Immediately after Hillary Clinton suffered her second presidential election defeat in 2016, Democrats began to realize that they ran a corrupt, establishment candidate in an election that wanted a political outsider.
It’s never too early to begin preparing for the presidential race in 2020, either. President Trump’s re-election campaign has already raised $13.2 million this year, according to Politico.
Many Democrats believe Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) is the candidate ahead of the 2020 presidential election to challenge Trump.
The candidate most similar to Cuomo is Hillary Clinton, given that both are career politicians part of the establishment. Democrats may see that as an advantage in that Cuomo has name recognition, a large donor base, and a vast history in government.
It didn’t work with Hillary, but it appears Democrats are contemplating doubling down in order to beat Trump.
Cuomo is often viewed as a slight mix between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in that it would not be uncommon for him to cozy up to top establishment Democrats on one day and then give a speech touting his Excelsior Scholarship program that gives students “free college” as long as their family meets the financial requirements the next day.
“He’s running. It’s pretty clear,” University of Maryland professor Robert Koulish told the Washington Post. “Maybe he’ll present himself as a progressive who gets things done.”
A report from Politico in February of 2017 also highlights that Cuomo is gearing up for a White House run in 2020, citing many in Congress acknowledging the early hype.
“But New York operatives, state lawmakers, and long-time associates see the 59-year-old governor as carefully laying down markers for his future, whatever it may hold, after Hillary Clinton’s unexpected defeat,” said the Politico report.
“The cornerstone of that argument and the way Cuomo sees himself as different and potentially more viable than more obvious 2020 prospects like Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown or even home-state Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has always been that Cuomo gets done what other politicians—usually legislators—simply talk about,” reported Politico.
“He reminded us what presidential sounds like,” Al Sharpton recently told the New York Observer. “I’d have to see who was in the race, but right now whoever’s in would have some catching up to do.”
Here’s a chart breaking down Cuomo’s positions on crucial political topics:
Topic | Position |
---|---|
-Abortion is a woman’s unrestricted right |
|
-Legally require hiring women & minorities
|
|
-Comfortable with same-sex marriage
|
|
-Keep God in the public sphere
|
|
-EPA regulations are too restrictive
|
|
-Make voter registration easier
|
|
-Stricter punishment reduces crime
|
|
-Absolute right to gun ownership
|
|
-Expand ObamaCare
|
|
-Vouchers for school choice
|
|
-Prioritize green energy
|
|
-Marijuana is a gateway drug
|
|
-Stimulus better than market-led recovery
|
|
-Higher taxes on the wealthy
|
|
-Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens
|
|
-Privatize Social Security
|
|
-Support & expand free trade
|
|
-Expand the military
|
|
-Support American Exceptionalism
|
|
-Avoid foreign entanglements
|
|
Whether Cuomo, or any Democrat, has a chance in 2020 all depends on how president Trump performs between now and 2020.
Still a long way to go, but never too early to prepare.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member