Yesterday the Post ran a bold, intriguing headline “Obama to ask Cuomo to be 2012 running mate: sources” which, upon close inspection, turned out to be about as bold and intriguing as Larry Crowne. The “sources” in question were two people, former New York GOP leader William Powers and former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, with absolutely zero inside information on Obama’s thinking. It’s just something they believe he’s going to do, based on nothing but their own opinions. But now the theory is out there, despite making little sense.
Vice-presidents are rarely kicked off a reelection ticket. If Obama were to take the extraordinary step of replacing Biden, it probably wouldn’t be with Cuomo, a New York governor who hails from a liberal dynasty and is known nationwide for his gay-rights advocacy — not exactly the type of guy to win over swing-state middle America. Even if Obama decided that bringing Cuomo on board was the best way to fire up his base, Cuomo would have good reasons for declining. He’s already a favorite for the 2016 Democratic nomination, so he has little to gain if Obama wins, but much to lose in the very possible scenario of an Obama loss. Only one person in all of American history has been elected president after being defeated as a candidate for vice-president: Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Obama to ask Cuomo to be 2012 running mate: sources [NYP]
Update: Cuomo dismissed the speculation today … but not very forcefully:
