# NYC Mayor election thread

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [June 24, 2025, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085 "2025-06-24T17:40:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 14

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**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/261 "2025-07-04T14:08:39Z")

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> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> avoids discussing policy proposals.

I’ve heard that one of Mamdani’s proposals is a nominal tax on very wealthy people (something like 2%) to fund things like free busing.

It sounds very sensible, and would be something that I’d support, but isn’t this far beyond his office’s power? I believe that he is proposing state taxes, something no mayor can impose.

I support his candidacy as a voice championing the working class (not that I’m a constituent), but how much of what he proposes can he even realistically attempt to achieve?

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**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/262 "2025-07-04T14:22:27Z")

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> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> He’s never said a single negative thing about the Jewish people. Swalwell just straight up lied.

Sorta like how people who fly Confederate flags for “heritage, not hate” never said a single negative thing about black people.

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**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/263 "2025-07-04T14:28:33Z")

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Reminder that Mamdani has never used the “global intifada” phrase - he’s just explained (factually) that it’s used in many different contexts.

I invite any critics of Mamdani to read his actual words on the statement, and specifically quote what they find objectionable.

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/264 "2025-07-04T14:37:32Z")

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> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> Reminder that Mamdani has never used the “global intifada” phrase

I was about to ask. There’s a pretty big divide between saying that you won’t condemn every person who does X and doing X yourself.

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**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/265 "2025-07-04T14:43:14Z")

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Good point.

Correction: sorta like how people who **defend people** who fly the Confederate Flag for “heritage, not hate” never said a single negative thing about black people.

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**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/266 "2025-07-04T14:46:18Z")

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Also, today I learned that I fucked up when applying to college, because apparently I should have claimed to be “Black/African American” given where half of my family came to Israel from.

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/267 "2025-07-04T14:47:09Z")

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And how about the difference between people who go around actively defending X and people who are asked about X and give answers that won’t alienate everyone who does it?

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/268 "2025-07-04T14:50:40Z")

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He didn’t go there, though. So maybe it wouldn’t have helped you.

The wsj tells me that he ran for some elected office in, i forget, maybe 6th grade, and promised free juice. A promise he didn’t keep. That actually seems more relevant than what ethnic boxes he checked in high school.

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**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/269 "2025-07-04T14:51:52Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> how about the difference between people who go around actively defending X and people who are asked about X and give answers that won’t alienate everyone who does it?

Yes, exactly, that’s my problem with him. Like when Trump pretended not to know who David Duke was, because explicitly rejecting the KKK would lead to his supporters getting angry.

My biggest problem with Zohran is that he panders to Intifada fans by refusing to condemn their disgusting call to violence.

What is confusing about this?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/270 "2025-07-04T14:54:47Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> He didn’t go there, though. So maybe it wouldn’t have helped you.

Well, if I’d have gotten into a better school then I went to, I wouldn’t have met my wife; so it’s all good.

What’s funny is that at the time I did briefly consider filling out my application as African American, and even talked to my friends about it (who all thought it was hilarious that I had a possible claim to affirmative action and wanted me to do it), but I decided not to because I was afraid I would get in trouble 🤦‍♂️ Clearly I was worried about nothing…

> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> The wsj tells me that he ran for some elected office in, i forget, maybe 6th grade, and promised free juice. A promise he didn’t keep

ROFLMAO! So nothing has changed? Still promising things completely outside the power of the position he’s running for, like statewide tax increases… 🤣

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/271 "2025-07-04T14:56:23Z")

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What is confusing probably belongs in another thread. I don’t believe he is antisemitic, and i believe he would be a good mayor for the Jews in the city. Or at least, no worse for them than for anyone else. If he succeeds in implementing rent control he could do a lot of damage to the city.

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/272 "2025-07-04T14:57:17Z")

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> [@Babale](#):
>
> > [@puzzlegal](#):
> >
> > The wsj tells me that he ran for some elected office in, i forget, maybe 6th grade, and promised free juice. A promise he didn’t keep
> 
> ROFLMAO! So nothing has changed? Still promising things completely outside the power of the position he’s running for, like statewide tax increases

Exactly.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/273 "2025-07-04T15:01:36Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> I don’t believe he is antisemitic

I didn’t say he was.

I’m also sure that Trump looks down on people like David Duke and his fans in private.

That doesn’t make refusing to condemn Duke, or a global Intifada, any less damaging.

> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> If he succeeds in implementing rent control he could do a lot of damage to the city.

There, we agree completely.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/274 "2025-07-04T15:12:52Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> And how about the difference between people who go around actively defending X and people who are asked about X and give answers that won’t alienate everyone who does it?

Right. People who want to hate a young, progressive, brown Muslim politician who is (rightly) extremely critical of Israeli policy are going to find a reason to hate him regardless of the facts. Maybe it will be teenage boxes checked, maybe it will be (at worst) careful, political answers to questions on controversial issues.

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**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/275 "2025-07-04T15:30:03Z")

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Yesterday, the President used an anti-semitic slur, and still has multiple appointees and allies who have spread anti-semitic conspiracy theories and worse. And now the President and his DoJ are coming after Mamdani to supposedly somehow de-naturalize him.

There are actual anti-semites with real power in this country. Mamdani’s not one of them and there’s no reason to believe he would be if he became mayor.

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**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/276 "2025-07-04T15:38:31Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> If he succeeds in implementing rent control he could do a lot of damage to the city.

Stop me if I’m wrong here, but doesn’t NYC already have rent control? At least, on some units? My daughter’s first studio had a whole bunch of extra paperwork on it because the rent could only go up so much year over year.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/277 "2025-07-04T15:47:00Z")

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In my understanding, Mamdani doesn’t want to expand rent control, but does want to maintain it on existing rent-controlled properties. I think rent control is ultimately counter-productive, but at least he’s not expanding it (at least, in my understanding).

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**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/278 "2025-07-04T17:46:20Z")

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> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> Right. People who want to hate a young, progressive, brown Muslim politician who is (rightly) extremely critical of Israeli policy are going to find a reason to hate him regardless of the facts. Maybe it will be teenage boxes checked, maybe it will be (at worst) careful, political answers to questions on controversial issues.

Or maybe it will just be making things up.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Frilly\_Heck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/90ced4/32.png) [@Frilly\_Heck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frilly_Heck)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/279 "2025-07-04T18:03:25Z")

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> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> I invite any critics of Mamdani to read his actual words on the statement, and specifically quote what they find objectionable.

I even included a link to it in my last post, so that we could discuss his actual words, and not just what others are saying about them.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/280 "2025-07-04T19:19:40Z")

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I haven’t lived in NYC for a while, so i may be out of date. But NYC used to have two tiers of what would be called rent control in other places: Rent contol and rent stabilisation. Rent stabilization allowed rent increases that were tied to some metric (probably an inflation index) and also, if the rent got high enough, they stopped being stabilized when the apartment turned over to a new tenant.

I think he wants to convert rent stabilized apartments to rent controlled apartments. But I’m not certain.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085.md?page=13)

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085.md?page=15)
