20 March 2021: Cuomo Running Political Campaign to Retain Power

Cuomo Adopts Campaign Tactics to Cling to Job as Probe Proceeds

Governor Cuomo's scandals are changing how he does his job. This report indicates he is, for all practical purposes, running the equivalent of a primary re-election campaign.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is approaching the fight to save his job like it's another run for office, borrowing tactics typically used on the campaign trail to discourage the state legislature from removing him.

As part of that campaign, he's making deals to reward his strongest supports for their continued loyalty, where as the incumbent, he can use the powers of office that others cannot:

Cuomo faces multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and is under fire for under-counting the number of coronavirus deaths at nursing homes. But over the last two weeks, Cuomo has made broad promises on popular proposals like marijuana legalization and taxing the rich, cashed in long-held political favors with friends of his father, the former Governor Mario Cuomo, appealed to his party's most loyal constituencies, and announced reopenings of businesses, sports and concert venues as Covid-19 death and hospitalization rates drop.

That kind of "quid pro Cuomo" policymaking is inherently corrupt. It is why the story of his COVID vaccine czar acting to assess the loyalty and support of county level Democratic Party politicians raises such a red flag, as it communicates that those who don't go along will move back to the end of line for having the needs of their contituents met. Allegations of that particular abuse of power have already been levied by county level officials on Cuomo's "wrong side".

The solidly-reported article also describes specific examples of Cuomo's power retention campaign.