Mario Cuomo's 1984 DNC speech, "A Tale of Two Cities." [View all]

Cuomo turned down the opportunity to run for President and the opportunity to sit on the Supreme Court.

FYI: "city on a hill" is a term from the biblical Sermon on the Mount that was used in a 1630 sermon by Winthrop. (And the concept was perfect for Boston's Beacon Hill.)

Over 3 centuries later, Winthrop's fellow Massachusetts resident, JFK, used it in the speech in which JFK first announced for the Presidency. But, of course, St. Ronnie gets more credit for the term than Jesus, Winthrop and JFK combined.

In this speech, Cuomo took the concept of a shining "city on a hill" to the "tale of two cities," foreshadowing the "two Americas" concept that figured so much in the politics of John Edwards.