Runrún: Cuomo por Biden

New York Post:

A Prominent Republican is joining a prominent Democrat in predicting that Gov. Cuomo will become President Obama's running mate for vice president next year.

Former New York GOP boss William Powers, credited with playing a key role in electing Rudy Giuliani mayor and George Pataki governor, was effusive in his praise of Cuomo's successes in the just-ended legislative session, and in his prediction of the freshman governor's political future.

"Andrew had a fabulous session. It was fabulous. A property-tax cap, ethics reform and, for Democrats, gay marriage," said Powers.

"I don't think there's any doubt Obama is going to pick him as his running mate. The president is in trouble and [Vice President Joseph] Biden doesn't bring anything to his ticket.

"The president will call him up later this year and say, 'Andrew, you have to do this for the good of the country.' What's Andrew going to say, 'No?' "

Cuomo, who saw a flurry of predictions last week in the wake of the gay-marriage victory that he'll run for president in 2016, has repeatedly refused to discuss the possibility of higher office.

He wouldn't comment either on Powers' prediction, but a source familiar with his thinking half-jokingly said this when asked what action Cuomo would take if Obama called to offer him the nation's No. 2 position: "He won't answer."

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown earlier this year also predicted that Obama would pick Cuomo to replace Biden, who he claimed would be named by the president to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"He's a big name, a big-state governor, and a Democrat who is taking on the issue of public-employee salaries and pensions. Plus, he looks good," Brown said of Cuomo.

Cuomo wouldn't have to resign as governor to run for vice president, although many voters would likely react negatively since he could be leaving office just two years into his four-year term.

En cada ciclo electoral hay rumores de que el Presidente de turno va a cambiar de compañero de ticket. Hace ocho años el rumor era que Bush iba a cambiar a Cheney por Giuliani. La MSNBC llegó a asegurarlo en enero de 2004. Nunca ocurrió. Después hemos sabido por las memorias de Bush que Cheney se ofreció a abandonar el ticket voluntariamente, y que los asesores del Presidente se plantearon ofrecerle el cargo al Senador Bill Frist antes de confirmarle a Cheney que contaban nuevamente con él.

En 1991-1992, Dan Quayle tuvo que soportar portadas como esta.

Cuando Nixon nombró Secretario del Tesoro a John Connally a principios de 1971, la prensa capitalina lo interpretó como un movimiento para promocionar al ex demócrata en el establishment republicano y colocarlo en el ticket del 72 en lugar de Spiro Agnew.

En 1963, el Presidente Kennedy andaba valorando la opción de sustituir a Lyndon Johnson cuando murió asesinado. La idea de Kennedy era cambiarlo por el popular Gobernador Terry Sanford, de Carolina del Norte, para no verse salpicado por las investigaciones que en ese momento se realizaban sobre las actividades delictivas de los hombres de confianza de Johnson, Bobby Baker y Billie Sol Estes.

Y en 1956, hubo llamamientos desde dentro y fuera de la Administración Eisenhower para sacar a Richard Nixon del ticket.

A la hora de la verdad, por diferentes motivos, nada de eso se concretó nunca. El último caso de un running mate sustituido de una fórmula que había resultado ganadora cuatro años antes data de 1944. Ocurrió en unas circunstancias extraordinarias: todo el mundo asumía que FDR iba a morir antes de completar el nuevo mandato y que a su vice le iba a tocar asumir la presidencia en un momento decisivo de la historia. El Presidente se lavó las manos y dejó la decisión a la convención.

Así que la historia reciente demuestra que es algo áltamente improbable.