Eric Adams

[boston bean]

I am thinking some not very good thoughts about him right now. Seems quite authoritarian.

Am I wrong?

[SheilaAnn]

1. Watched him yesterday on MJ and still can't make up my mind about him. Has a lot of charisma, etc.

but that will get you only so far. Don't know.

[Tomconroy]

2. This is what Nate Silver thinks:

Link to tweet

?s=20

[JohnSJ]

3. Amid this speculation, I am very dismayed that Kamala Harris is disgarded in these discussions when

they occur, and I blame most of that on our illustrious media, who seem to go out of their way to present an undeserved negative image of the Vice President

[uponit7771]

8. +1, ... soooooo overtly racist and misogynist!! Out in the open and not giving a fuck about

... the way even allies look and sound.

[JohnSJ]

11. Yes

[Zeitghost]

22. Is it racist

To prefer Eric Adams over Harris? Can you elaborate?

[JohnSJ]

47. First of all I did not say racist, but it is sexist and misogynist I believe. Did you even read

what I wrote?

The media has been dismissive of Kamala Harris since she became VP

As to your assumption, because someone pushes Eric Adams he can’t be racist, I will present trump pushing Herschel Walker as an example of why that logic isn’t necessarily valid.

Also I never said anything about Nate Silver

[Dorian Gray]

86. another poster

(not you) wrote: "soooooo overtly racist and misogynist!! "

[JohnSJ]

91. got it, thanks

[Bettie]

32. Misogyny is stronger than even racism

the two together are extremely toxic.

I want Kamala to be the next president after Biden.

Unfortunately, I don't think that our country will ever vote for a woman. It's always "I'm open to a woman, but not THAT one..."

Spoiler: every woman is "that" one.

[Tickle]

40. We voted for Hillary

and she is a woman

[JohnSJ]

49. I agree. Hillary is the perfect example of that, but I could name almost any strong successful

woman, and that would also apply

[iemanja]

88. I see a Republican woman winning first

That's my prediction. I'm still wounded from 2016.

[smirkymonkey]

89. +1000

You are so spot on. Every woman is "that" woman. This nation is toxicly misogynistic.

[Polybius]

38. They're not to blame

She did horrible in the primaries. She wouldn't be in my choice if she runs in 2024 or 2028.

[question everything]

46. In the past 90 years, or so, only one sitting V.P. was elected - papa Bush

Many loved Reagan so much that they were hoping for a third term.

A sitting V.P. has to go out, meet people on their own, develop their own platform and vision that are not be tied to their boss.

And, let's be honest, her own campaign was not inspiring.

[BradAllison]

27. LOL

Nate should pipe down.

[W_HAMILTON]

37. Doubtful.

NYCers will hate come to hate him as well pretty quickly -- and we've seen how well hated NYC mayors do when running for president...

[tishaLA]

57. Seth Meyers did a bit last night

abut being hated by New Yorkers as the job description of a mayor of NYC. When is the last time a mayor wasn't hated? John Lindsay?

[Me.]

58. Seriously Nate Silver

I hereby lose all respect for your opinion

[Quakerfriend]

4. I'm feeling a bit that way myself. He definitely has a jumbo sized ego! n/t

[JustAnotherGen]

5. I like him

Breath of fresh air after Bloomberg and DeBlasio.

I love his focus on the well being of children in poverty and the working poor. He was that child in New York city - before his mom was able to save for MANY years to buy a small home in Queens. He was the punk as a result of being a child of an alcoholic. He was beaten by police officers while in custody.

He knows a thing or two about the real core of America.

[Beastly Boy]

6. He has years of experience in the public sector.

Beats a businessman or a professor in charge of the city.

[Act_of_Reparation]

10. Something wrong with professors my dude?

[Beastly Boy]

14. As far as being in charge of a large city's administration, yes

They are not trained for or experienced in doing the job. Just as city mayors are likely to be shitty professors. Or brain surgeons not suited for being rocket scientists.

[Iris]

83. What kind of professor?

The thing about professors is they have different areas of expertise so some will have the knowledge and skills to run a a city as an elected official or otherwise.

[Polybius]

39. Bloomberg was the best Mayor we had since Ed Koch

Just sayin'.

[Beastly Boy]

41. That was a surprise not anticipated even by thr Republican Party.

I voted for Green in 2001 and thought he would be a great mayor. Given the information I had then, my vote still makes perfect sense to me.

It appears you are a New Yorker. If so, I am curious, who did you vote for in 2001?

[Polybius]

84. I too voted for Green in 2001

I agree he probably would have been great. However, Bloomberg's first term was hugely impressive. So much so that I voted for him in 2005. He beat Fernando Ferrer 58.4% to 39.0%, the worst showing for a Democrat in NYC in modern times.

I liked him less in his third term. It was alright. But by the time he implemented his nanny state when he tried to ban big sodas I had had enough.

I do think that he would have made an excellent President though. He just tanked in the debates.

[Beastly Boy]

94. So your assessment of the current mayor would be similar to mine.

Absent actual job performance data, it is better to elect an experienced public servant than a businessman or a professor.

[George II]

81. Probably. Even though elected as a republican, he was far from leading as a "republican"....

He wasn't perfect, but in my 70+ years I have yet to see a perfect mayor of New York City.

Even Ed Koch, who started off great, had his own shortcomings and eventually lost his last election due to scandals in his administration.

[George II]

80. Eric Adams has a very interesting, and inspiring life story. He grew up early....

....in the tough neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn (parenthetically, so did I!)

He joined a gang in his early teens, and was arrested at 14 years old. He says that's what inspired him to become a police officer.

He worked his way up in the NYPD, retired, and was elected Borough President of Brooklyn. Now he's Mayor of New York City.

That's the Reader's Digest version.

If only we all could accomplish what he did after his early experiences.

[Hoyt]

7. Think he deserves a chance, as did the voters.

[Solly Mack]

9. All jokes aside, and not being facetious, which I am prone to be (even when I shouldn't be)

I think it's too soon to tell how he will govern. He's only been in office for what? 4 days? Give it some time.

Politicians say a lot of stuff prior to getting elected but the true measure is how they actually govern.

I understand that much of the time the only thing voters have prior to an election is what a candidate says but what they say often meets the reality of holding office and the nitty-gritty of day-to-day duties, not to mention the push back (or support) of various community activists and leaders.

An authoritarian wouldn't listen to those around them, but I think Adams will. An authoritarian would also ignore the realities of actually holding the office - exampled by Trump - and blow off the day-to-day duties in favor of a my-way or the highway approach - again, example - Trump.

I don't think Adams will ignore his duty.

That said, the voters liked what they heard, and Adams was elected.

I wish him and New York City the very best.

[sarisataka]

12. Would Sliwa have been better?

[wellst0nev0ter]

19. There WAS a Democratic primary

[sarisataka]

20. Which I believe was won by Adams

So the choice in the general was him or Sliwa.

I know very little about him and have no particular love or hate but if the choice is 'R' or 'D' aren't we supposed to choose the latter?

[wellst0nev0ter]

23. Just saying we had other choices in the Dem primary

So it's not an either-or choice

[George II]

93. Yes,and the Democrats chose him, in the first vote and all following rounds

[Celerity]

74. I hoped Maya Wiley would win, but she is not at all a 'we need to start crackin' skulls again' type

Adams took the vast majority of that vote, and Wiley had too many other progs with whom she had to split the further left pile of votes with.

I wish Adams and NYC well.

[wellst0nev0ter]

75. Wiley clearly did not have Adam's pocket votes

But it could be worse: we could have had Mayor Andrew Yang.

[Celerity]

76. Yang would have been a disaster.

TBH, I am already rapidly tiring (speaking only about me personally) of the Adams threads here (emphasising also I mean zero, zero ill will towards you and and anyone who posts them).

It just is, unfortunately, looking like the board is heading for years of pitched battle over Adams. He so looks like he is going to give ample opportunity for people to have a right proper ruck over, especially if he really unleashes the hounds via the brutish copper thugs. Hopefully he resists that temptation.

[tenderfoot]

24. Would Democrats find better candidates to run for office?

[sarisataka]

25. If I were king of the Democrats

We would always run good candidates and never let a Republican run unopposed for Senate.

But I'm not...

P.S. irony intentional

[tenderfoot]

29. If I were King of Democrats, I'd run Democrats that aren't afraid of not appealing to right wingers

eom

[NurseJackie]

13. I like him.

[Nixie]

33. I like him, too! He bothers all the right people.

Sound familiar? 😀. Something we’ve heard about other politicians, so it’s good enough for Mayor Adams.

[NurseJackie]

34. Yes it does.

If he's pissing them off, then he's doing something right.

[wellst0nev0ter]

44. Those are called "red flags"

[NurseJackie]

45. No they're not.

He knows in advance that nothing he does will ever please the fringe, perpetually disgruntled, and other alarmist haters who'll never be satisfied no matter what he does or says. So he's not even going to try. Good for him! We need more DEMOCRATS just like him.

Those are called "red flags"

No they're not. Not to reasonable people.

[brooklynite]

51. Who is he pissing off?

Police?
Real Estate Developers?
Political machine leaders?

I had five voted in the r Aden PrimRy. None of them went to Adams. Ditto many of my friends.

[betsuni]

52. Found myself thinking exactly that and feeling a little weird about it.

Really don't see the point of trying to make everyone hate a NYC mayor by lying about him after only a few days in office. At least haven't seen the old familiar cries of "holding feet to the fire" and "speaking truth to power" when lies are pointed out.

[Cha]

79. Ain't that the truth!

Some legitimate questions.. some not so much.

[BlackSkimmer]

16. I'm withholding judgement at this point.

The whole “swagger” speech was ridiculous though.

[XanaDUer2]

17. Lol the swagger-about-the-virus?

I heard that, too.

Viruses are scared of swaggering

[BlackSkimmer]

30. Lol, he certainly thinks they are.

[wellst0nev0ter]

18. You would be right in your apprehensions

Well, I'll give him a three-month honeymoon.

[George II]

70. The voters of New York City gave him four years.

[wellst0nev0ter]

71. But not eight?

[George II]

77. In New York City mayoral terms are four years. If you're interested in eight years stick around....

...and vote for Adams in 2025.

Thanks.

[wellst0nev0ter]

78. Sorry, thought you suggested Adams will only stick around for 4 years

[tenderfoot]

21. "The safest place for children right now is in a school,"

Link to tweet

[boston bean]

28. He is using a stat of 1 year ago that transmission in school was 1%. And at home today is 15%.

Omicron is a different animal.

And he calls them ‘his’ medical experts.

[48656c6c6f20]

26. Glad I didn't have to make that choice

Would never, ever and 20 minutes after I die vote for a ex policeman. Or ex republican.

Adams registered as a Republican in 1997, before switching back to the Democratic Party in 2001,

[former9thward]

69. Then you would never vote for the former President of the Wellesley College Young Republicans.

The person who worked on campaigns of Republican John Lindsay for Mayor of New York city and Republican Ed Brooke for U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. That would be Hillary Clinton.

[48656c6c6f20]

72. She was a police officer?

I had two criteria, and the police officer is the real deal breaker. The other one just makes me want to puke and then vote for them

[former9thward]

73. You said "Or ex republican"

Not "and". Your words.

[BradAllison]

82. Yeah but how do you feel about current Republicans?

[George II]

92. Many very accomplished Democrats were once republicans.

[BlackSkimmer]

31. What is so confusing is so many of the ACAB folks here who think he's great.

[Hortensis]

35. Can't say about him, though I can say this question seems quite predictable.

The DSA supported another candidate, but NYC voters chose THIS Democrat.

Ever since, while tRumpists plot a far-right takeover and likely vicious fascist dictatorship, we have this genre of concern posts that Democratic Mayor Adams is what they need to worry about.



Does that help?

Hope so. Because electoral margins are terrifyingly close and erratic, with a lot of voter craziness. If those who "confused" Democrats with Republicans in 2016 don't have who's who figured out out next November, we all may find out what authoritarian police state means, up close and personal.

"I want 'my people' to 'sit up at attention.'"

[Cha]

36. I like your spirit.. personally

I'm not into dragging on Mayor Adams.

I hear your warning.. it's Real and it's deadly. Here's to Winning in November 2022.. and it will be from Moderates keeping their seats from the Fascistrump Reds.

[Hortensis]

42. Yes. We need to vote like everyone's future depends on it.

We're in grave danger because of irresponsible, even spiteful voting by too many. The electorate put all those bad people in power, it wasn't done to us.

Democrat or Republican. Either-or.

[boston bean]

43. A leftist authoritarian is not my cup of tea. Not saying he is one, but I do

Question his way of governance at this time. I am asking if I am wrong?

[BlackSkimmer]

48. I don't think you're wrong.

This should be interesting.

[Hortensis]

53. You know, boston, there really IS such a thing as

leftist authoritarianism. For a long time it was more suspected than measured because focus was on the monster that keeps pacing democracy's cage on the right, but now it's being studied.

But, and this is huge, LW authoritarianism manifested in those lefties who drawn to ideologies and movements that would need to be imposed on everyone to work: "Universal" solutions, like ridding a nation of capitalism and its free enterprise and replacing it with socialist economic structure, collectives run by workers, everyone equal, etc. LW authoritarians want the niceness and fairness of doing away with inequity of wealth and opportunity.

But those gains require sacrifices of freedom that most strongly oppose, so they're always a minority. That means elections can't achieve their dream, so that the will of the majorities enabled by democracy is their biggest problem. Authoritarianism to make it happen is required.

A big difference between LW and RW authoritarianism is that LW is typically anti-"establishment" (including the Democratic Party establishment) and the ideal is an egalitarian, classless society. RW authoritarianism is strongly pro-establishment and hierarchical class-based society. They share a belief that they're right to impose what they want on all others, approve of stealing elections to get power (for the good of all of course), and will have to use police power to protect the good they've achieved from those who don't appreciate it.

Now, the anti-authoritarians, the LIBERALS and non-authoritarian conservatives: They believe people should be free as possible to follow their own dreams, their pursuit of happiness. Liberals are the strongest anti-authoritarians, and the Democratic Party is America's liberal party.

Although we do have to watch for authoritarian abusers attaining power by sneaking in as Democrats, we have mechanisms for kicking them out. The far bigger danger is all those who are angered by and refuse to accept the elections of Biden and Adams and would overset them and impose their own leaders if they only could.

A way of warning that people who hate authoritarianism have KNOW what they're part of. It's not enough to join wonderful people who dream of a world in which no one ever goes hungry. HOW they would make that happen is critical.

[betsuni]

55. +1

[boston bean]

59. I am watching something in him that makes me have questions.

[Hortensis]

62. Good. We're responsible for what those in office do after all.

They should be afraid to cross us.

[George II]

63. He was sworn in on January 1, it's been less than four days and already he's being trashed.....

....by some.

Even Barack Obama had about a month before this started.

Hmmm, I wonder what they have in common?

[boston bean]

64. Did you see him on cnn today?

[JohnSJ]

50. What I find amusing is how easily people seem to be swayed without really knowing where

they are on the issues at a national level. I remember quite a few here were enamored by Cuomo as the next candidate based simply on his Covid presentations

[Torchlight]

54. All I know about the guy is that he's a new mayor

and that over the past couple of days, a couple of people have been falsely attributing quotes to him (which makes me question their character more than his)

[betsuni]

56. +1

[boston bean]

60. His appearance on cnn this morning was concerning to me.

And have me asking these questions.

[Cha]

65. That's quite understandable and

you haven't been misquoting Mayor Adams.

[boston bean]

67. I saw some of his points. But I also saw someone going up against educators.

And in a way leaving no room for error like he has it right and his way or the highway. It really concerned me. And no those were not exact words but that is how he came across to me.

[Torchlight]

66. I don't even have that to go on.

I understand where you're coming from though, and I'm not trying to side-eye or disparage anything you've said.

[Cha]

61. Oh Yeah!

[AZProgressive]

68. I just hope he doesn't run for President

Like other NYC mayors.

[Dorian Gray]

85. Adams....

Authoritarian?

I don't think so.

Messy?

Absolutely.

I was not into him at all in the primary. We could rank five, and he didn't make my list. I was angry when he won.

Having said that, he did win, and there are some BIG problems in our city right now. I want to give him a chance and I'm frustrated with how quickly people are jumping on him.

He said some stupid stuff in the first week. (I hold that the swagger comments weren't that, but his "low skilled workers comments" were dumb.)

But even in his dumb statements, he is pointing out that there is a discrepancy in the white collar upper middle class atmosphere to the lower income jobs. There is a certain class of worker who is super privileged who can afford to protect themselves by working remote.

Then there are the workers who have to be in person, and we aren't talking about that enough.

Finally, authoritarian? Where do you get that from?

[Celerity]

87. very balanced and fair, well thought-out comments, a far too rare thing

[brooklynite]

95. Derives from his previous comments...

Last edited Wed Jan 5, 2022, 08:36 PM - Edit history (1)

…that if you weren’t previously a cop (“wore a bullet proof vest”) you couldn’t question him about his jail policy.

[Dorian Gray]

96. He's had gaffes

and that was douchey.

But authoritarian? I see him engaging with lots of different groups and bringing people to the table. Authoritarians don't do that.

He definitely needs someone to work with him on making media gaffes. That's for sure. But after the last 8 years of a mayor almost universally reviled, I"m holding off judging this guy until he's had time to actually make a difference.

[Thrill]

90. He use to be a Republican. Don't forget that