FLASH
Shkruar nga Margaret Sullivan
There is a clarity in Mamdani's message that stands in stark contrast to most Democratic politicians...
For someone who exudes positive energy and rarely stops smiling, Zohran Mamdani certainly provokes a lot of negative reactions.
"Mamdani is not who you think he is," a television ad snarled over grim images of the 34-year-old state assemblyman, who is arguably the leading candidate for mayor of New York City.
The ad doesn't make it clear exactly what this supposed disconnect is, but the slogan is clearly intended to get voters thinking.
"I've never run anything," former New York state governor Andrew Cuomo charged, as he insulted his opponent on Fox News, adding "there's no time for on-the-job training when on any given morning, God forbid, you could have a mass shooting or a terrorist attack."
Cuomo's campaign deleted an ad that went further, using racist stereotypes to describe Mamdani's supporters.
And the Wall Street Journal editorial page has been engaged in an anti-Mamdani campaign for weeks, publishing opinion pieces like this one by conservative columnist Peggy Noonan: “New York, be warned.”
Also, Journal editorial board member Joseph Sternberg writes: "Sorry Republicans, there is no positive hope in a Mamdani victory."
Another Murdoch-controlled newspaper, the New York Post, has not confined its views to its opinion pages, but has instead voiced them loudly on the front pages of its tabloids.
“Scam,” a lead article read, with a subtitle quoting Mayor Eric Adams calling the state assemblyman a “snake oil salesman.”
Pro-Trump billionaire Bill Ackman has warned New Yorkers that Mamdani's persona is a fraud.
“This is all an act,” Ackman posted on X after the mayoral debate last month, adding “after you see him recreate his fake smile, your skin will start to wrinkle.”
Ackman donated $1 million to the anti-Mamdani effort through the Defend NYC Super Pac, while former Mayor Mike Bloomberg has contributed more than that to efforts to thwart Mamdani's rise; Bloomberg donated $1.5 million to a pro-Cuomo Super Pac, after spending millions to help Cuomo in the June primary.
But if you ignore the ads, headlines, and social media posts, a different story emerges, as researchers at the Harvard Institute of Politics found when they spoke to young people during the recent early voting period.
“I think my life could really improve if he wins,” enthused one young woman, quoted in an ABC News article about the Harvard focus group.
Another respondent compared him in one respect to Donald Trump: "there is no change of direction."
And another approvingly described Mamdan as "bad."
The socialist democrat holds a double-digit lead in the race and for now it looks like he is a safe candidate.
It certainly feels that way to this New Yorker. I live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, an area that split its votes in the Democratic primary between Cuomo and Mamdani, and I also spend a lot of time on a college campus.
What I've noticed is that Mamdani energizes people, and while some of this reaction is skeptical, many of the people I meet, from students to seniors, want to give the newcomer a chance.
After all, New York City is unaffordable for many people, so Mamdan's constant focus on the cost of rent and groceries has touched a nerve.
Mamdani's embrace of his Muslim faith, his advocacy for Gaza, and his willingness to protect migrants have strengthened his appeal.
There’s a clarity about this that stands in stark contrast to most Democratic politicians, noted Astead Herndon, editorial director at Vox, who recently wrote a New York Times Magazine cover story titled “The Incredible, Bold, and (So Far) Unstoppable Rise of Zohran Mamdani.”
"He works from the premises of his beliefs," Herndon told CNN.
"Many Democrats have mastered this dance of triangulation, where sometimes it seems like they're trying not to say anything,"
And what's more, since the primaries, his campaign has become more inclusive, as he reaches out to constituencies and powerful figures who had serious doubts about him. He has won at least some of them.
Others, of course, will never be convinced, but they are surrendering to the reality of a Mamdani mayor.
Governor Kathy Hochul, whose political instincts are well-developed and practical, endorsed Mamdani in mid-September despite significant policy differences.
Hochul received a better response when he praised the candidate for refusing to "get down in the mud" with his many critics, especially those who try to weaponize his faith or ethnicity.
Instead, Hochul said, "he rises with grace, courage and determination."
Hochul is expected to run for re-election next year.
She has probably figured it wouldn't hurt to have the Democratic mayor of New York City on her side. And there's no doubt who that will be. /Adapted from The Guardian/
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