By Colin Benjamin
Photos: YouTube Screenshots\Wikimedia Commons
Last Wednesday, nine Democrats vying to be the next Mayor of New York City engaged in a raucous debate about who would be the best to next run Gotham City. But there was one glaring person absent from the debate stage: current Mayor Eric Adams.
Why was Eric Adams not there to defend his tenure as a supposed Democratic Mayor of New York City?
Well, for one thing, Eric Adams now says he is running for reelection as an Independent. Of course, Adams was never really a Democrat. His tactic here is to run for reelection, as an Independent, and speak more as a Republican, without the political detriment that openly running as a Republican would mean for his already dim prospects at winning reelection.
Eric Adams is a repulsive opportunist—who betrayed Black and Latino New Yorkers—while using the Democratic Party banner to get himself elected mayor. Now he is attempting to get reelected by going the Independent route.
Like the proverbial wolf, Adams dressed himself up in Democratic clothing to get elected. Now, especially after collaborating with America’s first convict president, on things like undermining New York City immigration, and sanctuary city laws, he now cynically claims he is an Independent.
But Eric Adams was always a conservative (he said so) closeted right-wing Republican.
Here is something to remember: after a few days of the negative backlash that Adams was receiving, because of his callous comments over the death of Jordan Neely, Adams did a fundraiser at the home of a relative of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Why would the right-wing Giuliani family host a reelection fund raiser for Adams, where New York Republicans were reportedly urged to support him?
The only reason Adams ran as a Democrat is because he knew there was no way he could become mayor running as a Republican—especially, as a Black-skinned one. Now running as an Independent, he is playing a similar cynical con game.
Eric Adams deceived New York City’s Black and Latino communities, and he deserves nothing less than a through shellacking in the upcoming election.
Adams used our communities to satisfy his selfish ambitions and did little to nothing for our people. His austerity administration surely added misery to the post-COVID-19 devastation. But while he was cutting everything in sight, he pushed for more money for the bloated NYPD.
Eric Adams could have been a great Mayor of New York City, and for Black and Latino New Yorkers. But he was clearly never really concerned for the welfare of Black and Latino New Yorkers, who voted his Black behind into office.
Let examine the country’s climate when this charlatan became the 110th Mayor of New York City.
Eric Adams was sworn into office in January of 2022. He came to power after the once-in-a-lifetime COVID-19 pandemic, which caused massive upheaval in Black and Latino New York. Importantly, Adams assumed office after many in corporate America made pledges to address the racial inequalities, that strangle our communities, and which are the root problems that create most of the crime.
If Eric Adams really cared about making real change, to the constituencies that gave him the lion share of their votes, he would have pressed corporate America—to fulfill the promises they made after George Floyd’s murder by police—from the time he set foot inside Gracie Mansion. But the Black and Latino voters of New York City are primarily Democrats, with a strong contingent of Progressives in the mix, and this goes against Adams’ right-wing conservatism.
And so, Adams used vulnerable voters to get himself elected—and then proceeded to shit on us with his Republican slash-and-cut policies. Ask yourself this question: how could austerity measures repair the damage Black communities faced after the chaos left by COVID? Wasn’t this the time for an infusion of capital investment? But, of course, doing things to help Black people is an oxymoron in American politics, especially when its coming from sanctimonious “pro-life” right-wingers.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, Adams shamelessly fought against criminal justice reform measures that marginally reduced the oppressive legal situations that many Blacks face. Here are a few examples:
Adams fought the New York City council on the issue of solitary confinement, even before being sworn in as mayor. Then, after being sworn in, he tried to get lawmakers in Albany to shred the 2019 bail reform bill. Afterwards, he sent former NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell to complain to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg that Bragg’s pledge not to prosecute certain low-level “crimes,” would, somehow, jeopardize police safety. Adams also had his veto of new police reform legislation overridden by the New York City Council. And he promoted the New York “Cop City” plan.
Eric Adams is the worst kind of Black man: one who pretends to care about the masses of Black people, bartering his Black skin for personal political profit, while undermining our interests. Unfortunately, Black America too often give these sellout disgraces a pass, because we don’t want to help this racist system bring down a Black man, who has risen to the heights of power.
But why should we care about that with these traitorous types?
These people are willing to sacrifice us upon the political altar for slaughter—and are paid well with blood money by their white masters. Why should we be loyal to people, like Adams, when they do more harm to our communities that the criminals who are created by the economic politics they champion?
Apparently, Adams thinks he can appeal to Republican voters, running as an Independent, to offset the loss of support from our communities. That is why our people must show up and vote against him in droves.
Black and Latino New Yorkers must turn a new page now by getting rid of Eric Adams.
