Will Zohran win? Senior editor Ryan Cooper and writing fellow James Baratta discuss the week in news.
Zohran Mamdani
Posted inPolitics
Mamdani Dogwalks Disgraced Ex-Governor Cuomo in First NYC Mayoral Debate
In the same way that he trounced Cuomo three months ago, he showed an understanding of working New Yorkers and the struggles they face.
Posted inNewsletters
Mamdani: Son of La Guardia and FDR
Zohran Mamdani delivered a major speech to lay out the stakes in the upcoming mayoral election. To the historically sentient, the speech was replete with echoes of New York’s previous progressive heroes—Franklin D. Roosevelt, Fiorello La Guardia, and A. Philip Randolph.
Posted inPolitics
The Damaged Democratic Brand
More successful economic populists within the Democratic Party can help other Democrats revive their brand with an appeal that rouses voters.
Posted inNewsletters
The Rift in American Socialism
As Election Day draws near in New York City, entire genres of attack-pieces against Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani have emerged. Today’s New York Times, for instance, contains a long analysis of just how much some of Mamdani’s proposals will cost, though equivalent dollar estimates of how much they will boost the city’s economy are […]
Posted inTAP
Mamdani Courts the Cops
Even before he formally declared for mayor, Zohran Mamdani’s supporters and critics agreed on one thing: His toughest challenge would be addressing the issue of public safety in New York and winning over a highly skeptical police force. In July, all 13 NYC public safety unions endorsed Mayor Eric Adams, who has since dropped out. […]
Posted inPolitics
How Mamdani’s Predecessors Built Democratic Socialism
A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin’s Freedom Budget is the key to understanding the appeal of the Democratic nominee for NYC mayor.
Posted inEconomic Policy
Supermarket Shaping
Critics say Zohran Mamdani’s public grocery store proposal will never work. But Mamdani’s idea isn’t the problem—market consolidation is.
Posted inPolitics
Why Winning Is Bad for Democrats
Oh, you want life to get better now, do you? Do you even understand politics?
Posted inEconomic Policy
Clamoring to Tax the Rich
In Berkeley, New York, Paris, and Vatican City, it’s become central to political battles—and religious concerns.