Andrew Cuomo expectation

Cuomo, Trump, and Reasonable Expectation

When the pandemic began I could not have named the governor of New York. If I’d heard the name Cuomo, at best I might have remembered his father. Was a bit surprised to learn the old man was dead.

First time I noticed Gov. Cuomo was one of those televised press conferences. Only watched because all three cable networks were covering him and there was nothing better on TV. These conference, I learned, had been organized so the governor could speak directly and daily to the New York reporters. The cable networks picked up the broadcast primarily because the nation was desperate at that moment for informed, calm, decisive leadership. Leadership which we were unlikely to get from the White House just then.

When the virus came to New York, he admitted, he didn’t know much about it. But, he sat down and learned what he’d need to know. He surrounded himself with qualified advisors, listened, found a consensus as to what had to be done, and made a decision. He spoke as spokesman for the state and yielded to experts as appropriate. He did not need to contradict them, because they were in agreement before they went before the cameras.

Cuomo dealt with massive problems caused by the pandemic. Problems for which there was no road map. He did so with insufficient backup from the federal government, sometimes even interference and opposition. He did the only thing any citizen may ask, lead. He told how bad it was going to get, what New York would be called upon to do, and encouraged with what hope there was.

A lot has been made by detractors of some mistakes he made in the process. Other than Jesus of Nazareth I defy anyone to find a man who has made no mistake.

Faced with failures Cuomo did the only thing voters can ask: Took personal responsibility for all the choices he made, any harm done, and the unforeseen problems it caused by conditions he could not control.

Now Trump has ‘ordered’ all the schools in America get back to school stuff. I don’t know if he is right or wrong, and am not sure I care. I have never asked him to be right, only to lead. Can he?

All Americans can ask of a President is to make a decision, be honest about the good and bad ahead, and follow through. Then take responsibility if all goes wrong, or if some goes right and much goes wrong because of people who will not follow or conditions he cannot control. That’s what real Presidents do. That, in this observation is a reasonable expectation.

Trump’s track record on being honest and taking responsibility is not good. If he yet proves to have leadership in him, we won’t need Andrew Cuomo to kick around anymore.