Ari Paul on how, by turning his back on labor, Andrew Cuomo could hand New York state to the GOP:
Democrats depend on labor for fundraising and voter turnout, and progressives depend on that union push for a big Democratic coalition that will more likely advance issues such as gay marriage, drug-policy reform, and more tenant-friendly rent laws. Cuomo’s choice to alienate labor, even when he has no serious opposition, hurts the party overall and therefore weakens the potential of progressives to shift enough of the party’s elected members leftward. And it could hurt other Democrats’ chances. While Cuomo can glide into office, the party only narrowly controls the state Senate, and a key group of its members already vote like Republicans.