For those of you paying attention or not, Zohran Mamdani is running to be the next Mayor of New York City. If you believe the polls, he is going to win. The current Mayor Eric Adams is running but had to be pardoned by Trump and is deeply unpopular. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is running, but again he is pretty unpopular. A token whacko Republican, Curtis Sliwa (founder of the Guardian Angels), is running, (I say whacko because he is running as a Trump disciple in an area where Trump is very unpopular).
Mamdani is a full out socialist, actually I would even say he is bordering on being a communist. Some of the things he supports are fare-free city buses, city owned grocery stores, $30 an hour minimum wage, free public child care, massive increase in affordable housing units, public safety reform (aka decriminalization), and a tax increase on corporations and those earning more than 1 million annually.
So how is he like Trump?
Isn’t it obvious? The democrats are undergoing their own “MAGA” transformation. Sure, Mamdani’s ideas are wild and crazy, and without much of a doubt I can say they will not work/be put into place. However, what makes him similar to Trump is he is speaking directly to a growing base of people in this country…. The left behind.
Trump did this same exact thing. He ran an unorthodox campaign, speaking while wearing a red hat saying “Make America Great Again.” It was simply an acronym MAGA but he was speaking directly to a group of people as well … ones who believe they are subsidizing other people’s lazy, drug/alcohol, criminal, and homeless lives. It worked, as he was nominated by a major party from a pool of what seemed like 20 really good candidates.
When I say unorthodox, I really mean it. He is a populist not a conservative by any means. He has no issue with the spending/debt levels in this country. He wants tariffs on all other countries, no tax on tips, ending all global conflicts, removing all illegals, and bringing factory jobs back just to name a few. Please tell me what political box he fits into? The answer is none.
In the opinion of this blogger, Mamdani is doing something similar. While it is a whacky agenda, he is very likely to win election next month. First, to stop him, Cuomo or Adams must have dropped out already. In essence they are splitting the liberal vote with Mamdani 3 ways. Then factor in Sliwa taking the conservative/center right vote and Mamdani only needs about 29% or so to guarantee victory. This parallels Trump’s victory in the primaries in 2016. When neither Ted Cruz nor John Kasich refused to drop out, all Donald needed was 34% to keep winning primaries. Cruz and Kasich and their supporters never understood this and as a result Trump was the nominee.
Negative campaigning and attacking his socialist agenda is well and good, but at this point in the campaign, Mamdani’s supporters aren’t going to switch allegiances. Again, similar to Trump.
I know some folks on the Right are beaming with glee. They are happy to see New York City suffer. This is their Superbowl or World Series win. Do not be so sure. Folks, while his policies may not win, and yes New York City may well go into a spiral, the folks who can leave will leave. They will re-locate just like many “California Conservatives” have over the years. It’s a bad thing because CA has gotten bluer and bluer while the surrounding states have somehow gotten bluer and bluer as well. Do not fool yourselves, this is not a good outcome. Seeing people suffer is never good.
Mamdani is not a person, he is a way of life we do not need in this country. He is a modern-day Santa Claus. His followers all figure there “has to be something in that bag for me.” The words “free”, and “government run” are what he knows, how will he pay for it? That isn’t for him to answer, he will be on to the next office by then. Leaving the taxpayers holding the bag.
Just remember back a few years. It was claimed that Trump was running in the wrong primary, he was a liberal plant, he can’t win. His policies make no sense. He wears a stupid red hat. One by one, other candidates dropped out, then he got nominated. But he still wasn’t to be taken seriously. Hillary barely engaged with him, kind of half-assed debated him. No one really gave him much of a chance. He won. Shocked the establishment. Then 8 years later he won again, pulling off in my opinion a bigger shocker.
My point? If Trump can win the presidency, Mamdani can win the mayorship of New York City. If Mamdani can win the mayorship … Gavin Newsom can win the presidency as well. Say what you want but if I told you 25 years ago Donald Trump would be president, you would have thought I was insane.
Ignore the New York City results at your own peril Republicans. Fear not, AOC will be only a 1-term congressman, you said. Gavin will never be governor, you said. Mamdani can never win the New York Mayor primary, you said. Crazier things can happen.
The Chief