Mario Cuomo runs for president in 1992?

[Zioneer]

So I've been reading about Mario Cuomo after I learned about him today, and he seems like a strong, somewhat liberal contender for the 1992 presidential election. How would he do in the Democratic primaries? Would he be able to win the nomination? And if he wins the primaries, could he become President?

[JoeMulk]

He definitly could win, as an old school new dealer with the economy the way it was in 1992 I could see him managing to pull it off, maybe he also picks Clinton as his runningmate.

[Orrin_Knox]

He was one of the best orators in the US, better than Clinton, IMO. He also had a clean personal life, again unlike Clinton. Those factors would have helped him. Possibly his more liberal ideological profile would have hurt him. Clinton ran as a New Democrat. Cuomo was an "old" Democrat.

Overall I think he would have won the nomination and general election had he run. He possibly/probably would have lost the Southern states carried by Clinton, but he would not have needed them in any case.

[JoeMulk]

Originally Posted by Orrin_Knox

He was one of the best orators in the US, better than Clinton, IMO. He also had a clean personal life, again unlike Clinton. Those factors would have helped him. Possibly his more liberal ideological profile would have hurt him. Clinton ran as a New Democrat. Cuomo was an "old" Democrat.

Overall I think he would have won the nomination and general election had he run. He possibly/probably would have lost the Southern states carried by Clinton, but he would not have needed them in any case.

Still he was a skilled politician and could have easily made a case in the shitty economy of 1992 for the voters to return to old school Democratic policies. Also a Cuomo/Clinton ticket would have been a balanced one.

[Paul V McNutt]

Cuomo might not haveanted to risk dealing with Clinton's rumored extra marital affairs. I see a Cuomo Gore ticket. Since there would be no scandals Gote would have an easier time in 2000 .

[Paul V McNutt]

Sorry forgot to subscribe

[Japhy]

Originally Posted by Paul V McNutt

Cuomo might not haveanted to risk dealing with Clinton's rumored extra marital affairs. I see a Cuomo Gore ticket. Since there would be no scandals Gote would have an easier time in 2000 .

Why not a Cuomo/Clinton Ticket? That would balance better between the ideological camps in the Democratic Party.

[DSS]

Originally Posted by Japhy

Why not a Cuomo/Clinton Ticket? That would balance better between the ideological camps in the Democratic Party.

This ticket would be epic, and my dream ticket in '92.

[Zioneer]

So a Cuomo presidency would be plausible, then? Alright then, what sorts of issues would he focus on, in the election, and if he became president?

[Swan Station]

This is starting to sound like the East Coast politics equivalent of Bill Swerski's Superfans.

[drcynic]

Cuomo was a VERY strong candidate and might've made a strong President based on his personality. He was a tough, charismatic New Yorker. I honestly don't see him losing in any scenario. His focus would likely be domestic policy, especially taxes and health care.

[King Nazar]

Judging by the economy in 1992, I think that if Cuomo took the nomination he almost certainly would win the general election.

[Zioneer]

Originally Posted by King Nazar

Judging by the economy in 1992, I think that if Cuomo took the nomination he almost certainly would win the general election.

So besides the economy, how would he target HW Bush? How would Bush target him back?

What sort of policies would President Cuomo enact?

How is Cuomo even pronounced?

[Thande]

Originally Posted by MormonMobster

How is Cuomo even pronounced?

According to the Genocide it's something like "Kwomo", rhymes with 'slo-mo'.

[Zioneer]

Originally Posted by Thande

According to the Genocide it's something like "Kwomo", rhymes with 'slo-mo'.

So it's almost like an unaccented Spanish "como", as in "como estas", then?

[SlideAway]

It's not entirely clear Cuomo would win the nomination. There was plenty of apprehension among Democratic voters about picking a Northeastern liberal post-Mondale and Dukakis (and Dukakis wasn't even that liberal).

Still, if he had won the nomination, he'd probably have won the election, albeit by a narrower margin. It would have been a very nasty campaign, and Cuomo's record wasn't looking so hot in '92 what with crime surging and with NY engulfed in a major budget crisis. Of course, that was true of all the states at the time as a result of the early '90s recession, but it still would have been a useful point of attack for the Bush campaign.

Probably tries to govern more liberally than Clinton, but is still hemmed in by Congress and Democratic economic advisors pushing for a balanced budget, so on balance probably isn't dramatically more liberal. Health care probably still falls apart due to divisions among congressional Democrats. Being more politically and geographically polarizing, Cuomo might have had a tougher time getting reelected in '96.

[Swan Station]

Originally Posted by MormonMobster

So it's almost like an unaccented Spanish "como", as in "como estas", then?

No, the 'w' is pronounced. Think Quo(tient)-Mo(ment). Wikipedia says /ˈkwoʊmoʊ/, if that helps.

[Joseph Solis in Australia]

1992 was the best year for Mario Cuomo to run the presidency but unfortunately he declined before George Bush's popular rating plummeted due to recession and Clinton's announcement to run for the presidency.

I would say that had Cuomo decides to run, he would win and he may pick up Clinton as his running mate.

[USGrant]

Originally Posted by SlideAway

It's not entirely clear Cuomo would win the nomination. There was plenty of apprehension among Democratic voters about picking a Northeastern liberal post-Mondale and Dukakis (and Dukakis wasn't even that liberal).

Still, if he had won the nomination, he'd probably have won the election, albeit by a narrower margin. It would have been a very nasty campaign, and Cuomo's record wasn't looking so hot in '92 what with crime surging and with NY engulfed in a major budget crisis. Of course, that was true of all the states at the time as a result of the early '90s recession, but it still would have been a useful point of attack for the Bush campaign.

Probably tries to govern more liberally than Clinton, but is still hemmed in by Congress and Democratic economic advisors pushing for a balanced budget, so on balance probably isn't dramatically more liberal. Health care probably still falls apart due to divisions among congressional Democrats. Being more politically and geographically polarizing, Cuomo might have had a tougher time getting reelected in '96.

On the other hand, if he can get re-elected in 1996 (which he likely will, even if it is a little bit tougher), he might be able to accomplish significantly more than Clinton did in his second term, as he didn't really have any personal scandals to drag him down. As an earlier poster pointed out, this also puts whoever his VP is in a more favorable position come 2000.

[SlideAway]

Originally Posted by USGrant

On the other hand, if he can get re-elected in 1996 (which he likely will, even if it is a little bit tougher), he might be able to accomplish significantly more than Clinton did in his second term, as he didn't really have any personal scandals to drag him down. As an earlier poster pointed out, this also puts whoever his VP is in a more favorable position come 2000.

True, although with Republicans still in control of Congress from '97-'01 there wouldn't likely be anything too dramatic. You're right about 2000, though. May well have still been Al Gore.