The big news here in New York State is the resignation of Governor Andrew Cuomo. I've always thought that Cuomo was an opportunist, unfit to fill his illustrious and beloved father's shoes. Well, nepotism hires usually work out that way.
Before Attorney General Letitia James uncovered Cuomo's sexual misconduct, Cuomo's principal sin was conspiring with a coterie of right-of-center Democrats to collude with state Republicans to prevent the progressive Democrats from accomplishing anything legislatively. Yeah, he was pretty much an 'I Can't Believe It's Not a Republican' official.
One particular schifo in Cuomo's response to the allegations against him was his claim that his grabassitude was due to his Italian-American heritage... I'm sure my very proper Ligurian-American grandfather would have punched him in the labanza for that merda.
Well, the failson is done, and New York State will get its first female governor, Kathy Hochul, who is running away from Cuomo as quickly as possible. I have to confess that I don't know much about Hochul, who is a conservative Democrat from far-off, exotic Buffalo. She's maintained a low profile in her tenure as Lieutenant Governor, and I really need to read up on her politics. For me, the real good news is that Yonkers' own Andrea Stewart-Cousins, President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader of the State Senate, will become acting Lieutenant Governor until Hochul appoints one. Stewart-Cousins has been my State Senator for a long time, and I have long been a fan of hers.
It's an all-too-late historic moment, having two women at the top executive spots in this not-quite-liberal-enough state, the sort of historic moment which can only happen when you get rid of a failson public figure. Back in April, I railed against failsons, and a scant four months later we are getting rid of ours. Personally, I hope to be able to vote for an all-woman ticket in the next election... well, except for this guy, but he's not a nepotism hire.
7 comments:
Cuomo's grandparents weren't some fancy pants northern French Byzantine whatever Italians like yours. They were some ignorant peasants from Tramonti in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy.
I wrote a comment at Gothamist or NYMag about this and how unusual it seems to me that despite two generations all living in NY and going to college and law school apparently the Southern Italian speech patterns, mannerisms, style, and attitudes etc. persist in both Cuomo brothers. Then I got bombed with a lot of Jane You Ignorant Slut kind of replies. Maybe I shouldn't have written that Campania was probably pretty much in the Middle Ages in the early 20th century or something. But it probably was.
No problem. He retires from public life and writes his memoirs. He will try to justify his misdeeds and explain what really happened. It is not a big problem only except if he owes people favors he should make it right. Who will even care even 20 years from now?
Cuomo's grandparents weren't some fancy pants northern French Byzantine whatever Italians like yours. They were some ignorant peasants from Tramonti in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy.
Contadini sono contadini sono contadini. I think I Fratelli Cuomo talk like that as an affected Noo Yawk accent, not as a relic of the speaking patterns of their forebears I have friends who are children of Calabrian immigrants, and they don't talk like they are extras from a Scorcese film.
Who will even care even 20 years from now?
Right-wingers who want to draw a false equivalence between the parties. These people still talk about Chappaquiddick a half-century after the fact.
Thanks for replying and apparently not being outraged by some little jokes.
My grandparents were also from Europe - Ireland and Germany. My parents and their kids all went to college. I'm sure there is cultural transmission of many values and behaviors to me - and you and your friends - through the generations. No German or Irish accents though, and even the Buffalo wore off after not living there most of my life.
Cuomo speak is sort of olde NY because a big part of olde NYC was Italian immigrants, but it's a particularly Italian version. I've lived in Gravesend/Bensonhurst for 15 years and there's still some second and third (or more) generation Italians around who speak in Scorcese and also display the classic attitudes and behavior (which I'm not going to detail here). But I betcha none of them went to college and got advanced degrees or otherwise moved on. Cuomos did.
Cuomo's entire defense was "Hey, I'm Italian, whaddaya expect?" And this applies not just to the sexual harassment (a version of bullying) but to the rest of his bullying management style. I just think this is rather remarkable. His accent/speech patterns seem to be part of the package, or a clue to the rest.
I was shocked by how I made an observation, a semi-intellectual proposition with some evidence presented and then got attacked in multiple ways. Not about my observation or mistaken thought process, or some explanation or other civil discussion like happens all the time at Washington Monthly or Lawyers Guns and Money etc. which seem like kind of similar sites, but like at some some feral Trumpist place.
But not for the first time. It's the internet, I guess.
I think I found your blog from links at Crooks and Liars and I do enjoy checking in and reading your posts - essays, actually.
I don't take things personally, I have friends who LOVE to shittalk.
Cuomo speak is sort of olde NY because a big part of olde NYC was Italian immigrants, but it's a particularly Italian version. I've lived in Gravesend/Bensonhurst for 15 years and there's still some second and third (or more) generation Italians around who speak in Scorcese and also display the classic attitudes and behavior (which I'm not going to detail here). But I betcha none of them went to college and got advanced degrees or otherwise moved on. Cuomos did.
I don't think it's exclusively Italian-American, you can hear it in Michael Cohen's accent. My grandfather grew up in Massachusetts, and never lost his Yankee accent. My dad grew up in the Bronx, but he, my aunt and uncles have more of an 'educated mid-20th century' accent. Mom has a recognizably Bronx accent, but not overwhelmingly so.
Shocked he says. He says he was shocked by how rude the internet is.
Cuomo's grandparents weren't some fancy pants northern French Byzantine whatever Italians like yours. They were some ignorant peasants from Tramonti in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy.
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