Behind the Ad: Cuomo vs. Cuomo on casino gambling

By Richard K. Barry

(Another installment in our extensive "Behind the Ad" series.)  

Who: The Committee Against Proposition 1.

Where: New York State (downstate).

What's going on: Politics is always about a lot more than who gets elected. Sometimes it's about referenda that could have a significant impact on policy decisions. It's not as exciting as horse race stuff, but it can be very important.

There is a proposition on the ballot in New York State to expand casino gambling. Current Gov. Cuomo supports it, which could add up to seven new casinos in the state.  Twenty years ago, his father, then Gov. Mario Cuomo lobbied against casino gambling.

It's a clever tactic to tie the son to a prior position of the father, though Mario is having none of it. According to The Buffalo News:

Mario Cuomo released a statement tonight distancing himself from the claims in the new ad. "I made those statements in 1994. A great deal has changed in 20 years. The New York that I was dealing with was a different place. We didn't have casinos on every border. Gaming was only in Las Vegas and Atlantic City,'' he said in a written statement.

Mario Cuomo said his statement was made before New York legalized racetrack-based casinos and before casinos came to other states and provinces surrounding New York. "So if you want to vote with Cuomo, vote yes on Proposal One,'' he said.

Memo to the group that produced this ad: No one cares what Mario Cuomo said about anything twenty years ago.