Mario Cuomo passed away yesterday at the age of 82. For many people, myself included, the first thing we think of when someone mentions Cuomo’s name is his keynote speech from the 1984 Democratic Convention. You can see an excerpt below. (I can’t find the full speech on video online anywhere. If you find a link, please send it to me.)
So what is the media training lesson here? It is not that politicians should avid speaking the truth or saying interesting things, or avoid trying to be quotable. But politicians must remember that if you say anything that is seen as a critical attack on someone or someplace, it will be quoted, and it will likely be re-quoted in other stories, and it may even be used in your obituary and the obituary of your political competitors long after you have died.
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