Married Democratic NC Senate candidate Cal Cunningham got caught Sexting before the election

[Tom Rinaldo]

It was not a crime and he stayed in the race and lost it, although he had previously been favored to win. Republicans gleefully exploited Cunninghm's indiscretions. Of course they had partisan motives for doing so. Republicans threw as much wood onto that NC scandal fire as possible. North Carolina was a critical possible Senate pick up race for Democrats, so of course Cunningham wore a large Republican target on his back.

Cunningham made it easy for Republicans to take him down. He did so through his own actions, not theirs. Andrew Cuomo is not Cal Cunningham, and New York is not North Carolina. Cuomo is not running to turn a red seat Blue, he already holds his office in a very blue state. If for any reason Cuomo can not complete his term, a Democratic Lieutenant Governor will replace Cuomo as Governor. I will not call for Cuomo's resignation prior to a thorough investigation by a Democratic Attorney General, unless evidence of his alleged misdeeds become virtually irrefutable in the meantime.

To be honest though, if what I suspect is true, I can understand why some leading New York State Democrats could be doing what they can to prevent Cuomo from following through on his previously announced intention to seek a fourth term as New York's Governor. It does not take fabrication of damning evidence to uncover damning evidence when it actually exists. And if damning evidence exists against Andrew Cuomo, it is far better for it to come out now than to have it explode in front of the public later, seriously wounding his candidacy, after he is again the Democratic standard bearer. The surest way to prevent Cuomo from running again is either to secure his resignation now, or to extract a public pledge from him that he will not run again. That is real world politics.

[lagomorph777]

1. At this point, assuming most/all of the allegations are true,

I think resignation would be too severe, but he shouldn't run again.

This is obviously a Trump / Roger Stone plot, but that doesn't mean I think the allegations are false.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Agreed.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

6. Trump convinced a bunch of Democrats to speak up? nt

[TreasonousBastard]

9. Just started the ball rolling.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

10. Trump accused Cuomo of sexual harassment? nt

[Jose Garcia]

15. How exactly did Trump or Stone "get the ball rolling?"

[TreasonousBastard]

16. Trump can't find his own ass to wipe, but this is a classic Stone move.

[dsc]

2. I am not saying the affair helped, it surely didn't

but it also isn't why he lost. He lost by about the same margin as every Democrat who didn't have a strong positive brand in NC lost. He actually did better than our candidate for Lt Gov (in an unknown v unknown race), state superintendent (again two unknowns), and I think he also did better than Godwin did in his rematch for Insurance Commissioner. Like it or not, we are a 52/48 state in 2020 with us on the 48 side.

[Tom Rinaldo]

5. I do hear you about your state. You may well be right, but obviously it's impossible to know

for sure how Cunningham would have fared in the end had he run a strong race down the stretch as an unblemished candidate not forced onto the defensive.

[Budi]

4. Here. This is what's actually going down with Cuomo this very minute

Link to tweet

NEW: NYS Assembly Republicans are holding a press conference at 1:30 to "circulate an Impeachment Resolution" against
@NYGovCuomo
.

Republicans are in the Minority so they would need the Democrats to support and introduce this resolution
11:44 AM · Mar 8, 2021·
******??
HEY NY!
Give your Blue State away. No doubt you'll all be happier when Repubs orchestrate their win against the current Lt Gov.

Trump wants a Pardon & only the Gov can issue it.....

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215202911

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. Yes Trump wants a pardon, and it takes a Governor to grant a State one

Which means one of two things. Either Republicans think that the Democrat who will step up to becoming Governor should Cuomo be forced from office early will deliver that pardon to Trump. Or Republicans want to make life for Democrats in New York as difficult as possible to increase the chance that the next election results in a Republican Governor who would pardon Trump. I do not believe NY's current Democratic Lieutenant Governor will pardon Trump if given the chance. Obviously if she did it would prove it was all a Republican plot.

Personally I go with the second option. There is no scenario under which it is overall positive for Democrats for Cuomo to be in the trouble he is in now. Better had he been a boy scout all his life yada yada, but he hasn't been. Whether Cuomo is forced to resign, whether he runs again as damaged goods, or whether he retires after this term allowing a different Democrat to run instead, it is all a net gain for Republicans to not have to face an incumbent candidate for Governor riding high in all the polls. So there is no down side for Republicans in attacking Cuomo now. If that can help stir dissension in Democratic ranks, all the better.

Democrats however have a different set of calculations to make. Personally I think putting pressure on Cuomo to announce that he plans to finish out his term and then retire (which clearly wasn't his original intention) still seems like the best option. Second best would likely be if Cuomo resigns now or gets removed. The worst case scenario, in my opinion, would be if Cuomo pulls out all the plugs to retain the Democratic Party nomination for Governor next time around. If he won, he would be a weakened candidate. If he lost, whoever beat him would lead a divided party.

It is my belief that Republicans are exploiting this situation but that Cuomo, in a sense like Cunningham referenced above, provided the opening for them to do so.

[brush]

7. Or investigate already. The drip, drip, drip of new allegations...

is too much like the Roger Stone-authored skam that got Al Franken out. And of course someone put the liar Tara Reade up to try to oust Biden with the same play book.

It sure seems a lot of people want Cuomo out, Dems included, so I say due process please. Let the investigation play out.

[ananda]

11. I know. I hope Cuomo can survive this.

I want Trump tried, convicted, and jailed.

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. I agree. There is time for an actual investigation before Democrats have to pick our candidate

for the next Gubernatorial election. There should be one. The only thing that would sway me toward wanting Cuomo out of office before then would be the emergence of some hot smoking gun evidence of Cuomo having done something really repugnant. At that point no way would the smoke clear before the next election with Cuomo still in office.

[Drunken Irishman]

13. Biden likely would have been done in if there was multiple allegations.

He got dinged for the inappropriate touching that he apologized for but most women associated with that said it made them feel uncomfortable but that was it. Nothing overtly sexual at all, which is why Tara Reade's story didn't add up, especially with her inconsistencies. Had a couple other women come forward, though, and accused him of exactly what Reade was accusing him, or anything more sexual, Biden would have likely been cooked.

Here's the thing, though: the reason it didn't stick is that it didn't happen. She lied. She was easily discredited and there wasn't another accusation because Biden has conducted himself with decency and honor the last 40 years he's been in power.

This Cuomo scandal is different. These women haven't been discredited and there is a pattern. That's extremely problematic. With that said, I still don't think it rises to the level where he should resign but he absolutely needs to bow out for another term.

Of course, I'm not from New York so I really don't have a say.

[brush]

14. Good points, but the one woman who called him a "text book sexual abuser"...

seems to cast some doubt on her own allegation since it turns out she has multiple years of counseling sexual harassment and sexual abuse victims. What she accused Cuomo of was sexual harassment not abuse. If anyone should know the difference between the two it should be her.

So IMO, her story is a little shaky. Let the investigation commence.