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New York, the death penalty and short sighted voters
In 1994 George Pataki beat Mario Cuomo for Governor of New york. One of the big issues was bringing back the death penalty, which Cuomo opposed. The death penalty was renewed in 1996 and was on the books until the NY Supreme Court deemed it unconstitutional in 2004. How many executions have there been in NY in that time? Zero. And yet the crime rate, specifically homicide has fallen to all time lows. So the good voters of NY turned out a very good Governor over a meaningless issue that became moot.
Circuses for the masses, tax cuts for the rich. The GOP guidebook.