New York Democrats lost the crime debate. They want a redo.

[brooklynite]

Politico

ALBANY, N.Y. — Less than 12 hours after New York lawmakers approved a month-late state budget, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday was promoting her biggest victory: legislation toughening the state’s bail laws.

She blitzed the New York City morning shows. She promoted the policy with prosecutors and Mayor Eric Adams, a former cop. And she immediately linked the issue to 2024 — a preemptive strike on the GOP.

“Individuals running next year for Congress on down can talk about how Democrats take public safety very seriously,” the Democratic governor told reporters. “This is not a Republican-owned issue. It’s something that we’re the ones leading on. We’re the ones solving the problems and not just standing on the sidelines taking potshots.”

The move marks an early attempt to gain the high ground after Republicans last year seized on the state’s bail laws as evidence Democrats are weak on crime, fueling embarrassing losses for House Democrats in New York. The governor’s new strategy could shape next year’s House races, and maybe even control of Congress. But it could also prove a tough and complicated sell to voters.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. We do these reforms but fail to consider how the GOP can run with it

Inoculation is an oft-ignored part of Democratic politics in my view. You make your ideas and policies and platforms as seaworthy as possible, you look for holes, plug leaks, thwart the other sides' rebuttals.

Someone should have considered what lax criminal justice policies would spawn.

In 2016, we didn't have to lead with transgender bathrooms. It sounded good to Democrats, but the general public was spooked and red counties were on fire. Again failure to consider consequences in the middle/right of the political spectrum.

[brooklynite]

2. The problem is that progressive activists don't CARE about the political implications of policies.

If its the "right" thing to do, it doesn't have to be sold to the broader electorate.

[gab13by13]

3. I just knew that's where you were going,

New York Democrats lost in districts that Joe Biden won. Let's not forget the switching of districts kerfluffle with Maloney.

Seems I was also told here in Pa. that Democrats needed to run Connor Lamb because Pa. couldn't elect a progressive Senator.

Why don't we just rehash the Bernie/Hillary debate again and see if that helps?

The Democratic party in New York better get its shit together in 2024 and that's the bottom line - no excuses.

[brooklynite]

5. You'll note that I said "activists", not politicians...

And the seats we lost in NY are precisely the issue. Voters supported Biden — a moderate — but didn’t have an answer to voter concerns on crime.

[dsc]

4. The behavior of the press in this regard has been nothing short of scandalous

You would have thought that New York was Damascus the way they covered the rather small, and frankly inconsistent, increase in crime in NY. Add in a police union that frankly acts like an extortionist racket and it was katy bar the door time. For all the talk about shoplifting for example, the total losses caused by that are still less, by a great deal, than the amount of theft of labor that goes on in those very same stores with nary a word written by the same press. Nothing short of disgusting.