This is literally Chuck Schumer loser propaganda, stop repeating it. All it took to get conservative Maine to abandon Republicans was to put a rustic white male face on dem soc policy (Turned out the rustic white male was a rapist, so let's maybe be careful about future rustic white male selection). Talarico is wildly and authentically popular in Texas. Working class policy can win everywhere, so long as voters can see themselves in the candidate.

Abigail Spanberger won a tight race against an overt fascist without endorsements from any of the most powerful political blocs in virginia, like the UMWA, USW, UAW, or CWA. she also ran virtually unopposed in the democratic primary. she is not an example of someone who won because of the value of centrist politics. she's currently wildly unpopular for vetoing populist left wing bills from the long session (60 days) without providing input during the session about what she wanted. the next, and final session of this legislature is a short session (30 days) and none of the legislaters knew what she wants or needs to pass environmental protections, labor protections, or affordability measures as Virginia experiences a housing crisis.

so.

no.

this is not a good counter example to Mamdani, but instead a good example of exactly why no one trusts corporate dems or ex-CIA agents

Just follow the money.

I mean, the last few elections were proof enough. They put up safe (for them) candidates and barely even try to do anything more than be "not trump". Its infuriating when people preach at me about how great Kamala was going to be and that nobody voted for her out of sexism/racism. I voted for her, but the pre-election was handled like shit and the lack of a primary turned off WAY more voters than they want to admit. The right wingers are constantly calling the democrats communists, and then the democrats respond by selecting their candidate without anyone's input. They just play into the narrative and reap the rewards while trying to keep the illusion of a moral high ground.

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 am not from US so I don't know how NYC is going? Is Mamdani really doing good there?

A kit of people are under the impression that the middle of fascism and not-fascism is a happy place