To be sure, these examples are not perfectly analogous. One is about race and the other is about sex and power. Northam’s political survival was aided by the fact that his next two successors were disqualified; Virginia’s lieutenant governor simultaneously faced accusations of sexual assault, while the state’s attorney general also admitted to wearing blackface in the past. Good luck replicating those circumstances.

Unlike Franken (a legislator who was trapped in D.C. with his antagonists), Northam was an executive living more obscurely in Richmond, Virginia, and he had greater ability to sign legislation, change the narrative, and weather the storm.

This brings us back to Andrew Cuomo. Like Northam, Cuomo is a governor. But unlike Northam (who faces term limits), Cuomo could conceivably run for re-election. Even if recent events preclude that, the odds are that Cuomo will pull a Northam—that he will continue being governor until his term expires. And during that time, he will burnish his legacy. He’ll pass a budget. When he visits Watertown, people will still say, “Welcome, Governor!” and roll out the red carpet.