Raman stresses 'independence' from DSA in Los Angeles mayor's

So Nithya Raman wants Los Angeles voters to believe she's "independent" from the DSA — the same DSA that endorsed her and is out working for her campaign. This is the political equivalent of a quarterback claiming he doesn't run the team's offense while wearing the playbook on his wristband. The forum crowd heard her stress independence from the socialists who are her biggest boosters, which is like a fish stressing its independence from water.

The strategy is obvious, and it's not working on anyone paying attention. Raman knows the DSA brand is radioactive to the broader electorate, especially in a city grappling with homelessness, crime, and a business exodus. So she tries to thread the needle — accepting their money, their door-knockers, and their organizing muscle while pretending she's somehow above their agenda. But voters aren't stupid. If she wins with the DSA's help, that group will own her, and an "independent" progressive discovers real fast that the people who got you elected expect payback.

What's really telling here is who Raman is running against — and what that says about Los Angeles' direction. Karen Bass, her opponent, has been a disaster on crime and homelessness, and she's vulnerable for good reason. But this moment reveals a left that can't even admit what it is. Raman's "independence" pitch to a Jewish Federation audience is pure damage control, an attempt to seem moderate when the coalition behind her is anything but. That's not independence. That's just a wolf in progressive clothing. And on the campaign trail, the clothing keeps slipping off.