In the span of three days, former Vice President Dick Cheney died, Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City, and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced her retirement from the House.

Rarely does one era yield to another with such brute cohesion. The post-Watergate dramas of American politics course through this trio, culminating with this week’s progressive takeover of the Democratic Party.