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New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s endorsement of Democrat Socialist Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, reminds me of an old Groucho Marx line: “Those are my principles and if you don’t like them … well, I have others.”

Only last week, Hochul called on Mamdani to apologize to police for calling the NYPD “racist” and a “major threat to public safety.” Four days later she said while they still have their differences, she is for him anyway. What those “differences” are she did not say, but perhaps a reporter might ask her.

Mamdani’s major campaign theme has been making New York City more “affordable.” The way to begin that process is by cutting taxes. The state income tax can run as high as 10.9 percent for high earners. The city income tax is $18,000 plus nearly 4 percent additional for those earning more than $500,000. Add to that other state and local taxes and the federal income tax. Does Hochul support tax cuts to help keep people in the state and city? Bloomberg reports “A net 30,000 New Yorkers fled the city for Florida's Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties in the five years through 2022, taking with them a combined $9.2 billion in income."

John F. Kennedy, who cut taxes, would have trouble making it in today’s Democrat (and socialist) party. Hochul also called herself “a staunch capitalist” before her endorsement of Mamdani. What does a capitalist and a socialist have in common?

The leading candidate for mayor has also made antisemitic comments. In an op-ed for the American Enterprise Institute, Samuel J. Abrams, a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College, writes: “Mamdani has refused to explicitly condemn the slogan ‘Globalize the Intifada,’ which has been widely understood as a call to violence against Jews. His defenders insist it’s a symbolic plea for Palestinian rights. But nuance offers little comfort when the phrase glorifies violent uprisings and is routinely chanted alongside calls for Israel’s destruction.” Amazingly it appears a majority of the largest population of Jews in the U.S. are prepared to vote for him.

What is Gov. Hochul’s view of Mamdani’s antisemitic statements?

Hochul has said she and Mamdani agree that children should be able to “grow up in safe neighborhoods.” How does that align with Mamdani’s past statements about defunding the police and soft on crime positions? According to the New York Post, Mamdani’s endorsement of a state parole reform law would allow “85 percent of ex-cons who commit new crimes to roam free.” Does Hochul disagree with his position?

Mamdani also wants the city to create a network of grocery stores to provide “affordable food.” That was tried in Kansas City where last month a city-owned grocery store was forced to close due to high expenses and reduced revenue. The city had poured $29 million into the store. You might think Hochul and Mamdani could learn a lesson from this failed socialist experiment, but ideologies are hard to break even when there are examples that prove them wrong.

If Mamdani wins, as appears likely, the Democrat Party will own him and be forced to defend his socialist ideology. That might work for many young people who have been indoctrinated in some of their public schools and universities with anti-capitalist and other views contrary to America’s history, but it is unlikely to work for the party between the coasts.

In what will likely be seen as an “and you, Brutus” stab in the back, Mamdani has refused to endorse Hochul’s re-election.

Last November’s election should have sent a message to Democrats. For Hochul and others that message appears to have been forgotten. At least she has principles, whatever they might be.

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Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I've Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America" (HumanixBooks).

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