Potential 2nd Cuomo governorship must differ from 1st

For New Yorkers forming a picture of the current front-runner for governor, the question might be: Is he your father's Cuomo?

The issue is, of course, more complex than a tweaking of the car slogan of years ago: "This is not your father's Oldsmobile."

Some veteran observers experience brief flashbacks these days as Andrew Cuomo runs for the office that Mario Cuomo held from 1983 through 1994. Names from the days of that administration resurfaced in the political-buzz circuit - folks from the ex-governor's circle who have cropped up here and there helping or advising the Democratic nominee's campaign. And there's that more-or-less resemblance in voice and appearance.

Former Governor Cuomo made a point of eschewing political labels and arguing their meaning in public forums. Supporters of Andrew Cuomo this year seem to present him, roughly speaking, as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, or progressive. That's subject to definition - and the current campaign isn't all that big on labels either.

John Faso - the Republican who lost to Democrat Eliot Spitzer last time out - Tuesday endorsed Rick Lazio after earlier backing new Republican Steve Levy, the Suffolk County executive, for the nomination. "There's nothing in Andrew Cuomo's history that would lead one to believe he's a fiscal conservative," said Faso, former GOP leader of the Assembly, as he cast doubt on Cuomo's pledge of restraint on taxes and spending.

Faso preferred to draw a parallel between Cuomo and the shattered Spitzer. As for the senior Cuomo, Faso said: "I have a high regard for Mario Cuomo. . . . He and I disagreed on many items. I always had great respect for him."

Both Cuomos know about losing elections as a prelude to winning.

Cuomo the Younger ran his father's campaigns, later became a federal cabinet secretary, and ran for the Democratic nomination for governor and lost, only to come back and be elected state attorney general four years ago.

Cuomo the Elder, an obscure lawyer from Queens who wasn't in the spotlight as a youth, lost bids for lieutenant governor and New York City mayor before his election to the top statewide post.

One longtime government official in Albany who recalls those days said: "Cuomo had the advantage of inheriting a very sophisticated, experienced staff from [predecessor Hugh] Carey. I'd be very curious to see who Andrew would have running top state posts - it would tell you a lot about his mentality coming in."

In the 1980s, Mario Cuomo ran and grew famous in the shadow of the Ronald Reagan presidency. His famous 1984 Democratic convention speech in San Francisco and stances on abortion and other issues spawned his image of a national liberal icon. Roughly speaking, of course.

Amid the Barack Obama presidency, Andrew Cuomo would be moving into a different berth in the wider Democratic Party universe.

The first Bush presidency was different from the second.

A second Clinton presidency (headed by Hillary) surely would have been different from the first.

And a second Cuomo governorship would have to differ in critical ways from the first, just by circumstance. If the conventional wisdom of the moment holds up, we're all going to find out exactly how.