What Comes After: A 2024 Game (Gameplay-PAUSED)

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

February 2023

In a new interview with CNN's Chris Wallace, Eric Adams strongly hinted at a presidential campaign. The interview covered topics such as Adams's controversial plan for the homeless crisis - I insist that this is the compassionate and right thing to do for people who are clearly in need of urgent help. Extremists and sheltered elites, often the same people who promoted Defund the Police, all those who think it is acceptable to look at a crisis and do nothing are in the wrong. And I think the results of the past few months prove me right, the situation in our subways is finally improving. - the new Democratic primary schedule - Black people are the core base of the Democratic Party. And Iowa and New Hampshire I believe are not even 5 percent Black. Think about that for a moment. South Carolina going first is an important positive statement from the party. - and whether he would like to run - I said many times Biden is an amazing president and would have been very supportive of him running again, but I respect his choice. As for running myself? I'm very happy of being mayor of New York, the most important city in America. However when you look at the people vying to replace him, how many are concrete on the ground problem solvers? how many can really connect with the people? And I think there's a space for a radically practical Democrat, like Biden, like me, like most of us Democrats. - among others.

March 2023

At a rally in the Bronx with guests including former congressman Charles Rangel, former Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz and Baptist minister Al Sharpton, Eric Adams officially announced he intends to run in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary. Some key excerpts:

I have chosen to open my campaign here, in the South Bronx, in the poorest district in the nation in one of the most prosperous cities on the globe, to highlight my commitment to neglected areas. I grew up poor, I know what it's like. I know the struggles of blue collar folks and poor folks, los apuros que las familias pobres pasan.

This is what the Democratic Party is about - public safety, education, healthcare, helping families and everyday Americans. This is what I've been representing here in New York City and this is what I am going to represent in this campaign. And I think too many in the Democratic Party don't seem interested in speaking on behalf of working people anymore, and I'm going to step up for that instead.

At the rally "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy was played multiple times, suggesting Eric Adams wants to make it his main campaign song. Rumour has it that the song's title is going to be his campaign slogan, although no specific slogan has been unveiled so far.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

April and May 2023

Eric Adams held a series of rallies that touched cities in crucial states like Detroit, Atlanta and Savannah but culminated in one in the South Side of Chicago with longtime Congressman Bobby Rush. The campaign strategy is clearly focused on Black voters especially in inner-cities, trying to steal what is considered by many one of the key advantages of incumbent Vice President Harris in this primary. He spoke about housing, with references to his plan for NYC and its results in its first year, and transportation, which has been a critical point of his mayoral tenure as well, but also crime, healthcare and labour issues. He also did not hesitate to throw bombs at his opponents:

This administration is great, we all love Biden. But Vice President Harris, she's acting like she's already won the nomination. She needs to know that this is an open primary and you have to prove yourself to the voters to win. And I don't think she has shown to be a problem solver on the ground, or even a great campaigner. She's all talk.

If you talk to Black folks down in South Bend, Indiana, you know what they say? They all dislike Pete Buttigieg.

Some Democrats think that you support working people by going against the police, talking about "socialism" and tweeting about problems instead of working hard to solve them. But they're wrong, and we'll prove them wrong!

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

June 2023

Eric Adams continued his presidential campaign with a tour of the Southwest, a crucial area due to Nevada's early primary and due to its high Hispanic and Latino population, which the Mayor of New York also considers an important part of his strategy. His speech in Las Vegas was marked by strong praise for the city's many casino unions, which are a bedrock of Democratic organization in the state, including numerous allusions to the generous healthcare plans they offer to workers, something that came to prominence around the time of the 2020 primary. Back in New York, he announced renewed financial support for a deficit-plagued MTA, with details still to be evaluated based on recent performance.

July 2023

The new President of Nigeria Peter Obi, elected in February on the Labour Party ticket, went to New York City as part of this international trip to the United States after a meeting with Biden at the White House. He was welcomed by Mayor Adams and they had another meeting before Obi's address to the United Nations. Obi was reportedly impressed, saying he appreciates Adams's "energy and conviction" and that "we understood each other well on many issues".

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

Philadelphia Democratic Debate

1. Opening Statement

Good evening Philadelphia! I am honored to be here for this debate tonight, in this great American city. As you know, I am the mayor of another great American city, New York, and I am here to be the face of the new Democratic Party, to be someone who'll fight for the American people, who'll fight for you. I am a radically tactical Democrat with experience fighting crime, working with the community, and leading a city larger than most states.

2. Raise your hand if you support the adoption of a single-payer, "Medicare for All" style healthcare system.

Eric Adams does not raise his hand

Unlike Vice President Harris and Governor Newsom, who raised their hands and then said their plan is not actually single-payer, "Medicare for All", I'll be forthright: I support affordable quality healthcare for everybody, but a single one-size-fit-all entirely government-run system is not the best way to deliver it.

3. The world is faced with the imminent threat of catastrophic climate change. What is your plan to address this, mitigate the effects, and prevent long term damage to the planet?

Climate change is of course a big threat to our future, but one we can address with practical solutions, like the Biden administration has started doing with bills like the IRA. Certainly we need to do more, because lowering pollution and emissions will help everyone, especially people of color and working people: I will crack down on polluters and their political supporters who try to block the EPA from doing its much-needed job, I will invest in efficient public transportation, I will improve our energy grids too.

4. What could we expect for the first 100 Days of your presidency?

A lot of things, but really I would say a classic, practically radical Democratic agenda: working on public safety, affordable universal healthcare, education and transportation, raising the minimum wage, introducing paid parental leave and sick leave for all workers, protecting our rights.

5. Who is the United States's greatest geopolitical adversary?

I consider myself a global leader, I have traveled extensively throughout the world, and I know there is not a single one answer to this question. We have multiple adversaries, countries like China and Iran, that keep trying to undermine us and threaten to invade some of our key allies, or Russia, which has already invaded one. And I believe we can confront all of them, without losing focus on one or the other.

Personalized Question. As Mayor of New York you've made reducing crime rates a priority with an emphasis on a strong police presence. If your philosophy of increased policing is the best strategy to bring down crime, why has crime not dropped-if anything it has gone up-during your tenure?

I entered office during the most devastating pandemic in a century, I inherited longstanding problems and faced many of my fellow Democrats' reluctance to even talk about the problem. Some far-left extremists said I was fearmongering about crime! Think about that for a moment. But it's like boiling water on a stove: when you turn the heat down it doesn't get cool again immediately.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

August/September 2023

Eric Adams's latest campaign tour brought him to Charleston, South Carolina, in the very first state to vote in the primary, but also through the Upper South and very unusually to the other Charleston, the capital of West Virginia. While keeping the main focus on Black voters, the campaign came up with the unorthodox move to try and find an opening among some White working class voters by visiting an area long-forgone by national Democratic campaigns.

In South Carolina:

I was amused to learn that Al Gore entered the race - what a blast from the past. He actually first ran for President in 1988. That's when I was just getting started as a young police officer. That's when Reverend Jackson was running for President too. And I actually helped him in one campaign, I learnt a lot from him, even performing humble tasks. It’s amazing how much you can learn just from holding someone's coat.

I was the victim of police brutality as a teenage boy, I know it first-hand. I founded a group of Black cops working on improving relations between our community and law enforcement. Frankly, you can trust me more than any other candidate on the topic of criminal justice and police reform. Black lives matter, and that's why we can't allow them to be lost to violent crime.

In West Virginia:

I came here because nobody else would do it. I've lived all my life in New York, a very different place, but our experiences are not so dissimilar. There are many low-income families and people of color in Charleston as well, and many ordinary folks who liked the Democratic Party. I came here because economic justice can't be fully realized if it doesn't include revitalizing places like this one. Back in 2016, like most West Virginians, I voted for Sanders against Hillary Clinton...

Senator Gillibrand fired at me during the debate because apparently she thinks a mayor's duties are about the Green New Deal instead of, you know, public safety, affordable housing and attracting jobs and investment. She talks a lot about everything, but that's all she does, and it's hard to follow what she even has to say.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

September 2023

Confronted by reporters about Kirsten Gillibrand's assertion that his remarks about her were misogynistic and "painted women as blabbering useless entities", a visibly frustrated Eric Adams replied:

This accusation is bewildering and completely false. Look, I have great respect for women throughout history who fought for equal rights, and saying that Senator Gillibrand twisted my words would be an understatement. She said that I have a fragile masculinity too? I think if anything hers was a racially charged attack, painting a Black man as a menace by misrepresenting his intentions.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

October/November 2023

Mayor Adams held another series of events in Nevada and California, together with his surrogate (and Spanish speaker) Ruben Diaz Jr. During this time he met with various federal and state representatives of whom he's seeking the endorsement, and also with leaders of Nevada unions such as the Culinary Union. The latter is of course contended with many other Democratic hopefuls, but the Adams teams believes it has some key advantages like his working class background and no-nonsense image or his clear support for community institutions compared to more technocratic or ideological candidates. A theme that was especially emphasized in his rallies in the Los Angeles area was his heavy-handed approach to homelessness, which has often been criticized but reflects the views of many in urban areas on the West Coast.

An excerpt from Nevada:

We will fight for ordinary people like you. Lucharemos, seguiremos luchando por los derechos de los trabajadores y por los sindicatos. Licencia familiar! Salario mínimo a 15 dólares la hora! Ya hay buenos proyectos de ley pero es dificil que pasen enseguida. Lucharemos por la atención médica aquesible mientras protegemos planes sindacales. Esta es una verdadera plataforma demócrata, una plataforma radicalmente práctica. This is the Adams platform!

Later he visited again South Carolina in time for the second Democratic debate, but spending the previous days campaigning in what is the state where he's set up the most offices, and seeking among others the key endorsement of State House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, one of the most significant Democratic officeholders in the state.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

South Carolina Democratic Debate

1. What is your approach to immigration policy. Do you support increasing the cap for asylum seekers and refugees? Do you support more liberal measures like decriminalizing illegal border crossings into the United States?

This is a complicated issue - there is a national crisis going on and the thing we should concentrate on is making sure that the federal, state and city governments are on the same page and give cities the resources necessary to handle the arrival of migrants. I am the mayor of a city that has been a centre of the crisis, our shelters are constantly filling up. If we don't acknowledge this and work practically, we cannot even begin to think about increasing the cap and so on. We need to welcome these people who want to experience the American Dream, but we need to make sure that the dream doesn't become a nightmare. And I certainly don't think decriminalizing illegal border crossings is a solution - in fact, it's the kind of typical extreme policy that could only work in utopia.

2. There has been an uptick of crime, especially in urban areas like New York City and Chicago since the COVID-19 pandemic. What measures will you support to bring crime, theft, and gun violence under control?

You're talking to the mayor of New York City here! I know this better than anyone else on stage. We have increased police presence in key areas, we have aggressively gone after guns and especially ghost guns, but we need to focus on preventative measures as well, put in place initiatives to prevent people from going down a spiral of crime, especially our youth and people in vulnerable communities. Of course that goes through work on community trust in the police as well, as Governor Whitmer just alluded to... and right here you have a former police officer who worked on this for decades especially with other Black cops. Think about that for a moment. I think my experience in the field speaks for itself.

3. What measures would you take as President to protect access to abortion for women in states where state governments have taken measures against abortion rights? What about measures for LGBT people?

I think federal Democrats are unified on wanting to codify abortion rights into law and I would be happy to sign that bill as President. It's often forgotten that Roe v. Wade was a moderate, middle-of-the-road decision, which is why most Americans always supported it. Similarly I would be glad to sign the Equality Act to end discrimination of LGBT people in matters of housing, public accommodations and so on. It's always important to support civil rights for everyone.

4. Are you concerned about Saudi interference in American elections? How do you view our relationship with the Kingdom in general, is it time to re-evaluate what has been a longstanding alliance?

Our relationship with Saudi Arabia has been very important, but it's clear that it's hit an inflection point. This attempted election interference is troubling and is not the first instance of the Kingdom undermining our security and thus behaving no better than our enemies. Something that is often missed in this conversation however is where to find alternative sources of oil, for us and for our allies, and I definitely have an answer in increasing our trade with Nigeria, a large African democracy whose incumbent president has been working with the Biden Administration already.

5. Raise your hand if you support a gun buyback program, voluntary or mandatory.

Eric Adams raises his hand

I would support a voluntary gun buyback program, although it shouldn't be our only measure.

Personalized Question. As Mayor of New York you signed a budget with strong cuts to education, including to city libraries, by many millions of dollars. Was this really necessary, is this consistent with the values of the Democratic Party?

Last year's budget came at a moment of fiscal strain for the city and while we weren't able to get the necessary financial help from the state, or Washington for that matter. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions, and this was one of those situations.

Rebuttal.

Vice President Harris gave an answer on crime that is really dodging the question - a program for repeat offenders who are already in jail may be useful, but it's certainly not the first, or second or third thing we need to do to contain a crisis of gun violence in the streets. Maybe she did that to highlight her experience as an attorney... but she forgot to mention her many instances of prosecutorial misconduct that have been recently publicized.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

December 2023 and January 2024

After concentrating on local New York City business such as the 2024 budget at the very end of 2023, Eric Adams embarked on his final campaign tour before the start of the primaries. His strategy keeps the main focus on South Carolina (and nearby Georgia), which is obviously very crowded but where the mayor is confident in at least a second place finish that would serve as a launchpad by proving the strength of his base, and where he is spending the very last stretch of the campaign, moving through Charleston, Columbia, Summerville, Savannah, Augusta and so on. However in the spirit of eclecticism and trying to find openings and be news-worthy, he also made another unusual move and visited Liberal, KS, where he spoke to a crowd of mostly Hispanic National Beef workers and repeated his commitment to labour and minority rights. For similar reasons he also paid a visit to old UFW leader and Mexican-American icon Dolores Huerta in California, whose slogan sí se puede has featured in many of Adams' speeches.

"Fight The Power" by Public Enemy plays in the background...

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

February 2024

South Carolina primary reaction

Eric Adams arrived on stage with a confident look, knowing that even a solid third place was an important stepping stone for the future of an admittedly long-shot primary campaign.

Thank you, South Carolina! Tonight we have achieved a great result. This is not a first or even a second place but it's still a strong performance, and I know deeply that you can't get everything all at once but you have to fight every step of the way to get it. And fight is what I'll do - for a fairer and safer future for you, for your civil rights and your healthcare, for a resilient and strong America. You have shown tonight that there is real support for this campaign. It's real!

I have sent my congratulations to the winner, Vice President Harris, as well as to Vice President Gore who came second. Even I gotta acknowledge that was quite the comeback.

The primary is long and this is just the beginning. We'll go on to fight in every state, and I do mean every state. But as I said let's think one step at a time, and the next step is Nevada together with New Hampshire. So let's carry on, and thank you again!

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

February 2024

Hoping to capitalize on his strong showing in South Carolina, while knowing most other states are a tougher battle, Eric Adams has flown to Nevada. Of the two February 6th contests that is the one he has always prioritized, and this isn't changing even though his polling numbers have improved in New Hampshire as well, because he is much less likely to break the delegate threshold there. That most of his opponents are concentrating on the Granite State while leaving Nevada up for grabs is also an important factor for a candidate always betting on the least trodden path. That said, he has decided to send his newfound ally and fellow NYC-mayor-turned-presidential-candidate Michael Bloomberg (white, moderate, more appealing to well-off voters) as a surrogate to NH for last-minute campaigning, which never hurts.

In Nevada, Eric Adams is touring Reno before going to Vegas for primary night. He's still centering his classic themes while portraying himself as a happy consumer of the state's leisure industry. The blue-collar mayor and the nightlife mayor. He is also touting some endorsements, most notably the president pro tempore of the State Senate and former majority leader Mo Denis.

When asked by a reporter whether Jeff Merkley receiving possibly the two biggest endorsements out there (Bernie Sanders and Liz Warren) and consolidating progressives changes his primary strategy and the overall dynamic of the race, he replied: "Frankly, I think I am the most progressive candidate here".

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

February 2024

Disappointed by the Nevada result but undeterred and looking forward to a favourable state like Georgia, Mayor Adams has kept going with determination.

In the meantime he has paid a programmed visit to West Virginia State University, one of the two HBCUs in the state, where he's given a speech about racial inequality and solidarity. Themes he would keep emphasizing while in Savannah with its mayor Van Johnson and later in Atlanta with his surrogate U.S. Representative David Scott, a moderate who broke with much of the establishment in endorsing Adams. The mayor has mostly tried to stay away from the controversy surrounding his main rivals in the state - Gore and Harris - but his preference is an open secret, since he believes a Harris loss that ends her momentum and frontrunner status thus scrambling the primary would be greatly beneficial to his chances. He did however remark that "you can trust someone who has tackled racism in the policing and justice system from the inside, instead of simply perpetuating it and shrugging off misconduct".

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

February 2024

Coming off another solid third place in the South, Mayor Adams has attended to some New York business during this two-week-long break in the primaries before going to Michigan while working in the background for the Super Tuesday states.

Adams held a rally in Detroit which featured a very unusual guest in rapper and celebrity Eminem, who explained Adams' life story of being raised in a struggling family and making a career in a potentially hostile environment was deeply relatable to him. He also visited Flint, a poster city for the troubles of deindustrialization which is likely to be hit by all of the main campaigns.

Meanwhile, surrogates of Adams have been organizing in states like California, Alabama, Texas and North Carolina that vote on Super Tuesday. The multi-pronged strategy is still evolving and much will depend on what the Michigan results look like.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

February/March 2024

Bummed by the poor Michigan result, the Adams campaign now considers a last push for Super Tuesday. Like most campaigns, a semi-official ranking of states to prioritize has been defined.

Tier 1
Alabama
California
North Carolina
Tennessee
Texas

Tier 2
Arkansas
Colorado
Oklahoma
Virginia

Tier 3
Iowa
Maine
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Utah
Vermont

Ads have been run in the lower South emphasizing racial justice and his personal background, in Texas and California emphasizing immigration reform and labour rights, and in the latter also a message about homelessness and crime - Adams has obtained among others the support of 2022 LA mayoral candidate Rick Caruso.

Mayor Adams has also continued his recent approach of being softer in his tone and resorting to fewer attacks, hoping to draw a contrast with the frontrunners Harris and Gore, whose feud has reached epic proportions.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

March 2024

Eric Adams was in it for the long haul, but after totalling zero delegates on Super Tuesday, he sees no other way but to fold. The announcement came at a rally in the Bronx, same as where he started.

This campaign has been great, I have learnt a lot from those I met and hopefully inspired many too. I thank all of you. Gracias a todos! However, one of the best skills in a fight is knowing when to quit, and being faced with the most devastating results possible last Tuesday I don't believe there is a path forward for me in this race.

I have contacted other candidates and I have made the decision to offer my support to Senator Merkley. He may not be a so-called moderate, but he has the right determination and has shown that he wants to reach working people, all working people. He has a record, but is not stuck in the past. I can trust him, and I'll be glad to work with him on topics like bridging the gap between federal and local politicians, police and immigration reform.