As Cortney wrote yesterday, New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo decided to use his executive authority to expand voting rights to felons on parole. A bill had stalled in the legislature, so Cuomo issued an executive order. Progressives, who think the governor did this to boost his chances at beating actress Cynthia Nixon rather than doing it because he felt it was good policy, criticized the move. The Washington Free Beacon collected some tweets from the media and the Left flank of the Democratic Party knowing all to well how transparent this move appears to be (via Free Beacon):
Journalists and progressive activists didn't buy the governor's reasoning, with many claiming he only pursued executive action because of Nixon's progressive influence and to ensure an energized left didn't stymie his plans for a third term.
[…]
The New York Working Families Party, a progressive political party that endorsed Nixon last weekend, rebuked the governor for an action it believed was long overdue.
"BREAKING: On 2,664th day in office, Governor discovers Executive powers. #thecynthiaeffect," the party tweeted.
That tweet by the NY Working Families Party is funny, I admit. There are no term limits in New York, so Cuomo could be governor for life—and he very well could, though I think he has presidential ambitions.
BREAKING: On 2,664th day in office, Governor discovers Executive powers. #thecynthiaeffect https://t.co/KdSHZkI9Si
— NY Working Families (@NYWFP) April 18, 2018
This whole primary is turning into a lesson about the virtues of political competition. https://t.co/a71b54kyfH
— Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) April 18, 2018
Would be hilarious if all the people whose voting rights Cuomo just restored then vote for @CynthiaNixon.
— jelani cobb (@jelani9) April 18, 2018
The ONLY reason Cuomo is doing this is because Cynthia Nixon is challenging him. Why didn’t he have the courage to do this his first year? Or second? Or third? Or last year? https://t.co/Dn5ibCKazd
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) April 18, 2018
Cynthia Nixon is already the best Governor New York has had in years. https://t.co/Q8ntZaz1Py
— Tim Tagaris (@ttagaris) April 18, 2018
For now, it’s winning this primary against The Sex and the City actress, who recently threw her hat into the 2018 ring. Cuomo’s popularity has decreased, though he’s still favored among New York Democrats to win. The primaries will be held on September 13, 2018. Cuomo is probably going to win, though this move does seem to show that he’s worried about his popularity and the possibility that a Nixon insurgency could arise; five months is a long time in politics. Or maybe, along with gay rights and passing stricter gun laws, Cuomo is just beefing up the resume for his presidential ambitions. Either way, Democratic blood sports are fun to watch. It’s possible Cuomo and Nixon could get ugly; their supporters have already had a nasty bout, with Cuomo supporter Christine Quinn, former speaker of the NYC council, calling Nixon an “unqualified lesbian.” Quinn, like Nixon, is gay and ran for mayor of New York in 2013; she did not get Nixon’s endorsement. Payback or not, something got Cuomo spooked enough to do this—and the far left has noticed.