14 Comments
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Andy Marks's avatar

What about Myrie? From what I’ve read YIMBYs like what he’s pushing for on housing.

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Josh Barro's avatar

I just don't find him credible as a housing supply champion given his role as an architect of the tighter rent laws Albany passed in 2019. I also think the Republican majority in the state senate was the last thing holding New York back from a lot of terrible policy mistakes (like the rent law and the bail reform laws) and so a whole lot of his messaging is explicitly designed to repel me. That is, he talks about how Cuomo was bad to implicitly back the IDC (the moderate Dem breakaway caucus that formed a majority with Republicans) and it was good that he and a cadre of WFP-backed progressive challengers unseated the IDC members and made it possible to pass a bunch of terrible left-wing legislation. It just seems to me that he is, overall, part of the problem.

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Andy Marks's avatar

Ugh, that's too bad. Not that he has any chance. I don't live NY so I don't get a vote, but it's been dismaying watching from a distance how it's all unfolded. I would probably vote the same way you are, but the thought of Cuomo being the best realistic choice is nauseating. At least he won't make NY into Venezuela.

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Biscuiteer's avatar

Agree with this analysis Josh, although “Hold Your Nose and Vote for Cuomo” is a terrible bumper sticker.

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Biscuiteer's avatar

Indeed it was!

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Jassmine Andersson's avatar

This reminds me of the Republicans who don’t like Trump but just couldn’t vote for a left candidate. I thought that was weird bc I believe we can survive bad policy. Rehabilitating someone who we know has bad judgement and is a bully is a risk. His conduct cost his brother his job! He actively went after his accusers. However, Cuomo is likely to prevail just from name ID and rosy memories of governorship - sounds familiar. I’m not afraid of the left candidates. Zohran is running the type of campaign with a focus on affordability that pundits say that Dems need to do to win voters over. Unfortunately the other more experienced progressive candidates haven’t run campaigns that broke through. And that’s on them.

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SM's avatar

What is his focus on affordability exactly? Beyond the slogan?

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Jassmine Andersson's avatar

Rent freeze, free buses. He mentioned that we care more about the wealthy leaving than the working people who built the city. I get just slogans but that resonates. I personally like experience, detailed plans but I feel like that doesn’t work for Dem candidates - yes I’m thinking about Harris, Warren and Clinton. Slogans and entertainment resonates. That breaks through.

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KateLE's avatar

How does destroying the supply of something make it affordable? I mean, I guess zero technically is affordable, but not really if that zero buys you nothing because the thing you want does not actually exist any more. Saying mean things about rich people is cold comfort when there is nothing to rent.

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SM's avatar

Lander doesn't seem so bad.

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Preetraj (Raj) Grewal's avatar

Oh I think you’re being a bit too negative. Adrienne Adams is no Garcia, but she’s no Maya Wiley either. She says some lefty stuff, but also moderate stuff and seems pragmatic. I’ll be ranking her first, Zellnor second.

I expect neither to win and the election to proceed as you describe (a clusterf*ck lol). As I said, you’re being a *bit* too negative :)

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BJ's avatar

You write, “I’m going to rank Cuomo such that my vote ultimately accrues to him,” which leaves some room for speculation about what your ballot will ultimately look like. It implies that you might not necessarily rank Cuomo second after Tilson. If that’s the case, who else would you rank before Cuomo?

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LawZag's avatar

Josh, since you weren’t a fan of my Mayo Clinic proposed question, what about a section on why the online left hates Nate Silver?

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