In the early weeks of the pandemic, a song parodist named Randy Rainbow, clad in pink pajamas, did a gushing, over-the-top tribute to his beloved “Andy”—and proudly declared himself a “Cuomosexual.”
In pledging his undying love for the New York governor, Randy showed clips from the daily briefings and declared, “You’re wise, level-headed, eloquent and sexy at a time when the country needs it most.”
It was hysterical (if you like that sort of thing), but also an exaggerated form of hero worship that too often marks our approach to politics.
That’s worth remembering as Andrew Cuomo sinks more deeply into political trouble, with his top aide, Melissa DeRosa, abruptly resigning. Equally devastating, the woman known as Executive Assistant #1—Britney Commisso—described in a “CBS This Morning” interview how the governor groped her.
Cuomo is hardly the only politico in the country to be both idolized and idealized. Donald Trump retains a very strong hold on the loyalty of most Republicans, who were willing to overlook all kinds of excesses during his presidency. The same is true for Bill Clinton, whose conduct toward women was also shameful yet defended by many liberals, some of whom now have regrets. And Barack Obama practically had a cult following in 2008.
