Obama may no longer be president, but his power in the Democrat party has hardly shrunk. And he’s exerting his will whether they like it or not.
Because Barack Obama left Democrats with major questions after snubbing this candidate.
Obama’s Tepid Phone Call to Mamdani
Former President Barack Obama placed a brief Saturday phone call to New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, offering mild praise but conspicuously withholding any endorsement—just days before Tuesday’s election and despite his past habit of propping up even deeply unpopular Democrats like Bill de Blasio in 2013.
Obama was physically across the Hudson River, headlining a high-energy rally for New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill at Essex County Community College in Newark, yet made no effort to cross into New York City for an in-person appearance with Mamdani.
Mamdani campaign adviser Patrick Gaspard, a former Obama White House political director and U.S. ambassador to South Africa, attempted to spin the lack of endorsement as routine.
“President Obama doesn’t endorse in local races. That’s a longstanding rule post-presidency,” Gaspard told The Post. “He endorses in general election races for federal office and governors. His call to Zohran is a huge boost at a critical moment and a signal to New Yorkers.”
Democrats’ Selective Endorsement History
The claim of a strict “no local endorsements” policy crumbles under scrutiny. Obama has repeatedly intervened in mayoral races, backing:
- Bill de Blasio in 2013, despite his growing unpopularity
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in 2022
- Former L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti
- Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, his own White House chief of staff
- Rick Kriseman in St. Petersburg, Florida
- Caroline Simmons in Stamford, Connecticut
Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec offered a similarly weak defense.
“Zohran Mamdani appreciated President Obama’s words of support and their conversation on the importance of bringing a new kind of politics to our city,” she said.
Republican strategist Rob Ryan cut through the spin: “Even Barack Obama realizes Mamdani is bad for New York and the Democratic Party. Obama is trying to protect other Democrats from the stain of supporting a communist for mayor in America’s greatest city.”
Veteran Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf, who worked on Bill Clinton’s reelection, was equally blunt: “Obama is being very careful. An Obama endorsement of Mamdani could be used against Democrats across the country next year in close elections when they’re trying to back the House.”
Party Fractures as Mamdani’s Lead Shrinks
While far-left figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders campaign alongside Mamdani, mainstream Democrats have largely kept their distance.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand have refused to endorse. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries only backed Mamdani on October 24—after early voting began.
Moderate Rep. Tom Suozzi broke ranks entirely, endorsing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now running as an independent.
“I’m a Democratic Capitalist, not a Democratic Socialist. I endorse Andrew Cuomo,” Suozzi posted. “I can not back a declared socialist with a thin resume to run the most complex city in America.”
Mamdani, 34, with no executive experience, once championed “Defund the Police” and now pushes tax hikes on businesses and the wealthy to fund city-run grocery stores and free buses—ideas critics warn will attract vagrants and collapse budgets.
Despite leading Cuomo by 6.6 points in the latest AtlasIntel poll (40.6% to 34%, with Republican Curtis Sliwa at 24.1%), Mamdani’s margin is his narrowest since July. RealClearPolitics’ average still shows him ahead by 14.5%, but momentum is shifting as moderate Democrats quietly recoil from the party’s radical drift.
