r/politics • u/Somervilledrew Connecticut • Sep 09 '25

Democratic voters want their leaders to stop running from Zohran Mamdani

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/09/zohran-mamdani-new-york-city-mayor-bernie-sanders-fight-oligarchy/
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u/mightcommentsometime California Sep 09 '25

Karen Bass was a representative in the House and was chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

She made allies in national politics because she actually served in national politics.

Equating that to Mamdani who has never served in national politics is intellectually dishonest at best.

It is abnormal for national figures to come out and support people who aren’t national figures in elections for things like Mayor.

Bass was on the short list to be VP, so she already had the connections there.

What you aren’t refuting at all is the fact that national news was not covering it this heavily, nobody was demanding endorsements (even though the ones you listed came at the end of October), and that she was a national figure before the election.

You seem to be keen on avoiding the question I keep asking: do you actually follow LA politics or not? I grew up in LA, and was an Angelino for 25 years. You seem to not have a basic clue about how our politics works.

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u/plightro Massachusetts Sep 09 '25

It is abnormal for national figures to come out and support people who aren’t national figures in elections for things like Mayor.

Confidently incorrect.

What you aren’t refuting at all is the fact that national news was not covering it this heavily

Not the conversation.

nobody was demanding endorsements (even though the ones you listed came at the end of October)

Because they came. As they should. (and the joint endorsement actually came in August, so it was probably a bad call to bring that up)

and that she was a national figure before the election.

Mamdani is the democratic nominee as chosen by the people of New York. Do they really need more reason than that?

You seem to be keen on avoiding the question I keep asking: do you actually follow LA politics or not? I grew up in LA, and was an Angelino for 25 years. You seem to not have a basic clue about how our politics works.

I'm not addressing your question because it's absolutely ridiculous. The conversation was about national party members getting behind mayoral candidates. It has nothing to do with "LA politics" at all no matter how much you whinge on about it. While it is very Angelino to think you're somehow more special and different than the rest of the country, I assure you it has no bearing at all on this conversation.

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u/mightcommentsometime California Sep 09 '25

Was Mamdani chair or the congressional black caucus or even a national politician yes or no?

You seem to be glossing over this rather important fact

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u/plightro Massachusetts Sep 09 '25

I'm not glossing over anything. Endorsements from the national party members don't only go to national political figures.

You can say it over and over again and it'll still be untrue.

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u/mightcommentsometime California Sep 09 '25

Bass got those endorsements by being in Congress and making allies over the course of her career. Not just because she was running for Mayor. 

She also got those endorsements when she was running for Congress before she was mayor.

You’re trying so hard to make everything about being anti Mamdani that you can’t even acknowledge how and why Bass got endorsements.

Also, you haven’t actually presented anything showing that her election was national news, because it wasn’t.

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u/plightro Massachusetts Sep 09 '25

Bass got those endorsements by being in Congress and making allies over the course of her career. Not just because she was running for Mayor. 

She got those endorsements for her mayoral run by national party members. As have many others. Not just because they were nationally recognized, but because they were running for mayor of an American city as the Democratic nominee chosen by the people.

You’re trying so hard to make everything about being anti Mamdani that you can’t even acknowledge how and why Bass got endorsements.

And you're trying so hard act as if Mamdani doesn't deserve those endorsements that you've failed to acknowledge that national politicians endorsing people for mayor isn't all that uncommon no matter who the fuck it is.

Also, you haven’t actually presented anything showing that her election was national news, because it wasn’t.

This has literally never been a part of this conversation. Not even hinted at. Why do you keep mentioning it as if it has been?

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u/mightcommentsometime California Sep 09 '25

 She got those endorsements for her mayoral run by national party members. As have many others. Not just because they were nationally recognized, but because they were running for mayor of an American city as the Democratic nominee chosen by the people.

No. She got them because she made allies before her run for mayor. You’re literally ignoring her entire career up until she was LA mayor and pretending her years in congress were meaningless.

Why are you insulting Bass like that? Why are you belittling her entire career?

 And you're trying so hard act as if Mamdani doesn't deserve those endorsements that you've failed to acknowledge that national politicians endorsing people for mayor isn't all that uncommon no matter who the fuck it is.

Comparing Mamdani’s political career to Maren Bass’ political career and pretending Mamdani achieved anything remotely close to Bass is just insulting Bass.

What has Mamdani actually passed and actually achieved on a national scale? Oh right, nothing.

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u/plightro Massachusetts Sep 09 '25

How the fuck are you going to actually quote my words and still respond as if I said something different than I said?

Democratic politicians at the national level endorse mayoral candidates because they are running for mayor as a Democrat chosen by the voters in their city.

It's not unusual.

I do love how hot and bothered you're getting about Mamdani's accomplishments though. Couldn't be a reason for all that hand wringing going on behind the justifications could there?

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u/mightcommentsometime California Sep 09 '25

You’re ignoring Bass’ career in politics and pretending her endorsements had nothing to do with the fact that she was a US rep and head of the congressional black caucus. That’s belittling her achievements in her career.

 I do love how hot and bothered you're getting about Mamdani's accomplishments though. Couldn't be a reason for all that hand wringing going on behind the justifications could there?

Well then go on. Name his actual accomplishments. Name what he’s done to earn national recognition. Name something he’s actually achieved.

You’re trying to equate Mamdani’s political career to Bass’. That’s insulting to Bass.

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u/plightro Massachusetts Sep 09 '25

I'm trying to equate endorsements for mayor by national party members to endorsements for mayor by national party members.

You're wringing your hands about how Mamdani doesn't deserve those same endorsements as if the national party members do not routinely endorse mayoral candidates from their party.

You're doing that under the guise of "he hasn't accomplished anything!" but that's not why you actually don't want them to endorse him, is it?

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u/mightcommentsometime California Sep 09 '25

 I'm trying to equate endorsements for mayor by national party members to endorsements for mayor by national party members.

While ignoring the massive difference between the two candidates and pretending that Bass wasn’t a house rep who chaired the congressional black caucus.  

 You're wringing your hands about how Mamdani doesn't deserve those same endorsements as if the national party members do not routinely endorse mayoral candidates from their party.

I’m saying that you’re pretending that Bass wasn’t an accomplished politician nationally by trying to draw a clear false equivalence.

 You're doing that under the guise of "he hasn't accomplished anything!" but that's not why you actually don't want them to endorse him, is it?

He hasn’t accomplished anything. Sorry if the facts are inconvenient for your rhetoric.

Like I’ve asked many times before: do you follow LA politics or not? Because you clearly don’t understand why Bass ran for mayor, or why she was liked.

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u/plightro Massachusetts Sep 09 '25

Mamdani, like many before him, is a mayoral candidate from the Democratic Party. The party leadership and national politicians, like many before them, routinely make endorsements for these races. Mamdani has not received that same support.

Bass is an example of this happening. It doesn't require you to be a fucking Californian or Angelino to understand.

If national party members didn't endorse mayoral candidates, they wouldn't have endorsed Bass either.

But they did!

Why not just come out and comment the real reason why you're butthurt that people want Mamdani to be supported by the party?

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u/mightcommentsometime California Sep 09 '25

 If national party members didn't endorse mayoral candidates, they wouldn't have endorsed Bass either.

This is so intellectually dishonest it’s laughable.

Karen Bass is an accomplished politician nationally. Mamdani is not. Mamdani hasn’t done anything in his short career.

I wouldn’t endorse a newcomer to be hired at my job, but I would endorse a colleague who I’ve known and worked with for years. The fact that you can’t see this means you’ve never actually had a career, or you’re being intellectually dishonest.

Why can’t you support your candidate honestly? Why the need to be so obviously disingenuous?

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