West Indian Day Parade Brings Politicians To Brooklyn Streets
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn is not only a joyous celebration of all things Caribbean, it is also a magnet for anyone who's in the world of New York politics.
That includes those who are running for office this year and those who are not.
As CBS2's Political Reporter Marcia Kramer reported, the award for most-spirited-performance-by-a-politician went to New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. While he isn't running for anything this year, he said the parade is a command performance for those who are.
"They say that things get hot on Eastern Parkway in election year politics and that's not any different this year," he told Kramer.
Johnson may have stolen the show with his exuberance, but never underestimate the power of being governor.
Every politician in New York may have been at the parade, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo had pride of place – the first to march down Eastern Parkway. By his side was Rev. Al Sharpton, who endorsed him.
Even Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose wife Chrilane McCray was the parade Grand Marshal, had to follow behind the governor. As for Cuomo's Democratic primary opponent, Cynthia Nixon – an hour after the parade kicked off, her float was still on the sidelines.
Both Cuomo and Nixon tried to score points with parade-goers – Cuomo by attacking the president, not Nixon.
"Here we are celebrating immigration, and acceptance and inclusion," he said. "You have a president who is building walls, which is a perfect metaphor for separation… that is a cancer in the body politic."
"I think it's because he doesn't have a progressive record that he can run on, so he's looking forward to his anticipated presidential race," said Nixon.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro, who scored a much better place in the line of marchers than Nixon right behind Democratic attorney general candidate Tish James, slammed both Democrats for not making the most of their political opportunity to debate on CBS2.
"I heard two people who were desperately trying to run for mayor of New York," she said. "But I didn't hear a lot of aspirational talk about what we can do together to make New York more affordable."
There are also closely contested races for the Democratic nominations for lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Cuomo scored another big endorsement Monday from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.