NYC Primary Day

His strong showing reflected a broad, old-school political coalition that united Black and Latino voters, unions and a broad swath of the city outside Manhattan.

Eric Adams, who I ranked fifth (something new under the sun), currently holds the plurality (if in the 30s) in the NYC mayoral race. Maya Wiley is in second with Kathyrn Garcia third. Yang, who had no business being made out as a credible choice, conceded. Various others, including someone like Scott Stringer -- who early on in theory had a decent shot -- basically could/should with no real chance. 

Eric Adams has various things going for him. He has a power base in populous Brooklyn, with long experience in NYC government.  Adams (though one Talking Points Memo piece in my view dubiously at best labeled him as "the moderate choice" -- that's Garcia) has various Reaganite Democrat / conservative vibes, including pro-police comments (with enough reform comments to CYA).  

I see by that article he has union support.  And, he has a lot of black support, including from those that are okay with a more conservative tough on crime sentiment.  He is basically the old school machine choice.  New York City is framed as some liberal bastion, but there is a reason why for years it also had Republican / conservative in various ways even while Democratic or not full fledged progressive mayors.  I have basically lived with it, but there has been a sort of depressing limit present there.  

Ranked choice voting means that we won't find out how various races will work out to maybe early July (or the end of June at least) since absentee votes have to factor in when the ranking process is put into motion.  This means unless a candidate has a dominating lead -- Curtis Sliwa, the Republican mayoral candidate is an example -- races are not decided yet.  Some might lean a certain way.  Election Day -- shades of Biden -- suddenly becomes a tad less final.  

I have a something "inside" part here -- well kinda -- since for the last few cycles, I served as a poll worker. When you go to the table to check in and get your ballots, I was there now three times.  It's charming really to be inside the system.  When I was a census worker, trying to find out about people who didn't fill out the census, it was a rather tedious/depressing enterprise much of the time. Next door neighbors claimed not to know anything about their neighbors. Here is it a bit less that. 

A few people still don't understand that concept of primaries -- well, at least ones not "open" -- if you are not registered as a Democrat or Republican (though there are some major city-wide races, and there is a conservative party office a few blocks away -- so even the city council race might in theory be competitive there) the only primary in my district was for mayor here) you don't get a chance to vote.  

There was flagged to be some good results (it wasn't just a NYC primary day), including a good chance for the AOC endorsed comptroller.  Likewise, if Adams wins (blah), the City Council looks to be more progressive, and perhaps (again, I don't pay enough attention to local politics) that will provide a way to balance any conservative excesses he has.  And, especially since police stuff doesn't affect me personally and such (not belittling it; just being honest), Adams very well might not come off as that bad.  He is a vegan.  Still, I rather Wiley or Garcia.  

And, I'm not ready to concede.  As to other races, my city council choice (Marjorie Velázquez) has been declared the winner.  A candidate has to have over 50% to win and two Bronx borough candidates (not my assembly woman and second choice) are in the 30s.  Comptroller is leaning. Since there was really one candidate, public advocate also was decided.  I'm not going to even try right now to look up the results of the race for delegates to the local judicial convention.  

What about ranked choice voting, beyond how it will delay the final results?  In the mayoral race, if there was a 40% floor, we might have had a run-off.  A few people at the polling place probably were a bit confused about it, even with the colorful information cards that included (for whatever reason) a pigeon with a mask on.  I think as a whole it is a good idea though five choices probably is a bit much.  

Late ETA: The next week brought preliminary official results, mixed with a flub by the NYC Board of Elections that got them a lot of scorn. But, ranked choice means the final results are still pending, though Eric Adams has a slight lead now.  

Ranked choice doesn't apply to one big (state) race: Manhattan DA.  Alvin Bragg seems to have won that if by a small plurality. No run-off election.  That is questionable in the end.  Still, a career prosecutor with white collar crime experience is a good person to take over the Trump Organization prosecution, now that the organization and a top executive are indicted. With more perhaps to come.  

Bragg would be the first black Manhattan DA and has some progressive bona fides mixed with some middle of the road ones. 

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We also had the true opening U.S. Senate salvo regarding the For the People Act happening yesterday -- the move to start debate. Let me repeat. DEBATE, after Manchin found a compromise he was okay with.  

Not a SINGLE FUCKING REPUBLICAN voted to do that.  NOT ONE.  Note that under the rules -- which on debate at least should change (you don't need to "nuke" the filibuster to change it significantly) -- sixty would be needed. So, if Lisa M. (who supported Manchin to some extent) said "okay, I'm okay with mere debate") it would basically be symbolic.  Thus, again, FUCK YOU.  Can we please focus are fire on them?  Not just the usual suspects either.  Enough with "the Democrats ..."

The link suggests that maybe, seems hopeless, but maybe, there is still some light left.  Like hoping RBG wouldn't die, what more can one say there?  Admitting it's bad can be useful in deciding how to act, but simply assuming defeat a few months after you gain power remains not where I am at as a general matter in Biden/Democratic Congress positioning.

I do realize the pessimism.  Unless they actually do something -- why, why can't they at least change the filibuster rules for mere debate, for instance? what harm does that give you even if you are a Manchin or Sinema?  -- all of this outrage seems largely hot air.  Not totally -- (1) it's valid to be pissed off (2) there are battles to be won and united outrage etc. can help there.  

But, yes, you have to actually DO SOMETHING.  The Biden Administration does have some power to enforce the current voting rights laws, which in certain cases is more exciting than let's say the usual along the edges gun regulation deal (which to be fair is not merely a trivial saying the right things enterprise).  With the breadth of the problem, like police reform, an activist Justice Department can do some real good.

Still, if voting is so very important, if Republicans as a unit are FUCKING HORRIBLE (the caps and bold are to underline the point ... at some point, some line is crossed ... Trump was one such line ... this is as well), mere outrage is not enough.  And, yes, merely screaming "DO SOMETHING!" can be immature. 

But, it can also be justified.