By John D. Macari Jr
The Right’s Embrace of “Moderate” Democrats
The recent embrace of figures like Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams by segments of the political right including President Donald J. Trump, conservative media outlets and many who identify with the MAGA movement isn’t just political hypocrisy; its proof of how effectively the establishment billionaire controlled media manipulates the range of ideas considered “acceptable” in mainstream politics AKA The Overton Window.
Redefining “Conservativism”
When self described conservatives start cheering for leaders whose track records directly oppose conservative values like Andrew Cuomo’s bail reform, Eric Adams’ continued support for sanctuary city policies and both men’s highly flawed track records including their tyranny during the COVID Pandemic, the definition of “conservative” itself begins to erode.
Once figures like these are framed as “the lesser of two evils,” it normalizes a new baseline where left-leaning governance is accepted as centrist or even pragmatic. What was once considered by the right as “Far Left Democrat policies” now becomes the new “moderate” Republican position.
Fake News
By elevating Cuomo and Adams as the “moderate” or “law and order” Democrats, billionaire controlled media outlets and social media influencers feed conservatives a repackaged, sanitized version of the same progressive ideology they once claimed to reject. Andrew Cuomo is NOT a “moderate” Democrat, he created the criminal justice reforms and helped create an anti police sentiment that fueled New York’s decline. Adams isn’t “pro-cop” he’s managed the continued shrinking of the NYPD and the political handcuffing of law enforcement while paying lip service to the public. When the right starts echoing their talking points because it feels like a win against “the far left,” it’s actually helping to cement the left’s long term policy goals to succeed.
The “Lesser of Two Evils”
The “lesser of two evils” argument is a powerful tool used in shifting the Overton Window.
Every time conservatives accept a Democrat like Cuomo or Adams as “better than the alternative,” the ideological center moves further left because the acceptable compromise becomes more progressive than it was before.
Next cycle, the new “moderate” will be even further left, and voters will again be told they must choose between a radical and a “reasonable Democrat.” That’s how the line keeps moving, election after election. Imagine if I told you in 2021 that NYC Republicans would not only be voting for Andrew Cuomo but looking to him for public safety and common sense in 2025.
An Illusion of Choice
Supporting a Democrat who now criticizes the very policies they once implemented comes at the cost of long-term ideological drift. The right thinks it’s broadening its coalition or bringing more people under its tent but in reality, it’s surrendering its identity. The same media that once vilified Cuomo or Adams now portrays them as sensible centrists, and conservatives who fall for that rebranding help validate the left’s framing of what’s “normal.”
The Cuomo Effect
The result is a Republican Party that’s no longer backs its own candidates, no longer debates on whether or not to shrink government, lower taxes, or strengthen law enforcement, it’s debating how much of the left’s framework to adopt while still calling it conservative. By embracing Andrew Cuomo, over the Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa the right didn’t just compromise; it helped redraw the map of American politics to the left all under the guise of pragmatism.
The Message to Conservative Candidates
The embrace of Andrew Cuomo and the simultaneous dismissal of the actual Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa, sent a chilling message to anyone, myself included with genuine conservative values who might consider running for office. It tells future candidates that principles do not matter only the engineered popularity by the billionaire controlled media does. When the establishment embraces a disgraced Democrat who embodies everything conservatives claim to oppose, while ignoring a lifelong Republican who built his campaign on law and order, accountability, and community service, it signals that integrity is not welcome. Why would any authentic conservative step into a race knowing the party’s own base can be so easily swayed by a media narrative to abandon their nominee in favor of a rebranded Democrat who is continuing to advocate for the same leftist policies the Republican party claims to oppose ? This will undoubtedly cause principled candidates to think twice before ever entering the political arena which is exactly what the left wants.