Many people were surprised when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced he would resign in two weeks. While Attorney General Letitia James’ report detailed lurid behavior, no one in New York politics or the Democrat establishment was surprised by it. It was a well-known secret, just like Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood. That’s how you know the entire production over the last few weeks was political theater.
Democrats only hold each other to the standards they impose on everyone else when it helps them maintain power or when their corporate media lapdogs can’t ignore the hypocrisy.
For example, while Democrats and their allies in the corporate media screech about systemic racism, Governor Ralph Northam will serve out his term as Virginia’s governor. Northam allegedly wore blackface in a photo from a college yearbook. Initially, Democrats were very critical. The establishment appeared to be moving towards a demand for his resignation. The narrative abruptly shifted when allegations of sexual misconduct resurfaced against the lieutenant governor.
Related: Stick a Fork in Him: Cuomo Resigns as Governor of New York
Rather than risk harming the Democrat brand in a potential swing state with both men engulfed in a scandal, Northam changed his apology to an “I don’t remember.” Somehow, that smoothed it all over despite the second person in the image wearing a KKK outfit. The media moved on, and it was as if it never happened.
Likewise, the political career of Minnesota Senator Al Franken had to end. Pictures surfaced of him with Leeann Tweeden that showed him touching her flak jacket-covered breasts. This accusation prompted other women to come forward with similar stories. Thirty-five Senate Democrats called on Franken to resign. This performance allowed Democrats to continue attacks against President Donald Trump for alleged sexual misconduct. Doug Jones was able to take the moral high ground in the Alabama Senate race against Roy Moore. Franken drove the point home in his resignation speech:
I, of all people, am aware that there is some irony that I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office, and a man who has preyed on underage girls is running for the Senate with the full support of his party.
You can be sure Democrats will trot Cuomo out if he becomes politically useful when going after a Republican accused of sexual misconduct. His ouster on these grounds serves as a retcon for the Me Too movement. Most Americans will not remember that Democrats killed the campaign when they ignored similar allegations against President Biden.
Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean shed far too much light on COVID-19 nursing home deaths in New York. Her national platform and additional reporting caused the Trump Department of Justice to launch an investigation. New York and several other Democrat-led states were all under investigation for similar policies. The Biden DOJ dropped all the investigations on June 24.
Related: Sure, Jen Psaki, President Hair-Smeller’s Sexual Antics Were ‘Heavily Litigated’ During the Election
Cuomo is resigning for an unrelated reason in a state that will undoubtedly remain Democrat-controlled. Democrat leaders in other states will remain free from national scrutiny about their failure to protect the elderly. Taking the heat off Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Governor Tom Wolfe of Pennsylvania may help preserve Democrat leadership in two swing states with Republican-led legislatures.
Cuomo’s resignation also prevents him from mounting any serious challenge to Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. The national profile he gained acting as President Trump’s foil during the spring of 2020 could have posed a significant threat to the not-so-popular Harris. It also opens the door for a progressive minority female to run for governor of New York in 2022. New York media is already watching Attorney General Letitia James and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as potential contenders.
A genuinely cynical take is that Cuomo knew there would be no legal consequences for the sexual harassment or the nursing home policy before resigning. He grew up in the Democrat establishment. His father, Governor Mario Cuomo, had a national profile and was once considered a presidential contender. If the Democrats pursue legal accountability, there is no telling how many skeletons would emerge from the closet.
Related: The Morning Briefing: Cuomo’s Toast—Will Newsom Be the Next Disgraced Democrat?
Following James’ press conference about the sexual misconduct investigation results, it certainly seemed like Cuomo intended to fight. By continuing to maintain his innocence, an image rehab could be in Cuomo’s future. Imagine a world where a New York billionaire or his son throws his hat in the ring in 2024. The Democrats just might need a tough-talking New Yorker to go toe to toe with them in the media.
Andrew Cuomo followed his father into the Governor’s Mansion. Maybe he will follow his brother into the cable news business. He would not be the first sacrificial Democrat to become an MSNC contributor. Call it liberal privilege.
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