The Never Mamdani Movement 🐴

The Never Trump movement was a bunch of moderate Republicans who in part stated they were opposed to making Donald Trump the Presidential candidate due to fears he could be easily mocked and dismissed as being an extremist, turning off moderate voters who might instead vote for the Democrats if they thought the Republican candidate was bad.

The thing about it is that Trump has been elected twice as President, the second time with both the popular vote and majorities in both houses of Congress. The loud, obnoxious no apologies style of Trump actually got him elected, not because he didn’t say obnoxious, loud things, but because he did exactly that – he was a shock jock. He got people’s attention. He was meme worthy.

Zorhan Mamdani says many things that are provocative and meme worthy. Things that will make Republicans cringe. But he’s also dominating the news cycle, people are talking about him and his new, controversial views. And this was the recipe for success for Donald Trump and it seems like it could be also the method of success for Mamdani and the Democratic Party.

People want politicians that are passionate and to the other side shocking. There is a reason why so many people listen to Howard Stern on the radio, or enjoy listening to Werid Al and Frank Zappa. People want to have their minds tickled, they want politicians to be somewhat unhinged and passionate in their lwork, willing to confront old power centers. They want people like Trump and Mamdani.

I don’t dispute that Zorhan Mamdani will be meme-worthy candidate, that Republicans will try to use to tar every Democrat with a liberal stink. But Democrats have done the same with Trump, and it’s not worked for them very well. People, at least on the right, and many moderates too, like Trump. Being associated with Trump, despite his controversial views and actions, really isn’t considered to be harmful unless of course you are running on the Democratic line. I really doubt being associated with Mamdani is harmful unless of course you are running as a Republican. But for most Democrats, even moderates, they’ll say, Mamdani is young, has new ideas, some controversial but he certainly knows how to get his message out.