# NYC Mayor election thread **URL:** \ **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:** 26
**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:** [August 21, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/501 "2025-08-21T15:52:47Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Things is, that to be precise, he is a Democratic Socialist, like Bernie Sanders who describes himself as a democratic socialist and an admirer of aspects of Nordic social democracy, while also supporting workplace democracy in the forms of union democracy and worker cooperatives. Bernie says that his support for a Nordic style system makes him a socialist. The PM of Denmark disagrees, and says that Bernie fundamentally misunderestands the Nordic model: > **[Denmark’s prime minister says Bernie Sanders is wrong to call his country...](https://www.vox.com/2015/10/31/9650030/denmark-prime-minister-bernie-sanders)** > > Vox is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission: to help everyone understand our complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. In text, video and audio, our reporters explain politics, policy, world affairs, technology,... ---
**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:** [August 21, 2025, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/502 "2025-08-21T16:08:50Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I think it’s foolish to believe enough Americans care about the difference. People are _very_ sloppy in how they use the terms, but in theory, someone who is a capitalist (as the majority of Americans are) _should_ draw the line right between Social Democrats who want a capitalist system with a stronger social safety net and Democratic Socialists, who want to achieve socialism through democratic means. Of course, this is assuming everyone is using these terms remotely consistently, which they are not. For example, Bernie. Is he really a “Democratic Socialist” in the sense of a person who believes that the means of production should be publically owned, and that we should get there through Democratic means of reform? If so, I oppose that. But his actions and words don’t actually support that idea; he seems much more like a Social Democrat, who wants a capitalist system with a greatly expanded safety net (see: Norway and Denmark). ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/503 "2025-08-21T16:13:53Z")
Reddit/Europe commenters reports that Vox did not got it right ten year ago: > **[Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/3r2c58/denmarks_prime_minister_says_bernie_sanders_is/)** > Vox really went out of their way to create a direct connection between our PM’s comments and Bernie Sanders’ political message. That is misleading. You should probably watch the whole talk. > > Around 6:30, he says specifically that he is not getting involved in the presidential debate: > > > … Denmark entered the presidential race. But this is not why I am here. I have absolutely no wish to interfere with the presidential debate in the US. > > Around 8:07 after talking about how relatively close all the political parties in Denmark are and that he is from a centre-right party, he addresses the perception in the US of Denmark as a socialist country as a general observation that has nothing to do with Sanders or any campaign: > > > I know that some people in the US associate the Nordic model with some sort of socialism. Therefore, I would like to make one thing clear: Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy. The Nordic model is an expanded welfare state which provides a high level of security for citizens, but it is also a successful market economy with much freedom to pursue your dreams and live your life as you wish. > > We all know how bad Americans are at using correct political terms. In the US, economic liberalism is either republicanism or conservativsm. In the US, economic social liberalism (Democrats, Obama, etc.) is called either liberalism or, to antagonize, socialism. In particular, the way many people in the US use the word “socialism” is completely incorrect. Our PM can comment on that in general and should be able to do so without Vox putting words in his mouth. > > …but then again, it’s Vox. > [abernumse] > > Well Lars Løkke isn’t exactly unbiased. He’s the head of a newly elected right wing government that’s working very hard on removing some of the welfare and safety nets that we’ve had for so long in Denmark. > > Many left wing parties in Denmark call themselves socialist. I mean, the previous government had members from a political party called Socialist People’s Party. > > It’s in his best interest to make socialism and socialist ideas the taboo it is in America, and members of his party has repeatedly used the term socialism as a negative term to describe left wing policy that they disagreed with. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/504 "2025-08-21T16:16:12Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > , and _still_ bigwig NY Dems won’t endorse the Democratic nominee for mayor??) current Democratic party leadership. Okay. I have covered this before. Rarely do national level Politian’s endorse candidates for mayor. But if anyone bothered to look at Zohrans endorsements, he has actually racked up way WAY more than his predesesor did > **[Zohran for NYC](https://www.zohranfornyc.com/endorsements)** > > Zohran Mamdani is running for Mayor to lower the cost of living for working class New Yorkers. Sanders, Warren, AOC, several other members of congress, etc. etc. etc. So, this is simply false. Zohran has racked up an amazing number of big wig democrats. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/505 "2025-08-21T16:21:11Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Reddit/Europe commenters reports that Vox did not got it right ten year ago: None of this addresses this point: > [@GIGObuster](#): > > Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy. The Nordic model is an expanded welfare state which provides a high level of security for citizens, but it is also a successful market economy with much freedom to pursue your dreams and live your life as you wish. What part of that do you dispute, and what evidence do you have that it is untrue? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/506 "2025-08-21T16:25:38Z")
The part that ignored that back then a new prime minister that was right of center and disliked what other democratic socialists did back then, that prime minister had an ax to grind. I do think Bernie was right, and no, Bernie is not more in tune with the socialists, he is more in tune with what the prime minister was saying. In Other Words, like the commenter at Reddit said, just more of an effort to use the term socialism as a negative term to describe left wing policy that they disagreed with. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2025, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/507 "2025-08-21T16:27:13Z")
But not Schumer, Swalwell, Gillibrand, and many others in NY. You’re right about primaries, but this is not the primary - Democrats in office do routinely endorse Democratic candidates for mayor, especially in their own states. We should absolutely expect the Democratic Senators from NY to endorse the Democratic candidate for mayor of NYC. It’s conspicuous and outrageous that they have not, and I hope they are primaried for it and lose their seats. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/508 "2025-08-21T16:33:57Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > But not Schumer, Swalwell, Gillibrand, and many others in NY Did they endorse the prior Dem mayor? > **[The endorsements for NYC mayoral candidates](https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2021/06/the-endorsements-for-nyc-mayoral-candidates/175441/)** > > New York City Democrats will have to make a choice in the June 2021 primary for mayor – but some prominent New Yorkers and organizations have already made their pick. It does not seem so. > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > We should absolutely expect the Democratic Senators from NY to endorse the Democratic candidate for mayor of NYC. It does not seem like they do so normally. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/509 "2025-08-21T16:38:09Z")
Wrong link there, Dr.D ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/510 "2025-08-21T16:40:29Z")
thanks, fixed ---
**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:** [August 21, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/511 "2025-08-21T16:42:14Z")
Schumer did: > **[2021 New York City mayoral election | Endorsements](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_New_York_City_mayoral_election#Endorsements_2)** > > Though Adams won the election easily in the heavily Democratic city, he received fewer votes than Bill de Blasio in either of his two mayoral runs, and lost many heavily Asian American precincts. This is partly attributed to Sliwa's pledge to halt the construction of homeless shelters which were proposed by Adams to be built in neighborhoods such as Asian-majority Sunset Park. Other issues of importance to Asian American activist leaders included proposed reforms to the Specialized High Schools A... Your link was for the primary, not the general. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/512 "2025-08-21T16:42:17Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > The part that ignored that back then a new prime minister that was right of center and dislike what other democratic socialists did back then, did not have an ax to grind OK, cool, I agree - the PM of Denmark probably had an axe to grind when he made that comment. I never said otherwise. It doesn’t mean he is incorrect. Denmark is not a socialist country; it is a capitalist country with a robust safety net. That model is generally what Social Democrats push for. Since you linked Reddit, I’m happy to respond in kind. Here’s a post that’s somewhat supportive of Sanders on r/Socialism with 120 upvotes; the top comment calls Sanders a “Liberal and Social Democrat” and blows the OP out of the water with 320 upvotes. > **[Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/socialism/comments/1cs4t9u/what_do_you_think_about_bernie_sanders/?share_id=O3UsbB23FwJW4MQeR_j7m&utm_content=2&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1)** > [@](#): > > What do you think about Bernie Sanders? > > I believe Sanders not going “radical” for he realises American political reality. Couple years back, some people went mad when Obama said States will have healthcare program. His words sometimes seriously make no sense but at the end, he is a politican, he needs people to support his campaign not run away from him. What do you think? > [@](#): > > the best thing he did was expose as plainly as possible that our system is broken and doesn’t work to as many people as possible, and he lost for it. > > i can appreciate him for radicalizing people further left beyond his politics but ultimately he’s a social democrat and a liberal. an establishment politician. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/513 "2025-08-21T16:49:46Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > OK, cool, I agree - the PM of Denmark probably had an axe to grind when he made that comment. I never said otherwise. > > It doesn’t mean he is incorrect. Denmark is not a socialist country; it is a capitalist country with a robust safety net. That model is generally what Social Democrats push for. And finally getting to the main point, really. The point is indeed that what many in the US (even many moderates too) do like to disparage the mayor candidate and Sanders as wacky “Socialists” when clearly they are not, and they do not look to make the US socialist, hence, the reality that no, a democratic socialist is not really a plain socialist. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2025, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/514 "2025-08-21T17:03:29Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > The point is indeed that what many in the US (even many moderates too) do like to disparage the mayor candidate and Sanders as wacky “Socialists” when clearly they are not, and they do not look to make the US socialist, hence, the reality that no, a democratic socialist is not really a plain socialist. I mean, isn’t that their own damn fault for using the term “Democratic Socialist”? A Democratic Socialist is someone who _does_ have the end goal of socializing the means of production but wants to do it through democratic means. It’s not _synonymous_ with the term Socialist, but it’s certainly _a subtype of_ Socialism. That’s precisely the difference between Democratic Socialism and Social Democracy. I see two possibilities. Either people like Sanders, Mamdani, and AOC are Social Democrats who want a Nordic model with an expanded safety net, and they incorrectly use the term “Democratic Socialism” because reclaiming the term makes you seem cool and edgy… Or they are in fact Democratic Socialists who _do_ believe in socializing the means of production but recognize that this is not remotely possible in the US today, so they are moderating their stance in the meantime. In the former case, it sucks that they’re being unfairly branded as socialists, but they are the ones who chose to use the term to describe themselves. On the other hand, in the latter case, calling them socialists is totally fair. Wanting to socialize the means of production is literally the definition of socialism. Where your description of the situation is totally correct is when _Social Democrats_ are painted as socialism. That’s a totally different economic system that’s entirely within the Capitalist framework, just with a robust safety net. Calling a Social Democrat a Socialist is exactly what you said: an attempt to smear someone with a term that doesn’t apply to them and has negative connotations in the US. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/515 "2025-08-21T17:05:37Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > On the other hand, in the latter case, calling them socialists is totally fair. Wanting to socialize the means of production is literally the definition of socialism. Again, since the cites are from 10 years ago, the answer is clear, no they are are not socialist as Vermont shows. ‘You will know them by their fruits’. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2025, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/516 "2025-08-21T17:16:26Z")
> **Off-Topic Sanders stuff hidden by Moderator** > > > [@GIGObuster](#): > > > > Again, since the cites are from 10 years ago, the answer is clear, no they are are not socialist as Vermont Shows > > Huh? What does this even mean? > > Bernie is Vermont’s representative to the Federal government, so if the claim is that clearly he would have implemented socialism by now if he wanted to, that’s quite silly. > > That said, I do agree with you that I highly doubt that Bernie actually wants to socialize the means of production. I agree with the poster from r/Socialism who called Bernie a “Liberal and a Social Democrat”. That poster was speaking pejoratively, because they’re stupid enough to be an r/socialism poster; but their analysis of Bernie’s political position seems accurate. > > Some of Bernie’s speeches from his much younger days imply that maybe he believes in public ownership of industry at one point; but he clearly no longer does. > > I just can’t muster up much sympathy for Bernie’s (and Mamdani, and AOC) plight of being unfairly tarred as a Socialist when he brought that on himself by literally calling himself one. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/517 "2025-08-21T17:17:56Z")
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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/518 "2025-08-21T17:19:04Z")
**Moderating:** Preemptive Moderating: Do not turn this thread into a Sanders debate, he has almost nothing to do with the topic. If you must debate Sanders yet again, start a new thread please. > **How to Reply as a linked Topic** > > Click Reply, in the upper left corner of the reply window is the reply type button, _looks like a curving arrow point to the right_. > > Choose **Reply as linked topic** and it starts a new thread. As an example, you can choose GD, IMHO or The Pit for it. > > That is actually the best method. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/519 "2025-08-21T17:30:01Z")
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**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085/520 "2025-08-21T17:37:19Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > > > We should absolutely expect the Democratic Senators from NY to endorse the Democratic candidate for mayor of NYC. > > It does not seem like they do so normally. This is not a normal election because there are two ostensible “Democrats” running as independents. It’s important for everyone to reaffirm the importance of respecting the primary results. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-mayor-election-thread/1020085.md?page=27)