Gov. Kathy Hochul to NY Republicans: "You are not New Yorkers"

Despite being a member of the 'party of tolerance', Gov. Hochul made her feelings known to New York Republicans, telling them to leave the state.

Any impartiality Kathy Hochul might’ve pretended to have before the comments she made on Monday to Republicans have gone out the window. At an event where she was campaigning with Pat Ryan, Kathy Hochul held nothing back as she berated Republicans, saying,” “We're here to say the era of Trump and Zeldin and Molinaro – just jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong, OK?” and continuing in the most dismissive, holier-than-thou manner,” You are not New Yorkers.”

What’s important to distinguish here is the language she uses. While she quickly backpedaled and insisted she was only talking to Zeldin, Molinaro, and Trump, she should realize that those who support them will also take Hochul’s words to include them, as well. And by all rights, they’re correct in that assessment of her rhetoric. From a strategic viewpoint, however, it’s not a smart move on Hochul’s part to alienate over 5 million people in the state where she hopes to win re-election as Governor. Kathy Hochul meant every word of that, a rare moment of honesty in politics, to Hochul’s detriment. It also highlights her Trump Derangement Syndrome, as well as her DeSantis Derangement syndrome.

Hochul’s fixation on DeSantis is bordering on neurotic and may be a prime explanation for her unsavory rhetoric, and her sense of humor borders on anti-semitic. At a Holocaust-education bill-signing on August 10th, she thanked the state’s 1.77 million Jews for “calling New York home. Don’t go anywhere or to another state. Florida is overrated. I shouldn’t say this, but look at the governor. It starts at the top down,” I wonder if there are any other Jewish stereotypes she wants to profess? Slightly disturbing. Her rhetoric may not only precipitate her downfall in the long run, but that of close associates like Pat Ryan, as well.

Pat Ryan — now representing New York’s 19th district in the House of Representatives for the remainder of Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado’s term ending this year after winning the special election on Tuesday to assume office in Delgado’s place — should have softly distanced himself from Hochul and her comments, even in the face of her directly campaigning on his behalf, but he didn’t. Instead he did the same old thing that Democrats do to invigorate their party’s voters — invoked the name of the ‘evil orange man’, “We are not afraid to call out Donald Trump as someone who, I believe, is essentially traitorous,” Ryan said on MSNBC. “I had a top-secret clearance. I was an Army officer. If I had done what he did, I would’ve been in jail, 100%. No questions asked.”

Another reason to distance oneself from Kathy Hochul and everything she represents is the current “pay to play” scandal she is embroiled in. It involves a couple from a prominent Medicaid firm — Russ Maxwell and his wife, Morgan McDole — who were granted millions in government contracts after having given Hochul $52,600 in campaign donations. In fact, collectively, they donated over $300,000 to Hochul and the ousted former Governor, Andrew Cuomo. Andrew Cuomo, made infamous by a sex scandal, was also the undisputed pay-to-play champion in his time, with OpenTheBooks.com finding that 347 state vendors had given $6.2 million in political donations to Cuomo over a six-year period (2014-2019), and got a $7 billion return on investment in state payments. Hochul will catch him in time, if she survives November.

Marc Molinaro, Republican candidate for U.S. House of Representatives seat representing NY-19 and current Dutchess County Executive, also invoked Andrew Cuomo in his critique of Hochul in light of her comments in a statement,” “Governor Hochul - the Governor of the entire State of New York - at a rally with my opponent nodding along sounded exactly like Andrew Cuomo,” said Molinaro, adding, “Disagree with their policies, disagree with them and you have no place here. This is yet another example of how arrogant Kathy Hochul, Pat Ryan and liberals have become. Let me be very clear: Everyone who lives here regardless of your party or beliefs is a New Yorker." Sure, Molinaro lost on Tuesday, but by a much smaller margin than expected. I like his chances better in November, based on all of the drama Hochul has whipped up with her loose tongue and looser values, despite her pontificating.

It makes you wonder what values Hochul is referring to when she says "(Republicans) don't reflect our values". Is she talking about the Cuomo-Hochul status quo where you sell lucrative government contracts to the highest bidder, taking payment in the form of campaign donations? Republicans might find it hard not to march in lockstep with the current status quo, as it’s not so easy to stop tradition. Albany’s tradition is steeped in illicit deals for preferential treatment.

I am not a New Yorker, but I will say this — vote for someone in November who doesn’t cast out those who differ from them, running counter to the extremely diverse population that New York has. Kathy Hochul is the antithesis of what New York stands for.

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