Cuomo Comes Aboard for Nominating Speech : Democrats: It’s no turnabout, N.Y. governor says, he just hadn’t been asked yet. After Clinton’s talk at ’88 convention, it should be a short success.

The political world often seems to turn around New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo and one basic question: Will he or won’t he?

On Monday came the answer: Yes, he will. He will deliver the speech formally nominating Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton for President at next week’s Democratic National Convention in New York.

This represented something of a turnabout for Cuomo, whose spokesman said last week that the governor had asked not to have an official role at the Democratic festivities in his home state.

No turnabout, said Cuomo, whose oratorical skills have had Democrats unrequitedly salivating for a presidential bid since 1984, when he brought down the house with a stirring keynote address at the Democratic convention in San Francisco.

“I didn’t change my mind,” Cuomo told reporters in Albany.

Then why are you speaking after saying you wouldn’t?

“Because I was asked,” he said.

The truth appeared to be somewhat more complex, involving appeals by Democratic National Committee Chairman Ronald H. Brown and Clinton, who called Cuomo Sunday night to ask him to deliver the address. The Cuomo speech will be given on Wednesday, July 15, midway through the four-day convention.

Cuomo acknowledged that he responded to appeals from Brown, a longtime political ally who has worked overtime to present the convention as a model of Democratic unity.

Brown’s entreaties, the governor said, caused him to rethink his previously stated desire to give a lesser-known, upcoming Democrat the prestigious role of official nominator.

As Cuomo noted, one lesser-known Democrat delivered the 1988 nominating speech for that year’s nominee, Michael S. Dukakis. The nominator was Clinton himself, who became famous in political circles for delivering a speech so long-winded that party delegates burst into applause when he came to the words “in conclusion.”

Clinton spokeswoman Dee Dee Myers said jokingly on Monday that Clinton had just a few words of advice for Cuomo: “Keep it short.”

The announcement meant that Clinton will be nominated by a man who has yet to formally endorse him, a point that Cuomo said Monday was “irrelevant” and stemmed from his refusal to endorse anyone for anything.

In reality, Cuomo’s refusal to endorse Clinton has been seen as part of the quadrennial convention ritual that Democrats endure, a ritual that seems less reminiscent of pragmatic politics than of an uncomfortable mating session between unlike species.

Cuomo and Clinton’s relationship has long been uneasy, reflecting the fact that both have been seen as targeting their competing political careers toward the same pinnacle, the presidency. During the New York primary in April, however, the two put on a show of unity as Cuomo pledged to work for the party’s ultimate nominee.

As Clinton left Little Rock for Washington Monday, he said he was “gratified” that Cuomo had agreed to nominate him. “He’ll make a compelling case, not just for me, but for why we have to change.”

In addition to including Cuomo under the umbrella of good will that will be unfurled at the convention, Clinton has also been working to include his defeated competitors for the nomination and other party legends, such as civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.

The Cuomo appointment means that the convention lineup is essentially set, apart from the most important appointment of all--Clinton’s running mate.

The Arkansas governor, who is expected to announce his choice late this week, moved up his visit to Washington in what was seen as an effort to give himself interview time with some finalists.

Clinton had been scheduled to leave today for Washington, where he is to address the National Education Assn. On Monday morning, however, his departure from Little Rock was rescheduled for Monday night, giving Clinton several more working hours this morning.

Sources close to the Clinton campaign have suggested that the so-called short list for the vice presidency includes Sen. Albert Gore Jr. of Tennessee, Rep. Lee H. Hamilton of Indiana, Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska and Sen. Harris Wofford of Pennsylvania. Cuomo took himself out of the running when interviewed by Warren Christopher, who is heading up Clinton’s vice presidential search.

Short lists are ofttimes suspect, and particularly this year, when the Clinton campaign has exercised unusual discipline in keeping the selection process secret.

The person who knows Clinton’s thoughts best--the candidate himself--has been rigorous in his refusal to discuss whom he might select. But he is known to have interviewed Hamilton and Gore.

The list of speakers for the convention, meanwhile, reads like the long list for vice president. Among those proffered for the position of running mate by some Democrats was the convention chairwoman, Texas Gov. Ann Richards. When reporters asked her last week if she was in the running, she gave a definitive response: “No, sirree!”

Scheduled to speak on Tuesday, the second night of the convention, are one-time vice presidential prospects and Sens. John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV of West Virginia and Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, along with the last Democratic President, Jimmy Carter, and Jackson, who earlier this year nominated himself as a potential vice president.

Wednesday night’s speakers will include former Massachusetts Sen. Paul E. Tsongas, who won the third-largest number of delegates in primaries and caucuses this year--behind Clinton and former California Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr. On Thursday, those speaking will include Kerrey, Gore, Wofford and Hamilton.

So far, Jerry Brown has not been scheduled to speak at the convention, but he was believed to have met with Clinton Monday night.

Clinton, who will travel to Florida for a campaign appearance after his Washington speech today, currently plans to spend the rest of the week in Arkansas.