clinton would have won. the balance of power might still have tilted to mario cuomo s side and history would have been very different. but in the long run, clinton had a clearer sense of where the party and the country was going. no doubt that mario cuomo had such a powerful hold on democrats that he might have actually won the race in 1992 in the primary at least. quickly in 92 the democratic party diverged from mario cuomo. in 1994 new york did, after 12 years in office voted him out. more than 12 years too long in new york ron? i think a lot, part of it was that. but the bigger thing was 1994 was one of the best years for republicans in the modern history. the republican revolution when they swept the congress the senate. and it was an early indication really of how much politics was becoming nationalized. mario cuomo was swept out by a national wave in addition to the fact that he had been there for 12 years. but look he was an important figure you know you go back to american
decade of the full contact politics of new york, cuomo catapulted to national prominence with the keynote address at the 1984 democratic national convention. we thank you for the great privilege of being able to address this convention. reporter: he challenged head-on ronald reagan s notion of a shining city on a hill, instead calling america a tale of two cities. we must get the american public to look past the glitter, beyond the showmanship, to the reality, the hard substance of things, and we ll do it not so much with speeches that sound good, as with speeches that are good and sound. reporter: it cemented him as one of his generation s greatest orators, a defender of the have-nots and the little guys. it also made him the choice of many democratic leaders to run for president. he said, will you think about it? i said i have been thinking about it. but are you going to think about it anymore?
become a prolific author and public speaker. and in 2010 came a brand new title, former or first governor cuomo, a word he would be forced to use because he was suddenly no longer the only one. reporter: in a bittersweet irony his eldest son, andrew, the current governor of new york, was sworn into a second term just hours before his father s death. he couldn t be here physically today, my father, but my father is in this room. he s in heart and mind of every person who is here. he s here and he s here, and his inspiration and his legacy and his experience is what has brought this state to this point. so let s give him a round of applause. reporter: governor mario cuomo, a true american giant, was 82. he is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, matilda
chris a few months ago and it was really amazing how even at this advanced age and in struggling health he was still that orator. he and chris talked about a number of world issues. they talked baseball they talked football. and he still just loved conversation and thought and words. it was really really tremendous. and the one thing you want to say is you know mario cuomo was proud of his son chris, also. absolutely. absolutely. let s move on and check other news now. here s a look at our other headlines. outgoing senate majority leader harry reid spending the new year in the hospital. his office says he broke a number of ribs and bones in his face. apparently he was exercising at his home with a resistance band it snapped and caused him to fall. doctors do expect him to make a full recovery and he ll be back in d.c. next week when the senate reconvenes. as a former boxer, he ll be bounce back. florida senator marco rubio says he could decide to run for president even if f
simply it was the american dream. the son of italian immigrants mario cuomo rose from the basement of this grocery store in south jamaica, queens where he slept on the floor and spoke no english, to the highest office in new york state. along the way, creating a political legacy and dynasty that spanned generations, his life driven by a passion for learning his catholic faith and a determination to simply work harder than the other guy. one of the simple things i wanted to achieve is i want to be governor i want to be the hardest working there ever was. after more than a decade of the full-contact politics of new york cuomo catapulted to national prominence with the keynote address at the 1984 democratic national convention. we thank you for the great privilege of being able to address this convention. he challenged head-on, ronald reagan s notion of a shining city on a hill.