He’s Andrew Cuo-No-Present.
Mayoral contender Andrew Cuomo has taken 10 days off publicly campaigning since Labor Day weekend, a Publish evaluation reveals — as insiders categorical disbelief he isn’t pounding the pavement to catch as much as Zohran Mamdani earlier than November.
The previous governor’s obvious aloof persona contrasts wildly together with his rivals Mamdani, the socialist Democratic nominee, and GOP commonplace bearer Curtis Sliwa, who’ve day by day proven face throughout the Huge Apple since Aug. 31.
Many insiders had been baffled that Cuomo, an impartial candidate who’s constantly polling in second place to Mamdani, isn’t doing extra to make up floor and sway voters.
“Particularly in October, you wish to be [at] half a dozen occasions a day if nothing else however for optics,” mentioned a longtime Democratic campaigner.
“If not now when? Now could be the time.”
Cuomo solely had public occasions 36 days following the Labor Day vacation weekend marking the unofficial begin of the overall election marketing campaign, his schedule reveals.
A lot of these occasions had been introduced mere hours, generally minutes, earlier than they occurred.
Solely 17 days for the reason that normal election marketing campaign’s kickoff concerned a number of appearances — with the overwhelming majority on the weekends, centered on the spiritual circuit.
Cuomo marketing campaign officers argued that he has held non-public conferences and different occasions throughout the days he didn’t have a public schedule.
Nonetheless, the obvious voters-at-a-distance schedule is harking back to Cuomo’s Democratic main marketing campaign, which he entered because the front-runner earlier than dropping to Mamdani in historic style.
The newest polling, carried out by Fox Information and launched Thursday, reveals Mamdani lastly cracking the 50% threshold of possible voters, with Cuomo trailing at 28% and Sliwa at 13%.
“If he had been on Church Avenue strolling up and down it a 12 months in the past, he wouldn’t be on this f—ing place,” a pissed off longtime Cuomo backer mentioned.
“It nearly appears company and intellectual. I simply don’t assume that we’re pounding the streets with enthusiasm and verve. And that’s what Mamdani has.”
Mamdani has typically held a minimum of one occasion a day, urgent the flesh with voters regardless that he’s the clear front-runner with little room for unforced errors that would hurt his marketing campaign, his schedule reveals.
And Sliwa has held extra public occasions this week than Cuomo had since Labor Day.
Following the primary normal mayoral election debate Thursday, Mamdani held a “reverse city corridor” whereas Sliwa held a information convention on subway crime and attended the wake of a safety guard who was viciously crushed to dying.
Cuomo held no public occasions Friday.
The three-term Democratic governor has blamed his loss within the June main on working a marketing campaign that wasn’t “aggressive” sufficient and that didn’t acknowledge the ability of social media — not like Mamdani’s TikTok-heavy effort.
As Cuomo mounted his impartial bid, he admitted to donors he made errors and wanted to point out face with voters.
When requested what he discovered from his loss throughout Thursday’s debate, Cuomo mentioned: “I didn’t do sufficient on social media, which is a really efficient medium.”
The ex-gov’s marketing campaign and his allies have been rather more energetic on X and social media platforms for the reason that main, together with placing out viral movies hammering Mamdani and even sitting down for an interview with influencer Logan Paul.
However some insiders mentioned it’s too late to make up the bottom — no matter what tack Cuomo’s marketing campaign takes.
“Cuomo has no mathematical path to victory at this juncture. It’s too late to enhance his weak floor sport. Barring a seismic occasion, Mamdani is on a glide path to victory,” mentioned Democratic marketing consultant Chris Sosa.
“Cuomo can blame social media all he desires. However the issue with the Cuomo marketing campaign comes down to 1 issue: most voters can’t stand Andrew Cuomo. Shaking extra palms gained’t repair such a basic flaw.”
