Andrew Cuomo's fall from grace -- unthinkable a year ago -- serves as a warning for other governors caught in a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic: The crisis has offered a chance to build their national profiles, but it has also magnified their own flaws and appetites for risk. And he wasn't the only governor whose stewardship of one of the grimmest moments in modern history sparked presidential speculation. Cuomo was toppled by egregious personal errors of judgment, allegedly including sexually harassing 11 women as detailed by the state attorney general's report. All four governors tested the bounds of their political power in this moment of crisis knowing that the governor's office could serve as a launching pad to the White House. The former President built a political brand on excoriating Washington elites, facts, public health guidance and traditional expectations of leadership.

Source: CNN August 11, 2021 04:03 UTC