Mighty Mario

Mario Cuomo has mesmerized Washington. “The hottest draw since JFK,” notes a Democratic congressman from the Northeast. Mondale with charisma. Muskie with real ethnicity. Stevenson with street smarts. Humphrey without Vietnam. Carter with big-state experience. That’s the street talk in the capital, among Democrats and Republicans alike.

At recent parleys of Democrats (Greenbrier, West Virginia) and Republicans (Baltimore, Maryland), Washington’s political handicappers assessed Mario’s pluses and minuses. On the asset side of the ledger: 1) Leadership. “When Reagan leaves office,” says a White House aide, “people will want strength at the helm. Reagan has conditioned them to that need. Mario can fill it.” Almost everyone concurs that, especially on the platform, Cuomo’s presence is nearly unmatched.

JM

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John McLaughlin

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Mario Cuomo

New York

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Democrats

Ronald Reagan

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Mario Cuomo has mesmerized Washington. “The hottest draw since JFK,” notes a Democratic congressman from the Northeast. Mondale with charisma. Muskie with real ethnicity. Stevenson with street smarts. Humphrey without Vietnam. Carter with big-state experience. That’s the street talk in the capital, among Democrats and Republicans alike.

At recent parleys of Democrats (Greenbrier, West Virginia) and Republicans (Baltimore, Maryland), Washington’s political handicappers assessed Mario’s pluses and minuses. On the asset side of the ledger: 1) Leadership. “When Reagan leaves office,” says a White House aide, “people will want strength at the helm. Reagan has conditioned them to that need. Mario can fill it.” Almost everyone concurs that, especially on the platform, Cuomo’s presence is nearly unmatched.