As, a former journalist and media critic, I’ll bust a gut if I don’t write about the fascinating and bloodless but significant cultural television phenomenon emerging from the coronavirus tragedy.
This post is not about whether President Trump is a good President or a bad one, it’s about the way two reality shows so different from one another are both airing every day and revealing so much about our politics, culture and maybe our future.
It’s not just a question of two different press conferences, it’s really about two different ways of looking at the world.
These two regular daily television conferences about the coronavirus – one starring the President, the other Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York – could help determine who is President in the Fall, and how we as a nation respond to this staggering crisis and the next ones to come.
Part of our President’s genius is that he sees himself – once and forever – as the star of his own long-running, TV centered reality show.
The White House lawn and press room is his daily stage and this idea of being a Tweeting TV Reality Show President blew away a score of gifted competitors. They all saw the Presidency quite differently.
Trump’s vision of being President has upended conventional politics, fusing them with the lessons of mass-market television. He turned out to be the wisest of them all. And many people love him very much.
Donald Trump is the master of the genre.
If you take a couple of hours to watch the best reality TV shows from Dr. Phil to The Real World to Million Dollar Listing and the Bachelor, even Trump’s own Apprentice, you will see his vision played out on the White House lawn or press room every day.
He’s turned the entire Washington political spectrum into actors and wannabees on his own show, the Apprentice, all over again.
Trump is always the story on his show, always on stage from his bluster to his hair to his fancy suits and ungracious responses. He can say or do whatever he wants, his outrageousness and offensiveness is the point, not a side effect.
I have no idea what he’s really like, but his TV persona is shocking and unwavering. His followers wanted a Disrupter, and that’s is what they got. He didn’t run to govern, he ran to destroy our conventional ideas about governing.
The President may or may not understand how a virus spreads, but he understands his television. He knows that on every successful reality show, arrogance, cruelty, boorishness, fighting, over-the-top polarizing, and paranoia, even bigotry as a political philosophy, are considered admirable, not offensive.
In this world, lying and exaggerating, scapegoating and bragging are not bad things, but good things.
You win by flaunting and taunting the conventions of the “elites” and the unknown.
As a former TV producer, I know good TV when I see it, and Trump is perhaps the best I have ever seen at keeping himself in front of the camera, no matter what he says or does while performing.
It is a fascinating fusion of popular culture and politics.
President Trump is a master of the form, he is the star of every room he’s ever in, and everyone must bow before him. In TV, I learned early that fiction soon becomes reality, and many people no longer care about the difference.
Suddenly a new challenge for the President, a spawn of the coronavirus hosted by a different personality, and this show is also red-hot, riveting, watched across the nation and suddenly very influential.
It is transformative, also shaping our society and our understanding of the coronavirus, and of ourselves.
In an indirect but obvious way, it is also challenging the ethos and popularity of President Trump, and his prospects for re-election.
Without ever hardly mentioning him, this new broadcast is creating a devastating portrait of a leader struggling painfully to lead a diverse nation – half of whom he has deliberately and contemptuously alienated – at a critical time.
A lethal Pandemic isn’t really the stuff of good reality TV. It’s too heavy, too real and too frightening. So far, President Trump doesn’t seem to have found another speed.
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York seems to understand something that no other politician or political candidate up against President Trump has yet grasped. You can’t fight a Reality TV Presidency with an argument, you have to fight it with another reality show, a newer and better one.
And you have to fight it by showing a better way, not just promising it or arguing about it.
In essence, you undercut Trump by being the very opposite of him on television every single day when so many people are paying attention. You do not do this by attacking him or quarreling with him. It’s entertainment, stupid, fighting and offending is his specialty, it is most people’s weakness. You try to show what government, at its best, can do.
Governor Cuomo seems to have figured this out. If he’s loud you’re soft, if he is vicious, you are gentle, if he is lying or stretching the truth, you are being painfully honest, if he can’t really show empathy, you are empathizing all the time, even in tears at times.
Cuomo, a blood enemy of most Republican politicians, is not your usual progressive or wooly headed prophet of the left. He is notorious as a tough, take-no-prisoners governor. He has ticked off liberals and conservatives alike.
He talks to the President most days during the crisis, he praises Trump on every single broadcast. His dedication to helping the people in his stricken city seems to have taken precedence over anything else.
Accurately or not, no one in his growing audience ever gets the impression that he is thinking of himself or his future.
Governor Cuomo speaks directly, and in a working-class, every man, Queens accent. Trump is a ruthless billionaire, his father was a ruthless real estate developer and a cold and demanding parent.
Cuomo’s father was also a tough politician who said more than once that campaigning was poetry, governing was prose. His son was his campaign manager.
Mario Cuomo had a Teamster style of leadership and the heart of a lion. He often sounded like a Jesuit poet.
His son Andrew is showing those qualities in every press conference, and he is hitting most of them out of the park. By contrast, Trump seems to struggle with a format constrained by gravity and science.
Suddenly, facts really matter. Facts are not his thing.
His press conferences are long, confusing and awkward.
Andrew Cuomo never takes the bait. How can you be attacked or belittled by Trump’s many supporters when you never attack or criticize their leader? For the first time, the President seems tongue-tied. Can he win on governing? Not this time, it seems, not so far.
Cuomo has also done some fusion – politics, disaster, family, and television. Because of the virus and the havoc it’s wreaking in New York City and much of the rest of the country, he suddenly has a vast audience.
Until now, nobody could compete with President Trump when it came to television and media attention.
Cuomo is besting him, breaking through the Trump-wall. He is perhaps Trump’s worst nightmare, a potential opponent who understands government, sports, politics, and television. Someone who can take out his human side, polish it like precious silver, and show it off.
He has been waiting for this moment all of his political life. He is telling us – showing us – how the government is supposed to work when there is this much trouble.
President Trump brags about his ratings in one breath, offers deadly statistics in the next. Cuomo is self-effacing, almost shy. He seems to bleed for every sick and dying person.
In a reality television show, producers know that the more outrageous, over-the-top, divisive, or over-the-top the message, the more people will love it and come back for more.
Reality TV is a circus, not a policy. President Trump loves drama, he brags, lies, attacks enemies and reporters at will, he always gets the headlines; he always makes the news.
Cuomo understands that the media is just like the President – they also thrive on drama even as they bemoan it – they are not really his enemy but his very best friends. Each makes the other possible – and rich.
Cuomo also uses them in that way. But his press conferences are never an ugly slugfest. The dance is much quieter.
Cuomo’s daily press briefing about the virus, now broadcast live all over America and on several cable channels live is, in every way, the child of the Trump idea, yet at the same time the very opposite of it.
I don’t kid myself about the governor. Cuomo, like his father and his brother, is a political animal, with all of the instincts of a wolf hiding behind the garb of a noble priest.
He knows what he is doing.
Cuomo has figured out how to make Trump look bad and very different from him.
He does it by never criticizing the President directly, but undermining him constantly – all he has to do is be himself. Trump has to put on his Reality TV mask every time.
I picture Jeb Bush as pulling his hair out.
Whatever his motives and intentions – I can’t know – Cuomo is now the anti-Trump, the dream Democratic candidate.
It never pays to underestimate Donald Trump, but the smart political people are all whispering right now that Cuomo would eat Trump alive in a debate or an election. I imagine that the idea will gain some steam this Spring.
In his press conferences, Cuomo has created his own FDR-style Fireside Chat, calming a nervous and grateful country with compassion and understanding, stories from his personal life, and poetic exhortations to be calm and vigilant and patient.
I’m not sure what the message from Trump is for me, other than that he is doing a terrific job. That doesn’t make me feel better about being closeted in my house for the next few weeks. If there is another message, I am not getting it.
Cuomo surprises me, he is out of the box: He even rounded up nearly 7,000 therapists to counsel people who are freaking out in New York.
And for free.
Cuomo, like his father, understands from the ancient Greeks that the most beloved heroes show their vulnerability and their flaws. He is not afraid to choke up and cry.
Trump insists at every opportunity that he is the smartest person in every room, Cuomo is quick to say he knows little, he listens to the experts and deals in facts. Trump says he takes no responsibility for the way the coronavirus was handled by the federal government.
Cuomo takes full responsibility for telling people to shelter in place.
If you have to blame anyone, he says, blame me. I’m the guy at the top. His strength is contagious. So is his calm.
Rather than try to win over Trump’s devoted followers, Cuomo sidesteps their anger and sense of persecution. He is gathering his own tribe instead. The troll army has no role to play. Trump has no answer for that, the pundits say he watches every minute of Cuomo’s show every day and has even tried to copy his style.
My guess is that Trump will have to go after Cuomo at some point, it’s his nature.
He’ll give Cuomo a Middle School name and try to bait him into a mistake (remember Elizabeth Warren?) That could be the political battle of the century, Godzilla versus the Tyrannosaurus.
Cuomo, a purveyor of high-quality schmaltz, is a politician known for his arrogance and ruthlessness, but this new and warmer leadership style is a huge hit, all over the country.
The governor has also broadened the cast of his show, as good reality shows do.
There is his little brother Chris, a CNN anchor, who loves to banter and defer to his big brother; there are his adult daughters, who have come to live in the Governor’s Mansion to join in the corona battle alongside their pop.
There is even a now-famous mother, Matilda, the storied Italian mom going over to Chris’s house to show him how to make her fabulous pasta sauce. Loving and praising – and protecting – your mother on national TV is a very smart thing to do.
Almost daily, Andrew Cuomo evokes the ghost of his famous father. President Trump seems to do the same thing but in a different way.
The Cuomos won the Reality TV Sweepstakes this week when Brother Chris contracted the coronavirus himself and suffered greatly from, then began to heal, on national television, his “best friend” big brother calling constantly from the Governor’s Mansion in Albany to check in and make sure he’s all right.
Chris, who had a very long and rough night, told the nation that he dreamed his powerful brother was a ballerina dancing in his dream.
The media scarfed it up.
When they do talk, which is often on their respective broadcasts, the brothers kid each other with warmth and love, they paw sweetly at one another like two lion kittens. Brothers for our time.
The vast TV audience looking in on this drama swooned and teared up.
Even Reality shows don’t get more real than that. I took a brief look at President Trump in his dark suit with Brother Pence glowering standing loyally at his side later in the day, he got clobbered today.
And I thought, wow, Cuomo is a master himself. This new show could beat the competition silly.
It makes for wonderful TV, the two brothers who clearly care for one another and have been bantering with each other for years. Keep it rolling, keep it going, I could hear myself shouting in the CBS control room.
There were tears all over the country when Governor Cuomo nearly broke down on the air talking about his brother’s diagnosis.
The governor said he was worried about his little brother, who he loves dearly. His best friend.
Chris in return urged the governor to be careful traveling around the state, he is too important to lose.
I’m not trying to be cynical or skeptical here, but reporters are reporters, writers are writers, artists are artists, and politicians are politicians. I see what I see.
As a former TV producer, I would have cut off an arm for content like this.
No wonder President Trump seems rattled, reading off of his prepared text in a monotone while Cuomo orates spontaneously, quoting Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln.
Part of Trump’s great success is that he has convinced the very people who need a leader the most that he is their salvation.
And many people now think that Governor Cuomo is their salvation. This crisis will go on for a long time, everyone involved shall be revealed.
Call your mom, Cuomo said during a press conference last week, but don’t let her in your house now, he cautioned in one press conference. Love your mother from a distance. Stay home and cook your family a nice Sunday dinner, he suggested in another.
Cuomo projects the idea that he will do anything, anything – even pull the right levers in government – to go to bat for his citizens, especially the embattled elderly right now. He always talks about the little guy at the bottom of the pile and how to protect them.
We can’t let anybody die, he says, we can’t write anybody off. His eloquent plea to save every life, including the sick and the elderly, shined as one of the high points in the history of great leadership.
The wolves were already beginning to call for the blood of the vulnerable, save the economy first. Most of these people are going to die anyway.
I won’t give up on anybody, Cuomo promised and talked like he meant it. The President said more people died from the flu than the coronavirus that day. It wasn’t true.
As an older person at risk, I might be biased, but apart from that, it was a beautiful message Cuomo gave, leadership at its very best.
There is a lot at stake in these culture wars, as the Corona Reality TV Battle suggests.
What do we want a President to be? What do we want our country to be? What do we want our government to be? We will all have some answers in a few weeks.
I think President Trump ought to be grateful that Andrew Cuomo decided not to run for President this year.
(I was once a political writer also, and I can’t help notice that in every single broadcast, Cuomo says – often repeats – the statement that what is happening in New York City will soon be happening elsewhere, broadening his audience and giving anyone anywhere a good reason to see his broadcasts.
Just sayin’. He insists the crisis in New York is not local, but will soon be heading elsewhere. If anyone helps New York, he says, he will personally return the favor.)
This virus will re-shape our political system in one way or the other, and whatever the outcome, our popular culture may decide those important questions about our country.
But I wonder a bit when Cuomo says he isn’t interested in running. Politics is clearly in his blood. And I found out that the Democratic National Convention can nominate anyone they wish to nominate.
I really can’t tell if this is just another part of the show.
(Note, this is not a left-right political discussion, nor a hate or love President Trump discussion. It’s about the fascinating popular culture that America has created, and that has obsessed and shaped the politics of our country for years. I refuse to crap it up with hoary left-right propaganda.
Here, we think for ourselves. This blog is a search for truth, agree or disagree, but don’t bring mindless propaganda here. I won’t post it.)
Thank you this article. It is wonderful to read a thoughtful analysis. Have to agree that the Dems should recognize that Biden is not the candidate that Cuomo could be. I’d love to see him nominated. Thanks again
Biden does not have Cuomo’s platform or direct executive responsibility as Governor.
I hope progressives are not again the morons of 2016 who ripped each other down and let Trump skate into the White House. We do not need to think, every time any other Democrat does well it means we have to rip down Biden. No wonder we lose despite the people agreeing on most issues. Yiikes
I think Biden is the person to mourn with us and lift us out of the depths. Biden can help give us hope and stabilize our country. After a term with Biden, Cuomo would be great, although I would like to see a woman in the position.
As a NYC suburb dweller, I agree with your thoughts. I’m all in on on the Cuomo’s. Warts and all. I’d like to introduce you to the period (.) to separate your thoughts, however. Your paragraphs are excruciating in their structure. They were hard for me to stomach. The run-on sentence seems to be your comfort in this storm of pandemic. Call me old school but I’d never publish this as written… which would be a shame so yay for the interwebs! See what I did there? 😉
Beth, I totally agree. Some paragraphs were hard to read and comprehend because of the run-on sentences. Otherwise, a great read!
Took the words right out of my mouth! I was getting so frustrated with the commas rather than a (.) or a (;). The content gets an A; the form a C-
Just get an editor and all is well. Keep writing!!
Took the words right out of my mouth! I was getting so frustrated with the commas rather than a (.) or a (;). The content gets an A; the form a C- Just get an editor and all is well. Keep writing!!
Beth, I did reply to you but it landed somewhere else.
Did you ever hear of the phrase, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!”
I thoroughly enjoyed the read. As a stickler for correct punctuation and grammar, I found nothing that stood out and was really more into what he was saying. He was gentle, kind and truthful. I don’t think his intention was to write a literary piece, but just to express his thoughts, in a conversational way.
Beth, I really liked the writing style in this piece. It wasn’t smooth and edited like a magazine article. Jon’s words made perfect sense to me.
Cuomos. No apostrophe. Call me old school. ?
Do you feel really important and smart now? GEESH.
Seriously? You are commenting on his grammar? Unbelievable.
Yes, periods. they are essential.
Right on regarding sentence and paragraph structure. Can create confusion.
You know the whole time I read the story I didn’t really care about where the periods or the paragraphs were just said it was written with a great insight
Full marks for nit picking – ( whats the 2 on’s? ) – see what I did there? – important thing is you got the message.
FROM CANADA.
What an interesting article.
I have just come to realize that Chris Cuomo is the brother of Gov. Cuomo on NY! ( clearly I have tuned out of USA politics since November 2016). I admire these 2 guys, esp Gov.Cuomo. He is stepping up in this time of dire need. Someone has to since the current President doesn’t know how. I feel blessed to live in Canada and to have a leader who gets it. We believe in helping each other out and when we have more than we need, we are able to think of our more unfortunate neighbour. I hope NY gets out of this mess soon. I hope we all do. I hope it’s a wake up call for us all. And I hope that REALITY TV is a thing of the past. Just sayin’.
As young kid who grew up on Long Island and who completed a graduate degree in Manhattan, I remain proud of my New York state heritage. You can surely be proud of your Governor whose press conferences I watch daily and consider that this is what real leadership looks and sounds like. We are neighbours who must help neighbours …makes no sense for an American president to ban the sale of masks to Canada when the masks are made of products made in Canada. Should China follow suit and ban the shipment of vital medical supplies to the U.S? Your neighbours in Canada hope you’ll stop this nonsense asap…and good luck with this; please keep yourselves safe – we’re counting on you!
While I get what the author was trying to say, I still felt disturbed at the view point. It was hearing Moonves saying again “He’s great for ratings” without recognizing the damage those rating would cost this country.
People dying is not reality TV, it is real, visceral and should not be viewed from the lens of “how do I produce it”. However, with that said I get the point that Cuomo’s approach is better mainly, because he works from facts and gives truths. He may be a good actor, but he also know that lies today can be quickly discovered and undermine the potential for good leadership.
What saddens me is that as a nation we have become so enured to Trump’s lies that it is as if we just don’t care any more. That we acknowledge the lies, but just move on “Yep, Trump being Trump”, but don’t see how those lies damage the psyche of the country. We stopped holding a leader to higher standards and allowed a version of Honey BooBoo to run the show.
This is why I dropped cable, stopped watching most TV, and never watch reality TV programming for it has *nothing* to do with reality. I view it as the modern day coliseum with Trump playing the game of Bread and Circuses as this nation crumbles.
Very well said…
Only Trump loyalists have been endured to Trump and his lies. Believe me the majority of Americans can hardly wait to oust Trump come November. Sadly our hands are tied until then. Our nation is in terrible turmoil right now, yet we will get thru this together, because we’re all in this together. Thank you for your words!
I agree with you completely.
Agree!
Thank you Justin. I totally agree with your thoughts on this subject.
Well said!!
great article — I have stopped watching all the craziness of these political shows except MSNBC (Ari Melber) and CNN Cuomo Prime Time and Don Lemon — I don’t watch reality shows like American Idol, the Voice, fashion shows, etc. they are a farce — people have become so wrapped up in themselves, and money they don’t know right from wrong
I agree with most of your post. However, unlike you I still watch tv. I would sincerely miss cable news, my favorite Boston channel news, the weather, and a sprinkling of entertainment shows. I never watch Trump’s daily rallies for his followers, held under the guise of daily updates of the Corona Virus. Not interested in his bragging, his lies, his insults to esteemed member of the White House press.
Jon, this is the best analysis and most insight into Trump that I have ever seen. The contrast with the Cuomo brothers, particularly Andrew, is brilliant, real and objective. I don’t understand where Judy is coming from since I don’t think you could be more honest, except that her comment is “dripping” with her own bias. Richard Hart’s comments scare me to death!
Thank you for this well thought out article. I am one of the people that is following Cuomo. I believe he is more honest about what is going to happen. If he was running for President I would be voting for him.
What strikes me, Jon, and actually chills me at the level of my soul, is the utter emptiness of your perspective. In a time of rising authoritarianism, you have no moral core. You are simply amused. In a sense, you are America. Thank you for this vivid illustration – I guess.
Scott, this is alarming…warm blanket and tea, I hate to think of you all chilled by me…I’m heading out in search of a moral core (do you read the stuff you send out, Scott? Be safe..
I could not disagree more! The first thing the nation needs at this confluence of crises is clear thinking and cogent analysis. Jin, it seems to me (as a brand-new follower) is providing the meat-and-potatoes; I can supply the moral gravy myself.
As a recovering idealist, I see you as a fellow-traveler, but I try always to be mindful of H. L. Mencken’s definition of an idealist as “someone who, upon noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup.”
Your article is partially correct in many ways, but you failed to point out that Cuomo is the one begging for supplies and help from everyone because he did not prepare (even though he had said yrs prior that he was prepared and did not supplies!!) For a crisis. Saw a picture from a friend who lives in NY riding on a packed subway – she said social distance is not being practiced!! Coumo should pay attention to what is going on and inforce Stay at home rules, especially since everyone is catering to his whining about needed services!! He is the problem not the solution in NY!!
Christine, I’m just writing about the shows, not evaluating either one’s tenure..
Connie, whoa girl. Since when was it the states to stoke up on venelators and other medical supplies beyond what is normal and possibly a bit above normal needs? The federal government has been the cause of states having to bid against one another. Gov. Cuomo is begging for the lives of his states people. Have some heart and chill out.
I agree with you. The problem with NY is Cuomo and I have only listened to his monotone, lethargic cadenced voice twice. He sure likes to hear himself drone on and on. At least Trump gets out of the way and let’s the scientist and experts answer the appropriate questions. His job is to give a state of the country briefing (and it is brief) then take questions. His is not a reality show… more a variety show.
The President also should give us hope because with no end in sight no telling how we would react.
He was no less prepared than the entire country. No one appreciated the magnitude of this crisis. The federal supply belongs to all states- NY happened to get hit early and hard. Give him the damn equipment- if only for your selfish need for the virus to be contained . People will do and say what they want- you included .Damn, woman, whining?????? Have you ever been on the front line of anything ? As a former ICU nurse, prison clinic director , forensic psychiatric nurse practitioner and presently working full time with the chronically mentally ill and in an acute inpatient crisis facility , I think I do have some insight here. If you want to find fault, you need not go any further than the buffoon you seem to support.
You are simply an idiot. Cuomo on his 3rd term has done an excellent job for us New Yawkers. In order for his to enforce the stay at home policy Martial Law would have to be called. Cuomo does not have that power. As far as being ready for a pandemic, who could have foreseen the magnitude of an unknown. Had the POTUS spoken the truth it would have gave every American a fighting chance, but instead he continued to lie and down play what the real story was. Talk about being unprepared. this POTUS was caught sleeping after being forewarned by the previous Administration. It was more important for him to play his golf then to worry about the people he would be sending to their deaths. So don’t go putting this Governor down when all he’s done has been to keep the people informed with his honesty and knowledge.
Scott, did you miss Jon’s comment about Cuomo’s outstanding leadership in this time of death and distance? Besides, John’s background as a reporter brings greater weight to his words and analysis. If you are looking for a sappy, garment-rending commentary, you are werlcome to write your own blog. Writers write what they write. Take it, leave it, or don’t bother to read it at all. But your criticism of this author for providing a factual analysis and wondering aloud where this battle will end and what will be revealed is petty and useless.
Maybe he’ll get through to some of Trump’s supporters where no one else has. Maybe this is his way of shining a palatable light on the contrast between a competent leader and a narcissistic liar. If you have a better way to save America’s soul, have at it. Please! I thought this was soulful in its creative angle.
Thanks for this wonderful article. I agree with what you said. I see the Governors running our country and not “that man in Washington “. I’m from “that woman in Michigan “ ‘s state. I, for the life of me, cannot understand why, those who support trump, note: no capital t on his name, he doesn’t deserve it, they ignore his MANY faults and still find him electable!! I guess they wanted a business man… they got one and not a very good one. I don’t know why they didn’t closely look at his businesses and see what a mess they were and are. Bankruptcy’s … one after another… is this where our country is heading too?? Right now we are all in a battle together and with our wonderful medical people on the front lines, they will be the ones to show us what leadership means. Come on America… look very closely at our representatives like we’ve never done before. Really look and see how they are behaving during this time. Then, let the ballot box speak in November!!
Actually Trump had the economy on a huge upswing. Obviously this pandemic has put the country into an economic shutdown. People who admire Trump do so because he accomplished so much in a short time. Yes, he says things he shouldn’t. If the Democrats weren’t determined to impeach him and fight his every move, much more would have been accomplished. Yes, he has made mistakes. But anyone would in a totally new situation never before faced. Gov. Cuomo has also made many mistakes. After being warned of a shortage of ventilators in 2015, nothing was done. He took money and invested it into projects, such as a solar panel factory that was shut down and a computer chip factory that sits empty, that went bust or were never begun. Yes, he handles himself well and Trump doesn’t always. But Trump has accomplished a great deal during this crisis and seldom gets any credit from many news outlets, the majority being leftwing media. The thing is, we need to support all of our leaders during this crisis.
After reading this intuitive and thought provoking article I looked to see who wrote it and realized I already have your books on my shelves and am a big fan as a dog advocate. Thank you for pondering and sharing these thoughts!
Very insightful. Thank you for putting into words what so many of us think.
What is meant by “wooly headed prophet”? Be careful
Great article Jon. I do think you are giving Trump way more credit than he has coming. He might be the Apprentice with psychotic tendencies but that is really wearing thin with most Americans right now. His ego is way past the sell by date. I can barely stand to look at him anymore. He is a clown at the funeral. Cuomo has made a great impression. I know he is first and foremost a politician but at least he has a soul.
I noticed that comment as well. Hmmmmmm…
“The President may or may not understand how a virus spreads, but he understands his television. He knows that on every successful reality show, arrogance, cruelty, boorishness, fighting, over-the-top polarizing, and paranoia, even bigotry as a political philosophy, are considered admirable, not offensive”.
By whom is my question. .
About 40 million Americans, to name a few
A great article that I read to the very end, which I often di not do these days of nonsensical articles. However, I do wonder how much of Cuomo’s process is opportunistic or just him. I suppose that in the end it makes no difference if it results in a good ending. I also wonder if what trump does is just a natural product of him be spontaneous and revealing his vacuous self or of his actually having the ability to create his persona. I don’t want to give trump credit for the intellect required to create himself. I just think he is that vacuous self.
Thank you for your article where we need all the insights we can get… people are sharing and appreciating it and commenting how well it is written.
As someone who has never watched a soap opera in her life, I’ve now informed my friends that Governor Cuomo is now my daily soap opera and they MUST watch for fact and hope (there are competent people in our governments). As a Fairfield County, Connecticut native, a former Congressional staffer and lifelong volunteer in both government and community, I am well aware that the Cuomo’s are old-line no-holds-barred Democrats. My favorite in what seems like the long ago primary fight was Amy Klobuchar, whose competence did not seem to to excite enough voters. Now, if we could put Andrew Cuomo at the top of the ticket with her as VP, I could see a path forward with the smart, well informed “helpers” and the “doers” leading us into the changed, but better, world ahead.
Frances O’Neill, right on!
I wonder if Andrew Cuomo might be more valuable and effective for us by staying out of the Presidency business. If he runs or is drafted, he gets the Democratic branding from both sides. Being President is time consuming and forces you to take hidden agendas from nations and constituencies into account. You have to make a lot of decisions about stupid issues. Your success depends on hundreds of things beyond your control. Your mission might be better served without the Presidency in your way. This same could be said of Bernie, and perhaps others – corporate leaders? Thought leaders?
As a lifelong NYer, I would warn against falling in love with our Governor. Sure, he’s stepping into the roll of America’s papa bear, calm at times, stern at others, witty, emotional, yeah, he’s got it all going on. Meanwhile, our beautiful state has been sliding into decline for years…people are leaving in record numbers, taxes are out of control, NYC is falling apart at the seams, the NYS budget has a huge deficit even as the middle class is getting squeezed dry of their dollars, our healthcare system was woefully unprepared for a health crisis , and here’s the best part…Cuomo was just awarded a 40% salary increase in the midst of the Covid-19 mayhem. What??? Cuomo is a slick politician and this pandemic has handed him lots of free airtime for setting up a bid for POTUS. He’s doing a great job of pandering (I almost fell for it myself, for a NY minute!) and he certainly blows the other democratic candidates out of the water with the WOW factor and probably even general intelligence but he is a political wolf, not a papa bear, make no mistake.
Linda, I’m not up for evaluating his tenure, just writing about the show..I don’t really care about the rest of it at the moment..
Well you should care. Superficial essays like this promoting the next strong man leader based on his performance on TV without looking at his record are part of the problem.
I don’t know Jonathan, superficial seems to work..I might even get to be President…
To your glib evasion of my point, Jon, I can only repeat Jon Stewart’s comments to the glib hosts of Crossfire: “Stop, stop, stop, stop hurting America. We need your help. Right now, you’re helping the politicians and the corporations….”
You can repeat it as often as you like here, Jonathan..i’m thinking you’re bloviating, over dramatic and a little pompous..
That was a verbatim quote of Jon Stewart, who was being dramatic, sure.
The larger point is that we are talking about how two elected officials are handling a pandemic that has changed our country and is threatening our lives. My hope is that, at the very least, you’ll apply your analytic skills in the future for something that’s as serious as the crisis we’re facing.
Just a thought – isn’t Trump getting a lot of free air time in his bid for reelection? His raucus rallies have been replaced by his bristling briefings. Don’t you notice how the noon time slot has moved further and further towards primetime? That hasn’t been done by accident. Nothing he does is done by accident. He is the host of his own show. And indeed it is a show. He is doing what he does best – sparking controversy. He wants us caught up in the name-calling and sparring with reporters. He can’t win with the real story so he creates his own. It’s like those TV ads that we remember, but for some reason we can’t remember what product they were advertising. And that’s his goal – he wants you to focus on him not the virus. The daily White House press briefings have become the show, one that you can’t turn off. And Cuomo, by focusing on the virus and what he’s doing about it is the antithesis. His is also a show that you now have to turn into. The commenter who said it’s now their daytime soap opera is right. He knows what we all need at this moment, and he’s providing it – comfort, empathy, quiet strength, hard work, transparency, honesty, and a shoulder to lean on. “He’s got this.” He provides us with Answers – what we are all yearning for – answers. I agree with the blogger – it is an interesting look at our culture.
As another lifetime New Yorker well said Linda. Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Thank you Linda for your personal experience and insight. All of us
need to know this.
Linda, first you are placed in “a time” as governor of New York. Globalisation of Capitalism, (led by Nixon (China), enhanced by Regan codified by Clinton, and weaponized by Bush) is the gestalt of our time. Cuomo is stepping up in the leadership role that works for New York here and now. The past is gone and it is not coming back.
Linda
What’s you your point?
This was a comparison of two styles. I didn’t hear you critique a Trump. Still waiting
Thank you
Can you make this mandatory reading for everyone in our country ?
#GreatRead
I live in Colorado where we also have a governor who has taken charge and is working incredibly hard for his state. I watch Governor Cuomo everyday to listen to his straight talk and his very real empathy. He is a true leader. I do not watch White House briefings. We need leaders like Cuomo at a time like this. So glad to see the governors and mayors step into the void left by the federal government’s response to this pandemic.
The DNC should step up and do the right thing.
Great analysis, stating what many TV watchers have been thinking for the last three years. Unfortunately the Trump show has become tiresome, predictable and now dangerous. Hopefully the Trump show will end soon.
Our Washington state Governor Jay Enslee has been doing a terrific job and our Corvid19 Disease curve is going down because of his actions.
I have always had the same thoughts about our president’s reality star actions as you write about. And how the press has given us this man above all the other ‘boring’ choices.
One thing is clear from the comments: we need better training on use of the apostrophe!
Just remember, Governor Cuomo presided over the inexcusable decision to let the first positive Covid-19 traveler self quarantine in Manhattan just a few weeks ago and in no time one of if not the worst outbreaks anywhere ensued.
Surprise, or an outcome any rational, caring thinking leader could have foreseen and at least TRIED to prevent. Mistakes made have been many. Consequences are enormous. Lots of blame to go around. Now everyone just needs to do their level best and remember that we are all Americans, our friends, family and neighbors.
Thank you for putting these thoughts into words. It certainly made for good reading. May our great country persevere and come out better than it was before. Our leadership is overdue for a change.
Amen from a perspective most people are aware of. It’s that you have articulated it in a nice Pulitzer Prize way 🙂
An enjoyable read. And glad someone else confirms the exact thing I’ve always believed about the Cuomos’, which is the same thing I believe about the Trumps’.. you should take them with a grain of salt.
Cuomo values human life… Trump does not. He only values homself. He could have proven oterwise if he acted in January when he was clealy informed of the coming Pandemic rather than calling it a Democrative hoax!
Like the rest of the country, I have been mesmerized by Cuomo’s pandemic performance. His actions to shore up a huge, fragmented health care system have been bold. His quiver includes guidance from experts, brave decision-making, and high talent for communication and public relations. He conveys the human attributes of compassion, tolerance, and civility, that are lacking elsewhere (and missed by most of us) these days. He takes responsibility, he owns mistakes. He plays well with his fellow governors and with the President. Since 2011, Cuomo has gained experience that seems to have made him a calmer, more thoughtful politician. Being a great politician and a great leader are not mutually exclusive.
YES. Yes. A long time ago, Eric Fromm wrote a book called “Sane Society.” I learned, which the Democratic party did not, that being against something creates failure. You go for something that you want and is a positive cause. Frankly, if the democratic candidates would have shut up about Trump ( not given him the stage) and just talked about their true purposes I would would have been happier. Andrew Cuomo found the right formula. Thank you for writing this article.
I’m in Mexico during this pandemic and it hasn’t hit in the Lake Chapala Area yet. We’re all in shut down, even the dogs. They’ve cut off the board walk for daily walks so either the garden or the neighborhood streets and to not go far.
I love Erich Fromm, Gayle..
I stopped reading at Cuomo tells the truth. Oh my………how stupid are people really?
Very, it seems…
In Northern California, and having disconnected the tv over 25 years ago, we live in a bubble.
“There’s NO way tRump will win!” was our 2015 mantra.
Fast forward to today (through the morass of self-dealing, failed leadership & bad choices): “Houston, we have a problem.” was never more relevant.
Personalities aside, your article shines a light on the means by which we find ourselves saddled with such a ill-prepared governance in a time of such consequential need.
My hope is that the harsh truth will cut through the bs, that the better natures of people beats the malevolence of the current administration.
Clearly, Cuomo is a political animal. But so obviously is he a human being, with empathy, focus and vision.
Such stuff is imperative at times such as these.
I am in Philly and I try not to miss the briefings. They are the most informative of any that I have seen on any news show. Everything we are experiencing was predictable. We now have the worst reaction curve in the world. The difference between the US curve and the European curves signify the needless excess deaths that have occurred and will continue to occur due to the late reaction from this White House and some GOP governors. Cuomo just reminds us of this in a very subtle way. Unfortunately, we have made this pandemic a Red and Blue issue which it should not be as the covid-19 does not discriminate. If Cuomo were running for President he would definitely have my vote. Who knows it is never too late.
Dear Mr Katz,
My hat off to you for your neutral perspective of these to “big” men and their challenging styles. The non-political argument was bright and refreshing. Thank you.
An entire country living behind the third wall.
Excellent and very informative article! I am wondering about the masks China donated a couple of days ago to New York. Iam quite sure I heard Governor Cuomo say that he had spoken with a couple of people in China and they got him the masks. Then at the White House briefing later that day, Trump appeared angry, and said He got the masks from China, not Governor Cuomo. I have noticed before that Trump tells bare faced lies to suit his purpose and wonder if this again was the case.
This is good. Amen.
PS. There will always be the yappers and correctors (the period one) and the
disagree-ers who just can’t keep their mouth shut and read and think it over. At least some manage to commend you with all their strings attached. It’s your piece. Rest that you gave done well.
Jon, your article is extensive, comprehensive and informative. I have seen only snippets of Gov. Cuomo’s briefings and appreciate his passion. I am a Californian, on the other side of the US, where we have the largest state population. Our governor, Gavin Newsom, has also done an excellent but nationally under-appreciated, job of early preparation and implementation of planning for our safety. Gov. Newsom’s press briefings are calming, informative and low-keyed while stressing what we all need to do to stay safe and keep our families and neighbors safe. That effort is reflected in our pandemic statistics. The California Medical Corp was created and implemented almost overnight. Perhaps your next article could take a look at what we’ve done right, here in California, and how effective our leadership has and continues to be.
As a native and former resident of NY (Buffalo) I really appreciated your thoughtful analysis and comparison of both shows. I don’t care for Trump or his politics but I watch almost everything he does and says because I am fascinated by the man. When I first watched Cuomo I thought, wow, this will be interesting. The rest of this year will be painful but very interesting. Thanks again!
Thank you. Seriously. thank you!
Linda above summed it up for me, especially: “Cuomo is a slick politician and this pandemic has handed him lots of free airtime for setting up a bid for POTUS. He’s doing a great job of pandering (I almost fell for it myself, for a NY minute!) and he certainly blows the other democratic candidates out of the water with the WOW factor and probably even general intelligence but he is a political wolf, not a papa bear, make no mistake.”
The only image of Governor Cuomo I have in my head is him signing the Reproductive Health Act for New York on the Anniversary of Roe v Wade. I must say that he reminded me of the devil sitting upon his throne saying “it’s OK now to kill them babies at any stage of life even full term; and the clapping by those women surrounding him. I wanted to drop down on my knees and say “may God have mercy on you all” . I can hear the voices saying “religion has no place in politics” but I am getting at the other end of the spectrum of my life and sit here in my home able to take care of myself but what happens when the day comes and I am sitting in a corner with drool coming out of my mouth and a bill has just been signed for euthanasia. Sorry, Trump might be a whole different breed of president but he still is getting my vote in 2020.
At this time in history Gov. Cuomo is a needed spokes person with integrity. Trump is not a good leader and a vindictive man. When he said he won’t be wearing a mask it proves he is not a leader. A good leader would have encouraged the citizens to do so as to protect each other.
This is the best thing I have read in almost 4 years. Thank you Jon.
Thank you for writing this. You are right on and you did it the right way! Cuomo is a true leader. He has great knowkedge of the issues at hand and takes appropriate actions!! He has such an appreciation for the life of every citizen! He has shown the country what true leader is composed of!! New York should be proud of the leader they elected.
Linda, one of the people who commented on this article, above summed it up for me, especially: “Cuomo is a slick politician and this pandemic has handed him lots of free airtime for setting up a bid for POTUS. He’s doing a great job of pandering (I almost fell for it myself, for a NY minute!) and he certainly blows the other democratic candidates out of the water with the WOW factor and probably even general intelligence but he is a political wolf, not a papa bear, make no mistake.”
The only image of Governor Cuomo I have in my head is him signing the Reproductive Health Act for New York on the Anniversary of Roe v Wade. I must say that he reminded me of the devil sitting upon his throne saying “it’s OK now to kill them babies at any stage of life, even full term; and the clapping by those women surrounding him. I wanted to drop down on my knees and say “may God have mercy on you all”. I can hear the voices saying “religion has no place in politics” but I am getting at the other end of the spectrum of my life and sit here in my home able to take care of myself but what happens when the day comes and I am sitting in a corner with drool coming out of my mouth and a bill has just been signed for euthanasia. Sorry, Trump might be a whole different breed of president but he is a president who “respects life” and he will be getting my vote in 2020.
Glad he makes you happy, Barbara…I wish he respected the lives of the people who are getting sick..
It would be a big stretch for the DNC to nominate Cuomo, but he could be Biden’s VP!
Cuomo for president. Biden and Sanders – do the right thing and get this guy nominated.
An excellent example of how reality shows can manipulate the world of human beings and their behaviors. Makes me recall the saying, “Nero fiddled, while Rome burned.” Don’t know what it will take to change things in the political realm, or if we should even try, but one things is certain, the Country is and will be changed by this pandemic, barring any other major changes brought upon us by unforeseen circumstances, such a climate change.
This is just one person’s biased opinion and should be taken as such. Sorry but Democrats will have to wait until 2024 for your next chance Trump going to pulverize Biden.
I loved this article. It actually made me laugh! The comparison of performance between both actors was particularly enlightening… You nailed the Prez to a tee, and i think it offers much more rationale as to his ridiculous and dangerous behavior than trying to make sense of him as a human! You also didn’t offer an opinion on Cuomo’s overall political performance, which I find refreshing. I don’t live in New York, so studying any insight to New York’s politics doesn’t really interest me, but his handling of the extreme tragedy unfolding in his state gives me great hope for a politician with a heart! I willingly follow his ‘performances’ during this really tough time all over America and empathize with his enormous task to save the people.