No One Is Interested In A Cuomo Presidential Run

It’s obvious that Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) wants to be the Democratic nominee for president in 2020. This year, Cuomo has devoted a significant portion of his time, time he should be spending acting as governor, to boost his national political prospects. Yet, so far Cuomo has very little to show for all his presidential groundwork.

Axios’ Mike Allen surveyed the still-forming Democratic field, and listed those “getting buzz in elite Democratic circles.” Allen didn’t even bother mentioning Governor Cuomo. This brutal snub might have something to do with the distrust much of the leftist grassroots has for Cuomo:

“Then there is the matter of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who remains a villain in progressive circles despite his recent attempts to shift left.”

Governor Cuomo isn’t doing much better among another critical presidential constituency: state Democratic Party leaders. The Buffalo News surveyed over two dozen state Democrats about and found no one who would even speak about Cuomo’s prospects in their state:

“The buzz around Albany is that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is positioning himself for a possible run for the White House, but the reaction from state Democratic Party leaders elsewhere around the country is unanimous: Silence… But party chairperson after party chairperson – from big, medium and small states – declined to offer any opinion about Cuomo and what may or may not be in his national political future.”

The Buffalo News story highlights that while Governor Cuomo wants a national profile, his focus on 2020, while running for re-election next year, presents a major problem:

“That’s because he might be seeking a third term in 2018, and such obvious national campaigning could come back and bite him through opponents making the case that he is not serious about governing New York for another four years.”

Governor Cuomo is running for president, yet as these brutal stories show he’ll have a hard time gaining any traction.