Cuomo defeated in NYC Democratic Mayoral Primary

[TragicMonkey]

I know what you wrote, and you characterized it as obsession.

What I wrote was "The set of people obsessed with Israel doesn't include every Jewish person on the planet." Just because the word "Israel" means only one event to you doesn't mean that's the case with everyone else.

eta: it's a whole country, with a history, you know.

 

[3point14]

And I would suggest you learn to detect obvious sarcasm.

Post hoc sarcasm has to be the new cutting edge stand-up thing after the current crowd work obsession has passed.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

New York is an American city, in America, with American citizens as its voters. Just because you believe all Jews must be loyal to Israel doesn't mean all Jews do.

The ones in the US are the ones who didn't go there, after all.

you very much misinterpreted my post.
I was pointing out that the City of New York is of outsized relevance for the Jewish Diaspora, and therefore for the State of Israel. It matters that Jewish residents have relatives in Israel, have a Right to Return, that many have gone to the free propaganda trip to Israel as teenagers, AND that they have a vote in the elections of the Nation critical for the survival of Israel.

That many Jewish New Yorkers are very much disillusioned with Israel is a different issue.

 

[TragicMonkey]

you very much misinterpreted my post.
I was pointing out that the City of New York is of outsized relevance for the Jewish Diaspora, and therefore for the State of Israel. It matters that Jewish residents have relatives in Israel, have a Right to Return, that many have gone to the free propaganda trip to Israel as teenagers, AND that they have a vote in the elections of the Nation critical for the survival of Israel.

That many Jewish New Yorkers are very much disillusioned with Israel is a different issue.

And you're missing my point. Just because you can come up with reasoning for why Jewish New Yorkers might or might not have particular feelings about Israel doesn't mean they actually do, or that all of them actually do, or that those who actually do weigh those feelings sufficiently to influence their choice of mayoral candidate.

What I'm arguing against is the kneejerk assumption being made that Jewish = interested in Israel. My mother's old enough to remember when people were running around claiming that if Kennedy were elected he'd take orders from the Vatican because to be of Irish descent was to be Catholic was to be loyal to the pope. People are more complex than that, and Americans in general and New Yorkers in particular are well-known for choosing as they please (when given the opportunity) despite what other think they ought to feel!

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Again, you have it backwards, and I apologize if that's because I am unclear.

I am not saying that Israel is important to Jewish New Yorkers - I am saying Jewish New Yorkers are seen as EXTREMELY important by the State of Israel. As it should, as US politics are critical for Israel, and New York politics very much influence US politics.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Again, you have it backwards, and I apologize if that's because I am unclear.

I am not saying that Israel is important to Jewish New Yorkers - I am saying Jewish New Yorkers are seen as EXTREMELY important by the State of Israel.

Ah. Thanks for the clarification. I have no information on Israelis' attitude towards an American city.

 

[jt512]

Post hoc sarcasm has to be the new cutting edge stand-up thing after the current crowd work obsession has passed.

Having overestimated the intelligence of the users here, I mistakenly decided it wasn’t necessary to signal OBVIOUS sarcasm with a smiley. Don’t know what I was thinking. Next time I’ll remember I’m talking to a bunch of morons. (Not sarcasm.)

 

[plague311]

Having overestimated the intelligence of the users here, I mistakenly decided it wasn’t necessary to signal OBVIOUS sarcasm with a smiley. Don’t know what I was thinking. Next time I’ll remember I’m talking to a bunch of morons. (Not sarcasm.)

"It's not me that sucks, it's all of you that suck. Now watch as I stick around here to insult all you morons from my pedestal despite not actually being any more intelligent than anyone else."

Cool flex bro.

 

[3point14]

Having overestimated the intelligence of the users here, I mistakenly decided it wasn’t necessary to signal OBVIOUS sarcasm with a smiley. Don’t know what I was thinking. Next time I’ll remember I’m talking to a bunch of morons. (Not sarcasm.)

Well done. Write for your target audience, I always say

 

[jt512]

Well done. Write for your target audience, I always say

At last we are in agreement. (Insert various smileys here.)

 

[kookbreaker]

Cuomo's efforts are just getting weird. For no reason he picks a fight with Chicago.



For the record, the Erie Canal was finished in 1825 and Chicago was founded in 1837.

If anything, the Erie Canal was built to compete with Philadelphia.

 

[mumblethrax]

He's just so bad at this. I assume he wants to say that Chicago under Brandon Johnson hasn't gone well, and Brandon Johnson is a pie-in-the-sky progressive, but he neglects to meaningfully tie him to Mamdani in any way, despite the fact that it wouldn't be difficult to do so. It just comes off as a weird broadside against Chicago.

Setting aside the historical error, invoking the Erie Canal as a rallying point for New York pride is further evidence of how out of touch he is with NYC. The canal has a certain amount of cultural resonance for upstaters (it was a standard field trip when I was a kid), because it's the last time upstate was economically relevant. In NYC, nobody cares.

The guy doesn't seem to be aware that he isn't running for governor again.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

He's just so bad at this. I assume he wants to say that Chicago under Brandon Johnson hasn't gone well, and Brandon Johnson is a pie-in-the-sky progressive, but he neglects to meaningfully tie him to Mamdani in any way, despite the fact that it wouldn't be difficult to do so. It just comes off as a weird broadside against Chicago.

Setting aside the historical error, invoking the Erie Canal as a rallying point for New York pride is further evidence of how out of touch he is with NYC. The canal has a certain amount of cultural resonance for upstaters (it was a standard field trip when I was a kid), because it's the last time upstate was economically relevant. In NYC, nobody cares.

The guy doesn't seem to be aware that he isn't running for governor again.

Plus the point of the canal wasn't to compete with Chicago, but to gain eaaier access to Chicago for trade purposes and to outcompete other ports on the Eastern seaboard who also traded with Chicago.

 

[I Am The Scum]

He's just so bad at this. I assume he wants to say that Chicago under Brandon Johnson hasn't gone well, and Brandon Johnson is a pie-in-the-sky progressive, but he neglects to meaningfully tie him to Mamdani in any way, despite the fact that it wouldn't be difficult to do so. It just comes off as a weird broadside against Chicago.

Setting aside the historical error, invoking the Erie Canal as a rallying point for New York pride is further evidence of how out of touch he is with NYC. The canal has a certain amount of cultural resonance for upstaters (it was a standard field trip when I was a kid), because it's the last time upstate was economically relevant. In NYC, nobody cares.

The guy doesn't seem to be aware that he isn't running for governor again.

I don't think he's okay.

 

[Helen]

I don't think he's okay.

View attachment 62871

Please allow me to be a bit "how do you do fellow kids" here; cringe!

 

[dudalb]

It say something sad about the Democratic party that damages good like Cuomo is still a mover and a shaker.
Sad thing I I am not crazy about the officila demoratic candidate and would probably support a run of Mayor by a more centrist Democratic, but Cuomo is messing up that complelty.

 

[plague311]

It say something sad about the Democratic party that damages good like Cuomo is still a mover and a shaker.
Sad thing I I am not crazy about the officila demoratic candidate and would probably support a run of Mayor by a more centrist Democratic, but Cuomo is messing up that complelty.

Cuomo is a "mover and a shaker"? Doesn't really seem like it considering he's getting trounced, but ok.

What's wrong with the Dem candidate? I don't know if you remember this but the two centrists that are running, Cuomo and Adams, have issues keeping their hands to themselves and being corrupt as hell, respectively.

I'm curious about your analysis about the Dem candidate though. Is it anything more than you just not liking a "communist"? I bet it's not much more than that.

 

[Brainster]

Cuomo is a "mover and a shaker"? Doesn't really seem like it considering he's getting trounced, but ok.

He was able to attract endorsements from quite a few Democratic heavyweights including Bill Clinton, and he's apparently getting significant financial support from mainstream Democrats. It may not be enough, but it does show he still has significant power in the state.

What's wrong with the Dem candidate? I don't know if you remember this but the two centrists that are running, Cuomo and Adams, have issues keeping their hands to themselves and being corrupt as hell, respectively.

Which was why dudalb referred to Cuomo as damaged goods.

I'm curious about your analysis about the Dem candidate though. Is it anything more than you just not liking a "communist"? I bet it's not much more than that

Can't speak for dudalb but I do have some concerns (although since I haven't worked in NYC for 40+ years I don't have a stake). For starters, there is Mamdani's proposal for free bus service. Sounds great if you need to take the bus to work, save $6 or so a day, for a working family that can be a big deal. Except think about it for a second--if you make the bus free, you're going to have a lot more people using it. Including, inevitably, the homeless. So now the busses are more crowded and they're still slow as molasses. According to this article, the NYC bus system is among the slowest in the world at 8 mph. Oh, and how does the city make up the lost revenue from fares? That same article says over 1 million New Yorkers ride the bus daily, that 44% (!) of them actually evade the fare. So quick math here, 1,000,000 times $6 times 56% who pay times 220 days equals $739 million.

The rent freeze is problematic as well. The units that it applies to are already rent-controlled, and the board that regulates them has not been overly generous to the landlords. Last year the maximum rent increase was 2.75% and this year it will be 3.00%. These are not the units that have seen skyrocketing rentals. If you tell a landlord he cannot increase rents in the face of 3% inflation, what is he going to do? I'll tell you one thing for sure; he's going to cut back on maintenance and repairs.

 

[plague311]

He was able to attract endorsements from quite a few Democratic heavyweights including Bill Clinton, and he's apparently getting significant financial support from mainstream Democrats. It may not be enough, but it does show he still has significant power in the state.

And it's not really doing much for him in the polls, right? I haven't seen many articles showing a recent surge for him, and is Bill Clinton really a heavyweight anymore? I don't think so. He's pretty tainted with the Epstein thing and I haven't really heard him talked about much, but it's not a hill I'll die on. If you say he's a mover and a shaker, then I'll digress. I don't agree, but I don't care that much.

Which was why dudalb referred to Cuomo as damaged goods.

Yes, my point was that centrists aren't really going to get play in NYC because the two people under the umbrella are garbage, and no one else wants to jump in the ring. Why? Because you're jumping in with people like them.

Can't speak for dudalb but I do have some concerns (although since I haven't worked in NYC for 40+ years I don't have a stake). For starters, there is Mamdani's proposal for free bus service. Sounds great if you need to take the bus to work, save $6 or so a day, for a working family that can be a big deal. Except think about it for a second--if you make the bus free, you're going to have a lot more people using it. Including, inevitably, the homeless. So now the busses are more crowded and they're still slow as molasses. According to this article, the NYC bus system is among the slowest in the world at 8 mph. Oh, and how does the city make up the lost revenue from fares? That same article says over 1 million New Yorkers ride the bus daily, that 44% (!) of them actually evade the fare. So quick math here, 1,000,000 times $6 times 56% who pay times 220 days equals $739 million.

Ok, does Mamdani not have anything anywhere stating how he would make up for that revenue? Is there no cost savings by having less vehicles on the road, and more people using public transportation? I don't know, but it seems like if he had no thoughts or ideas on how to recoup $739 million that would be a problem, yes. I don't believe that to be the case but I don't feel like going looking.

The rent freeze is problematic as well. The units that it applies to are already rent-controlled, and the board that regulates them has not been overly generous to the landlords. Last year the maximum rent increase was 2.75% and this year it will be 3.00%. These are not the units that have seen skyrocketing rentals. If you tell a landlord he cannot increase rents in the face of 3% inflation, what is he going to do? I'll tell you one thing for sure; he's going to cut back on maintenance and repairs.

Landlords would do whatever the ◊◊◊◊ everyone else has to do, figure it the ◊◊◊◊ out. That's the point. Why is it the losses are always socialized but the profits are always privatized, get me? If the cost of life goes up 3%, well, the renters have to figure it out. Why can't the landlords? Which is really what it boils down to and why the people endorsing Cuomo and Adams are doing so, because they're the elite class that don't want their money touched. Sure, increase rent, increase bills, increase costs on the middle to lower class, that's all good, but ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ heaven forbid the landlords have to tough it out. That would be ridiculous!

 

[mumblethrax]

Free buses seem like a no-brainer to me. The only problem is that it doesn't go far enough--the subway should be free, too. The positive externalities of public transportation are big. Fare evasion is high on buses because bus drivers don't need the hassle. They're busy driving the bus. One of interesting insights from pilot programs is that eliminating fares reduces assaults on drivers (which probably represents a savings, too, although nothing approaching $700 million). And with fare evasion rates that high, if we were going to see homeless people on buses in serious numbers, we'd already be seeing it. It's not like the guy muttering to himself who stinks of piss and decay is rushing to a business appointment. He's just looking for a place to exist for a few hours without being harassed. The subway is a much better option for him--you can ride all day once you're in the system, and you can even lie down.

Mamdani is aware that buses in NYC are slow. His campaign slogan has been "free and fast buses". He just did a campaign stunt where he had a walking race with the M34 bus (he won). The solution to that is always going to be traffic design. The buses aren't slow because they're overused. They're slow because of general congestion. How many times have I waited half an hour for a bus that's supposed to arrive every five minutes, only for four buses to arrive at once? More often than I'd like. Eliminating fares also reduces onboarding time--you can have people board at the back of the bus, as well as the front--which helps keep them moving.

The downside of free buses is that they probably won't displace much of the traffic you want them to. Ideally people would use buses instead of cars. Making them free increases ridership, but it tends to displace other modes of transportation instead (people take the bus where they would have walked or biked with the fare in place). And yeah, you have to make up the revenue somehow (read: tax increases).

Still, very much one of his more sensible proposals.