I think a broad generalization to make about all of these races is that all politics is local. The mistake Democrats seem to continue to make is we get all caught up in the mechanics of politics as a hobby. This is because there are all these places online where we can follow and pontificate on politics like it is no more consequential than sports or a soap opera. Because small donors are getting caught up in politics outside their own locality, Democrats have used that fact to fund-raise without cluing people in to how politics really works.
Soon we all forget this stuff is very real and actually very dangerous. To me, all we can say is Mamdani and others reflect the sentiments of local voters on election day in the context of what is bothering those voters. This is however, a useful insight to be used by us arm-chair politicos.
Democrats need to strategically get local. I will follow races in other states with interest, but I am not betting on those horses because I know absolutely nothing about the track, the jockeys and the general conditions of that place. Democrats have made a huge mistake in that they thought they could win races in all these extremely unique local races with their DC biases and lack of local cultural insight. Thus, Democrats fell all over themselves for Amy Mcgrath, et al and ignored what Kentucky voters would really vote for.
Turns out a better Democratic candidate for Kentucky was Andy Beshear, a native son who is fluent in what motivates a Kentucky voter. So, I say Democrats need to get over themselves and think in terms of supporting the right candidate in local races - a candidate that voters respond to.
Pretty much the only way to do that is to invest in local infrastructure and local candidate development. You cannot deux ex machina just drop a candidate into a local race because it looks good on paper. Democrats have got to find and listen to local politicians instead of creating a creature in Washington that appeals to them.
So, Mandami is what New Yorkers wanted. So be it. Get over it Democrats and get after defeating the Republican in that race. To the consultants and the 'establishment' - this is not about you and your expectations. I mean, why would Democrats leave all that grassroots energy on the table? Deploy it against Republicans!
Cynthia, great post. I’m an Independent and have never really understood how voters can do a straight party line regardless what the candidate stands for. I also believe that Trump is wrecking the economy, just hasn’t reached a tipping point yet, but it will. In the end voters always vote their pocketbooks and the and the Dems can’t seem to figure that simple truth out, but they better and soon. What might happen if they became the party of financial Responsibilty? What a turn around that would be now that MAGA are the profligate spenders, and mostly for the rich. Get the people back, “They’re robbing the poor to give even more money to the rich.” Even quite a few MAGAE will figure that out in the next year.
Mikie Sherrill calling on Biden to drop out in September 2024 is nothing brave. It was already too late then. If she called on him in February or March 2024, then it would be good enough.
Good points! AND, I feel the DNC needs to reveal to us their candidates who they're running in the 2026 midterms!
Trump has already announced his wish for Lara Trump to take Tillis' place in Congress. He wasted no time. Who do we have? We can't afford to not take advantage of every oppty to replace a GOP with a Dem, but it's happened too many times before!
I was thinking the same thing, thanks for writing this piece. New Jersey is a prosperous state, mostly blue, sends more money to DC than it receives. Mikie is a Navy Vet and progressive pragmatist. She is the new face of the Democratic Party. Also, "New Jersey is kicking off 2025 with record-levels of growth including the largest number of jobs and employers to date; and the largest population in the state’s history. New Jersey now leads the Northeast in year-over-year population growth rate with the number of residents climbing to an estimated 9,500,851, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. This represents an increase of 1.3% or 121,209 from 2023." https://www.nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/press/2025/20250113_population_growth.shtml
I haven't done a count, but the number of women veterans and former CIA analysts is quite impressive. Several years ago, as more veterans became members of Congress, I felt a surge of hope.
Rick Wilson says that for the Dems to succeed they need to run candidates that are good fits for their districts and not have a national policy agenda that all DEMS across the country need to follow. Mamdani is a brown-skinned non-Christian. NYC has had two brown-skinned mayors: Dinkins and Adams. They have had 3 non-Christians: Koch, Beame and Bloomberg. (I may be missing folks from both categories.) They've never had a women. For president, we've only once had a president who is not a white, male, straight Christian. Mandami ran a great campaign and is very talented, but to think candidates like him can win in districts all over the country defies common sense.
Imagine this kid tackling a crisis like the LA ICE protests and subsequent military crackdown. Or imagine the George Floyd riots happening in NYC.
That’s what NYC may yet face during Trump’s presidency.
I’ve seen from personal experience how a young, inexperienced mayor can inflame a crisis in a major city. Mayor Jacob Frey in Minneapolis was like a doe caught in headlights during the George Floyd riots. He talked a big, progressive game before that happened. Since then, he’s been forced to openly support the police and has to constantly challenge his city council’s progressive ideas. He got torn apart by both sides of the aisle.
It’s too sensitive of a time for NYC to have such little experience. Frey grew from this experience and he’s still mayor, but it took years to mature his message, and that reputation stays with him for life.
Some of this is ageism, but it’s reality.
Trump will be salivating to spark unrest in NYC and watch Mamdani squirm. That’s all too realistic of a prospect that makes NYC an exceptional case in my opinion.
Maybe not, you have a point. Even more reason not to settle for Mamdani.
Your comment brings to mind a recent protest in Minneapolis. Pro-Palestinian student rioters took over a university admin building last year, trashed it and accidentally barricaded university staff inside. It triggered a campus wide alert and even disrupted the children’s hospital. It was correctly treated like a hostage situation to get the staff out of the building. They caused tens of thousands in damages while occupying the building. Unsurprisingly, they demanded divestiture from Israel. Most of them were arrested.
The students responsible were furious for getting held responsible and framed it as an abuse of power by the campus police. The rest of the student body turned on the rioters quickly.
These people have no clue how to protest. Mamdani’s message feels dangerously catered to these people.
Im around that age. I wouldn’t trust myself in charge of 10 million people and I wouldn’t trust any of my friends either. Maybe it’s just my own preference for older role models.
No one at 33 years of age has life figured out yet. The brain doesn’t stop maturing until your late 20s.
It’s all fun and games until you’re at the podium balancing the needs of all your constituents. His progressive ideas will clash with reality at every turn. Slight deviations from his progressive path will be seen as betrayal of his base. It’s the same reason he won’t walk back his comments on Intifida. He won’t be able to effectively govern NYC without frequently pissing off progressives, and I’m not sure he has the stomach for that.
That’s a self-own. I am guessing you have not accomplished as much as Mamdani. Take it from a 69 year old: we are not good role models because of our age. Much of the Sh*t show we are living through is because people my age really screwed up. I also admire truth tellers and he is one.
Can Mikie define what a woman is? “Moderate” Democrat Phil Murphy has destroyed New Jersey with record high taxes and woke policies. Productive people and jobs are fleeing the state, its main economic base is nyc commuters who fles the far left.
I lived in NY for 50 years and am convinced that the proverbial "generic Democrat" would have beaten Mamdani, if only they had bothered finding one. It was the party leadership trying to force a corrupt, authoritarian retread who resigned in disgrace from his last job on the electorate (he was a champion fundraiser, if you're wondering why) that caused Mamdani's victory.
I think the plateau he hit of 20-25% support for a few months is the natural base for his kind of socialism, and would bet money that the late surge that put him over the top was people who normally wouldn't vote for a socialist realizing that it was either him or Cuomo.
One takeaway from this is that maybe socialism has a chance if the DNC's old guard keeps it's death grip on the "responsible centrist" lane.
Also, remember Mamdani isn't mayor yet. When another young socialist, India Walton, surprised everyone to win the primary in Buffalo in 2021, the party backed an independent in order to defeat their own nominee.
The real question for me is who is the face of Democratic party? Elizabeth Warren or John Fetterman? Josh Shapiro or Tim Walz? In 2024 it was definitely Warren and Walz. In 2025 , not that clear, but still Warren and Walz. And the fact that people believe that association with word Socialism is a good marketing strategy, is not a good sign.
Dems need to understand the this attempt at hostile takeover is being done ultimately at the behest of same ideology that succeeded in doing this to GOP.
People trying to hijack NYC now are deeply hostile to liberalism, this country’s foundational principles and everything that make this very conversation possible. Their hate for “normalcy” and “centrists” far eclipses all other emotions - except perhaps those reserved for “zios” which is little more then dog whistle at this point.
But they’re absolutely allied to DJT and his own attempt to subvert USA. When they put up a caricature of a leftist complete with intifada quotes and talks about hijacking means of production, this is a win-win scenario to everyone that seeks US demise.
Radical proposals from many socialists nowadays have the following in common: they simplify complex politics to pure class struggle, ignore the economic reality, and their „solutions“ are self defeating.
The only thing that will give me hope, perhaps false hope, is to see Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger winning the governorship of their respective states in a landslide.
The idea that “style” is a key takeaway from Momdani’s race is an indication of how wildly bankrupt the Democratic Party is.
There is one truth - the cost of living is unsustainable (and probably the earth) and we need to rein in capital if we want any hope. If you cannot get your head around that, you will circle the drain with Schumer and the AIPAC/private equity crowd.
Huh? I'm not sure this piece makes the case it wants to make. To wit: did you read the articles cited in the front beyond the headlines? The Vox piece essentially makes the case that Democrats should stop nominating geriatric candidates. The New Republic article amounts to an entreaty that national Democrats focus on kitchen table issues and run dynamic campaigns. Which is... more or less identical to the later comments here about Mamdani's style and energy.
This suggests that the criticism is rooted on misinterpretation of headlines.
Unfortunately, many of the attacks on Mamdani, like this spring’s attacks on Slotkin are partisans arguing for the faction of the Democratic Party that they want to win.
Mamdani may or may not be an effective mayor. But a lot of that will be about his abilities and skills in selecting and managing people that have little to do with his political views. And his willingness to police corruption when it’s inconvenient.
Mikie Sherrill calling on Biden to drop out in September 2024 is nothing brave. It was already too late. If she called on him in February or March 2024, then it would be good enough.
I think a broad generalization to make about all of these races is that all politics is local. The mistake Democrats seem to continue to make is we get all caught up in the mechanics of politics as a hobby. This is because there are all these places online where we can follow and pontificate on politics like it is no more consequential than sports or a soap opera. Because small donors are getting caught up in politics outside their own locality, Democrats have used that fact to fund-raise without cluing people in to how politics really works.
Soon we all forget this stuff is very real and actually very dangerous. To me, all we can say is Mamdani and others reflect the sentiments of local voters on election day in the context of what is bothering those voters. This is however, a useful insight to be used by us arm-chair politicos.
Democrats need to strategically get local. I will follow races in other states with interest, but I am not betting on those horses because I know absolutely nothing about the track, the jockeys and the general conditions of that place. Democrats have made a huge mistake in that they thought they could win races in all these extremely unique local races with their DC biases and lack of local cultural insight. Thus, Democrats fell all over themselves for Amy Mcgrath, et al and ignored what Kentucky voters would really vote for.
Turns out a better Democratic candidate for Kentucky was Andy Beshear, a native son who is fluent in what motivates a Kentucky voter. So, I say Democrats need to get over themselves and think in terms of supporting the right candidate in local races - a candidate that voters respond to.
Pretty much the only way to do that is to invest in local infrastructure and local candidate development. You cannot deux ex machina just drop a candidate into a local race because it looks good on paper. Democrats have got to find and listen to local politicians instead of creating a creature in Washington that appeals to them.
So, Mandami is what New Yorkers wanted. So be it. Get over it Democrats and get after defeating the Republican in that race. To the consultants and the 'establishment' - this is not about you and your expectations. I mean, why would Democrats leave all that grassroots energy on the table? Deploy it against Republicans!
Cynthia, great post. I’m an Independent and have never really understood how voters can do a straight party line regardless what the candidate stands for. I also believe that Trump is wrecking the economy, just hasn’t reached a tipping point yet, but it will. In the end voters always vote their pocketbooks and the and the Dems can’t seem to figure that simple truth out, but they better and soon. What might happen if they became the party of financial Responsibilty? What a turn around that would be now that MAGA are the profligate spenders, and mostly for the rich. Get the people back, “They’re robbing the poor to give even more money to the rich.” Even quite a few MAGAE will figure that out in the next year.
I agree. By the same token, AOC might win in NYC, but would never win in western NY, so senate bid would make no sense.
Mikie Sherrill calling on Biden to drop out in September 2024 is nothing brave. It was already too late then. If she called on him in February or March 2024, then it would be good enough.
Good points! AND, I feel the DNC needs to reveal to us their candidates who they're running in the 2026 midterms!
Trump has already announced his wish for Lara Trump to take Tillis' place in Congress. He wasted no time. Who do we have? We can't afford to not take advantage of every oppty to replace a GOP with a Dem, but it's happened too many times before!
Ahh, the sweet smell of heterodoxy! I'm looking very forward to the first meetings of the Common Sense Club.
I'll join!
I was thinking the same thing, thanks for writing this piece. New Jersey is a prosperous state, mostly blue, sends more money to DC than it receives. Mikie is a Navy Vet and progressive pragmatist. She is the new face of the Democratic Party. Also, "New Jersey is kicking off 2025 with record-levels of growth including the largest number of jobs and employers to date; and the largest population in the state’s history. New Jersey now leads the Northeast in year-over-year population growth rate with the number of residents climbing to an estimated 9,500,851, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. This represents an increase of 1.3% or 121,209 from 2023." https://www.nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/press/2025/20250113_population_growth.shtml
I haven't done a count, but the number of women veterans and former CIA analysts is quite impressive. Several years ago, as more veterans became members of Congress, I felt a surge of hope.
Rick Wilson says that for the Dems to succeed they need to run candidates that are good fits for their districts and not have a national policy agenda that all DEMS across the country need to follow. Mamdani is a brown-skinned non-Christian. NYC has had two brown-skinned mayors: Dinkins and Adams. They have had 3 non-Christians: Koch, Beame and Bloomberg. (I may be missing folks from both categories.) They've never had a women. For president, we've only once had a president who is not a white, male, straight Christian. Mandami ran a great campaign and is very talented, but to think candidates like him can win in districts all over the country defies common sense.
I think you’re looking at it wrong.
Imagine this kid tackling a crisis like the LA ICE protests and subsequent military crackdown. Or imagine the George Floyd riots happening in NYC.
That’s what NYC may yet face during Trump’s presidency.
I’ve seen from personal experience how a young, inexperienced mayor can inflame a crisis in a major city. Mayor Jacob Frey in Minneapolis was like a doe caught in headlights during the George Floyd riots. He talked a big, progressive game before that happened. Since then, he’s been forced to openly support the police and has to constantly challenge his city council’s progressive ideas. He got torn apart by both sides of the aisle.
It’s too sensitive of a time for NYC to have such little experience. Frey grew from this experience and he’s still mayor, but it took years to mature his message, and that reputation stays with him for life.
Some of this is ageism, but it’s reality.
Trump will be salivating to spark unrest in NYC and watch Mamdani squirm. That’s all too realistic of a prospect that makes NYC an exceptional case in my opinion.
You really think the Dem Brownshirts need help from Trump to stir up trouble?
Maybe not, you have a point. Even more reason not to settle for Mamdani.
Your comment brings to mind a recent protest in Minneapolis. Pro-Palestinian student rioters took over a university admin building last year, trashed it and accidentally barricaded university staff inside. It triggered a campus wide alert and even disrupted the children’s hospital. It was correctly treated like a hostage situation to get the staff out of the building. They caused tens of thousands in damages while occupying the building. Unsurprisingly, they demanded divestiture from Israel. Most of them were arrested.
The students responsible were furious for getting held responsible and framed it as an abuse of power by the campus police. The rest of the student body turned on the rioters quickly.
These people have no clue how to protest. Mamdani’s message feels dangerously catered to these people.
33 years old is not a kid, whatever else one thinks of Mamdani.
Im around that age. I wouldn’t trust myself in charge of 10 million people and I wouldn’t trust any of my friends either. Maybe it’s just my own preference for older role models.
No one at 33 years of age has life figured out yet. The brain doesn’t stop maturing until your late 20s.
It’s all fun and games until you’re at the podium balancing the needs of all your constituents. His progressive ideas will clash with reality at every turn. Slight deviations from his progressive path will be seen as betrayal of his base. It’s the same reason he won’t walk back his comments on Intifida. He won’t be able to effectively govern NYC without frequently pissing off progressives, and I’m not sure he has the stomach for that.
That’s a self-own. I am guessing you have not accomplished as much as Mamdani. Take it from a 69 year old: we are not good role models because of our age. Much of the Sh*t show we are living through is because people my age really screwed up. I also admire truth tellers and he is one.
I didn’t say you were a good role model, clearly.
I have a kid, so as far as I care, I’ve accomplished more than Mamdani. I would never trade my quiet family life for his fake political one.
Thanks for the conversation Nick. It was fun. Being a parent is a blessed and important thing but not really the flex we think it is.
Can Mikie define what a woman is? “Moderate” Democrat Phil Murphy has destroyed New Jersey with record high taxes and woke policies. Productive people and jobs are fleeing the state, its main economic base is nyc commuters who fles the far left.
How's the weather in St Petersburg right now?
I lived in NY for 50 years and am convinced that the proverbial "generic Democrat" would have beaten Mamdani, if only they had bothered finding one. It was the party leadership trying to force a corrupt, authoritarian retread who resigned in disgrace from his last job on the electorate (he was a champion fundraiser, if you're wondering why) that caused Mamdani's victory.
I think the plateau he hit of 20-25% support for a few months is the natural base for his kind of socialism, and would bet money that the late surge that put him over the top was people who normally wouldn't vote for a socialist realizing that it was either him or Cuomo.
One takeaway from this is that maybe socialism has a chance if the DNC's old guard keeps it's death grip on the "responsible centrist" lane.
Also, remember Mamdani isn't mayor yet. When another young socialist, India Walton, surprised everyone to win the primary in Buffalo in 2021, the party backed an independent in order to defeat their own nominee.
The real question for me is who is the face of Democratic party? Elizabeth Warren or John Fetterman? Josh Shapiro or Tim Walz? In 2024 it was definitely Warren and Walz. In 2025 , not that clear, but still Warren and Walz. And the fact that people believe that association with word Socialism is a good marketing strategy, is not a good sign.
Good points. See Christy B's comment below.
Be well!
Dems need to understand the this attempt at hostile takeover is being done ultimately at the behest of same ideology that succeeded in doing this to GOP.
People trying to hijack NYC now are deeply hostile to liberalism, this country’s foundational principles and everything that make this very conversation possible. Their hate for “normalcy” and “centrists” far eclipses all other emotions - except perhaps those reserved for “zios” which is little more then dog whistle at this point.
But they’re absolutely allied to DJT and his own attempt to subvert USA. When they put up a caricature of a leftist complete with intifada quotes and talks about hijacking means of production, this is a win-win scenario to everyone that seeks US demise.
Radical proposals from many socialists nowadays have the following in common: they simplify complex politics to pure class struggle, ignore the economic reality, and their „solutions“ are self defeating.
The only thing that will give me hope, perhaps false hope, is to see Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger winning the governorship of their respective states in a landslide.
The idea that “style” is a key takeaway from Momdani’s race is an indication of how wildly bankrupt the Democratic Party is.
There is one truth - the cost of living is unsustainable (and probably the earth) and we need to rein in capital if we want any hope. If you cannot get your head around that, you will circle the drain with Schumer and the AIPAC/private equity crowd.
Style or no style
Huh? I'm not sure this piece makes the case it wants to make. To wit: did you read the articles cited in the front beyond the headlines? The Vox piece essentially makes the case that Democrats should stop nominating geriatric candidates. The New Republic article amounts to an entreaty that national Democrats focus on kitchen table issues and run dynamic campaigns. Which is... more or less identical to the later comments here about Mamdani's style and energy.
This suggests that the criticism is rooted on misinterpretation of headlines.
Yes, yes, yes.
Unfortunately, many of the attacks on Mamdani, like this spring’s attacks on Slotkin are partisans arguing for the faction of the Democratic Party that they want to win.
Mamdani may or may not be an effective mayor. But a lot of that will be about his abilities and skills in selecting and managing people that have little to do with his political views. And his willingness to police corruption when it’s inconvenient.
another good read. so many ins and outs to consider. Keep writing. A fan
NY sucks up way more Media oxygen than it deserves.
Mikie Sherrill calling on Biden to drop out in September 2024 is nothing brave. It was already too late. If she called on him in February or March 2024, then it would be good enough.
Being disloyal to Biden… in contrast to the GOPs loyalty to Trump.. was fatal.