Andrew Cuomo, Vice President? Political Analyst Predicts Gov. Will Be Obama's Number Two

Andrew Cuomo has already proven he can use his political muscle to push his agenda through in New York. But could he be one heartbeat away from the Presidency?

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown Jr. wrote in an op-ed last week that Joe Biden would move over to Secretary of State and Cuomo would take over as President Obama's number two.

Brown writes in the San Francisco Chronicle:

He's a big name, a big-state governor. And a Democrat who is taking on the issue of public employee salaries and pensions.

Plus, he looks good.

The New York Post's Fredric Dicker says, on the West Coast, Brown is "one of the savviest political analysts around."

Dicker reached out to a source close to Cuomo who said the governor was flattered, but that he had no plans of leaving the governor's mansion.

"The governor is committed to working for the people of New York and is not going anywhere," the source said.

The Examiner's Marc Chamot writes that the move would make sense for Obama, because it would add a fiscally conservative Democrat to the ticket, but it would be too risky for Cuomo.

From the Examiner:

Obama has never trusted, or delegated a whole lot of authorities, and decision makings to his VP and neither to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. There would be huge political risks for Andrew Cuomo if he takes this post, especially if he has any presidential aspirations in the near future. Andrew Cuomo is virtually unknown nationally, as the way things are, he would help Obama some, but the risks of losing isn't worth it for Cuomo if Obama-Cuomo 2012 loses.

One reason he'll stay put: Cuomo continues to enjoy spectacular approval ratings and he's fresh off a budget victory.

Comments

[eagles2283]

12:18 PM on 04/21/2011

God I hope not. It would probably guarantee a Republican victory in the 2016 presidential election if Cuomo took the inevitable step and got the nomination. I know I couldn't bring myself to vote for the man. He already took the easy way out and ran as Republican/conservative to become governor. He didn't even really need to do that since the guy he was running against was a lunatic and too extreme for the New York electorate.

Cuomo cut spending, demonized public employees, and didn't bother to raise any taxes in order to close the N.Y. deficit in a state where plenty of very wealthy people live - may who benefited directly from bailouts by the federal government during the financial crisis. The poor, children, and the elderly all suffer because of his policies. If Cuomo were a Republican, he would be getting roasted. I know this because a Republican in my state pursuing similar policies is getting roasted. But Cuomo gets a free pass as a Dem.

In many ways, Dems governing as Republicans are more dangerous than Republicans because the "D" by their name provides cover for their policies. Voters never realize their true nature until it is too late. Make no mistake - Cuomo is another Lieberman.

[jeffp26]

12:12 PM on 04/19/2011

Oh please please sic this thief on the entire country and let us in NYS have another shot!!!

[lovelygirl33]

10:42 AM on 04/19/2011

Perhaps this is why Cuomo didn't sign the letter with the other 17 Democratic governors - the letter decrying Paul Ryan's attack on Medicaid by leaving the mess in the state's hands with insufficient funding.

Pragmatic-ConservaDem Obama actually agrees with the plan and, despite the nice coy denial, Governor Cuomo's eye's on the prize. So it's 'hurt the poor politics'. After all, what are they going to do about it? They have no money, they don't have the numbers, and they're just a drag on the rest of us, right?

Two Reagan Democrats. I don't know how this country will stand this shift to the hard right that has even Dems running right from center.

[MIKEinNYC]

12:25 AM on 04/19/2011

So far he's doing a good job here in New York but is he a whiner!

[lulubelle1956]

11:09 PM on 04/18/2011

So far, Cuomo walks, talks, and sounds like a GOP union buster, and while Obama has GOP installed in his administration, I don't think he would want a union buster in there. See also Cuomo the First, no friend of unions.

[Rollingstone423]

08:10 PM on 04/18/2011

cuomo is against legalizing marijuana. fu ck that guy

[wltdnfaded]

11:43 PM on 04/18/2011

Wow. How wonderfully eloquent.

[JRsNana]

12:21 AM on 04/19/2011

Very astute. That's a really great reason to dislike him. I guess.

[FOXYROSE]

07:34 PM on 04/18/2011

I hope not, we desperately need him in dying NY!

[sealdadeal4me]

07:25 PM on 04/18/2011

Never going to happen. He doesnt have family values. We got Biden and thats a great choice especially with his wife, Dr. Biden. We just have to wake him up when its time for him to speak.

[Max19th]

05:30 PM on 04/18/2011

I don't see what all the Cuomotion is about?

[General Public]

05:22 PM on 04/18/2011

No that is stupid, we need our governor. Finally we have someone at least somewhat competent as governor of New York and some pundit proposes that our governor be taken away from us New Yorkers to be Vice President so that we can have another unelected, unelectable, unpopular guy as governor? No thanks. The last time we had a functional state government before Andrew Cuomo was the very beginning of Eliot Spitzer's administration, before Spitzer started feuding with the state legislature and having certain indiscretions. And David Paterson? That guy couldn't even get elected governor of New Jersey, but somehow he became governor of New York. We did have George Pataki for years, who I thought was quite mediocre. The last governor we had that was any good was another Cuomo, Mario Cuomo. Andrew Cuomo had better serve his full term as governor and not try any funny business like becoming Vice President... I don't want to see another unknown Lieutenant Governor promoted to Governor.

[lulubelle1956]

11:11 PM on 04/18/2011

What has Cuomo done for you? He has laid of state workers, refused to raise taxes on millionaires and corporations and property owners, and has continued hurting the middle class of New York. What jobs has he created? None, either upstate or down. So how does this differ from the GOP of the state?

[General Public]

12:33 AM on 04/19/2011

Wow, sounds just like George Pataki when you put it like that... but I don't think the Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy would be an improvement... but who else is there to vote for? This last election it was Cuomo vs. Paladino... I hope you agree I made the right call in choosing Andrew Cuomo as better than Carl Paladino, at least. We never seem to get decent governors here... but I mean, George Pataki was our Republican governor for years, then Eliot Spitzer had his scandal and we had David Paterson, so I mean, we haven't had a good governor in quite a long time and I am just trying to have some hope for the future of this state.

[bluguy8]

11:47 AM on 04/19/2011

wait a minute. He hasn't been in office that long yet. so nobody knows how hes' going to be.and in the last election it was him against that idiot . Does that mean you voted for the idiot ?

[Techboy308]

03:58 PM on 04/25/2011

Actually, I think Duffy would make an excellent governor. He was a pretty good mayor here in Rochester...

[LaughingMan]

03:03 PM on 04/18/2011

What a pointless article.

[LonosCurse]

02:42 PM on 04/18/2011

With all due respect, I don't even know who Bob Duffy is, much less do I want him to be my governor.

[NYCannibal]

05:10 PM on 04/18/2011

Duffy was elected mayor of Rochester twice. Might be good for someone from Western NY to be governor and either fix what's economically wrong there, or hand it to Canada.

[LonosCurse]

05:17 PM on 04/18/2011

Wasn't that Paladino's argument? :)

[General Public]

05:26 PM on 04/18/2011

I live upstate and I would love for upstate New York to be annexed by Canada... Canada has universal healthcare, a functional welfare system, and they even have gay marriage legalized nationwide. Sign me up as a Canadian! I can't wait to see the look on Carl Paladino's face when he finds out he's now a Canadian...