William F. Buckley could foresee NYC’s crime problems in 1965, but Zohran Mamdani remains oblivious.
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Left: National Review editor William F. Buckley, Jr. announces his candidacy for mayor of New York City on the Conservative ticket, June 24, 1965. Right: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference at NYPD headquarters in New York City, January 6, 2026.
Bettmann/Getty Images; Angelina Katsanis/Reuters
‘The protection of the individual against the criminal is the first and highest function of government,” William F. Buckley Jr. explained in launching his Conservative Party bid for New York City mayor in 1965. “The failure of government to provide protection is nothing less than the failure of government.”
Zohran Mamdani, the current holder of the office that Buckley quixotically sought, sees the matter differently.
About the Author
Daniel J. Flynn, the author of The Man Who Invented Conservatism: The Unlikely Life of Frank S. Meyer, is an American Spectator senior editor, visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, and YouTuber @RightWingWilderness.
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‘The protection of the individual against the criminal is the first and highest function of government,” William F. Buckley Jr. explained in launching his Conservative Party bid for New York City mayor in 1965. “The failure of government to provide protection is nothing less than the failure of government.”
Zohran Mamdani, the current holder of the office that Buckley quixotically sought, sees the matter differently.
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About the Author
Daniel J. Flynn, the author of The Man Who Invented Conservatism: The Unlikely Life of Frank S. Meyer, is an American Spectator senior editor, visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, and YouTuber @RightWingWilderness.
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