Cuomo's Candidacy Is a Symptom of a Bigger Democratic Problem -- Your Thoughts?

[ancianita]

Back in the campaign year when I lived in Chicago, and the DNC did not fully support Barack Obama, I stopped donating to the DNC and became a direct full donor to Obama. We who lived in his neighborhood put him in the Illinois legislature for a reason; he gave the historical keynote address to the convention for that same reason.
I & other Chicagoans & fellow Illinoisans were appalled that the DNC would balk at such a great candidate.

Today, the (allegedly cash strapped) DNC and the rest of us would do well to see the New York mayoral election with clearer eyes -- especially the voter turnout -- and plan for 2026 & 2028 accordingly, realizing that New York isn't battleground country, but learning from it and using it as a possible metric for GOTV with new (and lost) voter demographics. Because if we keep losing Democratic votes in solid blue states, we'll lose battlegrounds and allow fascism to permanently entrench in this country. Amen to what Nancy has said, "We do it for the children."

New Yorker Mara Gay, an MSNBC analyst/contributor, has enough life experience in New York to give credible help with that.

https://archive.ph/MMnDz


"... the mentality that led some party leaders in the 2000s to tell Barack Obama, the last Democrat to electrify the entire party, to wait his turn... “This is the dinosaur wing of the Democratic Party,” Lis Smith, a veteran Democratic strategist who once worked for Mr. Cuomo, told me... Mr. Cuomo is winning big among Black voters and white moderates. It’s a similar coalition to the one that propelled Mr. Biden to the Democratic nomination in 2020. The political reality is that it is difficult for any Democrat, nationally or in New York City, to win without significant support from Black voters, something no progressive in the race, including Mr. Mamdani, has been able to accomplish...

Despite this, Mr. Mamdani’s surging campaign is a sign that a sizable part of the Democratic base may have had enough with politicians like Mr. Cuomo. They are fed up with high rents and stagnant wages, leaders who won’t break up with corporate interests, who run for office past their prime, and who haven’t shown enough fight against Donald Trump...These frustrated voters are no longer looking to a consensus-builder like Mr. Lander, Mr. Myrie or Ms. Adams. They are turning to Mr. Mamdani, a democratic socialist.

If the Democratic Party wants to build a coalition that can win, the rebellion unfolding in New York City cannot be ignored... there are signs that Mr. Mamdani is gaining support not only among the far left, but also among voters who have long voted for establishment Democrats. One poll showed him eating into Mr. Lander’s base in brownstone Brooklyn, an area of middle-class families, young professionals and moneyed homeowners. It appears a growing number of Democrats don’t see Mr. Mamdani’s vows to provide free buses and free child care and to increase taxes on the wealthy as threatening or outlandish. They see them as necessary.

Mr. Cuomo may be elected mayor anyway. Even if he is, the Democrats have to realize that becoming the serious opposition party the country needs requires them to embrace competition, and let the best talent rise to govern cities and states in a way that works for a majority of their constituents. The dinosaur wing doesn’t have the answers. It’s in the way."

[Deep State Witch]

1. It's The Same Reasoning

As to why Terry McAuliffe ran for Governor of Virginia and lost to neophyte Glenn Youngkin. Dems need new blood. That's why people like AOC, Jasmine Crockett, and Wes Moore have been successful. They're young, telegenic, social media savvy, and give as good as they get. (Although Moore is a bit more measured, mostly because he has a bridge to rebuild.) People like Pelosi and Hoyer need to step aside.

[displacedvermoter]

3. Very well said

Congressmen Dan Goldman and Robert Garcia also impressive, ditto my Representative Becca Balint.

[ancianita]

4. Now the party can no longer ignore the "new blood" problem, especially after AOC was passed over as head of Oversight.

As Gay points out, the party's problem is also reflected in the Democratic congressional caucus.
They are party leaders, too.

The Democratic establishment has often prized seniority and incumbency over reason. Think of the head-shaking decision by House Democrats to pass over Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a superb questioner, as their top member on the House Oversight Committee. Instead, they chose the 74-year-old Gerald Connolly of Virginia, who later stepped down because of esophageal cancer; he died in May.

But whether the problem is stale ideas or lack of fitness, a fixation on seniority or on political dynasties, the practical effect is roughly the same.

[NewHendoLib]

2. Our country is a big political problem in general. cultural, too.

[ancianita]

5. Which is why this Forum exists, to get the Party to WIN first. What's distracting us at the national level can hurt

our focus on candidates with solutions at the party level. We're here to stop staring at the national trainwreck and get a better crew to fix both the tracks and the train engine.

[JustAnotherGen]

11. The maga Repubs

Have built a culture of us vs. them.

Know what? It works.

We need to engage the same tribal tactics. We sit around talking policy when people want to hear folks they are fighting for resources demonized.

[tulipsandroses]

6. Cuomo should have been an absolute NO!!! No way should he have gotten this much support

The sexual harassment is enough for me to say absolutely no but let's not forget all the other misdeeds. When you look under the hood, there are more than a few issues of concern regarding Cuomo's time as governor.

Cuomo has name recognition - unfortunately some people will go with what is familiar to them.
I completely agree with Mara on this " Mr. Cuomo may be elected mayor anyway. Even if he is, the Democrats have to realize that becoming the serious opposition party the country needs requires them to embrace competition, and let the best talent rise to govern cities and states in a way that works for a majority of their constituents".
We need new blood, new bold ideas. Problem is, even amongst democratic voters, there is a reluctance to support these new bold ideas. Not sure if it's just wanting to keep the status quo, doing what is familiar or out of fear that uplifting someone with bold ideas would not win outside of a primary. I suspect that might be an issue with some of the black folks supporting Cuomo. " The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know"???

[JustAnotherGen]

8. Black Voters

Are pragmatic voters, and I believe we are quickly moving towards:

What's In It For Me?

There are quite a few of us that feel betrayed by White Women, Arab American Voters, Muslim Voters, and three hispanic communities: Mexican, Venezueland, Cuban.

I mean - we were seeing Americans of Mexican heritage call Black LAPD officers 'n-bombs' and getting away with it last week.

The Palestinian Movement didn't help us (Black Folks) last year.

There's also this "They are coming for you next" BULLSHIT.

Folks - we've been the number one target of AmeriKKKa for 400 years. They killed too many Indigenous folks, and so we stand out like a sore thumb.

Welcome to being Black in AmeriKKKa. Y'all did it to yourselves. In the meantime, we have to make the best decisions for our own self-preservation (as we have already done) and our two natural allies (Jewish Americans and Indigenous Americans). It's self-centered pragmatism and it's about god damn time.

[ancianita]

9. It's pretty hard to argue your very fair points.

Except that I and New York remember the first year of the pandemic without a vaccine, when Cuomo led the country in understanding our situation, gave us numbers, science and hope. I considered him our de facto president then. People don't forget that particular good he did for the country, and probably think it outweighs his sins.

I'm with you regardless of how much I loved, admired and needed him and his voice in those days. Perhaps Dems of NYC want to give him a second chance to make up for his sins.

I'm not convinced, though. A progressive mayor gaining a coalition vote is important to national Democrats, and Mara Gay's right about the Party's current priorities -- "The Democratic establishment has often prized seniority and incumbency over reason."

Thus, we MUST let the party leaders know they have to reach out to new demographics to WIN.

[tulipsandroses]

16. I was a big supporter of Cuomo back then. I even posted that he should run for president

Once the sexual harassment, hiding the nursing home deaths, his bullying of other politicians and other ethical concerns came to light, my feelings for him changed. If he is elected, I hope he has the city front of mind instead of mounting a comeback for his own sake.

As far as national politics, we are never going to win over the MAGA cult. Even amongst some never trumpers, they don't support democrats. See John Kasich. Although he supported Biden in 2020, he never gives up a chance to criticize democrats. He was recently chastising Newsom for " "letting things get out of control" while going light on trump for sending in the national guard and marines.
IMO, we need to activate non voters and voters who don't think either party works for them. You can't do it with the status quo. We need fresh ideas, ideas that lift people out of poverty and provide stability for working folks.

[ancianita]

17. Generally agree with you.

You're right technically, bacause as long as Maga cheats, we won't win. I think we should keep an eye on the NYC voter turnout, to get an idea of its count breakdown -- with a high hope of new and non-voters in those numbers -- and go from there.

[cadoman]

21. you're right about some of his history, but beware of MAGA misinformation w/respect to nursing home deaths

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/aug/24/michael-caputo/hhs-official-blames-cuomo-nursing-home-covid-death/

Keep those fact checks at hand.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. What I would say is this

The Primary Voters make their choice and everyone has to accept it.

This election has not been rigged in Governor Cuomo's or Councilman Mamdani's favor. They earned their positions in the polls and at the polling locations.

When the nomination is decided - everyone Democratic Party member in the COUNTRY needs to get behind them the same way I plead that people do Sherrill's candidacy in NJ (I was a Baraka voter last week), and Spanberger's in VA.

These three wins could spook the maga Pubs for 2026.

And remember - we can't beat the Dictatorship from the outside.

[ancianita]

10. Okay, then. I hope you're right and that it works toward a national template.

[cadoman]

22. sounds great -- but Cuomo and his base are the people who need to hear it

Cuz he is the one considering a run as an Independent.

I've seen this dynamic many times in the past. Unfortunately those who most demand that water be carried on their behalf, are the ones least likely to pick up a pail when they are no longer in need..

[Quiet Em]

12. If I lived in NYC I'd be knocking on doors and making calls for Adrienne Adams.

I would not have voted for Eric Adams in his election either.

I'm not going to read too much into this election, and I don't believe it offers any clues of Democrats on a national level.

[ancianita]

13. Gay herself is a NYC resident. Are you saying you don't agree with Gay's claim that

"These frustrated voters are no longer looking to a consensus-builder like Mr. Lander, Mr. Myrie or Ms. Adams"?

Are there objective reasons why Adrienne Adams is better than Mamdani, who Gay seems to support? Just asking.

[Quiet Em]

14. I don't read too much into NYC politics.

The city and the voters are unique and their elections doesn't fit or stay in line with what happens nationally.

I have nothing against Mamdani. I prefer Adrienne Adams because she has the experience, character and wisdom that I would want in a Mayor.

[ancianita]

15. NYC politics are hardly separate from its history or its being the financial center of today's world, though.

I think that objectively matters. It also matters that the Dutch of New Amsterdam, named for what was considered the most tolerant city in the world at the time, were the first to introduce the now-modern American concept called Tolerance. The word didn't appear in the first American dictionary until New Amsterdam introduced it here.
New York, later became the first Capital of the United States and to this day has one of the world's largest natural harbors.

Not for nothing, Democrats have reason to believe that New York state and city exert an influence across the 3rd largest country on the planet, at least among those who are aware early American history, Dems/Repubs, liberals or not. Or Trump and his administration wouldn't be blatantly, publicly attacking NYC, which has the biggest immigrant population in the world, and the SDNY wouldn't have the most federal cases -- 20 out of 269 as of today -- of any state filed against Trump.

[Quiet Em]

18. I don't disagree.

The con artist does have a personal vendetta against many officials in NY, especially our AG. Our Govenor and AG don't put up with any of his sh*t. The con will keep meddling in NY politics because he would like to have his penalties and business punishments against him to go away. Everything he does is for himself.

[Gum Logger]

19. Those in the ratified air of the august precinct of Capital Hill are not able to deal with the Lee Atwater

political cesspool

[Passages]

20. What played out in the NYC mayor race is the power of one vote, one person.

As of yet, the people still have that power and used it effectively, this week...which is what scares the status quo.

I am certain Mamdani fully expects all levels of smears from both sides; he is a serious threat to donor power.