My thought about Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Party.

[thesquanderer]

70. re: " It shouldn't be who the establishment wants it to be or who they think it should be or whose turn it is"

Agreed. I think this bit us in the primaries in 2016 when the Dem establishment put its hand on the scale for Hillary over Bernie, and I'd even argue it bit us again in 2020. Yes, we won, but considering how the term ended and what it led to, it was arguably a pyrrhic victory.

I don't know if Sanders (our runner-up for the nomination both times) would have done better, but he couldn't have done much worse (certainly in 2016). I don't know that our nominee would have been Bernie if it weren't Biden in 2020, but whoever it was, it wouldn't have been Biden if the establishment wasn't pulling for him. Heck, his campaign was going nowhere until Clyburn got him SC. Whether you were a Biden fan or not, in the end, his presidency backfired on us, bigly. Despite its successes.

I live in the NY area, but not in the city, so I didn't have a horse in that primary race. I don't know that I would have voted for Mamdami (I only know I would not have voted for Cuomo). But the people have spoken, and I think the party establishment needs to get over its fear of giving the voters what they want. I at least think it's worth giving that approach a shot. You never know, it might work.