Cuomo Faced with Conundrum

The lead story in today’s New York Times, “Cuomo’s Image as Unstoppable Suffers a Blow, describes a conundrum Andrew Cuomo must resolve if he’s going to be elected Governor of New York State. He must decide how to engage Carl Paladino in an effective manner without losing any of his own image in the process.

Paladino has been showing surprising success in recent polls, especially those of likely voters, where he trails Mr. Cuomo by only six points, 49-43. His unorthodox style and willingness to say just about anything is starting to score points with the public who are sick of politics as usual.

And Mr. Cuomo is nothing if not a politician. His career has been distinguished as head of the H.U.D. under Clinton and currently Attorney General. But in a year when politicians are coming under attack regardless of their skills, this background may ultimately prove to be a detriment rather than an asset.

However, in engaging Paladino, Mr. Cuomo must be careful not to descend into a mud-slinging contest where his former reputation for arrogance can reassert itself. Also, Mr. Cuomo may be plagued by a mistake similar to the one that doomed him in his prior run for Governor in 2002 when he said that George Pataki was just “holding the coat” for Rudolph Guiliani during the 9/11 attack.

My advice? Mr. Cuomo should not be afraid to enter the fray but in a professional manner, rebutting Mr. Paladino’s accusations by showing himself to be the adult in the room rather than the child.