No one is asking him about something he hasn’t waded into, he has willingly engaged in dialogue on this conflict- and however someone wants to define intifada it can plausibly be defined as a call to violence, it’s a common slogan in a movement he’s made himself a part of- he should own it.
That, or, do exactly what he's doing and not provide ammunition to the political firing squad. Guy's ahead in the polls for a reason. And remember, we're talking city leadership here. Foisting international politics into the discourse is intentional obfuscation of the issues at hand for NYC.
For sure, but for better or worse, we’ve moved to a place where all politics is national if not global. And it’s hard not to look at him and see someone with higher aspirations. I find his non answer telling, and I’m not sure it’s saved him from the firing squad.
Well, sure, you're volunteering for the firing squad. You claim that "he got into this game" and "No one is asking him about something he hasn’t waded into", and yet I can find zero evidence that he wielded the phrase "globalize the intifada" before he was asked about it a week ago on a podcast.
I mean, he hasn’t used those exact words, yet he is part of empowering a movement that embraces that term
Right, you have to resort to guilt-by-association handwaving because he did not, in fact, "g[e]t into this game"; he was, in fact, "ask[ed] about something he ha[d]n't waded into". Allegedly the slogan's the cause for concern, but when it's pointed out that Mamdani didn't bring up the slogan...
...the goalposts get shifted to nebulous Oh OK Sure He Doesn't Actually Use The Slogan But Someone At A Rally For The Movement He's Part Of Used The Slogan smoke-blowing.
It’s not a one off at a rally it’s a prominent expression of a movement that he has made a part of his political brand. It’s an expression used to justify violence. It would be one thing if he hasn’t been involved since college, but he has, and it’s a loud part of a movement he is part of.
I'm sure someone somewhere has used the expression to justify violence, but you present no evidence that that's its dominant meaning, and I've marched & rallied ~ 10 times for Palestine alongside hundreds of thousands of people and don't recall ever hearing the expression during any of that.
We're not talking about something like "from the river to the sea", which I _have_ heard many many times with my own ears during rallies & marches, and which has _also_ been pointed to as a supposed endorsement of violence and even genocide. A genuinely common slogan like that might feasibly be...
...connected to a politician who speaks at a rally. But pointing to an expression that's clearly far more obscure? I'm afraid that really is guilt-by-straw-clutching.
You're missing the point. It doesnt matter what answer Mamdani gives, it will be twisted because he's Muslim. He can't win, so didn't play. Especially since he didn't actually SAY that himself. What activists said at a rally is only tangentially related to him, and his run for mayor.
It’s one of the most prominent slogans from a movement that he has prominently associated himself with…and will he excuse violence if it it’s pro Palestinian? He has a chance to say now that he won’t.
Yeah seems youre saying that cuz he's Muslim and you're conflating that slogan with his interest in keeping Palestanian children alive. He isnt excusing violence lol. He's saying what protestors shout at rallies he has nothing to do with ... has nothing to do with him. And he's right!
No im saying that bc he founded his colleges chapter of SJP and he has spoken prominently about the BDS movement. He can decide to distance himself from the current movement…if he wanted to.
And? You're really gonna hold him to stuff he did in college? Do you do that for white politicians? Be honest now. He did distance himself. He said it was a distraction and not important. Yall gotta get over needing hear one exact turn of phrase or not having it count. Use your brain for once.
He has been at several post October 7th rallies, he is involved in anti Israel legislature. This wasn’t “a thing he did in college”- his views on this are clear. I think, within my ability to try to find news and be educated, I’d hold anyone to that standard.
His not saying anything…says a lot…
Who cares