New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's appearance in a weekend television ad for Kathy Hochul might be the most telling barometer to date of the level of Democratic confidence heading into Tuesday's special House election.
Three weeks ago, when the governor was asked about a formal Hochul endorsement during a press conference, his icy response signaled he wasn't eager to enter the unsettled three-way contest and put his own considerable political capital on the line.
"Any other questions besides political questions,'' Cuomo said before moving to another topic, according to the Buffalo News.
Now, with polls showing Hochul ahead and Republicans increasingly worried about Jane Corwin's ability to hold the seat vacated by disgraced former Rep. Chris Lee, Cuomo appears to see the writing on the wall and is hopping on the air to assist Hochul and lay his marker.
The account in the Buffalo News — which broke the story of the Cuomo ad Friday morning — is revealing. The governor's aides, on the condition of anonymity, told the newspaper, "they believe the last-minute ad will give a boost to Hochul's campaign from a governor who has a 72 percent favorability rating in the 26th District, according to a recent Siena College poll."
Translation: If/when the balloons drop at the Hochul party Tuesday night, and the pundits begin looking to dole out credit, Cuomo's name should be included.
Source: http://www.politico.com/blogs/davidcatanese/0511/Better_late_than____Cuomo_helps_Hochul.html
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