Have you seen Cynthia Nixon’s campaign advertisement announcing her run for Governor of New York? If somehow you missed it, here it is:
How
that? Did your eyes tear up like mine did? Did you get a lump in your throat? She boldly talks about inequality. She boldly talks about public education. She talks about what every New Yorker has known for what feels like FOREVER. The city that I love, the city I was sure I would never leave has become unattainable.
It’s amazing to me that I had not only an apartment in the Village ALONE for $825/month, I also had a loft overlooking the East River in Brooklyn for just over $1200/month. As I put my daughter in the NYC public school system, the gratitude I always felt for the dedication of the teachers, the special needs department, well, to say they are doing the Lord’s work, is an understatement. I also, along with thousands of parents fought charters like Success Academy in their quest to try and take over public schools.
The city I love, the mom and pop stores, too many replaced. Chain stores everywhere. The charter industry growing. It’s heartbreaking.
When I saw that ad, I was excited. I saw a celebrity I liked talking about issues that resonated with me in a personal way. That made me have a better understanding of why many were excited about a possible Oprah run. As I previously outlined in my piece for Washington Babylon, Oprah has deep ties to the charter school industry, That is just one of many problematic issues with her positions, and the history of her show. In contrast, Nixon has a clear vision and advocacy for public schools and public school teachers. Now as a Democrat, I always thought that was our stance. I saw many of my fellow Democrats, many of which claim to be progressive, embrace Oprah and now are dismissing Cynthia Nixon.
And no one questions this.
As Democrats or left-leaning voters, we have to start asking ourselves an important question every day. And the question is this: we all know that public education is the great equalizer. Obama made a huge mistake by embracing, and taking campaign cash from entities like Democrats For Education Reform. Some centrists Democrats like Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand vying for a possible 2020 presidential run are clearly moving left on issues like Medicare For All and that’s a great start. Unapologetic support for public schools, public school teachers, and public school children MUST be a bare minimum for running as a Democrat. Why should we settle for less?
Thank you, Cynthia Nixon.