What is the meaning of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist who might become New York City’s next mayor? I’ve been pondering this question since Mamdani bested the well-connected and deep-pocketed (albeit scandal-tainted) establishment Democrat Andrew Cuomo to become the party’s nominee for the November mayoral election.
My answer is that Mamdani is both a wake-up call for Democrats and a warning about what they should not do in the midterms and 2028 presidential elections. There are three key lessons to be learnt here.
First, don’t underestimate the power of good marketing. The attention economy doesn’t sort for nuance but rather for sizzle. Mamdani had plenty of that, with his snazzy social media campaign and spirited mien.