The End of Chuck Schumer

"If there was a single moment that signaled the curtain closing on Sen. Chuck Schumer's era at the helm of the Democratic Party, it most certainly occurred in New York City on Tuesday, November 4, when the upstart Zohran Mamdani decapitated the Democratic machine and handed New York's former Gov. Andrew Cuomo the most devastating loss of his career. Mamdani's ascent had to have been startling for Schumer, who has"

"Schumer hasn't necessarily shied away from engaging with his fellow New Yorker, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the heir to Sen. Bernie Sanders's political movement and probably to Schumer's Senate seat should she want it in 2028. But when the rubber met the road, Schumer and his fleet of moderates could always be trusted to deliver the sort of moderate legislative agenda that pleases the Big Business lobbyists who really run the shop in DC."

"In the eleventh hour, with the government shutdown threatening the ranks of Speaker Mike Johnson's caucus, and only a week removed from an embarrassing and historic off-year "blue bath" that warranted serious conversations about the serenity of President Donald Trump and the staying power of the populist MAGA, in swept the stalwart Democrat from Brooklyn to save the day-for the Republicans."

Zohran Mamdani's New York victory toppled entrenched Democratic interests and delivered a major loss to Andrew Cuomo. The outcome exposed growing tensions between the party's progressive wing and its established moderate leadership around Sen. Chuck Schumer. Schumer has tried to engage progressives while continuing to reassure corporate and monied interests that influence policy. His leadership has often produced moderate legislation favored by Big Business lobbyists. Recent high-stakes maneuvers amid a government shutdown highlighted Schumer's willingness to perform cross-aisle, high-wire politics, and the arrival of Rep. Adelita Grijalva underscored perceptions of a fracturing Democratic coalition.

Read at The American Conservative