What’s fascinating here is how identity politics collapses into pure organizational politics once a district flips composition. Reynoso has relationships and institutional memory. Valdez has activist energy and an aligned base. That tension is the story of every late-stage progressive city. The “Commie Corridor” label is funny, but the underlying lesson is serious: demography is destiny until logistics and turnout machinery rewrite it.
Would prefer Reynoso stay in local government - we need more YIMBY-adjacent politicians. Gotta be honest- calling someone who has lived here for a decade a "transplant" is wild. That's a long time!
Great essay. Also seems reflective of a broader societal battle between geriatric legacy and the new generation who won’t be told to their wait their turn.
I agree, and this is a sentiment echoed by a lot of lifelong northern Brooklyn/western Queens residents. I don’t agree with it 100%, but I do my best to understand their perspective. A lot of them have lost friends, family members, and neighbors in recent years due to displacement, and they want to blame someone for those changes.
The narrative fracture you describe feels like what happens when shared meaning becomes a contested resource. The corridor's civil war seems less about ideology than about who gets to define reality itself. What would happen if we treated narrative coherence as infrastructure - something that needs deliberate maintenance and shared investment, not just something that emerges from cultural battles?
"Valdez moved to New York City in 2015, and ran for Congress 11 years later; Velázquez settled in New York City in 1981, and ran for Congress 11 years later"
Wow. I would vote for Reynoso if I was in that district. But the trash talk about "outsiders" is inappropriate, even without the laughable hypocrisy. (For what it's worth, I say that as a native and almost lifelong New Yorker.)
I don’t understand Velasquez’s dismissal of Valdez as an “outsider” when she herself was an outsider born outside the district when she first ran. It feels like a lame duck being upset that her congressional district cannot be bequeathed. Ultimately, the district will be well off with either candidate and for once, there are two good candidates running for a seat.
First you writing seems to be more in favor of Valdez because of the book you are writing on Mamdani. Your attempt to compare a recent arrival Valdez to Velazquez is not on all fours. Velazque had the entirety of the Puerto Rican community in support behind her and now Reynoso has added his Dominican support. Not so in Valdez case.Reynoso is BPP with support of folks like Jumanne Williams behind him and former councilman representing part of the district. You blame Nydia for starting the civil war when it was Mamdani who declared his candidate without even consultation or respect of Nydia's preference. He proved he cares little about the Puerto Rican community removing the Puerto Rican schools chancellor.He was willing to stick it to the Puerto Ricans and Dominicans but had no problem defending a corporatist Hakeem Jeffries.It seems your whole analysis is simply based on the fact that Valdez has Mamdani's support. Time will tell if that is enough? Mamdani won the district but it was with Velazquez support the first congressmember to do so and mayoral election are not really transferable to local elections. Your comparison is weak when you compare Dinkins support of Velazquez with Mamdani support of Valdez. Their is a history of Black and Brown communities voting in unison the problem Reynoso will have is that he is Black and white residents even progressive ones are not known for support Black people, Spanish speaking or not? Both these candidates would be probably identical in Washington but as an early Mamdani supporter I have gottein increasingly disgruntled by the arrogance of Mamdani on lack of Latina/o appointments and fluffing off the concerns of the Puerto Rican community given Velazquez and AOC support. He is an ingrate and it will come back to haunt him.
Identity politics is the language apologists for discrimination use to excuse the exclusion of Latinos, So they remind us Mamdani was the first Muslim South Asian and want us to bow but Latino demands to be at the table are trivialized. It is a closet method to kiss white peoples ass. I am not a colonized Puerto Rican so I deal in truths. These calm ents are the garbage of defenders of white supremacy and pick any tear post slavery and conquest and the institutional racism remains
You are obviously an intellectual lightweight unaccustomed to anyone challenging your weak assertions based on your prejudices. I don’t play the woke game used to put justice advocates on the defense. You are like that closet racist that pretends to advocate colorblindness and misquote MLK to defend your intellectually famished viewpoint all to cover for your racism. MLK was right we have to pray for our sick brothers.
More woke speak. I simply don't believe in left-wing illiberalism like you and want the best qualified person to be the deputy mayor whether it be a white man or a queer Afro Latina.
The problems with your logic is that America has never been based on a meritocracy. Wake up people are hired largely in this country based on white privilege and subordination of more qualified Black and Brown people. White folks when they can't overcome being mediocre and are confronted with a more prepared professional class of non-white folks then play the "endangered white male" card and like Tucker Carlson create "Replacement Theory." It is based on an ahistorical basis of America that is why they want to erase the history of people of color. It is whites that enslaved blacks, conquered Latin American countries to steal resources, interned the Japanese, and committed genocide against Native Americans. At least tell the real story. Suggest you read that classic work "When Affirmative Action was White" by I Katznelson. So your "woke" rethoric is a vote for mediocre whites and when you start off on third base in American society while people of color are oppressed then you hypocrites pretend you hit a home run. As to Deputy Mayor how would you know who was more qualified Kemosabee, it is like putting the fox to guard the chicken coop. Your Axis really is divergent wake up and smell the racism.
This is another example of hypocrisy of many white folks. The idea is not to define the politics by ethnicity but I suspect you are smart enought to know that. It is about inclusion and applifying the base of applicants to make sure well qualified candidates are considered for perspective employment opportunities. You can’t be that estupido. We have a history of this country of less than meritorious white employees being overrepresented in the city work force and people of color underrepresented. Considerating that now one-third of NYC is Latina/o and one fourth Black we have the largest professional class of lawyers, doctors, teacher, psychologists, political scientists, you name it the excuse offered by whites elites that they can’t find “qualified” minorities. Truth be told in a history of 240 years of slavery, conquest, ethnic discrimination to now turn around a pretend we are all starting from the same place is pure foolishness. I never argue pick someone because they are Latina you must be intellectually challenged I merely restate the historical record of manh white mediocre white folks being elevated due to skin privilege. Murphy sounds Irish did you know that historically Black and Latinos were denied access to the police dept. because it was a center of Irish patronage? Puerto Ricans learned to run away from overly aggressive cops with the term look out “la Hara” referring to the Irish name Ohara. In short you don’t know what your writing about and suggest you read a good old classic entitled “When Affirmative Action was White” by by Ira Katznelson,
I feel like we read entirely different essays–the piece is very nuanced and defends Reynoso at many points, and frontloads, in detail, the author's past work and potential biases.
Also–Zohran is allowed to endorse whoever he desires, especially in a district he has partially represented for several years. Constant deference to seniority majorly contributed to the National Democratic Party's current sclerotic, impotent state. Of course, Velazquez is -also- within her rights to speak up.
The biggest question here is whether AOC decides to jump into the race.
Fwiw, I voted for Reynoso for BP multiple times and appreciate his work with New Kings Democrats. I hope, whatever happens, he continues working for progressive values, and doesn't develop a Ritchie Torres-style grudge against the socialist left.
That Zohran can endorse whoever he wants is besides the point and you are creating a strawman since I never said he couldn’t. I felt you were nuance but notably bias towards Mamdani who you reveal you are writing a book about. You imply Nydia started the brawl. What I have said is that Velazquez was the first congressmember to endorse him and he could at least taken her concern into consideration. Since you voted for the Bklyn BP I will note I endorsed Mamdani more than a year ago when others were riding the Adams-Cuomo train. But to trivialize a legendary Puerto Rican icon is just one manifestation of what is emerging as Mamdani’s Latina/o problem. It is not the seniority he is going out of his way to try to annoint Valdez appointing key staff to help her campaign but shanked the congresswoman that supported him when he was nobody. Not because she has seniority but because she represents the struggle of the Latino community against the Democratic machine in Bklyn Queens and inclusion in the system of governance which my Muslim, South Asian brother should have respected. .Every Puerto Rican and Latino in New York should take offense. I think it also reflects why the administration has so few Puerto Rican or Dominican appointees and jettisoned the Puerto Rican women Chancellor. But that is usual practice that Latinos are never on the agenda of white progressives that are really just in the Mamdani camp and couldn’t give a hoot about Latinos and never have. I have been politically active for 40 years Kemosabee. They walk a fine line with African Americans because their leadership won’t put up with this closet white supremacy. This is always the white liberal/progressive mindset and I am a progressive. I suspect AOC is and is being pressured by DSA to ignore her madrina and endorse Valdez. Her choice but I suspect this battle of the left will not be decided by one endorsement it will be based on a street operation. As I have stated either candidate would be a welcome addition to progressives and I have steered clear of endorsing anyone. But what I won’t stay clear of is the usual white liberal/ progressive arrogance and their white adjacent friends steeped in double standards and invisibilizing Latina/o communities. Hope you are well Michael and would like you to have return engagement to Inside City Hall to explain why Mamdani is your leader in a journalist panel with Gerson Borrero. LOL
Appreciate your perspective and historical context, though I think my comment is somewhat being fused/elided with/from the original piece.
To the extent we disagree, it appears that you are clearly upset with Zohran endorsing Valdez against Velazquez’s wishes, while I don’t think endorsements should account for incumbents/seniority/et cetera. I say this as someone who has largely spent time on left-wing campaigns that faced massive headwinds from endorsements. I think we disagree, from a first principles perspective, on what endorsements signify. Anyways, have a nice weekend!
Setting up a straw man does your point a disservice. It is not the endorsement I am upset at but as the facts established he did not even have a conversation with Velazquez as to her concerns. Mamdani doesn't have to be white to demonstrate what I have known all my life as "white arrogance." She was the incumbent congressmember a first supporter and was entitled to respect. Maybe culturally this does not mean anything to you but to every Latina/o it is a cornerstone of beliefs that 34 year old political puppies like Zohran appreciate the wisdom of elders. Unlike you I have been on the progressive wing for 50 years and championed countless anti-machine candidates before the middle class white folks moved in and gentrified communities of color and have borne witness to the sense of entitlement that invades politicians once they win. I am not upset because at my age I may be dead before Mandami second term but based on experience "young blood" friend I pledged that in my golden years I would not remain silent while history repeats itself. This casting of my remarks as not analystical but emotional (another tactic) ignores a lifetime of crushing numbers and working for progressive candidates including Zohran. Endorsements mean little and this battle will take place in the mobilization of communities. Like I said either of the two candidates then (now a third) would champion progressive ideas and unlike you I have not already aligned with the Mamdani camp for your book. Have taken no position of District 7 but have on the treatment of my people. Add to the mix until recently the near total lack of Puerto Rican appointments which you as a white beneficiary could not give a hoot about on this front the Mayor's reign is problematic though strong on progressive class based issues. But silence is acceptance and as I have shared with Mandami and his team these tactics are not constructive to bulding a multiracial/multicultural city. But again his team many just flush my comments because after all I am only a mere "sp....k and' am no longer on radio, electorally active only in the University and bring few votes. If he could dismiss the votes galvinized by the first Puerto Rican woman elected to congress what could one boricua voice stand a chance. Perhaps Kemosabee, your gifted writing skills could be spent fighting for equality of representation of people of color instead of trivializing the aspiration of beseiged communities and solifying those already in power.
Imagine living in a world where white males mediocre at best are
being selected for a job based on white privilege then pretending they are not selected based on whiteness as if historically they were an endangered species and lynching 5000 Blacks and 3000 Mexicans they said were Bandidos. American history elevated by many whites as an exceptional country.
Strip away the slogans and this is New York politics in its purest form. Townies versus transplants. Old guards versus drop-ins with megaphones. Velázquez is saying what no one else will: you don’t parachute into a neighborhood, skim the vibes, and crown yourself its conscience. Mamdani’s people mistake proximity for ownership and activism for legitimacy. But politics isn’t a pop-up shop. It’s memory, relationships, scars, and debts. The “Commie Corridor” isn’t having a civil war over ideology—it’s fighting over who actually belongs. And history suggests Brooklyn doesn’t surrender quietly.,
Coattails and endorsements are often overemphasized, on top of the June primary ballot Gov Hochul, will she have coattails? Will the UFT, get involved, plenty of young teacher and paraprofessionals, many PRs, and, of course, by June Mamdani may be looking for friends, buses may not be free and the rents not frozen.
Yet another reason why socialists need to fully break with the Democratic Party yesterday and get serious about building an independent political party that serves the entirety of the working class.
I personally think that ship sailed a long, long time ago. What makes you say that *this* race in particular is the true test of the party surrogate strategy?
Idk haha i kinda just said it. Maybe what I meant is like if a serious labor cadre candidate can beat a credentialed capital p Progressive and not just an geriatric establishment corrupt sex pest, it sort of shows that the DSA electoral strategy has real people power in multiple different situations? Like it’s resilient and flexible? I’m also not so sold on the surrogate strategy in the longterm to be clear
For sure, appreciate you elaborating! I don’t entirely disagree with that, and am certainly looking forward to Claire winning the race. Especially if she can remain acting as a true cadre labor leader that remains accountable to the movement.
Socialist v. Progressive. Then there’s Left v. Center-Left. Populist v. Institutionalist, Progressive v. “Centrist,” Liberal v. Progressive, Outsider v. Establishment. No wonder we can’t get it together.
God this column is like crack to me lol it’s truly pilled me into being an urbanist
What’s fascinating here is how identity politics collapses into pure organizational politics once a district flips composition. Reynoso has relationships and institutional memory. Valdez has activist energy and an aligned base. That tension is the story of every late-stage progressive city. The “Commie Corridor” label is funny, but the underlying lesson is serious: demography is destiny until logistics and turnout machinery rewrite it.
Would prefer Reynoso stay in local government - we need more YIMBY-adjacent politicians. Gotta be honest- calling someone who has lived here for a decade a "transplant" is wild. That's a long time!
Great essay. Also seems reflective of a broader societal battle between geriatric legacy and the new generation who won’t be told to their wait their turn.
I agree, and this is a sentiment echoed by a lot of lifelong northern Brooklyn/western Queens residents. I don’t agree with it 100%, but I do my best to understand their perspective. A lot of them have lost friends, family members, and neighbors in recent years due to displacement, and they want to blame someone for those changes.
The narrative fracture you describe feels like what happens when shared meaning becomes a contested resource. The corridor's civil war seems less about ideology than about who gets to define reality itself. What would happen if we treated narrative coherence as infrastructure - something that needs deliberate maintenance and shared investment, not just something that emerges from cultural battles?
"Valdez moved to New York City in 2015, and ran for Congress 11 years later; Velázquez settled in New York City in 1981, and ran for Congress 11 years later"
Wow. I would vote for Reynoso if I was in that district. But the trash talk about "outsiders" is inappropriate, even without the laughable hypocrisy. (For what it's worth, I say that as a native and almost lifelong New Yorker.)
His silence on Gaza alone is enough to not get my vote
Fantastic piece of analysis and writing. Thank you!
Beautifully crafted. It will be 8nteresting to see if the candidates' gloves come off...
I don’t understand Velasquez’s dismissal of Valdez as an “outsider” when she herself was an outsider born outside the district when she first ran. It feels like a lame duck being upset that her congressional district cannot be bequeathed. Ultimately, the district will be well off with either candidate and for once, there are two good candidates running for a seat.
First you writing seems to be more in favor of Valdez because of the book you are writing on Mamdani. Your attempt to compare a recent arrival Valdez to Velazquez is not on all fours. Velazque had the entirety of the Puerto Rican community in support behind her and now Reynoso has added his Dominican support. Not so in Valdez case.Reynoso is BPP with support of folks like Jumanne Williams behind him and former councilman representing part of the district. You blame Nydia for starting the civil war when it was Mamdani who declared his candidate without even consultation or respect of Nydia's preference. He proved he cares little about the Puerto Rican community removing the Puerto Rican schools chancellor.He was willing to stick it to the Puerto Ricans and Dominicans but had no problem defending a corporatist Hakeem Jeffries.It seems your whole analysis is simply based on the fact that Valdez has Mamdani's support. Time will tell if that is enough? Mamdani won the district but it was with Velazquez support the first congressmember to do so and mayoral election are not really transferable to local elections. Your comparison is weak when you compare Dinkins support of Velazquez with Mamdani support of Valdez. Their is a history of Black and Brown communities voting in unison the problem Reynoso will have is that he is Black and white residents even progressive ones are not known for support Black people, Spanish speaking or not? Both these candidates would be probably identical in Washington but as an early Mamdani supporter I have gottein increasingly disgruntled by the arrogance of Mamdani on lack of Latina/o appointments and fluffing off the concerns of the Puerto Rican community given Velazquez and AOC support. He is an ingrate and it will come back to haunt him.
Sorry but this garbage identity politics belongs in 2018-20 not in 2026.
Identity politics is the language apologists for discrimination use to excuse the exclusion of Latinos, So they remind us Mamdani was the first Muslim South Asian and want us to bow but Latino demands to be at the table are trivialized. It is a closet method to kiss white peoples ass. I am not a colonized Puerto Rican so I deal in truths. These calm ents are the garbage of defenders of white supremacy and pick any tear post slavery and conquest and the institutional racism remains
Lol you're like that woke bookstore which had woke employees and closed down.
You are obviously an intellectual lightweight unaccustomed to anyone challenging your weak assertions based on your prejudices. I don’t play the woke game used to put justice advocates on the defense. You are like that closet racist that pretends to advocate colorblindness and misquote MLK to defend your intellectually famished viewpoint all to cover for your racism. MLK was right we have to pray for our sick brothers.
More woke speak. I simply don't believe in left-wing illiberalism like you and want the best qualified person to be the deputy mayor whether it be a white man or a queer Afro Latina.
The problems with your logic is that America has never been based on a meritocracy. Wake up people are hired largely in this country based on white privilege and subordination of more qualified Black and Brown people. White folks when they can't overcome being mediocre and are confronted with a more prepared professional class of non-white folks then play the "endangered white male" card and like Tucker Carlson create "Replacement Theory." It is based on an ahistorical basis of America that is why they want to erase the history of people of color. It is whites that enslaved blacks, conquered Latin American countries to steal resources, interned the Japanese, and committed genocide against Native Americans. At least tell the real story. Suggest you read that classic work "When Affirmative Action was White" by I Katznelson. So your "woke" rethoric is a vote for mediocre whites and when you start off on third base in American society while people of color are oppressed then you hypocrites pretend you hit a home run. As to Deputy Mayor how would you know who was more qualified Kemosabee, it is like putting the fox to guard the chicken coop. Your Axis really is divergent wake up and smell the racism.
imagine having a politics defined only by the ethnicity of executive appointments and lacking the SHAME to admit this in public :o
crazy world we live in, like an adult should be embarrassed to say this
This is another example of hypocrisy of many white folks. The idea is not to define the politics by ethnicity but I suspect you are smart enought to know that. It is about inclusion and applifying the base of applicants to make sure well qualified candidates are considered for perspective employment opportunities. You can’t be that estupido. We have a history of this country of less than meritorious white employees being overrepresented in the city work force and people of color underrepresented. Considerating that now one-third of NYC is Latina/o and one fourth Black we have the largest professional class of lawyers, doctors, teacher, psychologists, political scientists, you name it the excuse offered by whites elites that they can’t find “qualified” minorities. Truth be told in a history of 240 years of slavery, conquest, ethnic discrimination to now turn around a pretend we are all starting from the same place is pure foolishness. I never argue pick someone because they are Latina you must be intellectually challenged I merely restate the historical record of manh white mediocre white folks being elevated due to skin privilege. Murphy sounds Irish did you know that historically Black and Latinos were denied access to the police dept. because it was a center of Irish patronage? Puerto Ricans learned to run away from overly aggressive cops with the term look out “la Hara” referring to the Irish name Ohara. In short you don’t know what your writing about and suggest you read a good old classic entitled “When Affirmative Action was White” by by Ira Katznelson,
gurl shut up
I try not to list to a..holes who are intellectually famished and act like stupid b…..ches.
I feel like we read entirely different essays–the piece is very nuanced and defends Reynoso at many points, and frontloads, in detail, the author's past work and potential biases.
Also–Zohran is allowed to endorse whoever he desires, especially in a district he has partially represented for several years. Constant deference to seniority majorly contributed to the National Democratic Party's current sclerotic, impotent state. Of course, Velazquez is -also- within her rights to speak up.
The biggest question here is whether AOC decides to jump into the race.
Fwiw, I voted for Reynoso for BP multiple times and appreciate his work with New Kings Democrats. I hope, whatever happens, he continues working for progressive values, and doesn't develop a Ritchie Torres-style grudge against the socialist left.
That Zohran can endorse whoever he wants is besides the point and you are creating a strawman since I never said he couldn’t. I felt you were nuance but notably bias towards Mamdani who you reveal you are writing a book about. You imply Nydia started the brawl. What I have said is that Velazquez was the first congressmember to endorse him and he could at least taken her concern into consideration. Since you voted for the Bklyn BP I will note I endorsed Mamdani more than a year ago when others were riding the Adams-Cuomo train. But to trivialize a legendary Puerto Rican icon is just one manifestation of what is emerging as Mamdani’s Latina/o problem. It is not the seniority he is going out of his way to try to annoint Valdez appointing key staff to help her campaign but shanked the congresswoman that supported him when he was nobody. Not because she has seniority but because she represents the struggle of the Latino community against the Democratic machine in Bklyn Queens and inclusion in the system of governance which my Muslim, South Asian brother should have respected. .Every Puerto Rican and Latino in New York should take offense. I think it also reflects why the administration has so few Puerto Rican or Dominican appointees and jettisoned the Puerto Rican women Chancellor. But that is usual practice that Latinos are never on the agenda of white progressives that are really just in the Mamdani camp and couldn’t give a hoot about Latinos and never have. I have been politically active for 40 years Kemosabee. They walk a fine line with African Americans because their leadership won’t put up with this closet white supremacy. This is always the white liberal/progressive mindset and I am a progressive. I suspect AOC is and is being pressured by DSA to ignore her madrina and endorse Valdez. Her choice but I suspect this battle of the left will not be decided by one endorsement it will be based on a street operation. As I have stated either candidate would be a welcome addition to progressives and I have steered clear of endorsing anyone. But what I won’t stay clear of is the usual white liberal/ progressive arrogance and their white adjacent friends steeped in double standards and invisibilizing Latina/o communities. Hope you are well Michael and would like you to have return engagement to Inside City Hall to explain why Mamdani is your leader in a journalist panel with Gerson Borrero. LOL
Appreciate your perspective and historical context, though I think my comment is somewhat being fused/elided with/from the original piece.
To the extent we disagree, it appears that you are clearly upset with Zohran endorsing Valdez against Velazquez’s wishes, while I don’t think endorsements should account for incumbents/seniority/et cetera. I say this as someone who has largely spent time on left-wing campaigns that faced massive headwinds from endorsements. I think we disagree, from a first principles perspective, on what endorsements signify. Anyways, have a nice weekend!
Setting up a straw man does your point a disservice. It is not the endorsement I am upset at but as the facts established he did not even have a conversation with Velazquez as to her concerns. Mamdani doesn't have to be white to demonstrate what I have known all my life as "white arrogance." She was the incumbent congressmember a first supporter and was entitled to respect. Maybe culturally this does not mean anything to you but to every Latina/o it is a cornerstone of beliefs that 34 year old political puppies like Zohran appreciate the wisdom of elders. Unlike you I have been on the progressive wing for 50 years and championed countless anti-machine candidates before the middle class white folks moved in and gentrified communities of color and have borne witness to the sense of entitlement that invades politicians once they win. I am not upset because at my age I may be dead before Mandami second term but based on experience "young blood" friend I pledged that in my golden years I would not remain silent while history repeats itself. This casting of my remarks as not analystical but emotional (another tactic) ignores a lifetime of crushing numbers and working for progressive candidates including Zohran. Endorsements mean little and this battle will take place in the mobilization of communities. Like I said either of the two candidates then (now a third) would champion progressive ideas and unlike you I have not already aligned with the Mamdani camp for your book. Have taken no position of District 7 but have on the treatment of my people. Add to the mix until recently the near total lack of Puerto Rican appointments which you as a white beneficiary could not give a hoot about on this front the Mayor's reign is problematic though strong on progressive class based issues. But silence is acceptance and as I have shared with Mandami and his team these tactics are not constructive to bulding a multiracial/multicultural city. But again his team many just flush my comments because after all I am only a mere "sp....k and' am no longer on radio, electorally active only in the University and bring few votes. If he could dismiss the votes galvinized by the first Puerto Rican woman elected to congress what could one boricua voice stand a chance. Perhaps Kemosabee, your gifted writing skills could be spent fighting for equality of representation of people of color instead of trivializing the aspiration of beseiged communities and solifying those already in power.
Imagine living in a world where white males mediocre at best are
being selected for a job based on white privilege then pretending they are not selected based on whiteness as if historically they were an endangered species and lynching 5000 Blacks and 3000 Mexicans they said were Bandidos. American history elevated by many whites as an exceptional country.
Strip away the slogans and this is New York politics in its purest form. Townies versus transplants. Old guards versus drop-ins with megaphones. Velázquez is saying what no one else will: you don’t parachute into a neighborhood, skim the vibes, and crown yourself its conscience. Mamdani’s people mistake proximity for ownership and activism for legitimacy. But politics isn’t a pop-up shop. It’s memory, relationships, scars, and debts. The “Commie Corridor” isn’t having a civil war over ideology—it’s fighting over who actually belongs. And history suggests Brooklyn doesn’t surrender quietly.,
AI writing
Don't you wish, you talentless prick.
he got your ass Claude
Coattails and endorsements are often overemphasized, on top of the June primary ballot Gov Hochul, will she have coattails? Will the UFT, get involved, plenty of young teacher and paraprofessionals, many PRs, and, of course, by June Mamdani may be looking for friends, buses may not be free and the rents not frozen.
Yet another reason why socialists need to fully break with the Democratic Party yesterday and get serious about building an independent political party that serves the entirety of the working class.
This race is the true test of whether DSA’s surrogate strategy (takeover the Dem party from within) has legs
I personally think that ship sailed a long, long time ago. What makes you say that *this* race in particular is the true test of the party surrogate strategy?
Idk haha i kinda just said it. Maybe what I meant is like if a serious labor cadre candidate can beat a credentialed capital p Progressive and not just an geriatric establishment corrupt sex pest, it sort of shows that the DSA electoral strategy has real people power in multiple different situations? Like it’s resilient and flexible? I’m also not so sold on the surrogate strategy in the longterm to be clear
For sure, appreciate you elaborating! I don’t entirely disagree with that, and am certainly looking forward to Claire winning the race. Especially if she can remain acting as a true cadre labor leader that remains accountable to the movement.
See you out on the canvasses brotha
Socialist v. Progressive. Then there’s Left v. Center-Left. Populist v. Institutionalist, Progressive v. “Centrist,” Liberal v. Progressive, Outsider v. Establishment. No wonder we can’t get it together.
A good piece, although more thoughtful and less juicy than I hoped when I read the headline and lede.
DSA endorsed Nydia in 1992