Decision 2012: Cuomo To Up Campaign Efforts For Obama
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After shying away from the national spotlight during most of this year's presidential race, Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be hitting the road for President Barack Obama, although it's not clear yet where he'll go. NY1's Zack Fink filed the following report.After making a surprise appearance in the so-called spin room following Tuesday night's Presidential debate, Gov. Andrew Cuomo now says he'll go a step further for Barack Obama.
"I am 100 percent supportive of the president," Cuomo said in a radio appearance on WGDJ-AM Thursday. "I will help any way I can. They've asked me to do surrogate work in other states. I'll do whatever they ask me to do."
But during his radio appearance Thursday morning, the governor also made clear what his advocacy does not mean.
"I don't want to step over a line that could fuel potential speculation of 'well, Cuomo's looking to run in 2016,'" he said.
The governor has displayed great reluctance to embrace the national spotlight. He turns down TV interviews and bristles when reporters ask about his presidential ambitions.
Last month, he made a speech to the New York delegation at the Democratic National Convention but he limited his public role to just that one speech. Both he and his aides have told members of the press that the governor has no plans to run and on Thursday, he attempted to explain why.
"If you politicize me, you cast aspersion on my motivation and intent and suggest I have my own political agenda for doing things," Cuomo said. "You are going to hurt my capacity to serve as governor. And I just won't allow that to happen."
So, how effective are surrogates in presidential campaigns? It depends on the race and this one is very tight.
"I think they can be very effective," said Stephen Sigmund of Global Strategy Group. "They are not the candidate. Nothing replaces the candidate. There is no surrogate who can elect the candidate for them. In the end, the president is the one delivering the message and running."
There are no details yet on where Cuomo will be sent but since there are a little more than two weeks left until election day, we are likely to know soon. Cuomo said it will likely be a swing state.