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Mamdani Urges D.S.A. Not to Endorse a Challenger to Jeffries (www.nytimes.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml to c/progressivepolitics@lemmy.world

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Of all the democratic socialists who piled into a Manhattan church on Wednesday evening, none had the cachet of the man handed a microphone toward the meeting’s close.

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani offered some pleasantries — “Hello friends, Zohran, he/him, Queens D.S.A.” — before launching into his mission: torpedoing the candidacy of a left-leaning ally, Councilman Chi Ossé, who is attempting to unseat Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat.

The remarkable scene was both a reflection of the tricky political calculuses Mr. Mamdani confronts as he prepares to take office next year and the egalitarian nature of a group that served as the grass-roots organizing machine of his political success.

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[–] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

He left 5 years ago, shortly after joining and not quite knowing what he was getting into. That's quite some time, especially given his acquaintance and involvement with Mamdani and his campaign before rejoining. I also wouldn't be surprised if the DSA was, five years ago, different than what we know now and Mamdani promoted

[–] GlacialTurtle@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

https://socialisttribune.substack.com/p/why-we-should-not-endorse-chi-osse

We in NYC-DSA endorse, with great success, candidates who are socialists and who champion our project of democratic socialism. After joining NYC-DSA in October of 2020, Chi left only a month later because he, as someone “on the left side of the political spectrum,” did not “align” with our organization. Socialists are proud of being socialists and express and practice our socialism by being in a socialist organization. We can look at Zohran serving on the Electoral Working Group Organizing Committee as an example of what a socialist cadre-to-candidate looks like. Our most recent slate of endorsees, moreover, shows that we are precisely not lacking in possible candidates.

"Not knowing what he was getting into" is absolute horseshit.

That’s quite some time, especially given his acquaintance and involvement with Mamdani

Having connections higher up is not a good basis for endorsing and devoting resources to someone who only rejoined for explicitly opportunist purposes (free labour for my personal campaign).

I also wouldn’t be surprised if the DSA was, five years ago, different than what we know now and Mamdani promoted

It's no different, and Mamdani was a member and active part of DSA five years ago, and remained such, hence why he was able to get far more backing.

But it's wild to use Mamdani as reason to back Osse whilst criticising and attacking Mamdani, who has more of a background working in and with DSA than Osse, who has literally rejoined for opportunist purposes by his own admission.

[–] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org -1 points 3 weeks ago

I don't see how your quote contradicts "not knowing what he was getting into". Leaving so soon after joining for non-alignment sounds like he thought the DSA was something that aligned when he first joined.

Having connections higher up

Sorry, that's not what I meant. I meant more "life experiences that influence beliefs at a personal level".

and Mamdani was a member and active part of DSA five years ago

That could either mean what you're inferring or that the DSA allows quality pluralism in its members' beliefs. Mamdani back then did not have the influence within the DSA he has now.

You would notice from my other reply that I only hold one of these contrary beliefs.