Vote Blue For Thee, Not For Me

For almost 40 years, I’ve been urging my lefty friends to please, please, please vote Democratic in the general election.

Any general election. But especially presidential ones.

I've told them things like…

Think of the courts!

Or...

Sometimes you just gotta hold your nose and vote for the Democrat.

Or...

Vote Blue no matter who!

Okay, I was never so desperate that I actually uttered that last line. As Hillary supporters bellowed at Bernie backers in 2016–nothing motivates voters like yelling at them.

But my sentiments were more or less the same. And that is…

The worst Democrat's better than the best Republican. Especially now--in the age of Trump.

So I was hoping the sentiment would be reciprocated in the case of Zohran Mamdani, the lefty who won the Democratic nomination to represent the party in New York City’s November 4 mayoral election

Boy, was I naive. 

As exhibit A, let me introduce these comments from a spokesman for Andrew Cuomo, a lifelong Democrat now running as an independent against Mamdani.

When recently asked by an inquiring reporter if Cuomo had spoken to or even texted our very own Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Cuomo spokesman declared with pride and defiance that...

No, there'd been no contact. And he really, really, really hopes Johnson endorses Mamdani. Or as the Cuomo guy said...

“Oh, lordie–I hope that’s the case." 

Oh, lordie? Never have two words conveyed so much loathing and disdain for one man. 

Just so you know...

Brandon Johnson's a lifelong Democrat. Yes, he's on the lefty side of the Dems–or, as I see it, the Democratic side of the Democratic Party. But he's a Democrat, just the same.

Mayor Johnson & another Democrat he endorsed...

As such, his political mentor is Toni Preckwinkle, chair of the Cook County Democratic Party. Doesn’t get much more Democratic than chair of the Cook County Democratic Party.

As mayor, Johnson welcomed the Democratic National Convention to Chicago. And he whole heartedly supported Kamala Harris for president–though many of his lefty allies were outraged by her blind support of Israel's war against Gaza.

In 2020, he supported Joe Biden. Though Elizabeth Warren–the candidate he originally supported that year–didn’t make it out of the Democratic Primary. In short, he didn’t hold a grudge against Democratic voters cause they didn’t support his candidate. As Cuomo is doing in New York City.

Furthermore, he got his start when Karen Lewis hired him as an organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union. That's Karen Lewis--as in one of our country's greatest labor leaders. Last I looked, Democrats were supposed to be the party of unions.

So why would Cuomo’s spokesman recoil at the very notion of Cuomo contacting Johnson--as though Johnson's the metaphorical equivalent of a contagious disease?

I'll tell you why. It's cause centrist Dems hate lefties--even if those lefties are Democrats.  And centrist Dems are not afraid to let their hate flag fly. As if hating lefties in and of itself can bring over enough "moderate" Republicans and swing voters to win an election.

Oh, I know what you’re gonna say, centrists.

You’re gonna say Cuomo is staying clear of Mayor Johnson cause our mayor is down in the polls.

Yeah, right.

If Cuomo’s avoiding people with low poll numbers, why is he seeking support from NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who’s also down in the polls? And why is he playing footsie with Trump, who’s detested in most parts of NYC?

I’ll answer my own question. It’s cause Cuomo wants to ride the wave of hate to victory.

My guess is that many of the centrists voting for Cuomo hate what Trump’s doing to our country. But it’s hard to stop fascism if you hate your Allie’s on the left as much or more than you hate the fascists.