Off-Year helps Cuomo in Polls

New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo is running in an off year in the election cycle. The most popular election cycle being the presidential election. In elections, New York City is able to help swing the outcome of polls but are less likely to vote than those living upstate. This is good thing for Governor Cuomo who although Democratic is seen as more conservative. He doesn't only attend to the needs and wants of the people in the downstate region, a term to refer to the people of New York City. This disincliration for the people of NYC is popular with the people living upstate who are the majority voters in elections. Cuomo would not be a popular choice for the people in the downstate region for his conservative policies that would appeal to the conservative majority voter. It's a smart move for Cuomo to stay generally more conservative in his policies if he wants to be reelected. NYC has such a poor voter turnout that if he was more liberal and concerned with their interests he would be missing out on the majority votes which is necessary for his reelection.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/09/09/andrew-cuomo-is-running-during-new-yorks-most-moderate-election-cycle-thats-a-good-thing-for-him/
Article: Andrew Cuomo is running during New York's most moderate election cycle. That's a good thing for him

Business Love for Cuomo Ends with Fracking

             Governor Andrew Cuomo is a moderate democrat who has had the support of the business leaders in NY and has never had a problem with them. The only problem he has had with business is on the issue of fracking. Fracking is a method of getting natural gas out of the earth. The problem with it is that no one is sure how safe the method is to the environment. Environmentalist are against it while many businesses are for it. Cuomo is neither for it or against it yet. He says he wants to wait for the Department of Health to decide if its safe or not. This issue could lose him some votes to his republican opponent who say he will make fracking legal the second he gets into office. However, many business claim that they are happy with how he runs everything else.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/business-love-for-new-york-gov-andrew-cuomo-ends-with-fracking-1411176839

Andrew Cuomo vs. Rob Astorino: Debates to follow

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/cuomo-agrees-debate-astorino-article-1.1955067

           Visiting Afghanistan and reflecting on foreign policy when running for reelection in New York is the least of Andrew Cuomo’s concerns; especially when his reelection is on the line. Take his opponent, Rob Astorino, for example. After challenging Cuomo to two one-on-one debates under his own specifications, Astorino seems fired up and ready to do whatever it takes to get his name out on the streets of New York, meaning he must take the initiative. He hopes to amass much publicity from these debates; seeing how abrupt this challenge was issued, he has some doubt about his success. Nonetheless, a radio show hosted by WNYC and the Wall Street Journal will host the two for their first debate while the second will take place live in Buffalo under televised sets. The conflict holds at whether or not Cuomo’s campaign will be allowed to include the candidates from the Green, Libertarian, and Sapient parties in the debate, which is what it plans to do. If Cuomo were to miss these debates, it would not be the first time. Cuomo also dodged a debate with his Democratic primary opponent, Zephyr Teachout. In any case, these debates must occur for both candidates' sakes.  While I don’t see the need to not have 4 or 5 debates in an attempt to largely publicize the issues at hand, I certainly agree on at least 2 debates where both candidates are present to talk about their issues and argue on their policies no matter who is present.

Cuomo wants New York to have ‘most sophisticated homeland defense’ of any state

New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, is in Afghanistan for the fourth day now, and he has huge ambitions for New York State. Cuomo agrees that terrorists are becoming for articulate and advanced, and that New York needs to step up its security to remain a safe a standing state. Though it is reasonable to think that NYC, such a populated part of the state, should be more secure, Cuomo should stay out of foreign affair issues. NYS is Cuomo's designated area to which his elected position represents - nothing more. It seems unnecessary for a New York State Governor to go to Afghanistan when there is no direct threat to the state. Doesn't it look like Cuomo is really making progress with security? Just look at that smile! Nothing says "My goal is to have the most sophisticated homeland defense system ever designed by any state, period" more than taking a visit to Afghanistan for a week. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/cuomo-ny-sophisticated-homeland-defense-article-1.1956125

Cuomo, Christie to Beef Up Security for NY and NJ

Article: Cuomo Says Terror Threat Spurs Higher Security Presence
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-09-24/cuomo-says-terror-threat-spurs-higher-security-presence

It is comforting that the campaign for Cuomo's reelection as governor has both motivated/provided focus for some of the most alarming issues right now. As the article discusses, Cuomo and his colleague, NJ governor Chris Christie, have acknowledged the heightened tensions between the US and terrorist organizations. Since the New York metropolitan area is visibly a target for terrorist activity, Cuomo and Christie have wisely decided to increase security measures, primarily on public transport. It's a logical plan, considering the sheer number of regular commuters who use the services of the MTA, LIRR, Metro-North, and such popular transportation companies. As the current governor, Cuomo certainly benefits from advantages his opponent, Republican Robert Astorino, simply doesn't have, which include the ability to make such plans and address significant concerns.

LOVETT: Governor Cuomo launches door-to-door push for women equality agenda

One thing that Andrew Cuomo claims that sets him apart from Rob Astorino is his overwhelming support for women's equality. The essential plank to his reelection is abortion rights, which is something that Astorino is against. Over the next six weeks, both volunteers and paid workers will be knocking on doors across the state garnering support for Cuomo, Hochul, and the newly created campaign Women's Equality Party. The campaign has strategically planned to reach out to women voters through social media and digitalized advertisements. It is absolutely imperative that a candidate takes a strong stance on women's issues such as the handling of sexual assaults, equal pay, and abortion rights. Therefore, it is a very smart of Andrew Cuomo to make women's equality a central plank to his reelection campaign. This move could potentially earn Cuomo the overwhelming majority of the women's votes on Election Day, especially including the 28.6% of unmarried women in New York State who normally do not have a strong voter turnout. 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/lovett-gov-cuomo-launches-push-women-equality-agenda-article-1.1947708

Ads Sting in New York Governor's Race

This article shows how the campaigns of Cuomo and Astorino have devolved into mudslinging. Astorino’s campaign has released an online advertisement titled “Unicorn Killer”. The advertisement is full of random imagery such as unicorns, Santa Claus, and Humpty Dumpty. It certainly grabs attention, but it is also quite childish, and seems inappropriate for an actual campaign. It was something I wouldn’t be surprised to see in our election simulation, but a real campaign? Although the real point of the advertisement was to point out that Cuomo had spread false information about Astorino, it appeared only in the last seconds of the advertisement.

Astorino’s advertisement was a good example of negative campaigning. This made me wonder why politicians bother with negative campaigning. After all, if you’re willing to stoop to low levels to damage your opponent’s reputation, aren’t you also tarnishing your own image?

Article:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/attack-ads-raise-temperature-in-cuomo-astorino-race-for-new-york-governor-1411005386?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj

Cuomo Holds Wide Lead Over Astorino

According to the first poll taken since the September primary, Cuomo is ahead in the gubernatorial race by a 25 point margin. However, the poll also revealed that Gov. Cuomo's job approval rating is declining. Over half of those who responded to the poll believe that the state is working towards the wrong direction. Despite Cuomo's lower approval rating, he holds a significant advantage over Astorino, which may translate into a win on election day. A similar poll conducted in 2010 between Cuomo and his former opponent, Carl Paladino, revealed that Cuomo was ahead by only six points. This rather small difference, however, resulted in him winning 63% of the votes. So, the currently large gap between him and Astorino may result in an even greater victory, if the pattern persists, that is. One of the provided explanations as to why Astorino is the unfavorable candidate thus far is recent campaigning marking him as too conservative. I actually viewed a commercial a couple of days ago that labeled him as "ultra-conservative" and continued to criticize his policies and plans. Because of this campaign, Cuomo is successfully establishing a negative reputation for Astorino among the voters in the state of New York.
I think this article provides substantial statistical information to make an informed prediction regarding who wins the gubernatorial race. However, the numbers aren't always correct. While this information may provide the Cuomo campaign a momentary sigh of relief, their work is far from done. In regards to our election simulation, these data may not be as relevant because of other factors that go into the choices of underclassmen on election day (such as who had the best bake sales). Nonetheless, this article reveals the current opinion of a selected representation of New Yorkers that is pretty reassuring to the democrats.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/despite-tough-primary-cuomo-holds-wide-lead-poll-1411509637

UN Urged to Reaffirm Reproductive Rights in Post-2015 Agenda

This article discusses the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, which has been in session for the past week at the UN Headquarters in New York City. The United Nations aims to promote healthy living and equality for all genders, empowering women and girls throughout the world, which is listed under Goal 5. Many diplomats and politicians are urging an act that would guarantee sexual and reproductive health and rights to all throughout the world; under this act, abortion would be legal everywhere, and every country in the United Nations must provide adequate reproductive healthcare to women. Other goals for the United Nations from activists include stopping gender-based violence such as domestic abuse and female circumcision.

I think this article offers an accurate amd objective view of the United Nations' goals for the future and the women of the world. I believe that a decision in the General Assembly that outlaws gender discrimination in any respect is long overdue.

http://www.globalissues.org/news/2014/09/19/20053

Cuomo May Dump Hochul

     This article talks about how Andrew Cuomo's campaign team are deliberating trading Kathy Hochul in for Tim Wu.  Tim Wu is being endorsed by big backers, such as The New York Times, and might win the primary election. This article criticizes Cuomo's team for contemplating the abandonment of a running mate but also support the decision by mentioning Hochul's faults, such as her opposition to state aid towards illegal aliens and the fact that The National Rifle Association gave her a 100% rating. The article also makes fun of where Cuomo would place his running mate and suggest areas such as a men's restroom.
      This article gives a comical air to the election because it makes fun of Cuomo, Wu and Hochul. It is a perfect way to hook regular people and spike their interest towards the election.

http://nypost.com/2014/09/01/cuomo-may-dump-hochul-fearing-a-tim-wu-primary-win/

Republicans Pull Ahead Again in Battle for Senate

According to New York Times reporter Nate Cohn, " if the Republicans continue to lead in Colorado and Alaska polls, they will have an advantage in the polls in the 51 seats necessary to secure the majority- even without Kansas." This would mean that the GOP would once again have control over the Senate. In this past, Barack Obama has found in very hard to get any kind of traction with the republican-dominated senate and it makes things very difficult to get down since most time is spent shooting down the others ideas/bills. Election time for congress and senate races are so important because it determines who is going to be in control of Congress and that determines how the next 6 years will go,

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/27/upshot/republicans-pull-ahead-again-in-battle-for-senate.html?ref=politics&abt=0002&abg=1

How Governor Cuomo affects M.T.A. Capital Budget

Every five years the Metropolitan Transportation Authority comes up with a vast plan to finance New York's systems of trains, buses and bridges. In this report, the MTA proposed $32 billion as the needed money to keep up this system. However, this budget includes a $15 billion dollar cash gap that caused a lot of discussion among the authority's board meeting. Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Thomas F. Prendergast as the chairman of the board. Cuomo himself has expressed his support to bring the Metro-North Railroad’s New Haven line into Pennsylvania Station and to build four new stations on the line in the Bronx, a plan which is included in the $32 billion dollar budget. However, with Cuomo running for reelection, he decided not to make any drastic changes and would be more open to new approaches if he became reelected. Dani Lever, a spokeswoman for Cuomo, declined to speak on how he would address the budget gap. But it seems like he supports the advancements of New York's infrastructure. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/25/nyregion/in-mta-capital-budget-a-reappearing-cash-gap.html

Analyzing Governor Cuomo and Governor Christie's Partnership

On September 26th, the Wall Street Journal published an article concerning the partnership of Governor Cuomo and Governor Christie. According to the article, the tow governors have been friends for a long time and think highly of each other. This positive relationship obviously helps with running agencies that New York and New Jersey share such as the NY-NJ Port Authority. The article also states that both governors have been under fire from both of their parties because they work with the other party too much. Governor Christie is the chairman of the Republican Governors Association. After quick research, one of the goals of the association is to help elect republican governors in different states. What I found interesting is that Governor Christie has decided to not endorse the republican candidate Rob Asterino for NY State governor despite him being the chairman of the RGA. So my question is, how would the lack of endorsement from Governor Christie weaken Asterino's stance against Governor Cuomo?

http://online.wsj.com/articles/new-york-gov-andrew-cuomo-and-new-jersey-gov-chris-christie-forge-politically-useful-partnership-1411780856

Andrew Cuomo arranges two debates with Republican opponent Rob Astorino

According to  today's article in the Daily News, Andrew Cuomo has agreed to host two debates against Republican opponent Rob Astorino to fight for position as NY governor. One of the debates will be broadcast through the radio only, while the other debate will be televised in Buffalo and possibly statewide involving minor party candidates like the Green and Libertarian parties. However, this left Astorino unsatisfied, who challenges Cuomo to have a one-on-one televised debate with him excluding the involvement of minor parties. In addition, Astorino's spokesperson claims that Cuomo had arranged these two debates without notifying Astorino's campaign team, and questions whether Cuomo was purposely avoiding being asked on film about his handling of an anticorruption commission that was being investigated by US Attorney Preet Bharara. Cuomo's spokesperson merely defends their actions by saying that Astorino's team had allowed them to set up the debate, and accuses them for twisting their words.  It has also been seen that Cuomo has avoided televised mano-a-mano debates with others, such as Democratic primary opponent Zephyr Teachout. Also, in his run for office four years ago, Cuomo got involved in only one debate, but which involved many other major and minor party candidates. Based on Cuomo's spokesperson response to Astorino's spokesperson's complaints, I feel that Cuomo is purposely avoiding a one-on-one televised debate. Even if Astorino's team did or did not let Cuomo's team to arrange a set date to debate together, the Cuomo team still set up a date in where they could avoid a televised one-to-one debate. Astorino's team might have lied about what they said, but still it doesn't change the fact that Cuomo's team did a trend-like move. I'm actually wondering why Cuomo avoids this kind of debate. Is he scared of being filmed on TV by himself with another opponent, or is it just hard to schedule a one-on-one televised debate for NY candidates in general?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/cuomo-agrees-debate-astorino-article-1.1955067

Cuomo Makes Surprise Afghanistan Trip

          Governor Andrew Cuomo made a trip to Afghanistan today on Septemeber 27, 2014. Now the question is why would Cuomo go to Afghanistan. He is the governor who is charge of the state and not political matters among the country. Well, Cuomo says that he is "motivated" by the presence of the Islamic state. He believes that he should join this issue in order to control the terrorist threat that is clearly present in New York. Recently, on Thursday, September 25, 2014, Iraqi prime minister revealed an alleged plot to bomb the subway system in the United States and France. Was this the main reason of Cuomo's visit to Afghanistan? Well the elections are not far from today. In about a month and a week, New York will have to vote for their new governor and Cuomo's surprise visit to Afghanistan may gain him more popularity against Astorino by ensuring New York and helping to fight terrorism against New York which is a tremendous topic at the time. By meeting with delegates in Afghanistan and National Guard members of the state, Cuomo shows his loyalty to New York by showing his hardwork as a governor towards New York. But the question is, will this help him in the election? 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/27/cuomo-afghanistan_n_5893280.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

Astorino says high taxes are largely governor’s fault

This article discussed the taxes in Westchester County, and who was to blame for the high taxes that the locals are paying. Rob Astorino mentions that the county taxes that the Governor is paying decreased while the rest of the taxes that other people must pay increased. For example, the property tax increased to $20,516.67 from $19,293.98 in 2011 and the town tax increased to $2,7772.55 from $2,521.19 in 2011. 

Astorino also discussed that the Governor should not be slamming Westchester for its high taxes because it is his fault that he could not eliminate unnecessary and unfunded state mandates. Astorino also claims that he helped to lower the property taxes, which is contradicting Cuomo's claim that he raised them. The article also stated that Cuomo pushed for a law that imposes a cap on local property taxes, but he did not follow through on helping localities on helping to cut costs. Cuomo's campaign responded saying that Astorino should not try to justify that he is curbing taxes when Westchester is paying the highest property taxes in the nation.

Link: http://nypost.com/2014/09/22/astorino-says-high-taxes-are-largely-governors-fault/ 

Do Local Governments Protect Liberty?

The consensus among most Americans, especially conservative Americans, is that local governments promote liberty because they are held accountable by their constituents, while the federal government is a big liberty-eating monster. In this piece, Jonathan Chait argues that local governments can be more tyrannous than the national government and their actions are not noticed by voters. Although this isn't directly related to the current election, it is an interesting read considering that most Republicans running for state office attack the current administration for being too powerful.

    The article offers an interesting perspective on a common argument, but it's not without its flaws. Chait never defines what he means by "Big Small Government" and, as a regular columnist for a liberal magazine, is obviously biased. Do you guys think he's on to something?

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/09/ferguson-worst-governments.html

Andrew Cuomo received $2.7M in donations from state contractors, charges GOP opponent Rob Astorino

In this Daily News article, opponent Rob Asterino charges Governor Cuomo with receiving a large sum of money from companies who have received a combined $7.2 billion in state contracts (Lovett & Blain). This “pay- to -play culture” as the article explains is a perfect example of the Marxist view of how those who control the economy have the power. We should take money out of the equation and focus on what the candidates do to help our community. The candidates who have the most money are the ones who influence the most voters and win. It seems that this limits us from picking the right candidate for the right reasons. Do you think that candidates should have an equal budget for their campaign or should they be able to receive money from supporters? 

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/andrew-cuomo-received-2-7m-donations-state-contractors-rob-astorino-article-1.1951956

AFL-CIO Status Report (9/24)

This week The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations has planned a fundraiser/bakesale for Monday September 29th 2014. The AFL-CIO is also scheduled to be on the live radio show during 5th period on the 5th broadcast. The AFL-CIO campaign is working on posters to post up around Townsend Harris, which should be completed by the beginning of next week.

Planned Parenthood Action Fund Status Report (9/24)

This week, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund has done one classroom visit at Levi's 4th band US History class. We have also scheduled two 30-second TV advertisements on 10/10 and 10/17. Wednesday, September 24th, we will make a radio appearance 8th band for an exclusive interview. Finally, we have scheduled a bake sale for October 2nd, 6th band, despite difficulties in doing so. For the future of the campaign, we will schedule several ads to be featured in the Election Simulation newspaper, and pay for our posters to be hung up.

—Ashton, Rebecca, Catherine, Erin, and Karen

Welcome to Period Two's - AP Government Blog!

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