When Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s handpicked state Democratic Party chairman called on him to resign on Wednesday, it was a clear signal to many that the three-term governor had lost his core political support system. Jay Jacobs, who also chairs the Nassau County Democrats, has been one of Cuomo’s most enthusiastic supporters and allies. Until Tuesday, he had always, at least publicly, fully supported the governor.
When asked why he think the governor won’t resign, Jacobs told Capital Tonight that Cuomo thinks he has a shot if he fights.
“I think he also believes this is unfair. He has his side of the story, and he feels that it should come out, and if it does, it might turn the public’s view,” Jacobs said. “I just don’t believe that’s going to be the case.”
Jacobs also thinks the governor’s pre-recorded response to the attorney general missed the mark.
“I understand what he was trying to do. To be fair, I see two different types of complaints against the governor,” Jacobs said. “I see complaints that I do take seriously and think warrant the attention and the result that [they’re] getting. Then there are about seven…women who say he held their cheeks at a party, or kissed them on the cheek, etcetera. While that may be uncomfortable for some, you don’t remove a governor over that.”
“By focusing on all of that [during his videotaped response] he was trying to conflate everything into one thing, and I don’t think it went over. I don’t think people bought it,” he said.