Andrew Cuomo quietly building a case for 2016

The job titles that Hillary Clinton displayed in her abbreviated biography on the social media platform were themselves enough to suggest why an ambitious Democrat like Cuomo might feel checkmated before the race has even begun: wife, mom, first lady, senator, secretary of state.

“You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that it’s going to be hard for him to make a dent if Secretary Clinton’s in the way,” said New York-based Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf, noting that Clinton remains particularly popular in the state she represented in the Senate, and has a fundraising base that not only largely overlaps Cuomo’s but supersedes it.

While most observers expect him to yield to Clinton, should she run, few doubt that Cuomo would pounce on the opportunity if she opts out. And more than a few wonder if there is room for both New Yorkers in the 2016 field.

“It’s not impossibility, and anybody who predicts what is going to happen in politics should be hospitalized,” Sheinkopf said. “He’s done some pretty amazing things. Is he a hard campaigner? The answer is yes. Is he a tireless worker? He certainly is. Would he be competitive? You bet, if he puts his mind to it.”