Gov. Cuomo is beginning to sound more presidential

Did you see The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth? I loved that movie which told the story of how King George, the present Queen Elizabeth’s father, overcame a stutter by going to an eccentric speech pathologist. It was touching, moving and made you like everyone. I understand that there may be a sequel in the offing called The New York Governor’s Speech.

We all know that Andrew Cuomo is one of the shrewdest and most ambitious politicians in the country. Cuomo will hold grudges, big-time, but he doesn’t take things personally. If he makes a peace offering to anyone who is standing in his way and if that offer is accepted (with all that entails in terms of future fealty) past unhappiness will be forgotten.

I know one reporter for a New York tabloid who did more to destroy Mario Cuomo’s career than anyone else. In fact it might be said that this guy was largely responsible for the senior Cuomo’s relatively narrow defeat. Nevertheless, from the moment Papa Cuomo lost and Andrew’s star was in the ascendency, a deal was struck with that very reporter who had politically murdered the father. This story is illustrative of Andrew’s apparent conviction that political bed fellows change and people can usually be won over. Most people who know the score will tell you that Andrew is a lot less complicated than Mario. Andrew knows what he wants and will do what he has to in order to get there. You just don’t want to get in his way or, as one of Andrew’s top staff people once said, “We have two speeds here – get along and kill.” That staffer is now gone, perhaps because he described the real Andrew Cuomo a bit too vividly. If Andrew sees an opportunity to change something that stands in his way, he will do what he must. And when a move to Pennsylvania Avenue is in the offing, that’s where the King’s (or Governor’s) speech comes in.

Many of us don’t know what we sound like. Andrew has a distinct Queens accent. Lots of folks tell me that he sounds exactly like his father. I have always maintained that he doesn’t sound like Mario, but that his style of speaking comes more from his lovely mother, Matilda. That makes sense; Matilda raised Andrew and his siblings while Papa was out doing politics. In the case of Andrew’s speech, the governor has a defined liability. In New York, Andrew’s speech is, well, acceptable. I was recently talking to Rex Smith, the brilliant editor who originally hails from South Dakota. He told me that George McGovern was so conscious of his accent that he took speech lessons. I believe Andrew’s accent will be a turn off for most of this country. In fact, I suspect that George McGovern’s speech problems would be far less insulting to the ears of Manhattan dwellers than Andrew’s thick Queens brogue would be to the folks in South Dakota.

This is where Andrew’s self-knowledge becomes so important. Clearly, he has enough insight to get it. I have been listening to Andrew’s public utterances and he is beginning to sound more and more like King George. I suspect, but cannot prove, that he is getting speech coaching. He’s still dropping consonants at the end of words but his words are coming out softer. Of course, we don’t know who is helping Andrew with his speech. He may be practicing in front of a mirror. Maybe his girlfriend, Sandra Lee, is helping him or it could be his brother, Chris, the TV news guy. Maybe it’s one of the actors or directors with whom the Cuomo’s hobnob at the Twenty One Club. We’ll just have to wait for the movie release to find out. This could be the start of something big. I wonder if Shelly Silver will be next. I hope not, I love his accent. Of course, he’s not running for president.

Originally published in the Legislative Gazette, 4/9/12

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