Hakeem Jeffries Gives THE WORST ENDORSEMENT Of Mamdani

Reluctant Endorsement and Strategic Hesitation [00:00]

• The speaker initially states they have not refused to endorse but rather refused to articulate their position, promising to do so before early voting.
• This was followed by a statement endorsing Zoran Mandani for New York mayor, released to The New York Times, indicating a preference against being recorded on video making the endorsement.
• The statement acknowledged "principled disagreements" but emphasized Mandani's fair primary win and the need for party unity against an "existential threat" from Donald Trump.
• Mandani's focus on the affordability crisis and commitment to serving all New Yorkers, including non-supporters, were highlighted.
• The endorsement concluded with support for Mandani and the entire citywide Democratic ticket.

"And uh first question is going to go to you, Nina. Should we just accept that he finally did it? Is it is it being petty to acknowledge that he undercut it in every possible way in that statement?"

Critique of Endorsement and "Vote Blue No Matter Who" [01:37]

• The speaker, Nina, embraces a "petty" analysis, deeming the endorsement "irrelevant and insignificant" with only about 12 days left before the election.
• She recalls the "vote blue no matter who" slogan used by neoliberals to pressure progressives, suggesting a shift in tactics when a progressive wins a primary.
• The endorsement is characterized as "half-hearted," and the justification that Mandani convinced the endorser he would be mayor for all New Yorkers is dismissed as obvious.
• It's argued that this is not a new epiphany, as all elected officials must serve everyone once in office.

"Everybody running for office. You know, when I ran, everybody didn't vote for me. However, once I took that oath of office, I had to serve all. So, that's not some big epiphany here."

The "Vote Blue No Matter Who" Fallacy and Systemic Obstruction [03:12]

• The discussion questions the true meaning of "vote blue no matter who," suggesting it means "vote establishment even if you don't want to."
• The case of India Walton in Buffalo is brought up as another example where a progressive won a primary against an incumbent but was allegedly undermined through alternative means, contrasting with Mandani's situation.
• It's argued that neoliberals will "try every tact" to stop a progressive from winning, and they are sometimes successful.
• The anticipation is that while they might not stop Mandani from winning, they will attempt to stop him from governing effectively.

"The neoliberals will try every tact, every single tact to stop a progressive from winning and sometimes they are successful."

The Establishment's Tactics and the Power of Trump [05:35]

• The speaker believes Democrats would have worked with Republicans to "gum it up" if Bernie Sanders had won the presidency, suggesting a pattern of obstruction.
• The hope of the establishment is to make a progressive's term appear as a failure, serving as a cautionary tale.
• The people of New York "clearly want to give it a try," and the inability of "so-called Democrats" to respect voters' will is deemed "ridiculous."
• The need for candidates to explicitly commit to representing more than just wealthy donors is highlighted, implying some corporate Democrats do not.
• The endorsement is described as "begrudging BS" and too late, failing to acknowledge lessons learned or apply them to future races.

"The people of New York clearly want to give it a try. So the fact that they can't trust these so-called Democrats to actually respect the will of those voters is, I think, ridiculous."

Lack of Courage and Political Inaction [07:57]

• It is suggested that Hakeem Jeff lacked the courage to simply state he would not endorse Mandani, instead hedging and making excuses.
• The delay is interpreted as an attempt to see if Cuomo would gain momentum.
• The speaker hopes New Yorkers see through this and understand the type of leader Jeff is not, attributing some of this behavior to self-interest.
• The lack of courage and intestinal fortitude is seen as a failure to believe in the will of primary voters.
• The Democrats are criticized for maintaining leadership positions after 2024 and for not seeking new ideas, likening their situation to the Titanic sinking.

"He lacks courage and intestinal fortitude and he definitely does not believe in the will of the primary voters in New York because if he did, he would have endorsed him a long time ago."

The Establishment's Reluctance to Learn and Wield Power [09:15]

• The Democrats are accused of not learning lessons and failing to wield power effectively when they controlled both chambers of Congress and the presidency.
• Examples of potential actions they could have taken include expanding the court, abolishing the filibuster, increasing the federal minimum wage, and passing voting rights legislation.
• The contrast is drawn with Donald Trump's use of power without making excuses.
• The current situation is framed as the establishment's refusal to learn, at their own peril.

"The Democrats had the same opportunity. He could have expanded the court. They could have done away with the filibuster. They could have increased the federal minimum wage from $7.25."

Eric Adams' Endorsement and the Class Divide [12:19]

• Eric Adams endorsed Cuomo, stating "New York can't be Europe" and making inflammatory remarks about "Islamic extremism" and labeling Mandani a "Muslim radical."
• This is contrasted with Mandani's focus on affordability.
• Adams' prior denunciation of Cuomo as a "snake and a liar" is noted, with the comment that "a snake is better than a Muslim."
• The phrase "Brothers fight, but when families are attacked, brothers come together" is reinterpreted as the establishment and donors uniting when their interests are threatened.
• The solidarity of the establishment is with each other and their donors, not with the city or its people.
• This is identified as a "class thing" and an "ownership thing," not a demographic issue.

"It is a class thing. It is an ownership thing. And they're being very clear in this case about that."

The Ruling Class vs. The Working Class [14:08]

• The dichotomy of the "ruling class" and the "working class" is presented as the two classes in America.
• Politicians are seen as answering to their "owner donors."
• The choice of endorsing a "snake" is framed not as a change of opinion but as siding with a brother who is a snake and a liar.
• The ultimate distinction between the two classes is who gets invited to "Magnificent Ballroom."

"There are two classes in the United States of America. The ruling class and the working class. It's the rest of us."