Andrew Cuomo, consummate narcissist, bows out by blaming women

OPINION:

Andrew Cuomo, in resignation remarks, said that since he works for the people — “for you,” he said — that it was high time to step aside and “let government get back to governing” because, hey now, ho now, “doing the right thing is doing the right thing for you.” And with that, he resigned his governorship.

Cuomo, what a guy. He may be a serial sexual harasser — allegedly — but he’s got a real “looking out for you, kid” persona.

After all, his Twitter bio does list him, in order, as “father, fisherman, motorcycle enthusiast, 56th Governor of New York” — a real man-of-the-people priority statement, yes? Also on Twitter, pinned, was his full resignation statement. It’s almost 22 minutes in length. Most of it is his defense of himself.

“I’ve always started by telling New Yorkers the facts before my opinion. So let’s start New York-tough with the truth,” he began.

“The attorney general did a report on complaints made against me by certain women … The report said I sexually harassed 11 women. That was the headline people heard and saw. … The reaction was outrage. It should have been,” he said.

Thanks for the validation, guv. Oh, sorry. Ex-guv.

“However, it was also false,” Cuomo said.

He then raised alarms on the bias in the justice system, alarms that “should concern everyone,” and helpfully explained how there’s a difference between allegations and convictions, or in his words, conclusions of truth to the allegations.

“Now. Don’t get me wrong. This is not to say there are not 11 women who I truly offended. There are. And for that, I deeply, deeply apologize,” he said. Except — not really. To the end, Cuomo doesn’t think he did anything wrong. He puts the blame on the women for misinterpreting what he claims was innocent behavior.

I hugged a woman — and she took it the wrong way.

I kissed a woman — and she took it the wrong way.

I called women honey and sweetheart and darling — and they took it the wrong way.

I may have been overly familiar and inappropriately joking with women — but they all took it the wrong way.

Oh, these silly, silly women. If only they’d understand the innocence of it all.

“‘Creepy’ and ‘flirtatious’: How Cuomo allegedly sexually harassed a state trooper,” NBC News blasted in one headline a few days ago. “After Cuomo hand-picked the trooper to join his personal detail, a state report said, he subjected her to inappropriate touching and an unwanted kiss.”

Lies! False! 

Cuomo, hours ago: “I do hug and kiss people casually. … I have done it all my life. It’s who I am, since I remember. … I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been drawn. There are generational and cultural shifts …” yada yada yada.

Women who can’t understand and excuse such generational and cultural behavioral shifts don’t deserve to be on the job. It’s their fault, after all, for being born in the wrong generation, raised in the wrong culture. 

There are 15 more minutes of Cuomo’s videotaped remarks to sift through — but the message doesn’t change.

Arrogant, condescending, self-absorbed and narcissistic to the end. His apologies come with caveats, his explanations come off as nanny-like scoldings. Cuomo, the great paternal figure, bending down from the podium to generously explain to the peons.

“Don’t give it up,” he soothingly says. Don’t give in to the cynicism; don’t let these pesky harassment claims spoil the love for government. 

Don’t let these 11 women ruin all we in the Democratic Party have worked for — is what he really meant.

“Because government is still the best vehicle for social change,” Cuomo said.

There you have it, folks. One of the Democratic Party’s upcoming presidential primary hopefuls. Because in the end, leftists can excuse most anything — Democrats and progressives and socialists and communists can suffer almost any behavior, no matter how despicable or scandalous — so long as the path toward globalism and collectivism isn’t impeded. That would be the ultimate career-breaker.

Cuomo knows this. That’s why he’s resigning — in order to avoid impeachment, in order to avoid what would be the death knell of his New York politicking. He truly thinks he may one day have a political career to finish pursuing. And in the eyes of many in the Democratic Party, he may actually be right.

• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Socialists Don’t Sleep: Christians Must Rise or America Will Fall,” is available by clicking HERE.