The Other Andrew Cuomo
America’s favorite politician helped create the very crisis he claims to save us from –– and it isn’t the first time.
“If you want someone to blame, blame me,”
the Governor pleads, his elbows resting on a mahogany table, the New York state flag hanging royally behind him. He relays the numbers: 300,019 confirmed COVID-19 cases across the state. 24,000 dead. 69,000 hospitalizations.
As the coronavirus pandemic rages through New York State and the country, millions of Americans now rely on Andrew Cuomo to give it to them straight. He is seen almost universally as the sole politician who won’t beat around the bush, who doesn’t pander to our emotions and yet assuages our fears by reminding us: “We are all in this together.” People find solace in his gruff, weathered face, his no-nonsense, bad-news-first assessments, and his strict focus on “the facts.”
The now infamous Cuomo press conference has been described as “must watch,” and “cathartic” viewing. He’s been called “America’s Governor” and the “democratic star” of this dark, frightful moment. Since the pandemic began, everything from The New York Times to People Magazine has published its share of Cuomo fanfare. Last week CNN declared that Cuomo was “The Single Most Popular Politician in America.” And despite not having announced his candidacy, Cuomo…