"Their problem is not me and the Democrats; their problem is themselves," he said. "Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are and they’re the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are."
Who are these extremists? Cuomo points out the right to life crowd. According to Gallup, this would mean that 58% of Americans are no longer welcome in New York. If 58% of Americans hold this position, where is the "extreme" part of the equation?
The other extremists are the pro-assault-weapon crowd. It is hard to find statistics on "pro-assault-weapon" people in the US. So, let's just assume, for argument sake that 50% of America believes in the 2nd Amendment. According to the new Economist/YouGov poll, 39% of American households now admit to having a gun in their home. Keep in mind, gun owners are often wary of offering this type of information.
Does anyone know who the "anti-gay extremists" are? Let's just suppose that this includes those who oppose gay marriage, gay adoption, etc. In a recent study, this would put this number at around 20-25% of the population. This may be the most extremist position that Cuomo talks about. Meanwhile, the gay population is estimated to be 3.4% according to Gallup. Is it really all that surprising that people are anti-gay out of ignorance or simply oppose gay marriage for other reasons?
By Cuomo's own statement, this would exclude at most 58% (maybe more) and at least 20% of Americans from being welcome in his state. By this logic, minorities would only be an extreme fringe of our population. The recent Census, shows that no racial minority makes up more than 16.9% of the population (Latino). Should we exclude these people by this same logic?
Politically, nothing is more supposedly "extremist" in the left's eyes as the Tea Party. If Cuomo was referring to them in some way, maybe he should examine what this group stands for. The Contract From America was formed (2010) by the Tea Party to express their "extremist" views. The tenets are as follows, along with the voting percentage of support within the Tea Party:
Identify constitutionality of every new law: Require each bill to identify the specific provision of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to do what the bill does (82.03%).Reject emissions trading: Stop the "cap and trade" administrative approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants. (72.20%).
Demand a balanced federal budget: Begin the Constitutional amendment process to require a balanced budget with a two-thirds majority needed for any tax modification. (69.69%)
Simplify the tax system: Adopt a simple and fair single-rate tax system by scrapping the internal revenue code and replacing it with one that is no longer than 4,543 words – the length of the original Constitution. (64.9%)
Audit federal government agencies for constitutionality: Create a Blue Ribbon task force that engages in an audit of federal agencies and programs, assessing their Constitutionality, and identifying duplication, waste, ineffectiveness, and agencies and programs better left for the states or local authorities. (63.37%)
Limit annual growth in federal spending: Impose a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of the inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth. (56.57%).
Repeal the health care legislation passed on March 23, 2010: Defund, repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (56.39%).
Pass an 'All-of-the-Above' Energy Policy: Authorize the exploration of additional energy reserves to reduce American dependence on foreign energy sources and reduce regulatory barriers to all other forms of energy creation. (55.5%).
Reduce Earmarks: Place a moratorium on all earmarks until the budget is balanced, and then require a 2/3 majority to pass any earmark. (55.47%).
Reduce Taxes: Permanently repeal all recent tax increases, and extend permanently the George W. Bush temporary reductions in income tax, capital gains tax and estate taxes, currently scheduled to end in 2011. (53.38%).
Yes, Governor Cuomo is now stepping back his remarks. However, a politician should know better. One can only question who the extremists really are today. And, to all the New Yorkers who are not welcome, you are welcome to any other state. After all, we promise you that our taxes are lower for sure!
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