Even before taking office, for instance, Cuomo gave an interview to Nick Confessore of The Times laying out his strategy for countering “the well-financed labor unions he believes have bullied previous governors and lawmakers into making bad decisions.” He proposed cutting billions from Medicaid, and instituting medical malpractice reform, which would limit what patients could get in malpractice cases. His first budget squeezed savings from schools, health care and social services. He initially opposed extending a so-called millionaires’ tax (though, eventually, he grudgingly conceded). He has called for tuition increases at the State University System, and for limiting retirement benefits for new city and state workers. He has pushed through the Legislature a 2 percent cap on property tax increases — the exact same amount as Chris Christie’s property tax cap in New Jersey. Just the other day, The Times published an article about how Cuomo is attempting to consolidate power — just as Christie is accused of doing in New Jersey.

Without question, Cuomo has done all this with a finesse that the blunt-spoken Christie lacks; that’s one reason liberals haven’t been up in arms even as he has chipped away at many of their sacred cows. “I am a progressive Democrat who’s broke,” he told Confessore in another interview, suggesting that he was simply doing the tough things that had to be done, given the difficult economy, and the budget shortfalls he faced.

But his role in the same-sex marriage fight has also been a huge factor. The fight took place soon after that first budget was passed, and it overshadowed everything that had come before. Cuomo had promised to support same-sex marriage when he was running for governor, and, after it passed, he was lionized. It also took place after a string of same-sex marriage defeats in other states, which heightened the importance of its passage in New York. In retrospect, Cuomo helped turn the tide. That’s also why, even now, months later, his halo has lost little of its luster.

There is one other point worth mentioning about the political calculus of both Cuomo and Christie. It is becoming increasingly evident that on the issue of same-sex marriage, the New York governor is on the right side of history, and the New Jersey governor is on the wrong side. Since Cuomo signed New York’s marriage bill, Washington State has approved a same-sex marriage law and Maryland could approve one this week. Other State Legislatures have bills in the works. Most conservatives under the age of 30 view same-sex marriage as a nonissue.