NYC isn’t the country. However, that being said, a few years of him being successful would go a long way to convince the centrists that it’s the way to go.
I mean, most of us here know it is…but we need to get the rest of the country onboard, and showing success is the best way to do that…
Throughtout my life I’ve encountered the “X isn’t Y” thought-terminating cliche anywhere I’ve ever tried to do any sort of activism or advocacy (When I was doing bike advocacy in NYC it was often “New York isn’t Amsterdam” which was especially ironic considering that it once literally was). It’s never once been a meaningful or persuasive point. Reality on the ground is always what we make it, and policy can be communicated through the right identity and strategies. New Yorkers really aren’t at all that different from Americans anywhere else, the biggest differences are aesthetic.
I’ve been accused of being a centrist, despite basically being to the left of everyone in American politics, and I think it’s because people tend to over-weight the economic left/right spectrum (or project other non-economic issues onto the left/right spectrum), and not place enough effort into thinking through:
Ideological purity versus pragmatic deal-making.
Actual governance skill, kinda a technocratic versus populist view.
When and where it’s appropriate to break the law to accomplish goals, like the lawfu-to-chaotic alignment in the D&D memes.
None of that is left/right or centrist in itself, but my positions (pragmatic, technocratic, lawful) sometimes put me at odds with other voices on the left.
Other criteria that don’t map onto left/right include authenticity, consistency/predictability, coherence across issues, and plain old network connections, and political effectiveness (influencing the public and other politicians to follow your lead on issues).
Mamdani is awesome because he exudes authenticity (like, I’m not a Knicks fan but he can give a great mayor’s speech for his favorite team winning), gets things done (actual stuff around city governance, like snow shoveling), and seems to know how to get policy passed (working with Hochul to get some big ticket legislation on taxing the rich accomplished, even if it will contain some compromises). He is, in other words, an effective politician. We need more people like him scattered throughout different jurisdictions.
I will gladly support a coalition of centrists and leftists to move things to the left, especially if they can flank the current Republican party on plain old competence and honesty/fairness in governance.
I always say, if you vote for the left-most candidate in EVERY election, then that’s how we move things to the left. If you stay home because the left-most candidate isn’t left-enough for you, that’s how the right wins.
His policies sure are popular, and definitely better for the people there. The 1%'ers don’t like it, but I haven’t heard of any big names leaving just yet. Definitely passed the test during the last big snowstorm… had the roads and sidewalks cleared in record time.
NYC isn’t the country. However, that being said, a few years of him being successful would go a long way to convince the centrists that it’s the way to go.
I mean, most of us here know it is…but we need to get the rest of the country onboard, and showing success is the best way to do that…
Throughtout my life I’ve encountered the “X isn’t Y” thought-terminating cliche anywhere I’ve ever tried to do any sort of activism or advocacy (When I was doing bike advocacy in NYC it was often “New York isn’t Amsterdam” which was especially ironic considering that it once literally was). It’s never once been a meaningful or persuasive point. Reality on the ground is always what we make it, and policy can be communicated through the right identity and strategies. New Yorkers really aren’t at all that different from Americans anywhere else, the biggest differences are aesthetic.
I’ve been accused of being a centrist, despite basically being to the left of everyone in American politics, and I think it’s because people tend to over-weight the economic left/right spectrum (or project other non-economic issues onto the left/right spectrum), and not place enough effort into thinking through:
None of that is left/right or centrist in itself, but my positions (pragmatic, technocratic, lawful) sometimes put me at odds with other voices on the left.
Other criteria that don’t map onto left/right include authenticity, consistency/predictability, coherence across issues, and plain old network connections, and political effectiveness (influencing the public and other politicians to follow your lead on issues).
Mamdani is awesome because he exudes authenticity (like, I’m not a Knicks fan but he can give a great mayor’s speech for his favorite team winning), gets things done (actual stuff around city governance, like snow shoveling), and seems to know how to get policy passed (working with Hochul to get some big ticket legislation on taxing the rich accomplished, even if it will contain some compromises). He is, in other words, an effective politician. We need more people like him scattered throughout different jurisdictions.
I will gladly support a coalition of centrists and leftists to move things to the left, especially if they can flank the current Republican party on plain old competence and honesty/fairness in governance.
I always say, if you vote for the left-most candidate in EVERY election, then that’s how we move things to the left. If you stay home because the left-most candidate isn’t left-enough for you, that’s how the right wins.
I am not from US so I don’t know how NYC is going? Is Mamdani really doing good there?
His policies sure are popular, and definitely better for the people there. The 1%'ers don’t like it, but I haven’t heard of any big names leaving just yet. Definitely passed the test during the last big snowstorm… had the roads and sidewalks cleared in record time.