Michael Goodwin: Blakeman finds Hochuls weakest spot her lefty alliance with Mamdani

For months, Gov.Hochul’s Republican opponent, Bruce Blakeman, has been searching for a compelling argument that would turn the political tide in his favor.Heart be still, he might have struck gold just in time.Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, is laser focused on the incumbent’s too-cozy relationship with Gotham’s socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani.It’s an alliance the GOP nominee believes is distorted because, as Blakeman sees it, Mamdani is calling the shots and Hochul is tagging along for the ride.“It’s Mamdani the commie and comrade Kathy,” he told me Tuesday.The governor’s odious habit of doing the mayor’s bidding is becoming a staple of Blakeman’s pitch to voters that Mamdani is “running the Democratic Party and Hochul is taking orders from him.”It’s a powerful message about an outrageous alliance waiting to be exploited.

The governor’s five-year Albany spending spree, including her bail-out of Mamdani’s extravagant budget with billions of state money, and her passage of the pied-à-terre tax, demolish forever the Big Lie that she is a moderate.It’s a ruse that the lefty media are happy to swallow hook, line and sinker.Hochul repeated the false claim in a recent interview with Politico, saying “I’m a moderate Democrat,” while also acknowledging she and Mamdani frequently see things the same way.“So I think our interests are more aligned than people believe.

I don’t think it’s a socialism versus capitalism debate,” she insisted.Oh, but that’s exactly what it should be and would be if she hadn’t surrendered the high ground in a craven bid to attract the mayor’s youthful followers.It doesn’t bother her that many are anti-Israel and anti-American.Nor does she seem even mildly troubled that Mamdani doesn’t believe Israel should exist as the Jewish homeland.Asked by Politico about Mamdani campaigning for her, she said, “I think he’ll be helpful.”The alliance touches on the battle roiling the Democrat...