Opinion: Andrew Cuomo’s Last Stand
Andrew Cuomo, the former governor, has never been fond of debating. However, he will need to deliver a remarkable debate performance to have any hope of becoming mayor.
Cuomo tends to avoid debating as much as possible, despite being quite good at it under the right circumstances. As a longtime Cuomo staffer who has prepped and practiced with him, I can attest to this.
His aversion to debating stems from his belief that he is above it, which also explains why he avoids interacting with voters. This sense of superiority is likely to be evident if he seems annoyed to share the debate stage with Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa.
Notably, since being elected state attorney general two decades ago, Cuomo has not participated in more than one televised debate per primary or general election - until this year. In 2014, he refused to debate his Democratic primary opponent, Zephyr Teachout, altogether.
He thinks he is above it.
Author's summary: Cuomo's debating skills will be put to the test.