"POLITICS NATION" AND PRESIDENT
OF THE NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK,
REVEREND AL SHARPTON IS WITH US
THIS MORNING.
WERE GOING TO BEGIN WITH FORMER
POLICE CAPTAIN, ERIC ADAMS,
POISED TO BECOME NEW YORK CITYS
NEXT MAYOR AFTER BEING DECLARED
THE WINNER IN A HOTLY CONTESTED
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
THE AP CALLED THE RACE FOR THE
BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT LAST
NIGHT AFTER THOUSANDS OF
ABSENTEE BALLOTS WERE COUNTED.
THE NUMBERS SAW FORMER CITY
SANITATION COMMISSIONER KATHRYN
GARCIA CUT THE LEAD TO 8,000
VOTES.
WITH ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF
VOTES OUTSTANDING, HER DEFICIT
IS LIKELY TOO MUCH TO OVERCOME.
ADAMS WILL GO ON TO FACE THE
REPUBLICAN NOMINEE, GUARDIAN
ANGELS FOUNDER CURTIS LEILA IN
NOVEMBERS GENERAL ELECTION.
>> REVEREND AL, BEFORE WE DIG
INTO THIS, LETS JUST TALK ABOUT
WHAT WE HAVE JUST SEEN IN THIS
RACE, AND IT REALLY SHOWS HOW
MUCH -- HOW MUCH YOU UNDERSTAND
NOT ONLY YOUR CITY, BUT ALSO
YOUR CONSTITUENTS, YOUR
CONGREGANTS, I SHOULD SAY, AND
THOSE WHO CONSIDER YOU BEING AN
ADVOCATE FOR THEM, YOU HAVE FOR
YEARS BEEN TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO,
AS YOU CALL THEM, LATTÉ LIBERALS
WHERE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS,
AND WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE OF
COLOR ARE.
THEY DONT WANT PIE IN THE SKY
PRONOUNCEMENTS AND POLICY
PROPOSALS, THEY WANT THEIR
STREETS SAFE.
THEY WANT GOOD JOBS.
THEY WANT BASICS, AND HERE WE
HAVE CONSERVATIVES AND MODERATES
DOING EXTRAORDINARY WELL IN THIS
NEW YORK MAYORS RACE, AND
PROGRESSIVES NOT FARING QUITE SO
WELL IN NEW YORK CITY.
FIRST OF ALL, TALK ABOUT THE
LIKELY WINNER ON THE DEMOCRATIC
SIDE, AND ALSO WHAT DOES THAT
TELL YOU ABOUT NOT JUST NEW YORK
POLITICS BUT NATIONAL POLITICS?
>> ERIC ADAMS PUT TOGETHER A
BROAD COALITION THAT I THINK
SHOWS WHERE WE ARE GOING AND THE
FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
FASCIALLY.
YOU MUST REMEMBER HE WON FOUR OF
THE FIVE BOROUGHS, INCLUDING
STATEN ISLAND.
THERE WAS A TIME IT WAS
UNIMAGINABLE FOR A BLACK MAYOR
TO WIN STATEN ISLAND.
HE WON STATEN ISLAND.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE SAW A BROAD
COALITION IN THE BOROUGH OF
MANHATTAN ELECT A BLACK TO THE
DISTRICT ATTORNEYS NOMINATION,
OR SELECT THAT, SO I THINK BOTH
YOU LOOK AT ALVIN BRAGS RACE
FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN
MANHATTAN, A VERY PRESTIGIOUS
POSITION, THE FIRST TIME A BLACK
GOT IT, AND ERIC ADAMS, AT THE
SAME TIME, SAME PRIMARY, BOTH OF
THEM RAN AS ONE THAT UNDERSTOOD
THE POLICE REFORM MOVEMENT THAT
PEOPLE LIKE ME HAVE BEEN PART
OF, BUT THE NEED FOR SAFETY.
BOTH OF THEM CAME DOWN THE
MIDDLE OF SAYING WE MUST DEAL
WITH INEQUALITY BUT WE ALSO MUST
DEAL WITH HOW THE CITY IS GOING
TO FUNCTION.
AND I THINK THAT MANY OF OUR
PEOPLE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
OR IN THE SO-CALLED LEFT HAVE
CONFUSED NOISE WITH WHAT IS
SOUND.
YOU CAN MAKE NOISE AS LONG AS
WHAT YOURE MAKE NOISE ABOUT IS
SOUND.
PEOPLE WANT TO BE SAFE AT THE
SAME TIME THEY WANT TO SEE
REFORM.
>> YEAH, AND ELISE JORDAN, YOU
CAN LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN NEW
YORK CITY, OF COURSE LOOK AT
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DEMOCRATIC
PRIMARY IN 2020.
JOE BIDEN, REALLY THE ONE
MODERATE IN THE ENTIRE FIELD.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY
ENDED UP WINNING THE RACE, AND
YOU LOOK AT THE CRIME SPREES
THAT ARE GOING ACROSS THE UNITED
STATES RIGHT NOW.
CRIME RATES GOING UP.
CERTAINLY RATES FOR MURDER AND
VIOLENT CRIMES GOING UP.
GUN CRIMES GOING UP.
AND BOY, THERE SURE ARE A LOT OF
PARALLELS, IT SEEMS, WITH WHAT
WE SAW BACK IN THE 1970s AND
DEMOCRATS, DEMOCRAT PRIMARY
VOTERS IN QUEENS, IN THE BRONX,
STATEN ISLAND, IN BROOKLYN,
RESPONDED BY ELECTING THE MOST
CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE THEY
COULD ELECT.
A FORMER COP WHO IS NOT GOING TO
DO WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE
FAR LEFT HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
>> JOE, DEFUND THE POLICE IS A
LOSING MESSAGE FOR DEMOCRATS.
WE SEE THAT IN THIS RACE, AND
WERE GOING TO SEE IT IN OTHER
RACES, WHERE, YOU KNOW, AS
AMERICANS ARE RESPONDING TO
INCREASE OF CRIME IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES, AND YOU LOOK AT
WHAT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK CITY
AND IT PLAYED OUT ON THE GROUND
HERE AMONG SOME OF THE MOST
LIBERAL VOTERS IN THE COUNTRY
BUT THEY WANT A SAFE CITY, AND
THEY WANT THE POLICE TO BE
ADEQUATELY FUNDED.
THEYRE NOT ASKING FOR OVERKILL.
WE DONT NEED TO HAVE MILITARY
VEHICLES IN OUR DOWNTOWN CITIES.
WE DONT NEED TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE
A MILITARIZED POLICE FORCE BUT
WE DONT WANT TO ABOLISH THE
POLICE COMPLETELY, AND THE
CONCEPT OF DEFUND THE POLICE,
JUST THE RADICALISM OF WHAT IT
WOULD MEAN IN THEORY, IT SCARES
DEMOCRATIC VOTERS.
IT SEARSCARES ENOUGH OF THEM WHE
ITS GOING TO HURT THE PARTY IF
THEY DONT GET THE MESSAGING
STRAIGHT ON IT.
>> CITY HALL AND POLITICS
REPORTER FOR WNYC, BRIDGE ETT
BERGEN.
LETS GO BACK TO THE NEW YORK
CITY ELECTION ITSELF, HOW ARE
THE CANDIDATES RESPONDING TO THE
OUTCOME HERE, ERIC ADAMS, BUT
ALSO THOSE WHO DID NOT WIN,
GIVEN HOW IT PLAYED OUT AND HOW
COMPLICATED THIS HAS BEEN?
>> WE HEARD A CLEAR DECLARATION
OF VICTORY FROM ERIC ADAMS LAST
NIGHT. TALKED ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER
TALKED ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER
THIS COALITION OF FIVE BOROUGH
SUPPORT, AND WE HEARD STATEMENTS
FROM KATHERINE GARCIA AND MAYA
WILEY, THE CLOSEST COMPETITOR,
BOTH TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
NOT QUITE FULLY CONCEDING AND IN
THE CASE OF MAYA WILEY TALKING
ABOUT REALLY ONE OF THE OTHER
ISSUES THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, BEEN
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM DURING
THIS RACE, WHICH IS THE CONDUCT
OF THE NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF
ELECTIONS AND ITS ABILITY TO
EXECUTE A FAIR AND TRANSPARENT
ELECTION.
>> HEY, ITS SAM STEIN HERE, I
WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT
THAT.
IM NOT SURE THIS WAS THE MOST
CONFIDENCE INSPIRING ELECTION OF
ALL TIME.
THERE WAS A NOTABLE ERROR THAT
THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS HAD ABOUT
A WEEK AGO, WHAT ARE THE ACTUAL
PROSPECTS OF REFORM FOR THE
BOARD OF ELECTIONS GOING
FORWARD?
THIS IS SORT OF A COMMON REFRAIN
IT FEELS LIKE AFTER EVERY
MAYORAL ELECTION THAT THE B.O.E.
NEEDS TO ADJUST, MODERNIZE, GET
WITH THE TIMES.
THIS IN PARTICULAR SEEMS LIKE A
CATAPULT FOR SOME REFORMS.
WHAT WOULD IT ENTAIL AND WHAT
ARE THE PROSPECTS FOR IT?
>> WE HAVE HEARD FROM STATE
LAWMAKERS AN INCREASING CRY TO
MAKE SOME REFORMS.
THERE ARE PIECES OF STATE
LEGISLATION THAT COULD TAKE
EFFECT SOON THAT COULD AT LEAST
HELP MODERNIZE THE AGENCY IN THE
SHORT-TERM, GIVE MORE POWERS TO
THE SET OF COEXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
AS OPPOSED TO JUST THE TEN
COMMISSIONERS FROM EACH OF THE
BOROUGHS THAT CURRENTLY MAKE A
LOT OF THE DECISIONS.
BUT TO REALLY STRUCTURALLY
OVERHAUL THE AGENCY WOULD
REQUIRE A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL
CHANGE, AND THATS A PROCESS
THAT TAKES TIME.
IT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH TWO
CONSECUTIVE LEGISLATIVE
SESSIONS, AND THEN BEFORE VOTERS
AND SO WHAT THIS WILL REQUIRE IS
CONTINUED ENERGY AND FOCUS BY
STATE LAWMAKERS IF THEY REALLY
DO WANT TO MAKE AN OVERHAUL THAT
WOULD CHANGE THE AGENCY FROM
BEING A BASTIAN OF PARTISAN
POLITICS TO BEING A PROFESSIONAL
NONPARTISAN AGENCY.
>> SO BRIDGET BROKE DOWN THE
NUMBERS IF YOU CAN, I KNOW ITS
STILL TOO EARLY, BUT IT SEEMED
ERIC ADAMS HAD A COMFORTABLE
LEAD AFTER THE FIRST ROUND OF
VOTING, AND MAYA WAS IN SECOND
PLACE.
THEN YOU HAD OF COURSE THE GOING
THROUGH I GUESS THE NINE ROUNDS.
I THINK I WOULD HAVE A HEART
ATTACK IF I WERE A CANDIDATE
GOING THROUGH NINE ROUNDS.
I COULDNT HANDLE THAT.
ONE ROUND WAS TOO MUCH.
BUT HOW DID THINGS SHAKE OUT
WHERE THIS RACE GOT SO CLOSE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHTS FOR
VIEWERS WHO WONDER WHAT HAPPENED
TO MAYA WILEY, HOW SHE DROPPED
DOWN TO THIRD AND HOW KATHRYN
GARCIA GOT SO CLOSE AT THE END.
WHERE DID HER STRENGTH COME
FROM?
>> A COUPLE OF ISSUES ARE AT
PLAY, JOE.
NUMBER ONE, THE RESULTS WE GOT
ON PRIMARY NIGHT WERE ONLY THE
FIRST CHOICE VOTES OF PEOPLE WHO
VOTED IN PERSON ON PRIMARY NIGHT
AND DURING EARLY VOTING, AND
THEN THEY DID NOT APPLY THE
RANKED CHOICE VOTING ALGORITHM
TO THEM ON THOSE INITIAL RESULTS
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HAD THEY DONE
THAT, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE
LEARNED LAST WEEK ONCE THEY GAVE
US THE CORRECTED NUMBERS IS WHAT
WE MIGHT HAVE KNOWN ON PRIMARY
NIGHT, HAD THEY APPLIED IT SO WE
COULD HAVE SEEN THAT THIS WAS A
CLOSER RACE TO BEGIN WITH.
THATS NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, WE HAD 125,000
OUTSTANDING ABSENTEE BALLOTS, IN
ADDITION AFFIDAVIT BALLOTS CAST
DURING THE PRIMARY AND WHEN
THOSE BALLOTS WERE COUNTED, WE
SAW THE MARGINS NARROW.
KATHRYN GARCIA WHO CAME IN
SECOND PLACE, PICKED UP A LARGER
SHARE OF THOSE BALLOTS, AND YOU
KNOW, SAW HER -- SHE WAS COMING
BEHIND ERIC ADAMS BY ABOUT
15,000 VOTES LAST WEEK, THAT
SLIMMED DOWN TO ABOUT 8,400
VOTES THIS WEEK, SO SHE PICKED
UP SOME NUMBERS, BUT IT WASNT
ENOUGH, AND IN NEW YORK, THE
ONLY -- THE MARGIN NEEDS TO BE
EVEN CLOSER IF YOU WERE TO SAY,
TRIGGER A MANUAL RECOUNT.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO COME WITHIN
HALF OF 1%, AND THATS SOMETHING
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 500
VOTES, SO EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW
THERE ARE STILL SOME BALLOTS
OUTSTANDING, WE KNOW THAT THERE
IS STILL SOME COUNTING TO BE
DONE, IT DOESNT APPEAR THAT
EITHER KATHRYN GARCIA OR MAYA
WILEY WHO FELL FURTHER BEHIND IN
THIS LATEST COUNT WOULD HAVE
ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE LEAD THAT
ERIC ADAMS CURRENTLY HAS WITHOUT
SOME VOTES BEING DISQUALIFIED.
>> BUT WHAT A TIGHT RACE.
>> EYEAH.
>> ESPECIALLY THE TOP THREE.
>> CITY HALL AND POLITICS