He’s mumbling Mamdani.
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani dodged straightforward questions Monday on pressing issues facing the Big Apple — capping off days of mealy-mouthed politician-speak that insiders argued showed the charismatic candidate’s shine is wearing off.
The front-runner in the mayoral election only had gobbledygook to offer on a range of topics during the public safety forum at Columbia Journalism School, even when simply asked if he supported school safety agents working in the city’s public schools.
“I think it is an indication of this broken status quo that we have many schools where they will have a school safety agent, but they will not have a nurse or a social worker … and I’ve been critical of that approach to our school system,” he droned to moderator Errol Louis.
The forum — hosted by the journalism school and the news outlet Vital City — came after a spate of weekend media interviews in which Mamdani gave similar non-responses.
The substance-free streak shows Mamdani is struggling to transition from the Democratic primary’s upset challenger to the responsibilities of being the top City Hall contender, political observers and consultants said.
“He is about to find out charisma and charm are not answers,” said one longtime political operative.
“Tough choices have to be made and as the young, inexperienced front-runner, he doesn’t want to make them. It’s understandable, but not necessarily acceptable.” --->READ MORE HERE
 |
| Spectrum News NY1 |
With just two months until New York City voters cast ballots in the mayor’s race, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa on Wednesday sought to distinguish himself from his opponents by emphasizing public safety as a cornerstone of his campaign.
During an interview on “Mornings On 1,” Sliwa argued that his approach to crime and policing sets him apart, pointing to recent shootings in Brooklyn and the Bronx as reasons for increasing incarceration in the city.
“If you’re a gang member, obviously. You have shot somebody, or you have killed somebody,” he said, describing those he’d like to see removed from city streets.
He dismissed concerns about capacity at Rikers Island, noting that the jail once held nearly twice as many inmates as it does now.
“There's room. Obviously, you need to rehab the facility, but dangerous men and dangerous women need to be off the streets if they've already committed acts of violence. I think we can all agree on that,” he said.
Sliwa also said the city needs to dramatically increase its police force.
“I'm the candidate who says we don't have enough police. And I've been up in the Bronx saying we need more cops. I'll make sure that the streets are safe, as I've done for 46 years,” he said.
While Mayor Eric Adams appeared alongside Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch on several morning news programs Wednesday touting another drop in major crimes during the month of August, Sliwa insisted the numbers do not match perception.
“People are frightened, and they're rightfully frightened, because they don't feel safe in the streets or the subways,” he said, noting that he hears safety complaints primarily from women.
“Women are the majority of the earners now in New York City… They can't keep affording a yellow cab, a Lyft, an Uber and they are constantly being threatened with perverts who come up to them, sexually harass them,” he said. --->WATCH THE INTERVIEW HERE
If you like what you see, please "Like" and/or Follow us on FACEBOOK here, GETTR here, and TWITTER here.
No comments:
Post a Comment