For the better part of the last decade, Democrats have positioned themselves as the party of principle, endlessly chiding
Naturally, one might have thought that these same Democrats would be almost tripping over themselves to denounce Mamdani for the sake of putting our country over party.
Where are the courageous Democrats willing to stand up to the party line? Where are the principled voices warning about the dangers of extremism? Has anyone heard from Eric Swalwell? I’m not holding my breath—and neither should you. So far at least, the answer to that question seems to be a resounding “no.” (RELATED: The Cuomo Comeback Is Dead — And So Might Be the Old Democratic Party)
Instead, we’re seeing the same partisan rallying that Democrats condemned when Republicans did it with Trump. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have enthusiastically backed Mamdani from the beginning. But the party establishment seems to already be falling into line — New York Governor Kathy Hochul is heaping praise on the campaign he ran, and even former moderate champions like Bill Clinton have more or less endorsed him. (RELATED: The Left, Radical Left, and Democrats: Three Peas, One Pod)
The parallels to Trump’s rise in 2016 are uncanny, just on a more local level. In 2016, establishment Republicans watched in horror as an outsider candidate with positions considered to be too extreme rose steadily in the polls and captured their party’s nomination. Democrats condemned them mercilessly for falling in line, for putting “party over country.” They demanded Republicans show courage, reject their nominee, and support a more moderate alternative — even if it meant crossing party lines.
Now, the shoe’s on the other foot — but unlike what so many said about Donald Trump, Mamdani is actually a deeply ideological, radical candidate. His campaign pledges read like a wishlist designed to drive businesses and middle-class families out of New York. His campaign proposes a new minimum wage for the city of $30 an hour by 2030. He wants government-owned grocery stores and plans to raise the corporate tax rate. (RELATED: Government Stores in NYC? Yes!)
But it’s not just his economic policies that should be so alarming to otherwise sensible Democrats. His past positions on public safety to his obsession with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict make him completely unfit to serve as the city’s mayor. He has repeatedly called for defunding the police, going so far as to call the NYPD “wicked and corrupt.” Additionally, he has become embroiled in controversies of antisemitism by defending calls to “globalize the intifada.” The man wasted little time in the aftermath of the October 7 terrorist attack — the very next day, he had already released a statement condemning Netanyahu for his actions without any mention of Hamas.
Unlike the situation that Republicans found themselves in throughout Trump’s first term, though, Democrats do not need to switch parties to oppose Mamdani and his radical policies. The current mayor, Eric Adams, has been a Democrat for decades and is running for reelection as an independent. In stark contrast to Mamdani’s radicalism and unrealistic proposals, Adams represents both meaningful reform on what matters to everyday New Yorkers — namely, housing prices — with stability in support of law enforcement.
To their credit, there have been a few Democrats who have come out against their party’s nominee. Representative Laura Gillen (D-NY) has denounced him as “too extreme to lead,” specifically referencing his numerous calls to defund the police as well as his open embrace of antisemitism. But she remains a lonely voice in the party. Only time will tell if more will follow.
For Democrats who truly believe in putting country over party, the choice should be clear. Sometimes defending your values means voting against your party’s nominee. They said it themselves — now it’s time to prove they meant it.
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Kyle Moran is an analyst specializing in international affairs and national security. His research has been published in the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, and his commentary has been featured widely in outlets including RealClearPolitics and the Washington Examiner.