Why is Andrew Cuomo trying to elect Republicans?
by digby
So Andrew Cuomo is trying to dissuade Republicans from nominating a far right candidate to run against him. Why on earth would a Democrat do such a thing in a Blue state like New York where he would be bound to benefit by running against a far right crank?
It’s almost beyond belief that he would actually tell people this, but apparently he has:
A number of people who have spoken to Mr. Cuomo say he also has expressed his desire to ensure that his eventual opponent is not far to the right on social issues. This, he has argued, could alienate moderate Republicans and other voters so much that Republican candidates for the State Senate could suffer too, potentially costing Republicans control of the chamber.
Why, you may ask, would a Democratic Governor be worried about the Republicans losing control of the State Senate?
Such concern for the Republican Party’s fortunes may seem counterintuitive for a heavyweight in the national Democratic Party who is often mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. But Mr. Cuomo actually has a friendly working relationship with many Senate Republicans. He and those senators have been at odds on social issues, but he has relied on their backing for his fiscal agenda, which has focused on issues of great importance to Republicans, like restraining government spending and cutting taxes.
[…]
The Republicans now control the Senate in a coalition with a small group of breakaway Democrats. Mr. Cuomo has expressed concern before about the main caucus of Democratic senators, citing the “dysfunction” and chaos that defined their time in the majority in 2009 and 2010, and has conspicuously remained on the sidelines as the two parties have battled for control.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more perfect example of the “dysfunction” of the Democratic Party elite. It’s bad enough that a leader with presidential ambitions even thinks this way. But to go so far as to publicly stab his own party in the back so that he can enact a conservative economic agenda says everything you need to know about where the center of the Democratic Party is today.
Andrew Cuomo is a shoo-in to win no matter who the Republicans nominate. And he has come right out and said that he doesn’t want to have to run against a real social conservative because a campaign around gay rights or abortion might make Democrats vote for other Democrats than just him. And that would mean he wouldn’t have all those nice Republicans to help him cut “deals” to screw Democrats.
And there’s every reason to believe that he is not the only one …
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