Good riddance, Cuomo

Episode 34 Sneak Peek

Add this to the list of things we’ll celebrate but wish had happened long ago: Andrew Cuomo has resigned as the governor of New York state.

The survivors of Cuomo’s sexual harassment were long ignored by mainstream media and party leadership. Meanwhile, in the early days of COVID-19, Cuomo was fawned over for his semblance of authority by a brigade of self-styled “Cuomosexuals” — a word we sincerely hope we will never hear in earnest again. Supporters cited his steadiness and his CNN family banter as the sources of his appeal. (In other words, nothing related to good policy or New Yorkers’ material needs.)

Meanwhile, leftists in state government pointed to Cuomo’s concerning “power grabs” and staunch fiscal conservatism. We know now that Cuomo deliberately covered up the extent of COVID deaths in New York nursing homes, which tragically emerged as hotspots for transmission thanks in part to Cuomo’s corrupt decision making. And, of course, the women who were sexually harassed by Cuomo struggled to bring their stories forward, facing a number of discrediting attempts — including one from the now-resigned chairwoman of Time’s Up.

Lindsey Boylan @LindseyBoylan

From the beginning, I simply asked that the Governor stop his abusive behavior. It became abundantly clear he was unable to do that, instead attacking and blaming victims until the end. It is a tragedy that so many stood by and watched these abuses happen.

Cuomo abused his gubernatorial power on many levels — and we can’t forget any of them, or allow for those harms to be excused by his die-hard liberal fans. Nor should we forget that he positioned himself as a #MeToo ally over the years. The hollowness of this stance, and the willingness of movement leaders to protect him, demonstrates that this movement currently refuses to fundamentally challenge abusers when they are, like Cuomo, wealthy and powerful. Without rejecting wealthy liberals’ “justice for me and not for thee” dictate that led to Cuomo’s protection and his victims’ attempted silencing, we’ll be stuck with governors who cover up needless deaths, create a culture of harassment in their offices, and strip away the social programs that we need to survive.

We’re glad that he’s on his way out. But it shouldn’t have taken this long.

We’ll see you Friday for a new episode of Krystal Kyle & Friends. Sign up here for access to our video conversations. Thanks for tuning in.