To Power in the City (Part 1 of 2)

Core idea

In 1933 the Goo Goos — the city's Good Government reformers — courted Moses to either lead a mayoral ticket himself or back a Fusion candidate. The Walker resignation had broken Tammany; the field was open. Moses, calculating, declined to run himself and supported the Fusion ticket that eventually settled on Fiorello La Guardia — a Republican-Progressive, Italian-American, fiery, complicated congressman. La Guardia won. Moses had bet correctly. The topic shows the political instincts of a man who had decided he would never run for office but would always pick winners.

Why it matters

The Goo Goos and Moses's calculation

The Goo Goos (a Tammany epithet for civic-reform organizations) thought Moses might run for mayor himself. He declined, having learned at the Wilcox hearings that he was better at attacking opponents than at withstanding attack. But he agreed to back the Fusion ticket and to actively campaign.

La Guardia's selection

The Fusion ticket eventually nominated Fiorello La Guardia — a 51-year-old Italian-American congressman, Republican-Progressive, prosecutorial in style, theatrical in performance. Moses had reservations (La Guardia was personally volcanic and politically promiscuous) but threw his support behind the ticket. La Guardia won the November 1933 election decisively.

Key takeaways

Mental model

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Practical application

Example

Karl Rove ran George W. Bush's campaigns but never ran for office himself; James Carville and Paul Begala ran Clinton's campaigns; David Plouffe ran Obama's. The kingmaker role is its own career path. Moses, in 1933, chose it deliberately.

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