Gov. Andrew Cuomo may be on the ballot Thursday against activist and actor Cynthia Nixon for another term. However, speaking to a roaring crowd of Democratic activists Monday night, he was running against President Donald Trump and never mentioned his actual election opponent.
It is an old tradition: that last-minute rally to get the campaign foot soldiers geared up for the final push to Election Day and all of the activities campaigns need when the polls open. It was a mix of rousing speeches, preaching to the converted and getting those political motors going.
Here were the governor and native daughter Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul pleading with the workers to get out every single voter and make sure they know the vote is Thursday and not today. Cuomo reminded an appreciative crowd this area has benefited from his years in office.
"Buffalo is a different place than it was just a few years ago. There is no comparison," Cuomo said. "Buffalo is back. Jobs are back. Unemployment is down. Young people are coming back. Wages are up. Home values are up. Hotels are going up in Niagara Falls. They said it couldn't be done. You did it."
He said New York is trying to keep the country on the right path.
"This election says, Who are you? This election is asking, What are you about right here? This is asking, What is the character of this country? What are the values of this country? What is the persona of this country?" Cuomo said, "and Washington is trying to take us in one direction and New York is going in the opposite direction."
He also cited the new federal tax bill as bad for New Yorkers.
"Taxes are going to go up in New York, on New Yorkers. Property taxes, income taxes will go up on New Yorkers and 11 other states, all Democratic states, all states that Trump lost," Cuomo said. "They literally used the tax code to penalize their political enemies."
Earlier in the day, Cuomo had received good news in a Siena College poll, showing him up 41 percent against Nixon and Hochul up 43-21 percent against New York City Council Member Jumaane Williams, with a third of the voters undecided. Undecided voters are usually said to eventually vote along the lines of those who decided earlier.
For all of the candidates in some tough races, they are working on their ground game: that pushing of staff members and volunteers to get out their voters.
