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Andrew Cuomo echoes late father in DNC address: 'Fear will never build a nation'

"Fear has never created a job and fear has never educated a child," the New York governor said Thursday.

By Eric DuVall
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo addresses delegates on day four of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Cuomo echoed comments made by his late father, Mario, at the party's 1984 convention. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo addresses delegates on day four of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Cuomo echoed comments made by his late father, Mario, at the party's 1984 convention. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

PHILADELPHIA, July 28 (UPI) -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo addressed the Democratic convention on Thursday, renewing his late father Mario Cuomo's 1984 keynote address and calling on Americans to unite around their shared principles to help solve the nation's problems.

Cuomo said under Donald Trump, Republicans are pushing an agenda that divides Americans over issues of race, income and religion.

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"The Trump campaign is marketing a great distraction using people's fear and anxiety to drive his ratings. His message comes down to this: be afraid of people who are different," Cuomo said. "It's not right. It's divisive. It's delusional and we must expose the truth to the people of this nation."

Cuomo's father, Mario, was New York's governor from 1983 to 1995 and rallied Democrats to a similar calling against former president Ronald Reagan.

"We Democrats must unite so that the entire nation can unite, because surely the Republicans won't bring this country together. Their policies divide the nation into the lucky and the left-out, into the royalty and the rabble," the elder Cuomo said in 1984 -- remarks that bear a striking similarity to many heard in Philadelphia this week.

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The younger Cuomo echoed those comments Thursday, saying Americans divided by fear cannot reach their full potential.

"Fear has never created a job and fear has never educated a child and fear has never built a home and fear has never built a community and fear will never build a nation," he said. "Let them remember, when they sell fear, fear is not strength. Fear is weakness. And no matter how loud you yell, our America is never weak."

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