A New York City mayor wannabe trolls police union

Erudite Partner's father, a devoted New York City resident, always said that being New York's mayor was the toughest job in politics. He may have been right. It's hard for me to fathom why anyone wants the post ...

But a considerable number of Democratic candidates do very much want the job; eight of them are considered "major" by the media. Whoever comes out on top of the ranked choice voting on June 22 (returns may take weeks) pretty much wins the job, though there will be a second round against some sacrificial Republican in the fall.

I have not studied the promises of any of the contenders. But that admitted, I know I'd be taking lawyer Maya Wiley as my first choice -- for the simple minded reason that I've met her. A civil rights lawyer seems as good a fit as anyone for the job and she's a sharp one.

And I like her current campaign ad and the reaction it's gotten.

The Washington Post's Dave Weigel lays out a little cynically how he thinks its spin works:

Wiley's spot highlights police overreactions during last summer's civil rights protests, and says that “it is time the NYPD sees us as people who deserve to breathe.” The ad got a swift, angry response from police unions, which was the point: In a Democratic primary in the current climate, being on the wrong side of those unions is a plus ...

I like an election where, among some large fraction of the electorate, baiting the police union into showing their bigotry is a win. 

Wherever there is particularly abusive policing, there is almost always an out-of-control police union. Way to go Maya!