Posted on 11/05/2025 3:30:44 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
New York’s next mayor won’t save the Democrats.
Does Zohran Mamdani’s win mean a new dawn for the Democratic Party? Not exactly, Ross Douthat argues. In this mini-episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross explains that the New York mayor’s office has historically been a “springboard to nowhere,” rather than a precursor for national politics.
Below is an edited transcript of an episode of “Interesting Times.”
It’s official: Zohran Mamdani has been elected mayor of New York City, raising the flag of the far left over Gotham. And if you believe the hype or the fears of his critics, then the 34-year-old Ugandan-born Muslim democratic socialist is poised to remake the Democratic Party, thrilling young voters, mainstreaming socialism and anti-Zionism, and offering himself as the starkest possible contrast to that other New Yorker in the White House.
But I’m skeptical. The odds are that Mamdani’s victory is actually less significant than you think.
In part, that’s because the media, still New York-centric, even in this supposedly decentralized age, tends to hype New York mayoral politics beyond its real significance.
And it’s also because the office of mayor of New York City has tended to be a political springboard to nowhere.
Time and again, we’ve seen famous New York City mayors, from John Lindsay to Rudy Giuliani to Michael Bloomberg, hyped as national political influencers, only to flop outside the five boroughs. When Eric Adams was elected just four years ago, there was a lot of talk about how his distinctive branding as a tough-on-crime African American moderate might make him a leader for the national Democratic Party.
Obviously, that didn’t work out, and all of those figures were at least trying to be centrist or moderates.
Whereas Mamdani has been elected as the left-wing mayor of a...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
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Whole thing gives real déjà vu of AOC in 2018. Same hysterics from both sides, same hyperbole, even the same exact city.
It’s been seven years since then too, and yet this “future of the Democratic Party” still seems confined to New York City.
She figured out where the real grift was in politics and is cashing in. The same will happen to this guy.
The MAJOR difference is she was one voice of 420+....he is in charge of a city- in essence the President of NYChitty...
This is the NYSlimes trying to calm the fears of their not so hardcore leftist readers- including democRATS in power because when ayatollah mamdani destroys NYChitty, and he will, they rats are in BIG trouble...
I wonder if Dave Dinkins is available to come in and help out?
If not for the Propaganda Media, people wouldn't know or care who was the warden of that open-air prison / psych ward / illegal alien encampment.
Remember- Dinkins was so bad he gave us Rudy....
Sour Grapes from yesterday’s losers.
Lol, run away, run away
> This is the NYSlimes trying to calm the fears of their not so hardcore leftist readers <
I think you’ve got it there.
Plus, the article omits one very important point. On 9/11, New York City was attacked by Muslim radicals. And now a radical Muslim will be its next mayor.
This is a huge propaganda victory for Islam.
How do you know what I think?
Pretty summary
That job couldn't be forced on prisoners.
But the bigger issue is the dude is a muslim.
Of the same faith that was behind 9-1-1.
Leave it to leftists to say that.
IOW, it’s far, far MORE significant than we think and the NYT is gaslighting us.
The only NYC mayor who made it to the big time, AFAIR, was Teddy Roosevelt.
The problem is not whether Momdani will make it to the big time. The problem is whether we can keep Islam from making it to the big time. That’s partly our problem, and partly God’s, but without national repentance He won’t intervene—which is where TPUSA and similar movements come in.
Sweet lemons. Douthat’s point that NYC Mayor is historically a springboard to nowhere is accurate. Can’t think of a single exception. Can you?
5.4 million registered voters in NYC, he got just over 1 m amounting to 50.4 % Not a lot of enthusiasm there. I think he should pretty much be ignored and let him twist in the wind.
foreigner, we had a Kenyan, doubt we’ll get a Ugandan, no matter what the birth certificate says
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