cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/209042
Photo: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders announced Tuesday that he is endorsing fellow democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani for mayor, giving the 33-year-old assemblymember another boost in his challenge to front-runner Andrew Cuomo.
In a statement, Sanders said Mamdani is running “an inspirational grassroots campaign” backed by small-dollar donors and praised his plan to pay for his platform of new affordable housing and free buses through an increased tax on the wealthy and corporations, a staple of the senator’s own political ideology. Sanders notably did not endorse in the 2021 primary and only backed Bill de Blasio during his reelection bid in 2017.
“At this pivotal and dangerous moment in American history, status-quo politics is not good enough. We need the kind of visionary leadership that Zohran is providing in this campaign. In my view, Zohran Mamdani is the best choice for mayor of New York City,” he said.
Mamdani acknowledged Sanders’s support on social media, writing that the veteran progressive senator “has been the single most influential political figure in my life.”
“As mayor, I will strive to live up to his example by fighting for the working class every day and hopefully make Brooklyn’s own proud,” he said.
Speculation about Sanders’s plans to endorse in the race grew after Mamdani received the support of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a longtime friend and ally of Sanders. The two recently embarked on the cross-country Fighting Oligarchy tour together, holding massive rallies in Republican strongholds in an effort to harness voters’ growing opposition to Trump between election years. Our Revolution, the progressive political organization founded by Sanders during his 2016 presidential bid, also announced its own endorsement in the primary, backing Mamdani and Comptroller Brad Lander, who have both cross-endorsed each other in the ranked-choice race.
It’s not yet clear if Sanders will join Mamdani on the campaign trail in the waning days of the race. A 2019 rally for Sanders’s presidential campaign with Ocasio-Cortez drew a reported 26,000 attendees to Queensbridge Park. Over the weekend, Mamdani rallied with the congresswoman at Terminal 5 in Manhattan, attracting thousands of supporters to the venue.
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Is he trying to tank his campaign?
people still love bernie en masse. most people aren’t leftists looking at everything through a marxist or anti imperialist lens so to them he’s the old guy that wants to raise wages and give people healthcare
i wish more people wanted more for the world than that but thats where we’re at
I don't think this tanks his campaign. Among "progressive" liberals, Burnie still has large pull.
It's obvious from the huge crowds he and AOC were pulling recently. We commies aren't quite the majority of the "left" here in the US yet. But hopefully if people like this guy can win it will pull the Overton Window back to the left a bit and make it more possible in the future.
He calls himself a "Democratic Socialist", and the media has been interrogating him over it. It's good and definitely pushing the window to the left.
It's CAPTURING to the left to incorporate to the right. How are people still confused about this?
Yeah I feel the same way about his bill against war with Iran
Like yeah, fuck Bernie for all of his spineless cuckery but also if this convinces even a few normie libs to
Zohran or to oppose the war then that's a good thing
In my assessment, Zohran is also better on Israel than Bernie, too. In so many words, Zohran basically said he would "comply with international law" if Netanyahu came to NYC, implying he'd have him arrested.
That'd be so fucking cool if it happened
I don't see what my age has to do with this. Do I think he's going to get the IOF light to arrest Benny boy? No, but, it is what Mamdani implied and it is how rags like the NYPost and the Jerusalem Post have interpreted his answer. If there are electorates who align with Palestine, his position is in alignment with them based on his other positions regarding Israel.
As I've stated, he calls it what it is, a genocide, something Burnie refuses to do. That puts him left of Burnie. That's going to win him votes.
Saying is one thing, doing is another, obviously. NYC is a very important mayoral race electorally. So it's interesting that he's doing as well as he is.
Ignore the changing conditions, comrade. It's like Lenin said "Fuck electoralism!" Right?
I'm simply engaging in the understanding of electoral politics. I'm not voting in the NYC Mayoral race. I'm not even advocating people do that. I'm saying, a guy who the JP and the NYP call "antisemitic" is polling better than the knownremoved and Israel lover Andrew Cuomo in Little Tel Aviv. He was polling better than Cuomo before an endorsement from Sanders.
Progressivism is "left" anti-communism.
Yes. What's your point?
I made my point. Whats with the liberal apologia?
You didn't, you stated a truism, care to add more? I'm analyzing liberal electoralism, for a mayoral candidate, in the largest city in the country. That's not "apologia". Its easily the most consequential election this year, and has implications for future electoral activities. Its worth understanding, even if you're not participating.
yeah, I don't think amerikkka would allow me to participate in your elections. If you think bourgeois electoralism for municipal positions within an advanced capitalist empire that's threatening the world with nuclear war at this very second, actually matters then you really need to read some theory. Liberal electoral reformism is baby brained and ahistorical.
How's the revolution going in your country comrade?
If anything he's trying to join the winning team at the last minute
I think the argument is persuasive that he (and AOC) waited so long for their endorsements was to be fresh when most people check-in
The week before an election is the most important time. A late endorsement is often better because people will actually remember and be paying attention the election.
You think this doesn't help Mamdani?
Sorry, I was forgetting that most people don't care about genocide and the like. As some commenters have sagely pointed out.
Even if they do I assume Mamdani isn't any less supportive or critical of israel than bernie so his endorsement won't affect him on that front