NYC Election Recap and More with Jake Novak on JM in the AM

This is America's one and only Jewish moments in the morning radio program heard on listener sponsored digital radio from around the world web.com on the alumn network and of course the beloved NSN app. Jake Novak is with us live via telephone. He's anchor and executive producer at American Sunrise early edition on Real America's Voice and uh he's with us live via telephone on a Thursday morning broadcast. Jake, a pleasure to welcome you back to JM in the AM. >> Thanks. Always great to hear from you. >> I hope I got the title right. >> Yeah, good enough. >> Yeah. >> Oh, good. No, you did. You got it all right. 100%. >> Did you you know, one of the one of the things that um always fascinate us about you certainly over the last four to eight years has been your ability to predict uh elections and you're really on target a good amount of the time. I mean, you may tell me it's 100%, but if it's not, it's certainly close to it. What were your feelings going into Tuesday about the three races that everybody was talking about? Did they end up in the num in the number and percentage range that you were thinking of? >> Well, I did two out of three. I did two out of three. Uh I I expected Virginia to go to Abigail Spanberger. I expected Zoron Mdani to win the election in New York. Uh I was surprised. I thought Jack Chidarelli would pull out New Jersey. And you know, I'm not I listen, I'm not I'm conceding to feed. I'm not I'm not being a sore loser here. Although, they do need to look into the fact that there were 500,000 more votes in New Jersey uh on Tuesday than there were in the presidential election. That's a massive massive anomaly that doesn't happen. So, we got to look into that. Although, I don't think that's going to change the results. So, I was wrong about that one. But, uh so, no, I mean, it's pretty much as I expected. Um, and sadly, you know, I mean, I but and as I was saying going into these elections, you know, I like to do a lot of pre I'm like this I'm the six day war anchor. I like preemptive strike stuff. >> And I know exactly what the mainstream news media is going to say about things before they say it or when they start to say it. And I like to preempt everyone from hearing it uh without my without the truth coming first. And I kept telling everybody this these are whole serve elections for the Democrats. This is America's blest city in New York City. These are two states in Virginia and New Jersey that clearly not not overwhelmingly, but very clearly voted for Camela Harris. Not Joe Biden, not but Camela Harris. So the idea that the Republicans not winning any one of those three elections is some kind of big rebuke to Trump is baloney. It's a joke. But we also need to be vigilant and humble about this. There were some aspects of the votes in the in especially in New Jersey that the Trump administration should look at very closely and see what it can learn from it besides just oh Trump wasn't on the ballot and that doesn't bring out people which is an issue by the way. >> Yeah, I understand that. A little surprised about the uh the margin of victory in New Jersey as you indicated. >> Uh but I also felt bad for Chidarelli for one reason. If he would have run a year earlier, he would have won. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, there's there's something to be said for ending this staggered election process in America. Um, I don't I think that first of all, we should have fewer elected fewer elective office in this country. I mean, you know, here in New York, we have so many different layers of people that we're voting for, constantly voting, voting, voting, all these people who are on pensions and are doing, you know, Lord knows what to our country. I I just don't I think that but second of all, I do think that when you have the most engagement, you talk about voter suppression, the biggest voter suppression is is, you know, we're just tired of it all. We is fatigue. That's the biggest voter suppression, >> right? >> And if you do have an a presidential election every four years that really gains everyone's attention, that wakes people up, then that's when you should have as many other elections as well because people are paying more attention and and on and on down the line. Plus, it would be great just to not hear only about the presidential election every single day and also about some of the others. >> Yeah. I mean, the again in New Jersey, it would uh certainly a year ago things would have been very very different. I mean, that we know. >> Um but it's it's I I wonder about this and and and it's funny because piggybacking on what you just said, isn't it interesting that the city of New York on Prop Six decided not to go in that direction and to leave it as staggered? >> Yeah. um you know this is big money >> these political consulting firms right >> get you know they they take a break in these off years but they don't want to have no money coming in >> right >> um so that's part of it >> great for the news media I mean if you live here in the New York New Jersey metropolitan area boy the commercials were crazy >> and back to back to back >> yeah I mean this was the this was the greatest thing that ever happened to the media outlets because we really haven't had a contended contentious, massively, you know, down to the wire mayor's race in New York City since 1993 when Giuliani beat um Dinkens. So, it's been 32 years since they raded in that kind of cash. >> Yeah, but I would still say in Bloomberg's third term, he did pour a lot of cash into those outlets. But I hear what you're saying. That may that may have been a bit of an aberration. Jake Novak's with us. All right. Uh so now analyze New York for a second. I I said that, you know, it it would be, I don't know, psychologically beneficial. I use whatever term you want if Manny would get over 50%. Um, they'd use the term mandate more. And it it's funny, it wasn't just me analyzing it. There were a lot of people on TV who, you know, from his headquarters who were hoping for that 50. So now, the fact that he did hurdle over 50 means what? >> It means the city council of New York is going to rubber stamp him. Now, luckily for us, the New York State Assembly up in Albany um is uh is still a roadblock and a potential stopper on some of the things he wants to do. But even they now will be much more of a rubber stamp operation for him. For people who think that there's going to be this stand up standing up to him at the city council, forget that. That's not happening. The state assembly, not so much either because of this 50% number. So, it's up to us. You know, I I called it on my program this morning, Fight Back Thursday, which you can watch after you listen to, you know, you should always listen to live and you can watch me and you pay attention to my show on tape. >> Thank you. Excellent. Excellent advice. >> Yes, you can. My show is much better on tape anyway. Um, you can analyze it, you can stop it, things like that. >> So, there's that. But uh it's so this needs to be something you know Malcolm this is the first time I think in Jewish history where a vicious anti-semite has been has come to power and the smart the smart answer is not to run and hide sorry sadly that's been the answer most of the time run hide get out power whatever you got to do now we are still in a country thank goodness where we have our first amendment rights where we can assemble and push back against this guy I mean literally there should be a minion outside of his office and outside of Gracie Mansion at least every day uh holding vigil on this guy at least at least and and and hounding him legally legally but hounding him. We can do that still those and we can and and we can do all those things. Um, I think that there should be a large effort by Jewish communities to get on the CCB, the civilian con complaint review board, which in unless good people start to try to flood to get on there, it's going to be people by Mam Donni advocates who are going to take the police department's right to do their job away. This is the time to stand up more because they have to do it. And running away isn't the answer this time. This isn't Thesar. this isn't um you know this isn't you know this isn't some of the other people I'm not going to mention where you better just kind of get out. Uh we still have a right to stand up to this guy and I think we really need to and anyone who doesn't do that. I'm sorry you know a sermon or two by some of these large congregational rabbis on October 18th whenever it was was way too late was too little and too late to say the least. We need to stand up now. >> Yeah. I mean you're making such a good point. Um the uh the the mantra once it became obvious that this was a losing cause in New York, the mantra among Jewish leaders became all right, you know, at least we now have a robust registration for the next time and maybe this will encourage people to, you know, stay on top of the registration drives, etc., etc. So yes, way too late for now, but as you just said, you know, an opportunity to fight in the future and and one of the ways we fight obviously is at the polls. I mean, that's one of the most obvious ways. But I got to go back to the other point you made because one of the things that that so many kept harping on, antimandi people, many from our community kept harping on was he can't get done the stuff he wants to get done. He needs city council approval, Albany approval, Hokll approval, etc., etc. So you're basically saying, "Hey guys, I hate to tell you, but after his performance on Tuesday, he basically has all of those." >> He does. And but that's also liberating in a way because here's what they're going to say in if anyone in the state assembly stands up to him, Republican or Democrat or in the city council, they're immediately going to be smeared as not only not listening to the voice of the people, but they're also going to say, "You're a racist, you're Islam, you're you're an Islamophobe." They're going to say all those things anyway. Which is why, and this is something else I said on my program this morning, >> the first thing that should be done to stand up to this guy because we can't rely on the city council and the assembly is absolutely start calling for, even if they don't do it, but regularly calling for the Justice Department to indict and begin the process of deporting Zoran Mamani. Will it happen? No. Will they call you some kind of crazy racist cook for saying that? Here's a news alert. They're going to call you that any anyway for opposing him on any policy. We have very solid evidence that he took money from foreign donors. $13,000 at least in campaign finance violations. And we also know that he's he's associated with kamas and kamas supporters. That should be enough to begin a process of dnaturalizing his citizenship. Will it happen? That doesn't matter. But the Jewish leaders of this city and all of us any decent people should be saying we want this guy indicted and deported. Whether it happens or not, you know that if the the if the positions were flipped and there was someone who was a proTrump supporter who got elected mayor, they would be trying to do that to him or her. >> That has got to be the the first part of it. The fact that we don't we're not going to stand on ceremony for this. This these are the lives of our fellow Jews and our fellow New Yorkers that are at stake. >> Understood. But this is very different than what seems to be the uh uh the Jewish outlook since Tuesday night. It it seems like uh most Jewish leaders, you could put that word word in quotes if you want, but most are now encouraging people to, you know, reach out, make sure we have a good relationship with city hall, etc., etc. That's very different from what you're proposing. >> Yeah. I I think that there should be a physical presence of many Jews at city hall every day. A a running, you know, let's use the playbook, an encampment of some kind, you know, again, not the same kind as they're on the campuses. And I think there should be a regular voice against this. Uh, and there really should be this should really wake people up. You know, it says in I wish I could quote the exact dot, but I know it says in your something along the lines of if you want to destroy the Jews, just leave us alone. We'll do it ourselves. Um, and all I can say is, you know, I again, I don't know the exact do and and but I'll tell you, I know it's there. So, I should just get on safari.org. I have no excuse for not knowing this, but you know, honestly, that's the case. And hopefully this will remind everybody that we can't we can't be dormant. And I can say this again, and I I I wish it didn't happen, but I can tell you even in my own children, the last few years since October 7th has absolutely kindled something in them that otherwise wouldn't be there, especially my older daughter. >> So, you know, let's try to make something of this, but the answer is not to be >> I'm sorry. It's not to be let's be friends. This is not a question of that. What what we will do for decency and friendship is we will not advocate any violence. We will not um we we will be disruptive but not uh but you know that within certain parameters >> but not but not destructive. Right. >> That's right. That's right. And that's and that's and that's all the latitude this guy deserves. That's it. >> Jake Novak's with us. Uh by the way they did they study a lot of Yushami and Yeshiva Flatbush or that came from somewhere else? I mean, >> well, you know, that's that's my father who's one of the great one of the great scholars of Yurali. Uh his and his uh his teacher um you know, so no, it's it's rare. But I got to tell you, it comes in handy at the seder. The seder is very Urishami peppered and people don't know that, including the whole Afyikman thing is a Urashami thing by the way. >> Kaote Jake got to have you on again before Pesak. Do you have any pride and I know I know that this it's not your job to concentrate on the Jewish community but as you saw the the I don't want to use the word panic as you saw the m the momentum as you saw all the uh the the leaders talking about especially the rabbitic leaders you know who spoke about even the concept of of leaving the bait midrash in order to go vote like that's how critical and important it is certain schools some of which you may be very familiar with who wouldn't allow registration for students if the parents weren't registered to vote etc., etc. Did Did that Did Were you impressed by that or were still as a community falling way short? >> Well, that's a great that's a great uh momentum getting started. Here's where we're falling short. And by the way, I would say this about the Asian-American community as well. That's another discussion. We're falling short in putting candidates up for office. We always have. We always have. We've been lucky that we've had some people who have turned out to be, you know, who were ethnically Jewish who turned out to be good mayors. Um, I know he was a Democrat and all that, but I'll defend >> uh Ed C Ed Cot to the last day. I think he was an effective mayor and started the process. I think Abe Beam wasn't a terrible mayor either, but these people were just ethnically Jewish. I mean, I I can't I can't make it I can't I can't kick them out of the I'm not I'm not interested in that either. But the point is, we don't have the greatest candidates and we have some young people who have potential to be great candidates, but they need a lot better packaging. you know, for all the media experts in the Jewish world, uh, we don't have them in the well, we just don't seem to have them for our own candidates. So, this has to go now beyond >> well, registration. Many of them feel they'll they'll make more money and have a higher profile in the world of media instead of the world of politics. But you just raised but you just raised such an important point that I never really thought about because every, you know, cynically very often we see somebody who wants to run for a position, even a low-level position in government, and we just think of, you know, oh, this is somebody feeding their ego, etc., etc. But the reality is, as you just described, we need to groom good people, males and females in our community who we think have the potential to really, you know, lead and make a proper presentation. Again, your case, you know, Cotch, Beam, Bloomberg, these people were, you know, representative our of our people, but did so, you know, respectfully. They were they weren't maniacs like some of the people we see who run for office, you know, with the amiggas on sometimes, uh, unfortunately. Um but but you're right, we need to pay more attention to when we see young talent, kids in their 20s who, you know, have this potential that they've got to be encouraged to do so. >> Yeah. Well, we have we have an example of that, I think, here in Nassau County where I live in Bruce Blakeman, right? >> Bruce Blakeman is a proud Jew. I I I know he didn't grow up very traditional. He's becoming more traditional every day, by the way, that people are working on him. But >> Kabad got a hold of him. >> Yeah. But but look what he's doing. Well, he's married to someone I went to high school with, so that helps. Um, but you know, Yeah. But you know, he >> look what he's doing not only for the Jewish community, but one of the most brilliant political moves that of course the mainstream media didn't get and mostly because they opposed him, but also because they don't understand religion. When Bruce Blakeman made that move a little bit more than a year ago to ban boys and girls sports in Nassau County and Nassau County facilities, right? >> That was an outreach to the Catholic community here in Nassau County. You know, anyone who lives here knows that it it ain't about boys sports in the high schools here. It's about girls sports. I rode the Long Island Railroad to work for more than 20 years every day. And I never heard the parents talk about their boys in high school sports. It was always about the girls. And these were Catholics on Long Island talking about their girls who they wanted to get into. Forom, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Boston College, maybe with the scholarship. and he understood that girls sports being disrupted here in Nassau County was a disaster for the Catholic community. That this was a Jewish guy who's who who comes from a traditional back and not personally but is now living in a traditional background. So my point is we don't have we can be so much better at the identity politics thing because we're such a small minority >> than I think others. You know, we're not going to be the Jewish guy for the Jewish community only or the Jewish gal. I think that we can do a better job of that. Bruce Slakeman is a great example. And by the way, even in New York, where it's much easier to be the Jewish guy because of the way districts are in the state and the city, those who've been effective in the role that you just described, have had tremendously positive have had tremendous positive outreach to other communities, have worked really well with other communities and have been there to do favors for and to, you know, and and and and to be aligned with those who have common cause. And I think that's a very important point. We sometimes lose sight of that because we always look at that guy as the Jewish guy in the assembly, city council, or wherever it might be. But the reality is they're only successful if they do what you just described. >> Yeah. And it pays dividends. You know, when I was in high school, we started to hear the narrative of, well, Jews did so much for the black community and now they're not getting it back. And I and believe me, that is a huge problem. But >> it does pay dividends. Bruce Blakeman got a black woman member of the Nassau County legislature years ago when the whole Ben & Jerry's thing started. Not only did she support Nassau County boycotting Ben & Jerry's over that, but she got on the microphone at an event that I was at personally and looked into the camera and said, "As a black woman, look growing up in America, I know what it's like not to be served." Boy, was that powerful. And he got a good dividend from that. >> Amazing. Amazing. Yeah. And this I mean, there's so many examples. Sometimes people are shocked when a a real left-winger, you know, will will um will abstain from a vote, you know, when it comes to Iran or Israel or something and nobody understands why. and then you find out that, you know, there's been a tremendous respectful effort behind the scenes to have a relationship with that congressperson to to, you know, explain the circumstances. You know, it's it's all what it comes down to. Uh the yelling and screaming doesn't work except in the case that you cited where uh we could use a little bit of yelling and screaming outside of city hall. That's >> Yeah. You know, not destructively so, >> but that has to happen if unless you know, again, uh this we should do this for our ancestors. our ancestors who had no choice but to run and hide. You know, golden mir had to live like some part of her childhood in a basement in Ukraine because of pgrams. We don't have to do that. We can still speak out in this country. Uh many of us can arm ourselves. We can do a bunch of things and and not be afraid at least at least for now while we still have that right. We better take advantage of it. >> Right. What do you think of his um proposal? I guess we'd call it this. I don't want I don't want to say pledge, but a proposal to retain the police commissioner in New York City. Well, it's again we got to find out in what role will the police commissioner be retained? Will he strip the police commissioner's power to dis the ultimate power to either to fire cops? That still remains with the commissioner in the commissioner's office. If he hands it over to the CCB, it doesn't matter who the commissioner is. That will be disastrous. So, I'm very, you know, so uh we got to read the fine print on that. Not >> Wow. Boy, there's so much to consider. And she's smart enough, by the way, that if it is as you just described, she probably wouldn't take the job anyway, right? >> Yeah. Well, I you know, again, she would have to but I hope that she wouldn't go down without a fight. The fire commissioner stepped down and just kind of quietly I I mean, I think that this needs to be I mean, look at these people who President Trump has tried to fire or remove from positions. They suddenly become a cause celeb. Lisa Cook on the Fed is still won't won't leave. She's still there. Why can't we do that here? I I don't understand. >> By the way, the last thing I thought of you when I saw this, I don't know if you've seen the Virginia map of of the vote on Tuesday. Isn't it unbelievable? I don't know if it's 90% or 80%. It's somewhere up there of the counties were red, but you get a couple of really strong inner city areas and and you're going to win the election. Simple as that. >> Yeah. Well, this is so much reaffirming for those of you learning in your civics classes, and I hope you are about the Constitution and the and the great compromises that created our government system. The founding fathers knew very well that this would happen unless they they fixed it. In other words, they knew that the great population centers would could possibly overrun the more rural areas of the country and they wanted a fair balance. That's why every state gets two senators and that's why we have the electoral college and things like that. And when that balance becomes uh out of whack to the point where so many counties and the culture of each of those counties is overrun by one population center which can easily be filled with foreigners, out of stator, all that kind of thing, then you're really you're having a problem. And one of the questions that needs to be asked is how do we get these people more involved in these areas? And the answer is to get the voices louder. Um, people haven't heard the voices of rural America. I was lucky enough to grow up in a great amount of rural America before I came to New York at high school time. So that I'm lucky, but most people haven't had that opportunity. >> Interesting. I always appreciate your analysis and uh carry on. What are you looking at next? What's happening a year from now? Anything we should be uh made aware of? Well, it's the whole the whole house next year, right? >> Yes. But this governor's race in New York State now really should be our focus. And obviously Elise Stfanic is going to carry the torch against Kathy Hokll. And I think that this is our time. I mean, this is obviously the first thing that we can sort of co you know, rally around as far as uh for, you know, looking ahead. and Stefonic. Now, there's going to be a massive massive effort for and against her in the next few months uh to try to start 2026 um with how you know see either she's going to be ahead of the game or a little bit behind. So, she should really take this opportunity to really lead this. And as much as the Republicans need every vote they have in the House, I would strongly strongly recommend that Elise Stefanic resign at the end of this year from her congressional seat and put her full full attentions on this governor's race. >> Wow. >> Um and and and I think that she should be rewarded for that with tremendous Jewish support, tremendous rallying around her. Some people actually think she's Jewish. She's not, by the way, for those of you who are confused about that. So, everyone needs to I think that needs to be the the real central focus and um and make it a full state campaign, but she should really campaign downstate as much as possible. Even though obviously most Republican votes don't come from here, she should be a regular in Brooklyn and in Queens. I would really I would really advise her to do that. >> Interesting. Uh Hokll still had my support until You want to fill in the blank, Jake? until >> she endorsed mom Donnie >> until congestion pricing. >> Oh, okay. Yeah. Well, yeah. Well, I I think she has the worst political consultant um advice in the history of any American politician. She's indicative of our problem. Wow. >> We don't have people who work for individually their candidates. They work for the central office DNC. Any political consultant would have told you your poll numbers are going to go through the roof if you resend cash free bail if you don't do this congestion pricing thing and you and you're clear on it and know that Washington DNC won't be happy with you, but you will win and be really really popular and we can even think about launching you for president one day if you're interested in that. Instead, she made all those wrong decisions because the people who supposedly work for Kathy Hokll do not work for her. They work for the National DNC and it's so blatantly obvious. >> Wow. Brilliant. And of course, when you put pressure like that on someone like her, she's going to cave in every time. >> Yeah. She doesn't have the chops or the, you know, she reminds me of the people I've worked in this business for a long long time who will read anything you put in the teleprompter. Full disclosure, I read the teleprompter, too, but I wrote every word in it, so I'm giving myself a pass. >> That's one that's one way to kazer over what you're about to say. >> That's right. >> Uh Jake, I thank you. Thanks so much and continued good luck to you. >> My pleasure. My pleasure. >> Uh, always amazing to hear analysis from Jake Novak, anchor and executive producer at American Sunrise early edition. Um, on Real America's Voice, and I thank him, and uh, he gave us a really, really big chunk of time today, and I appreciate that very much. Uh, more coming up. You're listening to a Thursday morning edition of JM in the A.M.