As I was popping fried chickpeas into my mouth with my hands at dinner on Sunday night on St. Mark's Place, my friend Inez quipped, "It's Mamdani's New York already." Unfortunately for those who oppose communism, she is probably right.
Inez is so conservative she makes me look like Noam Chomsky, and she is a leading thinker and writer in the movement, yet she told me, "I don't know who I am going to vote for, maybe Sliwa, maybe Cuomo, even right now."
She is not alone. Over the past few days, in red and purple areas of New York like Staten Island and Bay Ridge, I have heard conservative voters over and over tell me that independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo has done nothing to earn their vote.
"What? I'm supposed to vote for Andrew freakin Cuomo?" one old timer in St George, Staten Island, said to me, and I took his point. He might not like democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, but he has hated Cuomo for over a decade.
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Sherry, at a bagel shop in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, told me of Cuomo and Mamdani, "What's the difference?"
In their own very New York way, these voters are begging Cuomo to give them a reason to vote for him, to forget about his COVID authoritarianism, his disgraceful resignation as governor, his invention of no-cash bail and his declaration that they have "no place in New York."
But Andrew freakin' Cuomo just can't bring himself to do it, to give them even a crumb, even the slightest reason to choose him over Curtis Sliwa whom they not only like, but have probably met.
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Right now, today, Cuomo could give these voters he desperately needs a reason to vote for him. For example, he could endorse Republican Maud Maron in her race against the despicable Alvin Bragg for Manhattan district attorney.
As it stands, one has to assume that Cuomo, who fancies himself the "real Democrat" in the race, supports Bragg - whose policies have been an invitation to lawlessness and disorder. Frankly, if Cuomo does support Bragg, it is disqualifying to many right-leaning voters.
Cuomo could also pledge to fight to end New York's sanctuary city status. Current mayor, and honestly not a bad one, Eric Adams was shanked by the Biden Department of Justice for daring to criticize Grandpa Joe's open border policies. Does Cuomo oppose them, too?
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By simply promising that New York City will cooperate with - rather than impede - the federal government's ability to detain and deport illegal immigrants, Cuomo could raise some eyebrows among New York conservatives and garner some votes.
The clock is running out on Andrew Cuomo. He basically has until Tuesday morning to make something happen - to shake things up, to convince Inez that he's worth voting for.
The columnist and ex-Brooklynite Karol Markowicz put it well recently when she said, "Cuomo needs to humble himself." It's not just that conservative New Yorkers have not forgiven him for his progressive misdeeds as governor, it's that he's not even asking forgiveness.
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In the final hours, red voters in Gotham are begging Andrew Cuomo, please, please, please - give me something, anything - to make me think you will be a good mayor.
I fear that if Cuomo does not take this advice, does not pivot to embrace New Yorkers on the right, then he will not just lose on Tuesday - he'll be embarrassed. I'm not one for predictions, but I wouldn't be shocked if he came in third.
This is a five-alarm fire for Cuomo's campaign, and for the city's future. He lost his primary and is now asking Republicans to form a coalition with him - but he offers nothing, not even a promise to end no-cash bail.
It's now or never Andrew. Please - give conservative voters what they need.
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