We’re witnessing an all-out fundraising, political, and media propaganda campaign to try to counter the all-out fundraising, political, and media propaganda campaign promoting Zohran Mamdani, the Hamas sympathizer who is running for mayor of New York City.
There’s just one problem for the millions of New Yorkers and other Americans who can’t imagine that the previously unknown Mamdani could possibly become mayor of the most important city in the world. Sorry to tell you, folks, but Mamdani has already won this thing, with an average of an almost 20-point lead across polls according to RealClear Politics, and with almost every individual poll showing Mamdani with a double-digit lead over his rival, Andrew Cuomo.
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Yes, unless something drastic happens, Mamdani’s first real job will be New York City mayor. And given that some pretty drastic stuff has already happened with little effect — including Mamdani embracing Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a Muslim cleric in Brooklyn who has not only defended Islamic terrorism but was linked to the mastermind behind the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 — it’s time to look forward and fully understand the battle we’re facing.
While non-leftists are generally winning if we look at national and many state-level positions of power, the brutal fact is that radical leftists — open communists, in this case — have become mainstream in cities such as New York through their discovery of a dangerously effective pattern.
Gone are the crusty old guard of cranky socialists such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), whose Larry David-style affect was once seen as occasionally charming but now reeks of a long-gone generation for which pessimistic anger was their main weapon. Now, we have a new generation coming through: an attractive, charismatic, energetic gaggle of leaders who came out of nowhere — with no life skills, experiences, or relevant understanding of the world they seek to rebuild — and are bypassing the need for substantive debate with smiles and vibes.
Because smiles and vibes from a younger candidate are practically all the radical Democratic Party base even wants. For these progressives, it’s about how candidates make them feel about themselves and their movement, and someone like Mamdani — complete with his Cheshire-cat grin and his everyday-man penchant for sandwiches — fits the bill.
But remember: Mamdani is far from alone. The most famous example is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who rose to national, if not international, fame on the back of her charisma, enthusiasm, and looks. After several years in Congress, she is now circling the tired Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who, like many of his decrepit comrades, is trying to embrace the new generation of Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani in hopes that he can remain afloat on this new movement.
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But politically, the Sanders and Schumer types are not long for this world. Their time is gone, and we now live in an era of Instagram socialists who can hide their murderous radicalism with good looks, soft exteriors, and a grin.
So it’s not enough to point out that candidates such as Mamdani are dangerous radical leftists. Those for whom such a label is disqualifying would never vote for them in the first place. No, we need to find a way to reach the millions of young people who look at someone like Mamdani and say, “Sure, he loves Hamas, but he just seems happy!” If we don’t work out a strategy to deal with the Mamdanis and the Ocasio-Cortezes of the Left, sooner or later, one of them will be running for the White House, and nothing will be standing in their way.
Ian Haworth is a syndicated columnist. Follow him on X (@ighaworth) or Substack.
