New York City, which has not had a competent mayor since Michael Bloomberg, is about to punch itself in the face and elect Communist, anti-Semitic, charismatic demagogue Zohran Mamdani as its latest fiasco. One aspect of the perfect storm that is about to allow the City That Never Sleeps to fall into an abyss of its own making is that Mamdani is running in a three-way race, which often helps elects a candidate who would lose in a two-person race. Another is that the only viable alternative to Mamdani is disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo, who in addition to killing hundreds of rest home residents by stashing Wuhan virus victims in close proximity to them, whereupon they sickened and died, was a serial sexual harasser. I wouldn’t vote for the guy to be dog-catcher. There is at least a chance, however, that as mayor of New York Cuomo will make a good faith effort to redeem himself and not leave the Big Apple a smoldering pile of broken dreams. With Mamdani’s proposed policies, disaster is a near certainty.
Still, it is gradually sinking in that Mamdani is a con artist and has no experience whatsoever that qualifies him to lead the government of a city the size and complexity of New York. Pete Buttigieg is more qualified than Mamdani. Cuomo has been creeping up in the polls. In a two candidate race against Mamdani, he might even prevail.
Ah, but there’s a Republican in the race: Curtis Sliwa, best known as leader of The Guardian Angels, a group whose 15 minutes of fame evaporated decades ago. He’s run and lost for NY governor before, and is only in the race again because Republicans in New York City today are the equivalent of the Whigs in Boston in 1860. If he withdrew from the race, it is possible that enough of his voters would vote instead for Cuomo to upset Mamdani.
Sliwa has been under pressure to withdraw, and is under pressure still, even though the election is just two days hence. He, reasonably, says that Cuomo is no more fit to lead than the communist, and, less reasonably, claims that he, Curtis Silwa, can win.
Sure, Curtis.
Your Ethics Alarms Ethics Quiz of the Day is…
Should Sliwa withdraw from the Governor’s race for the public good?
My verdict: He has a right to give voters another alternative to the two untrustworthy Democrats. It’s not his job or his obligation to save the cultural mess that is today’s New York City from the consequences of its own voters’ delusions. There is also a valid ethical argument that the best result for the nation, if not for New York City, is for the socialist fallacy be exposed as what it is. A lot of people will suffer to teach that lesson, to be sure, but utilitarianism has its virtues. A city in ruins now may save a nation from ruination later.
Ethics Alarms 
If Silwa’s withdrawal could somehow foil Mamdani’s victory, could we logically give him the nickname “Curtis Interruptus?”
I don’t think it’s unethical for a candidate for elective office to refuse to help one of his opponents get elected. In this instance, people are asking a Republican to help get a Democrat* elected.
*Let’s face it, Sliwa is running against two Democrats.
Have people already forgotten how much they disliked Bill DeBlasio?
“charismatic demagogue”
Indeed. I’ve never seen such a facile smile. His entire face seems to wrinkle up and say, “Hah! You’re an idiot!” He could play a great villain in a comic book movie.
He does have a bit of a Hans Gruber vibe to him, now that you mention it…
Whew! Good catch. Exactly!
Cuomo was on Maria Bartiromo’s show this morning, and pointed out that several of Mamdani’s pledges just weren’t possible for various reasons, including the mayor not having any control over several areas on which he’s made promises, like the bus system being run by the state, and rent control issues handled by an independent board.
So, which would be better in the long run…failure to implement his “vision”, and loss of support, or success that drives away businesses and productive citizens, and serves as an object lesson? Either of these has increasing likelihood if Sliwa remains in the race and Mamdani prevails.
Clearly, the mayor of New York is not a king.
Exactly,. The type of Socialism he espouses is difficult to enact in an American city, even a cosmopolitan one like NYC. No doubt some assemblymen will rubber stamp his stuff but he won’t be able to do everything.
. . . and his “failure” to enact all his promised policies will be blamed on the evil Republicans and used as the reason why he needs to be re-elected.
–Dwayne
Here is my take:
At a national level, a Mamdani win followed by a disastrous administration of NYC is good for the GOP in the midterms and for the chances of JD Vance in the Presidential election of 2028. Mamdani and AOC will be the face of the Democrat party in 2028. The Democrat Party will have painted themselves into a corner as a radical socialist party.
If Mamdani wins, and the Democrats loose in Virginia and New Jersey, then the Democrats will interpret the election results as a call to radicalize even further.