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Andrew Cuomo Resigns

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned today.

Five months ago, I opined he would not and should not resign.

....Stripping someone of their job before they have been found guilty of a crime, based on disputed factual allegations, is simply unacceptable. This is not Alice in Wonderland ("No, no said the Queen. First the punishment, then the verdict").

There are thousands if not millions of Andrew Cuomos out there -- men over 50 who are or were in positions of power in business or government who are as sexist as the day is long. Educate them, privately. Write them a letter and tell them how they made you feel. Ask them to acknowledge and validate your feelings according to today's norms, even if these norms did not exist when the event happened. If your goal is to end sexual harassment in the workplace, rather than to get 15 minutes of fame, reap a financial benefit or get personal revenge, this should suffice.

[More...]

Is there anyone who believes Andrew Cuomo will continue acting and speaking to women in a way they find objectionable after what he's been put through the past few weeks? I doubt it. ...Men learn. Educate them, don't shame them and take away their livelihood over a few inappropriate comments or a non-sexual touch you believed had a sexual overtone.

Back to today: I think he had no choice but to resign -- not so much because of the allegations against him, but because the groundswell against him had become too much. He would get nothing passed between now and the end of his term. He's been rendered politically impotent. That makes his resignation the only ethical thing to do.

One last thing: While personally, I could care less what Joe Biden thinks on any topic, it's unfortunate he used his bully pulpit to opine Cuomo should resign. Biden's opinion is way outside the scope of his duties. And he should have known expressing it publicly would make it headline fodder.

Cuomo will come out okay in the end. He and his brother come from a wealthy and connected family. He can afford to be unemployed for a while. The hardest thing for him may be having to sit outside of the action for a while, since he clearly enjoyed his time in the public eye during his daily COVID-19 news conferences. (I liked his press conferences too, and the back and forth between him and his brother on CNN).

Another trial by media, another premature verdict of guilt. One thing we've all learned from this is no allegation is too old, and "My Generation" does not work as a defense.

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  • Display: Sort:
    My family members who remained local (5.00 / 3) (#6)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Aug 11, 2021 at 01:11:18 PM EST
    to the NYC area are very interested in getting the iconic Tappan Zee Bridge renamed back to the Tappan Zee Bridge after Ex-Gov. Andrew changed its name in 2017 to the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge after his daddy.

    Ask them [older male gropers] to acknowledge and validate your feelings according to today's norms, even if these norms did not exist when the event happened.

    Ex-Gov Cuomo is only 5 years older than me. I'm sorry, those norms absolutely 100% did exist when the event(s) happened.

    I liked the idea of renaming the Tappan Zee (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Peter G on Wed Aug 11, 2021 at 03:52:30 PM EST
    the Pete Seeger Memorial Bridge. The east end of the bridge reaches land not far south of where Pete lived on the Hudson River shore.

    Parent
    Well that is a random coincidence. (none / 0) (#9)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Aug 11, 2021 at 04:53:05 PM EST
    Despite Pete's son Dan being a good friend of mine I'd prefer the original "Tappan Zee."
    It derives its name from the Tappan Native American sub-tribe of the Delaware/Lenni Lenape, and the Dutch word zee, meaning a sea.[3]


    Parent
    I like the "Tappan Zee" also (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Peter G on Wed Aug 11, 2021 at 09:46:07 PM EST
    I grew up less than 15 miles south of the West end of the bridge. Crossed it a zillion times.

    Parent
    I grew up not far away outside of Morristown.

    Parent
    Yup. Northeastern-most corner (none / 0) (#14)
    by Peter G on Thu Aug 12, 2021 at 01:36:27 PM EST
    of the northeastern most county (Bergen). A few miles north of the NJ end of the George Washington Bridge.

    Parent
    I also Bergen County - (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by desertswine on Thu Aug 12, 2021 at 06:41:10 PM EST
    but a few miles west of the Bridge.  I wonder how many more of us are lurking about. I fondly remember the mosquitoes that were as large as cats.

    Parent
    Nice (none / 0) (#15)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Aug 12, 2021 at 02:10:48 PM EST
    I think the norm he's talking about (none / 0) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 11, 2021 at 01:29:25 PM EST
    is the norm of getting away with it.

    And even that's not true.

    Parent

    Why? (none / 0) (#17)
    by Yman on Thu Aug 12, 2021 at 04:24:08 PM EST
    I get the fact that there are some NYers triggered by the name "Cuomo", but I don't see the logic.
     Mario Cuomo didn't do anything wrong.

    Parent
    They like the original name, (none / 0) (#19)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Aug 12, 2021 at 05:55:25 PM EST
    they did not want it changed.

    Seems perfectly logical to me.

    ymmv

    Parent

    I still call it Tappan Zee (5.00 / 3) (#23)
    by Yman on Fri Aug 13, 2021 at 07:37:54 PM EST
    Not because of anything related to Cuomo.  It's just the name the old bridge had for so long.  Then again, I still refer to the DC airport as "National" rather than Reagan.

    Parent
    I also (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by Zorba on Sat Aug 14, 2021 at 05:46:48 AM EST
    Call the airport in DC, "National," and I always will.

    Parent
    And, (5.00 / 2) (#25)
    by KeysDan on Sat Aug 14, 2021 at 09:01:43 AM EST
    Washington National was already named after a former president.

    Parent