Democrats keep lecturing us about a crisis of democracy, but as usual they’re the ones with the crisis.

New York currently has a really bad case of this. To understand why that is, we need a little political game theory.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams had his case closed by the Trump administration. Despite that, Dems have been encouraging Gov. Hochul to remove him from office on the grounds of corruption/collaborating with Trump. To Dems the latter is an obviously much more grave sin than the former.

But Hochul has a major vested interest in how this all plays out because her former boss, Andrew Cuomo, is prepping a mayoral run. And if he becomes mayor, his next stop will likely involve a battle with Hochul. Andy is a pit bull who never forgets or forgives, but after being ousted he and his brother remade themselves as populists, fighters against antisemitism and a bit friendly toward Trump.

Gov. Hochul has to consider whether removing Adams or keeping him is the best way to block Cuomo.

Democratically speaking, the voters elected Adams and he should stay in office until they choose otherwise. And Hochul’s vested interest in the matter should preclude her ability to protect herself by subverting democracy. None of the media’s democracy experts however seem to agree. Democracy to them is entirely transactional and is limited to them winning elections and crediting democracy, and blaming an attack on democracy if they lose.

If Hochul does remove Adams, she will trigger an actual democracy crisis with the aid of the Democrats.