WashPost Editorial Board: Mamdani Bad for NYC, Dems

How far left is New York City Democrat mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani? Apparently too far left even for The Washington Post.

"New York cannot take for granted its premier status among world cities; no mighty metropolis can," The Washington Post editorial board wrote Thursday in an opinion piece that reads like something that might more likely be stated on President Donald Trump's Truth Social account than a paper he often rebukes for its leftist bias.

"History is full of the stories of great concentrations of people and wealth that decayed due to misfortune or misrule," the Post piece stated.

But the Post's editorial remains long on its concern for the well-being of the Democratic Party as opposed to championing a move away from it toward conservatism, saying electing a self-avowed Democratic Socialist like Mamdani "is bad" for the party.

"Zohran Mamdani's victory is bad for New York and the Democratic Party," the Post editorial headline read.

"New York cannot take its greatness for granted," the subheadline added. "Mismanagement can ruin it."

Those same positions were shared by a myriad of experts on Newsmax programs Wednesday night, including former Republican New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Still, the Post's position has roots in concern Mamdani will cost the Democrats their control over the New York electorate.

"Zohran Mamdani, the charismatic 33-year-old who is now the front-runner to be the next mayor of New York, might seem like a breath of fresh air for a Democratic Party struggling to move past its aging establishment," the Post wrote.

"In fact, New Yorkers should be worried that he would lead Gotham back to the bad old days of civic dysfunction, and Democrats should fear that he will discredit their next generation of party leaders, almost all of whom are better than this democratic socialist."

Such "fear" had the Post uttering the warnings oft-heard on conservative airwaves about the dangers of turning too far away from capitalism.

"Now, a man who believes that capitalism is 'theft' is in line to lead the country's biggest city and the world's financial capital," the Post wrote. "His signature ideas are 'city-owned grocery stores,' no bus fares, freezing rent on 1 million regulated apartments and increasing the minimum wage to $30. No doubt these might strike some voters as tempting ideas."

"But, as with so many proposals from America's far left, the trade-offs would hurt the people they are supposed to help," the Post continued.

"A massive minimum wage would depress low-skilled employment. His rent freeze would reduce the housing supply and decrease its quality. Cutting bus fares would leave a transit funding hole that, unless somehow filled, would erode service. Meanwhile, the grocery business operates on thin margins, and his plan for city-run stores would likely lead to fewer options, poor service and shortages, as privately-run stores closed rather than try to compete with city-subsidized shops."

Ultimately, the Post concluded that the only way to accept Mamdani's policies is to enact some age-old, big government control over him in the Democrat-ruled state.

"Should Mamdani become mayor, Democrats such as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul can lead the way in containing him, not least so he does not define their party," the Post wrote. "Their gubernatorial nominees in Virginia and New Jersey, Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, respectively, would be much better representatives of a Democratic brand that still needs to buff out the rough edges of its left wing."