Open Letter to Gov. Cuomo

Governor Cuomo,

You want to run for president in 2016. Don’t act coy. We all know you are going to run. And if neither Clinton or Biden runs, things don’t look bad for you in current polling. So let me give you a piece of advice on strategy.

Don’t pick a fight with Anthony Weiner. When I read your “shame on us” remark... all I could think was “oh dear god, that was stupid.” You can call it a joke, but the damage is done already- you can’t unsay it.

And Anthony Weiner isn’t know for his calm-level headed behavior. Right now, he isn’t very powerful. A disgraced former congressman. He still has some power thanks to his considerable influence with in parts of the democratic party, but that is nothing compared to the potential.

If he wins the mayor race, Weiner will become a very, very powerful man. In fact, he will be a considerable more powerful man than he was prior to his resignation from congress. And if he decides to hold a grudge, possibly a powerful enough man to derail your presidential primary efforts. He could make your life hard as governor and damage your chances that way or he could use the huge influence of being a mayor of a city with more people than many states to derail you. Either way, you could get hurt badly, and that is before his wife gets involved.

Huma Abedin is a power player in her own right. With her close relationship with the Clintons, she could potentially hold sway in the primary. Or in the case of a Hillary nomination, she could nudge your name lower down the VP list. I am assuming here that she wants her husband to become mayor, but I am guessing that is a pretty safe assumption.

So what can you do now that you have likely pissed off someone who could potentially become very powerful in very short order? Well, I think it is time to make nice. Apologize to Weiner for the remark personally. Plus, make some sort of public statement about the remark being a joke in poor judgement and that of course you support the democratic candidate for mayor as chosen by the primary- including if that candidate is Weiner.

Or not. I mean it is up to you. But you have a presidential primary campaign to think about and not having a powerful, renowned hot head in your party pissed off at you, well that is probably the safer choice.

Up to you though.

A Political Strategy Nerd

P.S. No jokes about his name either- that won’t help you salvage the relationship any.