governor, even though he’s largely failed to make progress on any significant progressive issue without campaign pressure from either Zephyr Teachout (2014) or Cynthia Nixon (2018).
They go on to describe a litany of borderline negligence and unproven malfeasance, possible implications in corruption, and failure to pass any political reform that would in any way reduce his stranglehold on power.
The conclusion:
“Mr. Cuomo is flawed. When he allows petty enmity and political grievance to distract him from his commitment to public service, he is his own worst enemy. But when he confronts a real problem and gets down to work, he is a very capable governor.”
Cynthia Nixon, on the other hand, is inexperienced and “too negative” in her campaign message.
Why should we trust that this time will be different?
“His legacy is at stake. New statehouse reformers are demanding striking progress on promises long stymied by special interests and Albany deal-making. And Donald Trump is threatening his constituents. These are circumstances that are likely to summon Mr. Cuomo’s strengths, and that is the reason we think he merits one more chance to serve New York and fulfill his potential as governor.”
So, the logic goes, Trump in the White House is the thing that’s going to inspire Andrew Cuomo to be the best version of himself? Never mind the recent allegations that he accepted $25,000 in campaign contributions from Harvey Weinstein to halt an investigation into his assault. Do we really want to believe that someone who is friends with Harvey Weinstein deserves another shot at anything?
I can just see the circle of men sitting around a conference room table in a meeting chaired by Frank Bruni who almost certainly penned this piece of worthless trash, snickering at Cynthia and nodding vigorously in their hopes for their prodigal son.
This endorsement wreaks of absurd elitism, of gender blindness, of sexism, and misogyny. Accusations that Nixon is “too negative” in her campaign message feel just like the suggestion that I should “smile more” to be taken seriously by my male colleagues.
Would it be better if I weren’t so shrill?
The suggestion that experience is the foundation of political success is also the epitome of what is wrong with our corporatized political construct.
Democratic governance is not like flying an airplane. It’s not brain surgery. Or rocket science. It’s not governed by complex laws of physics or life-dependent anatomical structures that require years of training and practice to navigate.
It’s an imperfect system of power sharing and economic management created by humans in the agrarian age, one that is clearly falling apart under the pressure of automation and technological innovation, of corporate interests gaming the system with campaign contributions, and elite power brokers like Cuomo making everything great for them while the rest of us sit out in the cold.
Andrew Cuomo has experience running a system that works for him and his ilk. It doesn’t work for anyone else. So can we please let go of the “experience” mandate for elected office?
(And if anyone says anything about our clown of a President, you can f*ck off because that’s a Russian practical joke.)
No one questioned whether Thomas Jefferson was qualified to become the President of the United States. He was just the next guy standing around, working the system he had invented. Did Woodrow Wilson’s tenure as the president of Princeton “qualify” him to become New Jersey’s Governor?
Well, one thing is evident. The systems of democracy in America, of winner-take-all elections, of long campaign cycles dependent on bravado and bluster, and sustained news coverage, these systems have done well by the white men of America who have held, used, and often abused the power of their privilege for a very long time. It’s with some irony that centuries of oppressive dominance by a minority can now be construed as “experience” important enough to exclude women from leadership.
Cynthia Nixon is not a perfect candidate and she has not run a perfect campaign. But hearing her speak at a forum in Brooklyn a few weeks ago, she said something in her closing that pierced my heart.
“This is a fight for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party,” she said. “Are we going to be just a little better than the other guys? Or are we actually going to stand for something?”
This is the question confronting us. A question no one is asking enough, or trying to answer. The fact that Nixon sees herself in this way tells me how serious she is about systemic reform. Her willingness to forgo corporate money means she has the grit and determination to get there.
If elected, Cynthia Nixon may struggle at first to understand the complex systems of political machinations Andrew Cuomo has depended on for his own political gain. But her clear understanding of issues of equity, and her willingness to make bold choices that benefit people beyond the political elite is why she is the right choice for New York. We’ve never had a governor who truly values the lived reality of every New Yorker. There is no “experience” with such leadership.
I hope you will join me in showing Andrew Cuomo, Frank Bruni and their friends on the editorial board that it’s time we governed New York for all New Yorkers, not just the rich and powerful. And it’s time we stopped giving men who have demonstrated their repeated delinquency second chances they don’t deserve.
On Thursday, September 13, I hope the Democrats of New York will vote for aspirational progressive values and the future we all want by voting for Cynthia Nixon for New York.
If you feel so moved, I would be grateful if you could share this message with your friends in New York. The future depends on us.
🔥🔮💖🌈
