In more civilized times, just those three issues alone would have forced a candidate to drop out of the race, rather than consider running as an independent.
While it isn’t unusual for the "other side," to claim that the Democratic candidate will drive the city into a post-apocalyptic nightmare, it was truly stunning that Cuomo attacked his competitor rather than focusing on what he would do for New York City.
At no point did Cuomo attempt to connect with the voters of New York City. He never bothered to ask, "What do you need from your Mayor?" Instead, he focused on aspects that Mamdani could not change: his skin color and belief system. Cuomo even attempted to brand Mamdani as an extremist.
To review, Andrew Cuomo and the majority of the leadership of the Democratic Party are too focused on not being Trump, or in this case, Mamdani. The Democratic leadership, just like Cuomo, forgets that the bottom line of being a candidate, of being a public servant, is to serve the people. How can anyone serve the people when they have forgotten how to talk to them? Without that all-important exchange of ideas between the Democratic leadership and the public, there can be no Democratic victory. After all, look at what Mamdani was able to achieve and overcome in a city that was attacked by extremists.
Mamdani took the time to talk to his constituents. He developed his platform and policies in real terms that people can easily understand. He met the insults and accusations head-on. There was no cowering in corners or wringing of hands about what someone said about him.
To cap it all off, Cuomo claimed his campaign—accused of racism and Islamophobia—was, in fact, about unity. Yet, in his concession speech, he spent nearly ten minutes describing exactly how Mamdani was going to destroy New York City. Then he had the audacity to say, "No, that is not right, and that is not us," to his supporters. This may be the most glaring example of the Democratic leadership in this country being on the wrong path. You cannot incite your followers to anger through twisting words and still claim to be striving for unity within the party, the city, or the country.
The Democrats could learn a lot from Mamdani's victory in New York City. They could take his roadmap to the office of Mayor and implement similar campaigns to win over American voters—not with insults or by saying, "We aren't Trump; vote for us," but by actually learning what the people need and want, and then translating those needs into clear policy plans, with a focus on immediate relief rather than what can be done at the end of the year through tax credits.
