Cuomo's approach to the fight against coronavirus has made it popular in many US states

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo is at the center of America’s main coronavirus epidemic. Against the background of the fight against the epidemic, its popularity has increased dramatically. This is recognized even by the US president. Why - told the publication Air force.

How did he succeed

At the beginning of the year, it seemed that the career of the 62-year-old politician, who had served as governor of the State of New York for nine years, was slowly but surely moving toward sunset. In February 2020, 44% of the state's residents approved of its activities, more than half were dissatisfied. Today, Cuomo is supported by 87% of New Yorkers.

Calm and pragmatic Cuomo is a stark contrast to the country's President Donald Trump. In the midst of the coronavirus epidemic, the governor announced the intentions of the seven eastern states to join forces and in a coordinated way out of the crisis. These actions seem to greatly annoy the president.

Cuomo performs daily on television. His always underlined calm performances in recent months have become America's top television event. The Governor’s live broadcasts are constantly broadcast by America’s largest media outlets and popular political websites.

The president's speeches are broadcasted by leading US television channels, including cable stations with diametrically opposed political views, from the liberal MSNBC to the conservative Fox News.

"Much of Cuomo's unexpected popularity is due to the difference between his briefings and the briefings that President Trump conducts daily," explained Jonathan Sanders, political scientist and professor at Stony Brook University. - The President constantly makes accusations against his predecessors, shifts responsibility for the catastrophic consequences of the pandemic in the United States to them and enters into fierce altercations with journalists. In contrast, Cuomo is emphatically calm, focused and says every day that he is personally responsible for everything that happens in the state. "

According to House Representative and Deputy Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Grace Meng, the White House has never been able to demonstrate leadership qualities as Cuomo did. “I think the whole country is following the Governor’s briefings carefully and gratefully,” she suggested, and stressed that Democrats in the US Congress watch Cuomo's TV speeches every day and then discuss his statements in private chats.

Leadership lessons

In recent months, even irreconcilable political opponents of Cuomo have declared their unconditional support to the governor.

Joe Biden - a likely Democratic presidential contender and former vice president - has publicly called Cuomo's briefings "leadership lessons."

The speeches of the Governor of the State of New York are monitored daily by the former US representative to the UN Republican Nikki Haley.

Even the US president, who had previously repeatedly accused the head of New York of “constantly complaining,” joined the ranks of Cuomo's fans at the end of March. “I watched the briefing that Governor Cuomo gave. He was very good, ”the head of state admitted.

The popularity of Cuomo, according to New York Times reporters, even forced the White House press service to adjust the president’s public speaking schedule. It is noted that Trump's speeches were postponed to a later time, when Cuomo ends the daily press conference.

Despite public approval of Kuomo’s actions by the White House, the governor continues to accuse the federal authorities of a slow and ineffective response to the US coronavirus epidemic.

Previously, Cuomo announced an increase in the number of infections and appealed to the federal authorities to provide New York State with at least 30 thousand ventilation devices. Later, only 400 devices were provided. In mid-March, Cuomo commented on this delivery: “Do you want me to thank you for sending 400“ fans ”? What should I do with 400 devices if I need 30 thousand? Now you yourself choose 26 thousand people who must die because you sent only 400. "

On the subject: 'I do not believe that you need so much': Trump refused to provide New York with 30 thousand ventilation devices

In addition to direct appeals to the federal government, Cuomo also actively engaged in public skirmishes with his own colleagues from other states.

In late March, Texas Deputy Governor Dan Patrick, speaking on Fox News, said many older Americans would agree to sacrifice their lives during an epidemic to save the US economy and “the future of their grandchildren.”

The next day, during a daily briefing, Cuomo called the statement a "personal insult." “Nothing can replace my mother,” he said. "We cannot agree with the statement that human life is negligible, and we are not going to value human life in dollars."

Hereditary Governor

The Cuomo family is the only one in the history of the United States where representatives of two generations, father and son, headed the state of New York.

Andrew's father, Mario Cuomo, has been Governor of New York State for over 10 years. He was re-elected three times to this position. True, this was preceded by a series of political setbacks. So, in the 1970s, he twice lost the election for mayor of New York and the election for the position of deputy governor of the state. In the early 1990s, Cuomo Sr. almost filed for the presidential election in America, but at the last moment refused this step. During the presidency of Bill Clinton, Mario Cuomo at the last minute refused the offer to become a member of the US Supreme Court.

The Cuomo family moved to the United States from southern Italy, where they settled in the Queens area. Andrew is the eldest of five children of the Cuomo couple. Traditionally, he went to a Catholic school, and then received a bachelor's degree from Catholic Fordham University in New York. He completed his law degree three years later, in 1982, at the University of the capital of Albany.

In 1982, during an election campaign for New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo was an adviser to his father’s election headquarters. And after the victory of Mario Cuomo in the elections, he took the position of his political adviser; Andrew's salary was exactly one dollar a year.

Two years later, Andrew became Deputy District Attorney. However, not having worked for a year, he left for the private law firm Blutrich, Falcone & Miller.

In the "private sector" he did not work long. In 1986, Cuomo created the HELP (Housing Enterprise for the Less Privileged) charity campaign, which raised funds to build housing for the poor New Yorkers. In 1990, the future governor headed the commission of the city hall on the problems of the homeless.

In the 1990s, he served as Under Secretary and then Minister for Housing and Urban Development in the Bill Clinton administration.

In 2002, Cuomo attempted to run for governor of New York, but she was unsuccessful. He took the position of Attorney General, and won the election only four years later.

As governor, Cuomo initiated several high-profile corruption investigations. He also filed civil suits against several student loan companies. According to the prosecutor, all of these companies colluded with educational institutions, while increasing the cost of loans.

The fight for the governorship

In 2010, Cuomo had to fight for the governorship. His competitor was Republican Carl Paladino. Cuomo worthily ahead of him, receiving 62,6% of the vote.

In 2014 and 2018, the current state governor won twice. During the last election race during the primaries of the Democratic Party, Cynthia Nixon, the star of the series Sex and the City, became his rival. However, she managed to collect only a little more than a third of the votes.

Among the other achievements of the governor at the post are: legalization of same-sex marriages in New York, permission to use marijuana for medical purposes, raising the minimum wage and introducing more stringent laws regarding the purchase and possession of weapons.

Some members of the governor’s inner circle were involved in corruption scandals, but Andrew Cuomo himself was not publicly blamed.

Cuomo was married only once. His wife was the daughter of former Attorney General and US Senator Robert Kennedy, Kerry. Three children were born in the marriage. The couple broke up after 15 years of marriage. After that, Cuomo met with television presenter Sandra Lee for several years. The couple broke up in 2019. The common home, valued at $ 2,3 million, was put up for sale. Since then, the governor has been living alone in his official residence in Albany.

At the end of March, in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic, it became known that the disease was found in the Governor's younger brother, the host of one of the CNN programs, Chris Cuomo. Today Chris continues to air from his own home, and the Governor of New York regularly appears as a guest on the screen, as before.

About plans for the future

The governor himself, despite his sudden popularity, declares that he has no plans to take part in the presidential race. “I'm quite happy in Albany,” he answered shortly to his younger brother's question on CNN.

Professor Jonathan Sanders believes that Cuomo has a sober assessment of his own chances of winning behind this decision. Back in the autumn of last year, the name of Cuomo was called among the possible candidates for the presidency from the Democratic Party, but, as numerous polls showed, he gained an average of 0% to 0,4%.

Surveys conducted in New York State in 2019 indicate that only 17% of residents see their governor as president of the country. For comparison: the former mayor Michael Bloomberg in the same polls won 28% of the vote.

At the same time, many expressed open dissatisfaction with the actions of the governor, including Democrats and Republicans. And a poll conducted by Siena College late last year showed that Cuomo had a negative rating at all: the ratio of support and dissatisfaction was minus six points.

In particular, citizens do not support: excessively strict laws in the field of gun ownership, concessions made by the governor in the state assembly, a number of liberal bills aimed at helping the poor and homeless, and dozens of other initiatives.

Professor Sanders is confident that, despite the current popularity of Cuomo, it will decline with the end of the coronavirus epidemic.

American political scientists also draw an analogy between the popularity of Cuomo and former New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani. The rating of the latter immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11 grew by 30 points. Then, the assembled Giuliani suddenly became one of the most popular politicians in the United States. But this popularity did not last several years. Already in 2004, Giuliani’s candidacy was not approved for the post of US Secretary of Homeland Security. Two years later, after a series of scandals, he was forced to leave the state commission to assess the consequences of the Iraq war. In 2008, the former mayor of New York took part in the presidential race, but two months after it began, he announced the end of the campaign.