THE NEW DEMOCRATIC STAR? – OVERNIGHT:  We're giving a great deal of attention to Eric Adams, who will, unless something goes seriously awry, be the next mayor of New York.  He will be a national figure when he takes office, and he is the exception to today's Democratic Party rule.  He's a moderate and an ex-cop, and he's black.   And he's ambitious.  From Fox: 

New York City mayoral candidate Eric Adams criticized the far-left during an appearance on Bill Maher’s HBO show, saying America "is not a socialist country."

"This is not a socialist country, let’s be clear on that," Adams, a Democrat, told Maher Friday evening. "This is a country that believes in giving people the opportunities [so] that they will be able to succeed and excel in this country."

His comments come after he said earlier this week at a campaign event that he was running against a Democratic Socialists of America "movement."

"I’m no longer running against candidates. I’m running against a movement. All across the country, the DSA socialists are mobilizing to stop Eric Adams," he told a crowd in Queens on Monday evening.

"They realize that if I’m successful, we’re going to start the process of regaining control of our cities."

He said later that the comments were not aimed at noted socialist lawmaker, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, though he admitted they "gave the appearance that there was a personal attack on Alexan … Congresswoman Cortez."

"Her name was never mentioned by me," Adams said, according to the New York Post.

The former NYPD captain added on Maher’s show that he will work to "rebuild that trust" between the police and the community, following Democratic lawmakers across the country, including Ocasio-Cortez, calling for departments to be defunded in the wake of George Floyd’s death last Memorial Day.

"I am going to have the backs of my officers but they are going to have the backs of the people of this city they swore to serve and protect," he said.

COMMENT:  I believe Adams has his finger on the pulse of New York, and probably most of the country.  There is clearly a leftist movement building – he refers to it – to stop him before he disrupts the socialist gravy train. 

Watching Adams will be fun.  He is not overwhelmingly popular.  In a way, he is a kind of Donald Trump with police experience.  His words are undoubtedly shocking to the branch of the Democratic Party that worships Lenin, but I suspect Adams did quite a bit of private polling before speaking them. 

July 31, 2021