If there was any hope New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani would inch towards the middle or appeal to moderate Democrats as he launched his administration, it vanished in the bitter January air that ushered in the start of his term.
During his inaugural address Thursday, Mamdani sought to send a clear message: That the left had won the hard-fought race for mayor, and his administration is now intent on showing the rest of the country that progressive liberals can, in fact, govern.
At a time of deep political division across the US, Mamdani stuck to his political identity and ideology, reminding the crowd he had been “elected as a democratic socialist,” promising to “govern as a democratic socialist” and castigating the politics of complacency and the political establishment for failing its constituency.
It was an unapologetically progressive speech, in which Mamdani framed the mainstream Democratic party as one that lacked imagination and ambition. Then, he vowed to not “abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”
“In writing this address, I have been told that this is the occasion to reset expectations, that I should use this opportunity to encourage the people of New York to ask for little and expect even less,” he said. “I will do no such thing. The only expectation I seek to reset is that of small expectations.”
Mamdani also tried to strike a unifying tone. He spoke directly to opponents and critics who remain skeptical the 34-year-old former state assemblyman will be able to run the largest city in the nation and enact an agenda many consider too liberal and unrealistic.
Mamdani has proposed taxing the city’s wealthiest residents and raising the corporate tax rate – moves that would require the support of the state legislature and the governor – to pay for his signature agenda items: universal childcare, “fast and free” city buses and enacting a rent freeze for rent stabilized tenants.
“If you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor,” Mamdani told the crowd. “Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you and never, not for a second, hide from you.”
Mamdani’s focus on working-class New Yorkers was peppered throughout his speech. He spoke of taxi drivers and restaurant servers, hospital workers and subway operators, describing people who work in the shadows and often go unnoticed while struggling to stay afloat.
Shortly before addressing the crowd, a duo performed the “Bread and Roses” anthem –– the title a nod to a political slogan that became a rallying cry for workers’ rights in 1912. The imagery is meant to symbolize people’s need for basic necessities, but also beauty. In choosing the performance, Mamdani’s administration appeared to try and tell New Yorkers it was possible to have both.
“What’s radical is a system which gives so much to so few and denies so many people the basic necessities of life,” Mamdani said, quoting Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who administered Mamdani’s public oath of office. Sanders praised New Yorkers and Mamdani for giving hope and inspiration to “people all over this country.”
The barely-disguised vitriol in this article is disgusting. Hope “vanished?” Fuck off, CNN. Mamdani represents hope.
no surprise though, didnt some friend of Murdoch’s buyout CNN a couple years back?
larry ellison, bought paramount +, and is trying to buy WB to get to CNN to turn it into another fox. ZASLAV already entertained billionaire malone to takeover CNN,
And the use of qualifiers like “bitter”, “peppered”, “in the shadows”. But somehow they still can’t make it sound like bad news.
And this isn’t even the worst framing I have seen in the last few hours.
I stopped watching and reading CNN over a decade ago. They don’t give a shit about any of us.
CNN is solidly rightwing. Wolf Blitzer did more to elect Trump in 2016 than almost anyone else. Remember that when his account is due.
I think it’s funny how CNN words this in an attempt to demonize him but they just keep on making him sound better and better
CNN says
No, no, don’t you see, he will tax the billionaires!!! He will hurt the landlords!!!
“Mayor promises to do the things that people voted for.”
The constant flipflopping between calling him a “progressive liberal” and a “democratic socialist” is annoying. Pick a lane, CNN. He’s one or the other, and from what I’ve heard from him he’s very clearly a democratic socialist.
They see no difference. Fox calls him a liberal and a communist. These are buzzwords with no meaning beyond emotional impact. They do not care about political theory.
lumping all those terms into a single monolithic thing that should be considered enemy is the strategy. in other words “if you’re not one of US, then you’re one of THEM”
you can see the behavior mirrored by pretty much any cult you please-- “in-group” is revered and trusted and supported no matter how terrible they are, and “out-group” is vilified, shunned, persecuted, fucking murdered, no matter how factually innocent they are
got to repeat as many scary words as possible until one sticks with their base, then hammer it endlessly
it has to be reinforced every news, election cycle, eitherwise the plebs will forget because they have 3 second memories.
“liberal/anything left of far right is a boogeyman” for right wingers.
They have picked a lane: “Left”, “progressive”, “liberal”, “socialist”… it’s all basically the same and interchangeable. And all they do is advertising “unrealistic agendas” while destroying all hope to “appeal to moderates”. Soon they will probably add “radical” and probably “communist” to the descriptors as their narrative progresses and the framing gets more aggressive.
its because Right wing news, yes cnn is right wing/center right. cant really define what is left of the gop.
He’s literally a DSA cadre candidate. It’s not exactly difficult
I mean to be fair self-proclaimed democratic socialists do tend to just be left-leaning liberals (also known as social democrats) with a coat of paint. Mamdani is saying and doing good things, but nothing I’ve heard from him makes me believe he wants to seize the means of production.
There is a real difference between the two. Others have made the point that CNN doesn’t care, it’s all just scary “THE LEFT” wording to them, but the difference in political theory is the following:
Progressive liberals care about social issues, but not economic ones. They will actually care and move the needle on LGBTQ+ rights, the gender gap, minority rights, etc, but as a liberal they’ll also care about the free market and the wellbeing of corporations.
A social democrat wants to regulate and control the economy for the benefit of people. They aren’t going to go full communist and sieze the means of production, but they will actively oppose economic interests in order to improve the standard of living.
Here’s the thing though: By that definition what you label as progressive liberals (socially liberal fiscally conservative people) basically don’t exist as a political force, partially because this philosophy wouldn’t be able to address the issues it claims to champion in any meaningful sense. The gender gap for example is as much an economic problem as it is a social one, and you can’t even think about systemic racism without also getting into poverty and the impact of slavery. You have classical/neoliberals and to the left of them social democrats/progressives; there’s no real niche for combining the social policies of one and the economic policies of the other.
As for social democrats, they’re better categorized as left wing of liberalism rather than their own thing. Sure they want the capitalist status quo to be nicer, but they’ll close ranks with their neoliberal cousins to defend it no matter how much they dislike it.
I 100% agree that progressive liberalism doesn’t work, but that doesn’t stop them trying. Center-left capitalists love them as well, because they get to look like the nice guys while keeping the focus away from any serious regulation or reform.
This picture perfectly encapsulates what I mean when I say progressive liberal:
Hey remember just last week how people thought he was going back on his promises?
I don’t think this is proof for the opposite, but I’m still in the camp of: “let’s see what he actually does before we judge”.
Edit: after reading the article, this part jumped out at me
Mamdani’s election in November sparked a debate about whether the national Democratic party should shift leftward, focus on issues affecting the working class and specifically target voters by highlighting affordability, especially in the upcoming midterm elections.
As apposed to what exactly? Isn’t making things more affordable like the ideal goal for most politicians? They are almost saying the quiet part out loud.
Isn’t making things more affordable like the ideal goal for most politicians?
In a perfect world, yes. In our world, politics is about gaining and holding on to as much power over people as possible.
Oh I get that, but what is odd is the way CNN phrased it, as if their readers dread poor people being able to afford a good life.
CNN got bought out by a Republican a while ago
Isn’t making things more affordable like the ideal goal for most politicians?
Nope.
The ideal goal for most politicians is whatever makes their base happy. If youre the mayor of Scarsdale, NY, where the mean household income is $600k, affordability is the opposite of what its residents want, and they are the ones voting for the mayor.
Similarly, if the ones funding your election and can influence the outcome are the ones ripping off renters (Cuomo), affordability for rentals is a talking point at most, and of zero interest when it comes to actual legislation or efforts by the admin.
Here’s an example of something I came across: Link
Fixing the Property Tax System, dealing with landlordship in New York, working with City Council to pass the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA), which gives qualified mission-driven nonprofits a first right to purchase multifamily buildings when landlords sell… there’s a lot being attempted here.
Total hack job article but corporate media is just billionaire propaganda
“If you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor,” Mamdani told the crowd. “Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you and never, not for a second, hide from you.”
That’s a great line, but it’s also sad that it’s a line that should be applauded. That’s how leaders should be. For the record, Trump wouldn’t even be able to understand what this means. Evidence: he was given chances in his first term to be a leader for everyone, and he not only fumbled the ball, he lost the ball in the bushes and took asking for him to do his job to be a personal attack. He was never fit for even a company leader, much less anything higher.
It just goes to show how bad things have been for so long. People expect politicians to bow to their corporate overlords.
Heck yeah. Get stuff done. Be a role model for the rest of the states.
The leadership we need: Apologize for literally nothing.
While the GOP is bitching about tan suits, and getting sworn in on a Koran, they’re also actively distracting you from root issues.
Like letting Epstein’s friends get off Scott free, taking away your healthcare, ice kidnappings in the middle of the street, and selling American values down the shitter.
Say what you want - but Trump isn’t apologizing for shit and we shouldn’t either.
As much as I enjoy the fact that swearing in on the Quran rattles the cages of conservatives, it would have been more progressive to choose a non-religious text rather than a regressive one associated with things like keeping women down or anti-lgbtq laws.
Yeah but he’s a self proclaimed Muslim, not an atheist or agnostic.
And they really shat on him for being Muslim so I think he’s deserves it.
Tbf swearing on religious items was never supposed to be a “symbolic” thing.
It used to just mean “Yeah I believe lying right now will result in divine punishment.”
Like it’s just a confirmation to people you will not simply break your promise for your own benefit because you fully believe heavy consequences exist.
"The dream of every Muslim is simply to be treated the same as any other New Yorker.
And yet, for too long, we have been told to ask for less than that, and endure hatred and bigotry in the shadows.
No more." -Zohran Mamdani
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1870637
He released this video scarcely a week prior to the election. Any election consultant would have told him not to risk rocking the boat but that’s not who Zohran is or what he stands for. Being a Muslim New Yorker, living in the shadow of 9/11, made swearing in on the Quran the MOST progressive move he could have made and I say that as a non-believer.
He spoke directly to opponents and critics who remain skeptical the 34-year-old former state assemblyman will be able to run the largest city in the nation and enact an agenda many consider too liberal and unrealistic.
They’re all cowards and liars.
Dude makes me want to move to NY.
Sadly NYC is in the USA, so while I really wanted to move there after my kids were grown, it’s basically a non-starter now.
NYC affordability was why my parents took us to Philly. I mean Philly housing was much cheaper… but its kinda “ghetto” here ngl
I mean it’s not that bad here, but I remember K-12 school felt less diverse for Asians like me so I got bullied in school a lot here. I remember having a better experience in NYC, like literally a quarter of the kids are ABCs, much less racism there.
I wonder if my life would’ve been better had we stayed in NYC… at least when it comes to the racism.
I don’t have kids yet, but I wouldn’t want my kids to grow up in Philly tbh, if NYC was more affordable, I might wanna go back there tbh.
So much positive childhood memories there, so nostalgic.
Damn that speech is very reminiscent of FDR
