We can understand the dilemma the three top N.Y. Democrats – Sen. Schumer, Rep. Hakim Jeffries and Gov. Kathy Hochul – are facing as to whether to endorse Democratic Mayoral candidate Zorhan Mamdani. Yet it is nonetheless dismaying that they have failed to take a stand against him despite his statements we believe to be clearly antisemitic and his self-avowed Marxist agenda.
Yes, undoubtedly, he is not their preferred candidate, and as party leaders they are expected to support its nominee. And yes, in all likelihood if they don’t support him they will surely be primaried by Mamdani’s newly electrified base the next time they themselves run.
But do those considerations justify their giving the impression that they don’t reject a candidate that many believe is an out-and-out anti-Jewish bigot? Would they be silent if Mamdani had spewed anti-Black or anti-Latino statements? We think not.
Nor is their failure to rebuke Mamdani a mere matter of passive acquiescence. Their failure to address his provocations is to signal that his brand of politics has a place in the Democratic Party.
Just as importantly, it signals that antisemitism is not that big of a deal – and it legitimates it in the eyes of new voters Mamdani drew to the primary polls, most of whom were from younger, more impressionable age groups. So, to wax somewhat cynical, Schumer, et al., may be willing to risk being labeled soft on antisemitism since antisemitism seems more and more to be finding a place in the Democratic Party, to say nothing of its growing presence on college and university campuses.
Separate and apart from the issue of antisemitism, Mamdani’s agenda includes such specifics as a freeze on rents, making bus transportation free and increasing taxes on the wealthy. And then there are the general goals of emasculating law enforcement, canceling and remaking our culture, fostering transgenderism and sanctuary cities, adopting such discriminatory anti-business policies as affirmative action and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.
Yet, the broad national rejection of these policies and support for President Trump’s brand of governance suggests that the Mamdani program will not be all that helpful to the Democrats with the rank and file in New York state and nationally. It would seem prudent for its leaders, like Senate Democratic Minority Leader Schumer, House of Representatives Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Governor of the State of New York Kathy Hochul, to not ignore the prospect of a Mamdani mayoralty.
It’s time for the Democratic leadership to step up to the plate and declare unequivocally that antisemitism is a disqualifier as are economy-hobbling policies and tradition revisionism.
