6 March 2021: Cuomo Pandemic Leadership Book Not Holding Up Very Well

DIARY OF DEATH: A Retrospective Review of 'American Crisis' by Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew Cuomo's book, which proclaims the media narrative of his leadership during the coronavirus pandemic, is being read in a different light these days, as described in this opinion piece.

More than 12,000 New Yorkers have died since October 13, when American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic hit bookshelves. Cuomo is no longer the #Resistance rock star he was in the early days and weeks of the pandemic, when thousands of nursing home patients were dying on his watch, and his administration was deliberately hiding the data to avoid negative press.

The extent to which the "Butcher of Albany" was slavishly deified in the media cannot be overstated. The thirst, as the saying goes, was real. As it turned out, avoiding negative press coverage was rather easy, given the circumstances. In the eyes of professional journalists and other psychopaths incapable of merely liking a politician, Cuomo was a certified PILF. They gave him a variety of sexually charged nicknames—the "Luv Guv," among others—that ring differently in light of the sexual harassment allegations.

The most significant difference between then and now? Donald Trump is no longer president. Cuomomania never would have happened otherwise. Molly Jong-Fast, author of the Vogue piece "Why We Are Crushing on Andrew Cuomo Right Now," recently admitted as much. For what it's worth, she was also a fan of #Resistance porn lawyer Michael Avenatti and an unpaid adviser to the Lincoln Project. Being the "bad boy" who opposes Trump can be a lucrative career path, so long as you avoid committing felonies. (Easier said than done, apparently.)

Governor Cuomo's book was promoted by many media figures and news outlets.