Andrew Cuomo is trying to make a sad and cringy political comeback
New York, New York - Former New York state governor Andrew Cuomo has been dropping hints that he's ready to make a comeback to politics, and his timing and message couldn't be more toxic.
At the beginning of 2020, as New York City was on the brink of becoming America's Covid pandemic epicenter, Cuomo became something of a hero. His daily briefings won him an Emmy and became a trend among other state governors. He also stood up to former President and fellow disgraced politician Donald Trump for not providing his state with the aid that it needed.
At that time, I could never have imagined that by 2022, Cuomo would be using lines straight out of Trump's playbook.
On Sunday, in his first public appearance since he resigned from office to avoid impeachment due to several accusations of sexual misconduct, Cuomo thought it was a good idea to deliver a nearly 30-minute tirade at the God's Battalion of Prayer Church in Brooklyn about how "cancel culture" is to blame for his fall from grace.
He started stirring up rumors of a comeback in February when he spent $369,000 on a TV ad campaign used to push the narrative that he was forced to resign due to "political attacks."
Cuomo insists that because no criminal charges were brought against him, he should be absolved of all wrong doing, but he conveniently leaves out that each investigation confirmed he sexually harassed multiple women.
He has also been going out of his way to throw shade at Attorney General Leticia James, whose thorough report on the investigation is something he has repeatedly misrepresented as a politically motivated move to take his job, instead of her simply doing her own.
James responded almost perfectly, stating, "Cuomo wasn't railroaded; he quit so he wouldn't be impeached. New Yorkers are ready to move forward from this sick, pathetic man."
I would take her point one step further and say that a large part of American culture in general are fed up with toxic men like him holding positions of great power and influence.
A wolf in sheep's clothing
It was cringy enough having to listen to Cuomo's excuses when the allegations first began coming out. He blamed everything from him being Italian to being old and "out of touch" with the sensibilities of today's young people.
He has boldly maintained that he "never inappropriately touched anybody," yet has apologized and admitted some of his comments over the years may have been interpreted as "unwanted flirtations."
It seems Cuomo wants to meticulously walk a fine line between saying he's completely innocent and admitting any kind of guilt whatsoever. To hear him sing the same song and dance today, as if it is actually an effective and honest political strategy, is just sad and painful.
Trevor Noah of the Daily Show put it best when he said, "getting canceled is not the same thing is getting investigated for sexual harassment. Canceled is like when people yell at you on Twitter."
Straight from the pages of the Trump playbook, Cuomo has decided to continuously point fingers at these illusory enemies who want nothing more than to see him fail.
"Cancel culture" and "political attacks" are pathetic cop-outs that have become something of a rallying cry for rich and powerful men who get caught doing questionable things, but somehow manage to avoid being officially prosecuted for it.
He seems perfectly fine with calling himself a Democrat, while admonishing liberal ideals the party has at least pays lip service to, such as accountability and the importance of addressing gender issues.
Unlike Trump, Cuomo doesn't have a party behind him that is willing to jump through hoops in a vain attempt to normalize his behavior.
It's time to say goodbye, Cuomo
There is plenty of criticism to be made about the Democratic Party, but one thing it is trying to get better with is accountability.
A year ago, Joe Biden praised the accusers for coming forward and stated publicly that he believed Cuomo should step down if the investigation confirmed the allegations, which it did.
Upon replacing Cuomo's position as governor, Kathy Hochul acknowledged that Cuomo's administration was, "a toxic work environment" and vowed to not follow in its footsteps.
It's clear that Cuomo doesn't have much to work with, except for an odd level of ambition for the limelight and boat loads of money.
He insists that cancel culture and political attacks are a threat even to the average American, using charged words to instill a sense of fear and dread.
The reality is that despite dodging prosecution, his character has been brought under question, and for good reason. His attempt to play the victim and dismiss the conversation about harassment at every turn is very telling and isn't working one bit for the party he claims to represent.
If Cuomo is serious about making some sort of political comeback, he should consider changing his party affiliation from a D to an R.
Cuomo concluded his speech to the church, saying, "They broke my heart, but they didn’t break my spirit. I want to take the energy that could have made me bitter and make us better." I think New York and American politics in general would be better off without any Andrew Cuomo energy in it.
Cover photo: IMAGO / Pacific Press Agency