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Cuomo & Republicans Win Big, Empire State Building Turns Red, NYC Still Part Of America
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 5, 2014
Modified Nov 5, 2014
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By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 5, 2014
Modified Nov 5, 2014
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The Empire State Building turned from red, white, and blue to simply red last night as Republicans took full control of the New York state senate, plus that other Senate in Washington, as well as winning many tightly-contested races for governor in states like Colorado and Iowa. Republicans also took control of priority seating on city buses across America, and many Republicans were seen on the subway this morning with extremely wide stances. Get used to it, Hitler.
Governor Cuomo, as expected, easily defeated Republican challenger Rob Astorino, but some Democrats feel he didn't do enough to campaign on behalf of state legislators facing tough reelection battles. From the Times:
Earlier this year, Democratic Party leaders in Albany seemed confident that a clear majority in the 63-seat Senate was within reach, particularly after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo made a commitment, after a challenge from the left last spring, to help fight for that goal.
But after winning his primary in September, Mr. Cuomo proved to be a less-than-energetic campaigner for Senate Democrats, sparing in his endorsements and rarely stumping for embattled incumbents or hopefuls. And on Tuesday, it seemed likely that the liberal wing of the Democratic Party would lay heavy blame at the feet of the governor, who was easily re-elected to a second term.
Zephyr Teachout, an invisible woman who challenged Cuomo in the primaries, issued a statement last night calling Cuomo the governor "of the most unequal state in America—a state with the most segregated public schools, an upside-down tax code, and an ever-expanding imbalance in economic and democratic power. The question is, will he continue to entrench that inequality by catering to the wealthy and well-connected or will he finally answer the rising call for a New York that works for everyone?"
Voters upstate and on Long Island swung heavily for Republicans, giving them a solid majority in the state senate, which they had tenuously controlled in the past two years with the help of a coalition of five right-leaning Democrats. But Democrats held onto the coveted Comptroller office, so there's that.
Mayor de Blasio appeared at Cuomo's victory party at the Sheraton Hotel last night to offer his "sincere appreciation" for a governor who killed his effort to raise taxes on the richest New Yorkers. "De Blasio has chosen to take kidney punch after kidney punch from Cuomo in pursuit of a larger political relationship," Richard Brodsky, a former Westchester County assemblyman, told the Times. “Cuomo respects strength. And if history is any guide, he will do business with people he believes are strong."
All three New York state ballot propositions were approved by voters yesterday, despite our advice that Proposition 1—a lukewarm attempt to placate gerrymandering reformers—should be voted down. A $2 billion bond act to improve technology in schools was also passed, as well as a proposition allowing bills to be printed electronically instead of wasting mountains of paper.
Meanwhile, on Staten Island, Representative Michael G. Grimm, who is under federal indictment on fraud charges, threw weak-ass "clueless" Democratic challenger Domenic Recchia off a balcony to win another term in congress. "They hit me with everything they had, everything you can imagine, but we’re here tonight, victorious,” Grimm declared last night. “We didn’t waver baby! We didn’t waver! Not once."
Grimm is currently the only Republican in New York City's congressional delegation. And so he will remain, unless he goes to jail. "Everybody is kind of counting on Grimm getting convicted and then maybe there will be a special election,” Robert Kilroy, a retired Staten Island postal worker, told the Times. “And maybe we’ll have better choices." Yeah, maybe if that elected official goes to prison our options will improve?
Over in real America, a jubilant Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, summed things up thus: "Barack Obama has our country in a ditch, and many of his lieutenants running for the Senate were right there with him. The punishment is going to be broad, and it’s going to be pretty serious." After six years of militantly obstructing any meaningful Democratic legislation, it takes an abiding faith in the ignorance of American voters to blame Obama for "the ditch" he inherited from the Bush administration. But Republicans, obviously, have no reason to doubt the electorate. Now all our punishment is going to be pretty severe yay!
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election
governor cuomo
new york
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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