Time’s predictable ‘Person of the Year’ nominees include Fauci, Cuomo, and AOC
Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” award is listing a wide array of nominees this year. Politicians, celebrities, and medical workers are among the newsmakers nominated for an award in 2020. Included on the list are Dr. Anthony Fauci, Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). The list also includes President Trump, President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, essential workers, Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), Stacey Abrams (D-GA), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Black Lives Matter, and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Time has named a “Person of the Year” for nearly 100 years, recognizing an individual or group that has had “the greatest influence on the events of the year—for better or worse.” A wide range of figures has received the distinction, including Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, President John F. Kennedy, The Computer, President Barack Obama, civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., and Pope Francis.
The voting began on Wednesday and is tallied from reader vote submissions, as individuals are required to vote “yes” or “no” when asked whether or not a specific nominee should be chosen as the overall award winner.
Readers may cast votes of “yes” or “no” to all 80 of the magazine’s nominated candidates.
Final results will be revealed in early December, with Time’s editors selecting an overall winner by Dec. 10.
Fauci is touted as the U.S.’ top epidemiologist. He came to prominence as a national figure during the last year as America grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic response. Essential workers include employees doctors, nurses, delivery workers, public transit, and grocery store employees. They are tied with Fauci currently receiving a “yes” by 81 percent of respondents, and a “no” by 19 percent of voters.
Dr. Fauci, Andrew Cuomo, AOC nominated for Time's 'Person of the Year' https://t.co/Mt0sDiodvR pic.twitter.com/gOQp2yBRHK
— New York Post (@nypost) November 27, 2020
Thirty-five percent of readers voted for Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York who infamously housed coronavirus patients with the elderly in nursing homes allegedly leading to the deaths of thousands in that state. 65 percent voted “no” on Cuomo. The Democratic governor also just celebrated winning the 2020 International Emmys’ “Founders Award” last week as well as being a New York Times bestseller with his latest novel, “American Crisis.”
Cuomo trails Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who has so far 38 percent of “yes” votes in her favor.
President-elect Joe Biden received 64 percent of the “yes” votes compared to 36 percent in opposition, and his running mate Kamala Harris performed even better with 68 percent to 32 percent in the “yes-no” margin.
President Trump only received 8 percent of the “yes” vote cast in his favor compared to 92 percent of individuals who voted “no,” and Vice President Mike Pence won just 3 percent of those who responded in the affirmative.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the running for Time's Person of the Year https://t.co/vETfvZvfE4
— Detroit Free Press (@freep) November 26, 2020
Black Lives Matter scored big, hitting 61 percent in the “yes” category compared to 39 percent of those who said “no.”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made the cut with Markle leading her husband at 26 percent of the “yes” vote compared to his 20 percent.
Individuals representing Big Tech barely scored 10 percent of the “yes” vote, in total, with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey receiving 8 percent and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg securing 3 percent. Just 6 percent said Amazon’s Jeff Bezos should be crowned the winner.
Zoom’s CEO Eric Yuan has 10 percent of the “yes” vote.
Who should be TIME’s Person of the Year for 2020? Cast your vote for #TIMEPOY here: https://t.co/vDPjHorHRO pic.twitter.com/wTKwABXp2O
— TIME (@TIME) November 27, 2020
Other nominees include artists Cardi B, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and rapper Kanye West.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr’s names also got a nod. Additional nominees include WNBA basketball star Sue Bird, NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace, singer Ariana Grande, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, South Korean pop group BTS and NBA superstar LeBron James.
Last year’s award went to Swedish climate change activist, teenager Greta Thunberg.
