A Washington Post editorial torched New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani for offering "failed social policy experiments" as his main policies and argued that he would be the most "radical" mayor ever if elected. And that possibility is becoming more likely by the hour.
"Zohran Mamdani is on the cusp of becoming New York’s 111th mayor, and perhaps its most radical," the editorial board wrote. "Supporters of free markets have failed to articulately make their case in New York, and Mamdani’s success is a warning to business-friendly Democrats that they’ll have to do better. How did a socialist with almost no governing experience become New York’s mayoral frontrunner?"
"It seems that there are enough voters to put him in power — but if New Yorkers begin to flee in droves, it could force him to moderate," they continued.
They added that New Yorkers have been repeatedly reminded of his record of radical politics — from his past remarks about Israel to his support for the phrase “globalize the intifada” and his calls to defund the police.
"He suggests rerunning a long list of failed social policy experiments more worthy of a late-night bull session at Bowdoin College than a serious political platform."
The Post tried to argue that their nominees for governor in New Jersey and Virginia are more representative of the party’s future, before stating that "the Democratic Party is up for grabs now and in 2028." In other words, a greater economic shift and the possibility of doubling down on liberal social policy is still in the cards for the Democratic Party. If the establishment is not careful, their party will be stolen from them by young people with little experience and utopian (read: authoritarian) hopes.
The piece concluded by asking Mamdani to take a more incremental approach to the way he would govern, by slowly implementing his radical policies instead of suddenly imposing them.
What’s truly needed is a rebuilding of public faith in the free market. Socialism has become increasingly palatable, even popular, among Democrats, while many Republicans are drifting in that direction as they grow more disillusioned with the elite. Restoring trust is essential, and that’s yet another reason for Republican candidates to focus their local campaigns on affordability and present a clear economic vision for the future of their communities.