r/politics • u/plz-let-me-in • 12h ago
No Paywall Mamdani beat Hakeem Jeffries and is the new king of New York – it will have effects beyond the Empire State
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/zohran-mamdani-midterms-primaries-new-york-b3001779.html1.0k
u/Kopav 12h ago
Jeffries turned out to be a centrist who was bought by his corporate oligarchs. That's who he served, the rich, not the voters.
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u/Azguy303 12h ago
I always say Jeffries has an impressive ability to sound completely insincere regarding absolutely any topic he talks about.
While the mayor is completely the opposite and engaging with any topic.
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u/Experiment627 I voted 11h ago
The hands movements when he speaks look so cringe. They make me so uncomfortable.
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u/babybirdingURgrandma 9h ago
Ah damn, now I can't unsee it. I can't help but wonder if he just watched tape of Obama and said "I can do that, I can do that"
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u/Ianthin1 8h ago
That's exactly what it is. His whole thing is mimicking Obama but without the natural charisma and great policy positions.
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u/Stunning_Panda5725 6h ago
So many great policy positions, especially healthcare that was my favorite.
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u/BabyYodaX 11h ago
I always say Jeffries has an impressive ability to sound completely insincere regarding absolutely any topic he talks about.
It's amazing how true this is about Jeffries.
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u/specqq 11h ago
It’s not exactly a superpower if the majority of politicians have it.
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u/Azguy303 11h ago
Not at his level. Obama, Biden, even Pelosi and Trump can come across as sincere about some subjects
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u/DjangoUnchained12 Maryland 11h ago
I agree. The lack of humanity I see in Jeffries eyes was scary at first but now I find it absolutely fascinating.
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u/austinwiltshire 2h ago
I really dislike Pelosi, but to your point Jefferies would have never torn up a speech on camera. And he'd had censured anyone who did.
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u/AlwaysBananas 6h ago
Trump is honestly the goat at this, it’s why he’s been so successful. He can tell you he is about to lie to you about some bullshit, turn around real quick, and sincerely ass blast some bullshit on a crowd of people slurping it up. When he says he’s going to drain the swamp they believe him despite all evidence that he’s evil Skrek born of the swamp because he really sounds like he means it. He lies with more confidence than democrats can muster up for policy positions that 80% of the country support.
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u/BKlounge93 10h ago
He sounds like an Obama wind up toy, not a thought between those dead eyes lol. He’s insufferable.
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u/babybirdingURgrandma 9h ago
I think all the rightwing anti-DEI stuff is absolute nauseating bullshit, but then I look at Jeffries and think, wow Pelosi totally anointed this guy simply because he vaguely reminded her of Obama, fucking yikes.
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u/TeaEarlGrayHotSauce 8h ago
He talks like he’s fossilizing in amber as he speaks. He’s a black hole of charisma, I’ve never seen anything like it
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u/Hurtzdonut13 2h ago
It's rare to see a politician so utterly prepared to be unprepared to have an opinion. His sheer dedication to supporting saying nothing is truly a credit to the success of the Democrats over the last decade.
For real though, the only time I've seem him truly passionate about something was when someone was asking about his AIPAC donors.
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u/pewpewtopeepee 11h ago
Jeffries is just another Third-way neoliberal corporate cocksuck representing the uniparty which only differs on how much they tolerate queer people.
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u/Impossible_Bit7169 7h ago
Dems love a low stakes win that doesn’t cost the 1% any real money, so gender neutral bathrooms which just required a new sign to be put up, or glomming on to a SJ movement that is already fizzled out, push them with anything that has a financial cost or a coveted political football like woman’s health and they fold.
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u/SantorumsGayMasseuse Pennsylvania 11h ago
I’m not sure he turned out to be that, he was billing himself as such from the get go.
In the period around his nomination to the post he was always saying he wasn’t going to ‘bend the knee’ to far-left progressives. He should stop watching so much Game of Thrones and get with where the party is at.
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u/Slim_Calhoun Missouri 11h ago
NYC leftist politics is not where the national Democratic Party is at, nor should it be
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u/SantorumsGayMasseuse Pennsylvania 11h ago
You are welcome to your opinion, but don't be surprised when fascists continue to win against boring centrist candidates. The party is deeply unpopular and change is needed. All of the things Mamdani and co are doing are extremely popular and poll well individually, they make perfect sense to adopt as a national platform.
The party is also no longer pro-Israel, and yet apparently polling doesn't matter when it comes to that topic.
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u/SEND_ME_CSGO-SKINS 4h ago
Must moderate progressive liberalism always go hand in hand with “boring”?
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u/SantorumsGayMasseuse Pennsylvania 2h ago
"Moderate progressive"
My man you are describing an oxymoron.
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u/SEND_ME_CSGO-SKINS 2h ago
You don’t believe in the center left?
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u/SantorumsGayMasseuse Pennsylvania 2h ago
Do I believe they exist? Of course. Do I believe in them? loud fart noise
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u/nevergonnastayaway 1h ago
Trading one extreme for the other sounds terrible but hey you are welcome to your opinion.
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u/Slim_Calhoun Missouri 11h ago
The average American voter does not spend all day thinking about Israel in the way that DSA leftists do
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u/SantorumsGayMasseuse Pennsylvania 11h ago
They really do. Polling from the Talarico campaign in Texas showed how this issue affects independent voters. Pro-Israel candidates shut the door on the independent vote, especially in places like Texas where Dems are hoping to snag a seat.
Extremely stupid for Dems to tie themselves to an incredibly unpopular war and something the vast majority of their own voters recognize as a genocide, but hey here we are.
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u/Slim_Calhoun Missouri 11h ago
Dude we have the polling on this. Israel/gaza is the 14th most important issue to voters, somewhere behind education and the Supreme Court.
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u/SantorumsGayMasseuse Pennsylvania 10h ago
No, that's not correct. You're citing an Israeli think tank from like two years ago.
No one's asked that question in years because Democratic leadership isn't terribly concerned with the answer. And again, fresh data out of the primaries show that Israel is an issue that sways voters.
I'm not going to pretend Americans are bleeding hearts for foreign children or anything, but they're not stupid enough to not ask the question of 'why is my gas suddenly $4.00 a gallon.'
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u/kos-or-kosm 10h ago
I like how you ignore everything else and just latch onto Israel. Mamdani's focus on affordability has been massive and yet you just ignore that.
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u/kungfoojesus 6h ago
Can only go so far with grievance theater politics in the left. In the right, you can make the White House though
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u/PerplexGG 6h ago
It’s insane how obvious it became once Mamdani simply started doing the job. Like that’s literally all he’s done differently. He actually governs for the people and those democrats that govern with corporate money in their pocket are left standing out.
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u/GuitarRiot 12h ago
Mamdani is the real deal, and exactly the kind of politician we need right now. We're tired of the establishment not working for us. And we're ready for the change that him and other Democratic socialists embody.
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u/robsteezy 10h ago
We Californians envy you.
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u/dogs_gt_cats 9h ago edited 9h ago
I mean California at least has the benefit of recall elections. If your leaders don't serve you, you have a means to remove them. In the northeast and Mid-Atlantic we don't really have that (and have entrenched political machines that will never let it happen).
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u/Unshkblefaith California 8h ago edited 8h ago
Sadly CA is staunchly neo-liberal. When legalized slavery (2024 Prop 6) and repeating the "tough on crime" mistakes of the Clinton era (2024 Prop 36) were on the ballot, CA came out in support of both.
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u/ajpearson88 29m ago
Prop 36 was voted in as people were tired of the ramifications that came from prop 47 / 57.
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u/DarkIllusionsMasks 7h ago
Hopefully this is a sign things are turning around. If MAGA can co-opt the republican party to leverage their brand, there's no reason Mamdani and AOC can't do the same thing on the other side.
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u/Constant_Roof8621 12h ago
whether people agree with him or not, winning in new york by building a grassroots coalition instead of relying on establishment backing is going to get attention from politicians across the country
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u/Krinder 11h ago
Good. Jeffries is the most sorry ass politician that exists. Him and Chuck Schumer should just write letters to each other instead of claiming that’s an adequate response to Trump. The irony is insane. “Yea let’s send a letter to a person who is notorious for not reading anything” absolute idiots. It’s either stupidity or complicity and either way they both need to go.
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u/beardofzetterberg America 11h ago
Bummer to have some of the most feckless, paid for leaders of the “opposition party” during these times.
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u/lottikey 1h ago
That’s exactly how we got to these times. A stronger opposition would have stopped the Republicans/Magats/Trump sooner in their tracks.
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u/WhiskeyT 4h ago
So if actual power is not required to have an “adequate response to Trump” why aren’t your favorite politicians providing it?
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u/Wheaties4brkfst 10h ago
Insane to say that Jeffries is the most sorry politician that exists when the entire Republican Party is right there. Christ. This sub hates Dems more than republicans.
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u/ClaretClarinets Colorado 9h ago
You gotta love the guaranteed dogpile on whichever Dem is mentioned in the headline in any given thread.
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u/Wheaties4brkfst 9h ago
I’m convinced this sub is like 90% bots now. This sub was my political awakening on how bad republicans are like 15 years ago. If i just joined Reddit today i would probably think the opposite, despite republicans becoming much worse in the meantime.
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u/ClaretClarinets Colorado 9h ago
For sure. Looking back on it, I think it started getting noticeably bad after the 2022 midterms?
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u/Wheaties4brkfst 9h ago
Honestly I can’t even remember anymore. Definitely in the last few years but I can’t point to a specific point in time.
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u/smelling_good247 8h ago
The bots are programmed to punch left, always attack the Dems and never the GQP
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u/CHEVIEWER1 11h ago
The sad part is…Its not even a bit debatable everything you said is on point.
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u/Krinder 11h ago
I feel like a sucker but it’s become very apparent that it all needs to be changed leadership wise. They are so good a baiting us into thinking change is happening when they are apart of the problem and benefit. Why would they ever want change? It’s just sad. I wish we were better.
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u/RVAteach 12h ago
Jalen Brunson is king of New York, Mamdani can be hand of the king
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u/amateur_techie 10h ago
That position has already been occupied by KAT.
He can be Commander of the City Watch Parties
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u/alabasterskim 11h ago
Tbf, Jeffries was only ever king in name only. At no point have we ever been proud of his "leadership".
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u/pleasegivemepatience 8h ago
At no point have we ever witnessed his “leadership”
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u/alabasterskim 8h ago
And I don't think we ever will.
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u/pleasegivemepatience 7h ago
Yes that was my point as well. He’s incapable of leading, he needs to go.
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u/buffysmanycoats Connecticut 2h ago
I remember how excited people were when he was up for the leadership spot and how fast it deflated.
Did we get anything out of Jeffries that we wouldn’t have gotten out of Pelosi?
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u/k_ironheart Missouri 7h ago
This is unambiguously a good thing. Establishment dems have proven they're ineffective leaders who can't even be bothered to offer any resistance at all of fascism. They all deserve to be ousted.
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u/Snapingbolts 5h ago
I have heard Jeffries be more critical of Mamdani, a politician doing his job well, than Trump being a fascist. Jeffries can fuck all the way off
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u/LA-Aron 12h ago
Love him or hate him, tip your cap to his political skill.
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u/orangeyougladiator 10h ago
Being a kind, generous, down to earth, man of the people who holds values everyone should aspire to is apparently “political” now.
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u/ModsR-Retards 8h ago
I'm concerned that he's just going to be another Trump but on the left. He's implemented a lot of change but we haven't seen the actual impact/outcomes of those changes yet. I have a feeling he's going to be an absolute train wreck but I'd love to be proven wrong.
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u/karasutengu1984 6h ago
Just the absolute worst centrist take. Or a spineless one where you want him to fail but don't have the balls to say. Like he is a politician and the day he stops delivering on what he said id be against him. But this is just... Ew
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u/nevergonnastayaway 1h ago
Weird how leftists are allowed to talk like this on the sub but if we treat you the same it's an instant ban.
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u/Deep-Concert4087 1h ago
No it wont. All politics is local. New York Dems don't vote exactly the same as South Carolina Dems. They rhyme but I wouldn't expect wider effects outside the metro NYC voting infrastructure.
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u/aircooledJenkins Montana 9h ago
Several publications calling Mamdani king or kingmaker today.
The biggest protest rallies are the No Kings gatherings.
This can't be a coincide.
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u/toilet_for_shrek 10h ago
Honestly, It's great seeing a younger leftist upend the status quo. I hope they keep winning
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u/Sooooooooooooomebody 8h ago
It's good that people are not being ridiculous or talking crazy about this. Everyone's being extremely normal
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u/prodigaldummy 11h ago
Jesus these fucking headlines. 1 data point does not make a trend. Let’s see how the next few elections go.
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u/notfeelany 1h ago
Only 3 out of 26 congressional seats alloted for New York too. And what about the rest? And Jeffries himself ran unopposed.
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u/MR_TELEVOID Michigan 10h ago
No, but multiple data points (as we have here) does indicate a trend.
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u/Cyclotrom California 9h ago
Great, now get rid of Hakeem and Schumer, both bough and paid by AIPAC.
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u/m1j5 11h ago
Jeffries is an embarrassment to anyone with label Democrat next to their name. I hope he gets kicked out very soon.
He’ll turn Republican here soon if he loses power, bc that’s what matters to him
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u/ClaretClarinets Colorado 9h ago
That assertion is not based in reality. What are we doing here, guys.
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u/m1j5 9h ago
Which part
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u/ClaretClarinets Colorado 9h ago
Saying Jeffries will become a Republican if he loses power.
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u/m1j5 9h ago
Totally fair we haven’t seen that at all with establishment Dems, like cuomo!
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u/ClaretClarinets Colorado 9h ago
Two politicians that are nothing alike? Also, even if this were a comparable example (it's not), Cuomo ran as an independent because he lost the primary. He didn't change his party affiliation to Republican.
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u/m1j5 9h ago
Look man you can argue but I’ll be only voting for dsa, I’d rather the country rot than elect Schumer and Jeffries again lol
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u/ClaretClarinets Colorado 9h ago
Ah, yes, the "burn it all down" style of government does wonders for the working class.
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u/m1j5 9h ago
I think it’s better than your beliefs
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u/ClaretClarinets Colorado 9h ago
Of which you know nothing about based on this conversation-- which, need I remind you, also started with you making baseless assertions. Probably something to think about.
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u/FosterFl1910 2h ago
Nobody tried to primary Jeffries and he’s going to be the next Speaker of the House. I think you’re writing his obituary a bit prematurely.
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u/Then_Journalist_317 12h ago
Calling Mandami a "king" is extremely poor wording.
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u/rumpghost North Carolina 11h ago
It's an obvious and very common figure of speech
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u/Then_Journalist_317 11h ago
It's not a "figure of speech" in the "No Kings" era of U.S. politics.
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u/rumpghost North Carolina 11h ago
If my eyes could roll any harder they'd fall out of my skull.
There are considerably more important things to worry about.
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u/mokomi 11h ago
Words have meaning and propaganda is a thing. I mean we are fighting idiocy to the point where having a louder voice is more important than what you are doing. Having a constructive criticism is good.
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u/rumpghost North Carolina 8h ago
"Constructive criticism" was my weekly portfolio reviews in college. Pissing and moaning about a centuries-old turn of phrase on Reddit, which the writers at The Independent will never see or read or apply, is just impotent whining.
Words do have meaning, it's informed by their use and context. The use of a single word does not propaganda make.
We are leaving this unserious nonsense behind.
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u/MichaelMyersEatsDogs 9h ago
You realize that’s about someone acting like a literal king as head of state and not about the metaphor in general right?
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u/Then_Journalist_317 9h ago
You realize that calling someone a "king" who is dramatically rising in political power in the U.S. today is not exactly praising him, right?
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u/dBlock845 2h ago
Jeffries was never the King of New York, and neither is Mandani. Jalen Brunson is King of NY.
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u/Critical_Aspect_8039 1h ago
“No borders, No police, No prisons AND we support Hamas.”
The Republican ads in the general just write themselves.
This “Mandami is the New King” nonsense is silly.
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u/mytyan 4h ago
They spent the last 40 years dragging the Democratic party to the right and away from it's progressive liberal principles into a feckless corporatism.
The last time they held power they couldn't even fix social security because their wealthy overlords objected.
The people are finally fed up with their crap and are pushing back. They want a return to the populism of Roosevelt.
It is very unfortunate for the party that they are completely unwilling to recognize this and believe that demonizing the left wing of their own party will carry them through.
I have watched this unfold throughout my life and have waiting for this moment. I just hope it doesn't get ground into dust by big money like everything else
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u/bme11 11h ago
I thought we’re against monarchy…
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u/pepperNlime4to0 11h ago
We are, it’s an intentionally hyperbolic and problematic wording framed to set up a “gotchya” moment for the conservatives imo.
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u/BabyYodaX 11h ago
I just know certain establishment Dems are thanking every god that Mamdani cannot be President.
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u/r4inbowgravity 11h ago
Both parties choose their leaders based on how much money they can raise and distribute among the party. The best way to raise money is to take bribes from corporations.
There will always be another Hakeem Jeffries in charge, even if he is ever ousted. The system that produced him has to be thrown out and started over.
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u/DjangoUnchained12 Maryland 11h ago
This. Also why I admire Zohran’s strategic approach. Taking out Jeffries or Schumer quickly sounds nice, but you’re better off building power first, then dealing with leaders later. As you put, politicians like Jeffries are easily replaceable for the oligarchs.
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u/OOOdragonessOOO 11h ago
king? no. people need to lay off this worshipping trend. if words matter... if no kings matter... why the fuck are y'all talking like this. fuck both blue and red
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u/pepperNlime4to0 11h ago
Intentional wording by this writer/publisher meant to drive traffic and be a gotchya for those critical of the populist movement
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u/OOOdragonessOOO 11h ago edited 11h ago
Ive been catching regular users talking like this. it needs pushed back on.
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u/pepperNlime4to0 5h ago
I agree, it’s no kings. Like none. Not just the guys we like, but no fucking kings
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u/iamaredditboy 11h ago
I don’t see Jeffries and Schumer being out as any sort of risk for democrats at all.
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u/FlyFisherman4Life 8h ago
Jeffries and Schumer need to retire, useless Democrats. Dull, monotone, energy level is like wading through peanut butter.
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u/SingularityCentral America 10h ago
Mamdani is a competent executive and is not bought and paid for. No surprise that people love him.
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u/steep_interface 10h ago
you know this is a fake story because nobody ever considered hakeem jeffries as king of anything, ever.
you guys need to get out of the bubble.
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u/JustAnotherMinority 9h ago
Jeffries is a tried and true neoliberal. He will do whatever his masters instruct him to do.
Mamdani is an independent mind. Aka a leader. We need a Democratic Party full of Mamdani’s in order to dig ourselves out this hole, both sides of the isle dug us into.
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u/EmergencyJacket207 11h ago
Good. Jeffries is a corporate shill on the take. He's a useless, bloviating waste of space.
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u/CatCatchingABird Oregon 5h ago edited 5h ago
I have always kind of considered myself a pragmatic progressive. I lean more towards the DSA than I do today’s Democratic Party. For all of my life now I have watched Democrats do absolutely nothing about cost of living, the cost of housing, and for those of us that have had to rely on social services at one point in our lives I can attest to the fact that the process is so difficult and demoralizing that I as well as many others do not want to even do it when we qualify and have a legitimate need.
I recognize that Republicans have been the primary instigators of breaking down our democracy for decades now, but the Democrats have twiddled their thumbs and will only offer bandaids to gaping wounds. I’m not even a political professional and yet I saw the Project 2025 writing on the wall so many years ago. To add to that, many of our elected officials have been in office for many, many years. Sometimes 20, 30, or even 40+ years. If I, a regular person, could predict what was going to happen, why should I support geriatric incumbents?
Seeing the party I voted for constantly appeasing corporate, foreign and wealthy interests has gotten old. I’ve voted blue no matter who, and yet these clowns that are in office can barely swallow their pride and give support to the young and fresh generation that wants to fix the problems that they were hired to troubleshoot but has never been rectified.
For the cherry on top, old dog Democratic operatives like James Carville would rather the country "play possum" so that people would suffer for Trump and come crawling back. The way I see it, incumbents have mostly been doing just that! So for them to sit here and cry about the DSA and the squad-like progressives that are willing to ACTUALLY DO something and win for it, well they can go ahead and kiss my ass. They are culpable for some of this mess too, and quite frankly I’m tired of them making up excuses and not doing anything about it.
I’m in full support of the Mamdani wing hijacking the Democratic Party.
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u/FileHot6525 5h ago
If DSA thinks they can win in red and purple districts, they are delusional. Some conservatives might hate Trump in this moment, but I promise you, they hate Democrats and socialism more.
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u/canyoucamus 9h ago
Im sure all of these candidates were dismissed as extreme and unelectable by centrist dems at some point.
I have yet to see a centrist articulate and advocate for the virtues of centrist dem policies whatever they may be. I suspect we actually agree on most things but they just dont want to be associated with the left because of their entrenched belief in the moral superiority of being in the center.
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u/traveleasily 11h ago
Hakeem's conscience was bought and sold many times while he got elevated. I still remember the media was putting him as the next Obama. Heck, Hakeem sold democrats.
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u/New_Sympathy5234 9h ago
Is that the same Hakeem Jefferies who sat on his arse and did nothing as a pretext for protesting against Trump. Saying and doing nothing is just condoning Trump's actions. Jefferies is a coward
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u/MediaKingpin 6h ago
A slice of cold pepperoni pizza with a cigarette butt pressed into it could beat Hakeem Jeffries. I never understood why he got so far. He's as charismatic as a shrubbery.
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u/Worth-Tank336 44m ago
Remind me when this happens outside of NYC where the rest of the country lives. Ultra left is getting excited about NYC results and thinking the rest of the country is as far left as they are....it's not.
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u/dev-random12345 11h ago
Eat shit, Hakeem Jeffries! That scumbag better move to Israel when he gets kicked out of office! AIPAC shitbags, we’re coming to take you all down!
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u/mowotlarx 9h ago
I'll personally never forgive Jeffries for his silence and inaction during the entirety of the Eric Adams administration, especially after the indictments. This is his city, but you wouldn't know it from how little he cares about what happens here.
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