‘Letitia James Expected To Run For Governor’ — Wait, What?
I may be the only one laughing at this development for the reasons that I am laughing but, what else am I supposed to do?
Only in America, can someone take down the Governor for misconduct in broad daylight, and then turn around and say to everyone else, “I should be the Governor!” Well, not only in America. But only in America does it happen so glibly, so much that you have to wonder, ‘what is going on with our politics, i.e., morals?’
But apparently there are no laws against assuming your rival’s position, which is why James, the state’s current Attorney General, must have gone ahead with purporting to make an announcement. I do not think that she will win, and it will probably end up being bad publicity for her, which is why I cannot fathom what would have made her run.
Why I am laughing is that it is a decidedly bold move, and it is only selfish reasons that would make someone seek to sit in a hole that they just bashed someone else out of. Maybe James feels empowered given all pf the inside knowledge that she must’ve gleaned from her investigation, but from his track record, I do not think that Andrew Cuomo is the one to learn from and follow, here.
Either way, regardless of her reasoning, this move by James speaks of foul play in my book. Despite the enormous amounts of power that come with her office, it clearly is not as attractive as the power of the state’s highest office, and James is obviously chasing power.
If nothing else, tact and morals should have prevented her from taking such steps, but as we see again, anything goes in American politics. When the opportunity presents itself, everyone wants to get ahead no matter the cost.
The fact that she is the Attorney General bode well for her. In her, the public had some confidence. Now, with this move, James will erode such trust, as she is the sole vanguard of said report that had Cuomo running for the hills. To keep the contents private, and then angle to position oneself in the race that erupted from the report is to appear to benefit from clandestine information, or to at least, to try to use it to your advantage.
It is a questionable, secret move in the public eye, and it will not bode well for the politics of our state if this tidbit is indeed true.
As people continue to come out of the woodwork in search for the coveted Governor’s seat, no one will let this move slide, and currently, James is indefensible. I cannot imagine a rational reason for this step, so I only imagine pulpit bearing and psychological posturing as her only recourse when she tries to answer to the public, as to why she would choose to enter this race at this time.
This does make for an interesting Governor’s race though, as many downstate constituents have been enraged or empowered by the recent state of things, enough to feel that they could do the job better. Jumaane Willams, who was previously purported to be entering the race, has indeed done so.
Understandably, anyone can enter the race, as it is completely up to the public to select the most attractive candidate for the job. However, the impact of our choices still matter, as trust appears to be hard to find in Albany, and any culture change will only hinge on people’s ability to trust the incoming Governor.
To start out this way, James puts herself on the backfoot, as she has to lead with a defense, rather than with a plan that appeals to the public. She is already a distraction at the outset of the race, and she will have to prove that she has the grit, integrity and vision to lead New York, as it ought to be lead, to get ahead in the polls in my view.
As a “downstate” resident, I would love to see someone from the five boroughs in Albany, as it a rarity, such transitioning, from what I have observed. It could be that James is passionate about leveling the playing field for downstate residents in Albany, and she just saw this opportunity to run for governor as the time to do so.
It would take a unique person to exact the disconnect within the state, and I am anxious to see what Cathy Hochul could do for us for a full term. So far, she has been a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, her time without contest is short, and while I strongly believe that she will be able to pull through against her contenders, I think that to challenge her would turn around and haunt the contenders in the long term.
As we continue to watch this race, it would be interesting to see who else enters and who eventually pulls through, as New York needs some stability and integrity for right now and into the long road ahead. Letitia James, we are looking at you!
