Why Max Rose Really Won NY-11

Summary

Max Rose's victory in NY-11 was attributed to the tireless efforts of the local Democratic core, his relentless campaign, and his ability to resonate with the district's values, rather than gentrification or a shift in liberal thinking.

Abstract

The article critiques the notion that Max Rose's win in NY-11 was due to a supposed influx of liberal thinking caused by rising real estate prices and gentrification. It emphasizes that Staten Island has not experienced significant gentrification and that the district's Democrats, who have always been present, worked diligently to elect Rose. The victory is credited to Rose's hard work, enthusiasm, and his focus on representing the middle and working classes, as well as his dignified approach to campaigning. The community's rejection of toxic rhetoric and appreciation for local issues played a crucial role in Rose's success, reflecting a desire for representatives who embody good character and address the concerns of a politically diverse electorate.

Opinions

The author finds Ginia Bellafante's article in The New York Times insulting and inaccurate for attributing Max Rose's victory to his appearance and gentrification.
Staten Island's identity is distinct from Brooklyn, with its own unique challenges, particularly in transportation infrastructure that has been historically neglected.
The district's Democrats are described as a committed core that has consistently existed and contributed to Rose's election, contrary to the narrative of a liberal shift due to real estate changes.
The author identifies as a progressive liberal and acknowledges that the Trump era has pushed political boundaries further left, yet remains rooted in the working-class values of Staten Island.
The community values dignified representation and has rejected figures like Michael Grimm, who failed to win back his seat due to his behavior and alignment with toxic rhetoric from the White House.
Staten Island is characterized as a politically diverse, "purple" area that does not fit the stereotype of "Trumpland," having voted for candidates across the political spectrum.
The author argues that the district's residents are socially progressive yet fiscally conservative, and the Democratic Party's challenge is to convince these families that a blue vote aligns with their interests and values.
Max Rose's approach to campaigning and governance is seen as a model for Democrats to beat Republicans by focusing on local issues, hard work, and representing the overlapping political views of the electorate.

It wasn’t his telegenic head

It was dismaying to read Ginia Bellafante’s article in The New York Times, entitled “What Max Rose Can Teach Democrats About Beating Republicans” (Big City, Nov 7). Frankly, the article is insulting and overlooks why Max Rose really won NY-11. Spoiler: it has nothing to do with telegenic or not telegenic bald head.

As all of us on Staten Island know, there has been no massive gentrification (the “forces” the author cites). We’re waiting for a more robust second act — and working hard together to create it — but we understand the challenges that are unique to our borough. As the newly branded “Downtown Staten Island” takes shape but the Wheel is no longer, the momentum for a next chapter on this side of the ferry comes in fits and spurts. We know we’re not Brooklyn, and we’ve never tried to be. We have major transportation infrastructure problems now centuries old that City Hall and Albany continue to ignore — problems that have kept parts of the Island from prospering economically for decades.

So let us please not credit Max Rose’s victory to some magical influx of liberal thinking due to the rise of real estate prices in Park Slope. I, myself, am the gayest, most progressive-thinking, açaí-bowl-eating liberal you’ll meet, and until the Trump Years was as left as I thought we could go (turns out, we can go further). But I, like many of my generation, am the son of a hard-working Staten Island family that has lived here for decades. You have only to look at the numbers to see that there has always been, and always will be, a core of committed Democrats on the Island and in Bay Ridge. In fact, there are more registered Democrats in the district and on the Island than registered Republicans. That core worked tirelessly this time to elect Mr. Rose. And Mr. Rose and his team worked harder; NY-11 has never been asked for its votes so warmly nor relentlessly.

Let’s get the narrative right. We all did our part because we believe Max Rose can represent the district’s values better than Mr. Donovan or Mr. Grimm have in recent years. We are tired of the toxic rhetoric from the White House that continues to get a free pass from the GOP. And we appreciate hard work, enthusiasm, and someone who fights for the middle and working classes. That’s who we are on Staten Island, and we appreciate when we see those qualities in our representatives. Max kept it local; he kept it in your face; and he kept it dignified. This is specifically why Michael Grimm did not win his bid to reclaim his seat. What we don’t appreciate is being made to look foolish on the national stage. Despite Hollywood’s insistence that the good people of the fifth borough are Trump meets Tony Soprano, when Grimm behaved so in Washington, we wouldn’t let him back in office. We like our representatives to be good humans, and Mr. Rose is just that.

True, it was an upset, one that the district will continue to celebrate on one side and analyze on the other. But it was not due to youth and gentrification, as the author claims. Rather, it is reflective of a community (one much like our nation as a whole) that is still struggling to find a comfortable place on an ever-widening political spectrum. Staten Island, just like America, is not “Trumpland.” We voted for Bill Clinton, Gore, Obama, McMahon, and now Rose. We are a purple place, through and through. We oscillate between red and blue because as a whole we fall in the overlapping space in between. We are the home of many socially progressive but fiscally conservative New York families who have been wooed by both the left and right. The GOP has just done a much better job in the last decade of convincing these families that a red vote is in their best interests. It is not, in the opinion of this writer. The challenge for the Democrats, as we look ahead, is to make the case that a blue vote more accurately addresses our daily concerns as individuals and reflects our core values as a people, both here in NY-11 and nationwide. That is what Mr. Rose did, and it’s why he won. And that is what Rose can teach Democrats about beating Republicans.