Zohran Mamdani illuminated how democrats can win
Mamdani's win was a surprise to many people, except many New Yorkers who use social media.
Andrew Cuomo’s campaign would have been okay if the primary was being held in 2016.
Zohran Mamdani was rarely on legacy media, but he was all over social media, TikTok, etc. His videos only went for a few minutes, but many of them involved him interviewing New Yorkers about their own lives and even asking who they voted for at the last federal election. Many said Trump, and they said Trump not because they thought he was a good person or an ethical person but because of the cost of living. Trump was telling them what they wanted to hear. Many of us know that Trump is a liar and con artist who doesn't care about the working-class people, but many of them were struggling financially and took a gamble on Trump.
To be fair, Mamdani didn't have a great opposition candidate. Andrew Cuomo was very damaged; on top of that, he looked tired and older than he is. In comparison, Mamdani is youthful, has a high energy about him, and is very charismatic. I just can't imagine Cuomo looking natural or sincere if he was interviewing New Yorkers about their problems. Mamdani was also the outsider.
To bring this back to federal politics for a moment in 2024. Trump and his administration ran a much better campaign than Kamala and Democrats in relation to new media. Trump did better on TikTok, and he appeared on many podcasts, some hosted by 21-year-old bro podcasters. He also used UFC to market himself. This is how Trump got so many young men to vote for him. Remember, this demographic in past elections voted for Democrats.
The media landscape has changed dramatically over the last 10 years, and Covid changed it even more. Most people are online and on their phones. Whether it's podcasts, watching YouTube videos, TikTok, etc. And most of the people are not engaging with daily politics UNLESS it’s a viral video from someone like Mamdani that gets shared and breaks across to people who are not looking for political news, but the algorithm sends it anyway. Because his TikTok videos don't look like conventional political ads you see on TV. Mandami also makes videos about the cost of living, offering free buses, rent freezes, government-run grocery stores, etc. Even if you don't like some of his policies or you don't think they will work, the takeaway for the Democratic Party is his sole focus on the cost of living. Mandami has received a lukewarm response from the leadership of the Democratic Party, and that’s probably because of his strong support of Palestine as well as calling himself a democratic socialist. But they should put his policies aside.
The lesson to be learned for Democrats to beat MAGA is they have to have a one-track mind: cost of living. The policies from other Democratic politicians don't have to be the same as Mandami's, but they have to be bold.
Here is the other piece to the puzzle for Democrats to win. What Mandani did could not have been done by Chuck Schumer, and that’s not to say Schumer is bad at what he does. It's purely a marketing thing. He looks unnatural when he does TikTok videos; you can tell it’s not his natural home, and I’m sure it’s his young advisors making him do them. In one way it's superficial, but in another it's a more direct way to speak with your potential voters. It’s not Chuck’s fault this new technology came up around him, but Democrats have to deal with the new reality.
I started thinking today about one of the Democrats best campaigners and public speakers: Barack Obama. But I don't think even Obama in this new media landscape would do great. Because Obama sounds too polished and practiced. Social media is all about being natural and relatable. I don't think Mandami could do the public speaking that Obama can do either. But that probably works in his favor these days; the more you sound like the people who are voting for you, the better.
When Trump talks to podcasters, he is talking to people who don't follow politics closely; when he shows up at UFC fights, he is marketing himself to people who also don't follow politics.
This is the new landscape, and Democrats need to start showing up where eyeballs are, because most of them are not following politics. It can be a sporting event, a book event, or a podcast that has nonpolitical viewers or even conservative viewers. You need to be aware, and that includes legacy media. The biggest challenge in future campaigns will be how to get eyeballs on your candidate. It's a massive challenge when people are so fragmented with what they are watching. Going viral means breaking the fragmentation, as viral videos go across most online platforms and end up on mainstream media.
A young, progressive, charismatic, handsome man who feels at home using social media doesn't mean it can be replicated in a federal election. For one, New York is a blue state and different from the rust belt states, which the Democrats have to win. I’m skeptical Mandami would do well in a federal election. But his hyperfocus on the cost of living and his way of communicating that to his potential voters can be replicated and should be replicated.
My humble opinion is the Democrats should run a policy of building homes, and lots of them. It will bring the young people and the working class back to the democratic party.
Great article, Joe. An important lesson from Mamdani's campaign is meeting voters where they are. Social media platforms are where you can find young people and increasingly following Covid, middle-aged people as well. Another thing Mamdani did exceptionally well is connect with people and speak their language. That is, he kept it real. The short interviews he did with everyday New Yorkers were a hit. I watched one of them and was impressed. Mamdani was talking to a young guy about the guy's difficult experience being accepted as a guy person. Mamdani hardly said a word, but showed a great deal of empathy and understanding just by listening.
Having said that, as you mentioned, Mamdani's success in blue NYC wouldn't translate across the country, save for his laser focus on affordability and the issues and concerns that affect people the most. In this vein, it bears watching what steps Democratic governors--especially those that may run for president in 2028--take in the coming days to mitigate the damage and lessen the pain from Trump’s Big Ugly Bill that is now a law. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has already assured Illinois residents his administration is working on it. I expert Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, and Andy Beshear to do the same.
oK, let’s just stop wasting time and say goodbye to what WAS the Democratic leadership , that boat is not sinking, it sunk. Goodbye Joe, Barack, Kamala, the Clintons the whole kit and kaboodle, unless you have a death wish then you can stick with them but go. The point is not for example where Zohran couldn’t win but where he won and how. Locally, state, regionally and yes it can be done, nationally. We have some good leaders, older and newer, let’s get smart and build on that. We can do this!