The Democratic Party, one of two primary political parties in the US, largely operates under the idea that Leftist ideals and policies are not popular in the US and are a losing agenda overall. Party leaders repeatedly underline this, pushing out and denouncing attempts to reform the group to a more progressive direction/leadership. In their worldview, the correct politics is whatever is just a bit more liberal than the Republicans, who have aggressively moved rightward and show little sign of slowing down.

Last night, Andrew Cuomo conceded the New York Democratic Primary to challenger Zohran Mamdani. Cuomo is by and large an old guard Democrat. His talking points and issues aim firmly for the center, when he's not harassing women and blaming his culture. He played the classics: Zohran is a socialist (scary!), Zohran is a Muslim (in our New York?!), Zohran hates cops! (But the NYPD has never done anything wrong!!) Note: I am conflating what Cuomo says and what his major contributors are saying, but he is nothing if not a man willing to follow whatever his top Donors say, and these are things they think make Cuomo look good and Zohran look bad.

Polling almost uniformly showed a Cuomo win leading up to the elections, and still Zohran came away with a strong first round lead (New York is a Ranked Choice voting state). Cuomo conceded that night, and is now "looking at the numbers" to see if running in the general is even worth it. He and his team specifically set up the "Fight and Deliver" independent party as a way to still run in the general in the case of something like this occurring. That being said, the writing is on the wall: Cuomo is not wanted. His centrist politics don't appeal to a majority of Democrat voters, and threaten to split the conservative vote- which already stands as a smaller voting bloc compared to the Strong Blue tendencies of the city.

Which finally leads back to the man of the hour: Zohran Mamdani. He preaches hope, but more importantly love. Love for New York. Love for its people. Love for the stuff that does work and doesn't. It's a message of true inclusivity. He refuses to give up trans people as a niche issue or a roadblock, he champions them and their struggles. The homeless are not an unpleasant issue that you can use a boogeyman, they are people who lack advantages and aid. It is a truly heartwarming thing to see a politician talk about so kindly, and it is even better to see it so well received.

The fact is this: leftist policies are popular. When you get past Red Scare-tinged fears of socialism, these are policies of support, encouragement, and hope. People need something to hope for, and that is not what is being put forward by the major parties. There is an appetite for things to be better. There is an energy that can be tapped into when you honestly, plainly talk about a brighter future. That's what matters, to me at least. I think it matters to a lot of others too.