Mara Gay: Zohran Mamdani’s Message Was Appealing and Attractive to Voters

LEMIRE So it does ░░░░░░░░ like Democrats to your ░░░░░░░░ have found their voice ░░░░░░░░ their ability to say ░░░░░░░░ to stand in opposition ░░░░░░░░ Trump and Republicans They ░░░░░░░░ struggled though putting forth ░░░░░░░░ positive coherent vision of ░░░░░░░░ own Well we have ░░░░░░░░ news this week at ░░░░░░░░ here in New York ░░░░░░░░ And of course it ░░░░░░░░ a you know challenging ░░░░░░░░ to draw too many ░░░░░░░░ lessons from a local ░░░░░░░░ particularly one in a ░░░░░░░░ like New York City ░░░░░░░░ I think there are ░░░░░░░░ things the Dems could ░░░░░░░░ from the victory of ░░░░░░░░ Mamdani in the Democratic ░░░░░░░░ for mayor in New ░░░░░░░░ Mara what struck you ░░░░░░░░ his race What could ░░░░░░░░ applied elsewhere GAY Well ░░░░░░░░ of all Assemblyman Mamdani ░░░░░░░░ something that Democrats in ░░░░░░░░ and across the country ░░░░░░░░ struggled to do of ░░░░░░░░ which is he simply ░░░░░░░░ clear about where he ░░░░░░░░ what he believes and ░░░░░░░░ he s willing to ░░░░░░░░ for And it was ░░░░░░░░ a really positive vision ░░░░░░░░ rather than just bashing ░░░░░░░░ Trump or in this ░░░░░░░░ his mayoral opponent Andrew ░░░░░░░░ he actually talked about ░░░░░░░░ kind of city and ░░░░░░░░ kind of community that ░░░░░░░░ wanted to see And ░░░░░░░░ was appealing It was ░░░░░░░░ to voters What s ░░░░░░░░ striking is he won ░░░░░░░░ only in the progressive ░░░░░░░░ of the city but ░░░░░░░░ had big wins across ░░░░░░░░ of the city that ░░░░░░░░ no progressive tradition to ░░░░░░░░ of It s clear ░░░░░░░░ he s tapped into ░░░░░░░░ sense of populism that ░░░░░░░░ see animate not only ░░░░░░░░ in this moment but ░░░░░░░░ Republicans which is again ░░░░░░░░ this back to the ░░░░░░░░ beautiful bill I think ░░░░░░░░ the Republicans are having ░░░░░░░░ lot of trouble with ░░░░░░░░ Medicaid cuts because you ░░░░░░░░ most Americans don t ░░░░░░░░ tax cuts going to ░░░░░░░░ rich at this point ░░░░░░░░ are struggling So Mamdani ░░░░░░░░ able to tap into ░░░░░░░░ And I actually think ░░░░░░░░ some of the proposals ░░░░░░░░ a lot of establishment ░░░░░░░░ of Mamdani said were ░░░░░░░░ free buses for example ░░░░░░░░ child care actually what ░░░░░░░░ turns out is that ░░░░░░░░ across New York said ░░░░░░░░ doesn t sound outlandish ░░░░░░░░ me That sounds necessary ░░░░░░░░ so you know this ░░░░░░░░ a coalition that we ░░░░░░░░ t seen in New ░░░░░░░░ And I I do ░░░░░░░░ that while you don ░░░░░░░░ want to draw too ░░░░░░░░ conclusions and you had ░░░░░░░░ great piece on that ░░░░░░░░ exactly that dynamic you ░░░░░░░░ New York is not ░░░░░░░░ this simple liberal bastion ░░░░░░░░ much of the country ░░░░░░░░ It s a very ░░░░░░░░ complicated city There are ░░░░░░░░ of New York that ░░░░░░░░ solidly Republican It s ░░░░░░░░ complicated place It s ░░░░░░░░ diverse And so there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of lessons ░░░░░░░░ be drawn there And ░░░░░░░░ think the Democratic Party ░░░░░░░░ know the establishment are ░░░░░░░░ themselves did we really ░░░░░░░░ this wrong Maybe we ░░░░░░░░ to stop just putting ░░░░░░░░ finger into the wind ░░░░░░░░ seeing what the consultants ░░░░░░░░ the polls say and ░░░░░░░░ working on persuasion.”