A Barstool founder mulling a New York political run is picked apart as clueless — bad news for Portnoy, and a window into the fight over Israel inside NY Democrats.

• Dave Portnoy says he might run for office in New York, mainly to stop Zohran Mamdani and the city's leftward, socialist-leaning turn.
• The pushback: he has no idea what New York voters actually want and is living in a celebrity bubble, assuming fame equals votes.
• The real trigger is Israel — Portnoy backs it hard, and targets like Mamdani who slam US military aid to Israel drive his anger.
• New York's recent primaries went to pro-Palestinian and left candidates, while a strongly pro-Israel favorite lost his race badly.
• Even Trump, Bernie, and other big names started polling at 1-2%, so a media personality with Portnoy's attitude faces long odds.

Outlook: Portnoy is unlikely to actually run or win, but the clash signals Israel and left-wing economics will keep splitting New York Democrats.