The shocking thing about Cuomo is how blatant it all was. Not just the sexual harassment but his character across the board.
This is a guy who wrote a book about his leadership in the covid pandemic during the covid pandemic. That's like Churchill writing his memoir of World War II during The Blitz.
We ought to have a culture where someone who behaves like this is laughed out of the building.
Highest recommendation for Robert Caro's The Power Broker, biography of Robert Moses. The guy who built NY's parks, bridges, highways, etc. How he acquired and wielded power. The impact he had nationally. It gives some insight into the game Cuomo and so many others are playing.
Politics is nasty. Full stop.
My only TIL that I can offer: Everyone should run for office. Any office. At least once.
Once you decide to play the game -- play to win -- every thing makes perfect sense.
Not to excuse it, in any way. It's just that folk theories aren't even wrong. So people get worked up about the wrong stuff. There will always be devils doing bad stuff.
What should we do about them?
(Haven't started Caro's LBJ biographies yet. I've gleaned that LBJ makes Moses look like a middleweight.)
Only in New York is a persona like that tolerated and celebrated. Those of us in Middle America are indeed laughing at his obvious attention seeking and machismo.
Like many other officials during this period, his frequent press conferences were nothing but ego satisfying spectacles.
Yea, I totally get how you can make that comparison. I think the difference is that those that support Trump view him being a “self-made” businessman and offering them something. Does he have an ego? You bet, but the stereotypical New Yorker? Idk.
Cuomo is a silly caricature of what the rest of the country think of when they poke fun at New Yorkers: vain, aggressive, crooked, loudmouth bully.
Also, his appearance and mannerisms make him seem like a character from the Sopranos or a Scorsese movie. It is hilarious. He is just so obviously full of shit.
It would be like if the Governor of Minnesota acted and spoke like someone from the Movie “Fargo”.
I don't think you're trying to be satirical, which baffles me, since you go on to use adjectives that describe Trump to a T.
To be clear, I'm not defending Cuomo. What's going on now with the leaders of the democratic party is exhibit A in the case for the difference in how the two parties handle bad behavior by one of their own (e.g. the president calling on him to step down). Comments like yours are exhibit B -- a stunning lack of awareness at best; rank hypocrisy at worst.
After you realize that Jimmy Savile could do it in front of an entire nation live on TV for several decades this ugly Schmock's feat doesn't seem so incredible anymore. Same goes for Epstein. Humans are a bunch of opportunistic little fuckers who will look away whenever it gets uncomfortable or is useful.
> We ought to have a culture where someone who behaves like this is laughed out of the building.
Some of us do, but the partisan politics have blinded many. We can't even agree on basic things any more, like supporting the Iraq war should be a disqualification for either party at this point. People keep supporting these liar, fraud, war criminal types.
This is a guy who wrote a book about his leadership in the covid pandemic during the covid pandemic. That's like Churchill writing his memoir of World War II during The Blitz.
We ought to have a culture where someone who behaves like this is laughed out of the building.