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Donkees

(33,399 posts)
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 05:18 AM Jun 2025

Bernie Sanders: Will the Democrats learn from Zohran Mamdani's victory?

The future of the Democratic party will not be determined by its current leadership. It will be decided by the working class of this country. Increasingly, people understand that our political system is corrupt and that billionaires should not be able to buy elections. They understand that we should not have an unprecedented level of income and wealth inequality; that we should not be the only wealthy country not to guarantee healthcare for all; that we should not deny young people the right to a higher education because of their income; that we should not have a major crisis in affordable housing; that we should not have a minimum wage that is a starvation wage; that we should not allow corporations to illegally prevent union organization – and much, much more.

The American people are beginning to stand up and fight back. We have seen that in the many Fighting Oligarchy events that we’ve done around the country that have drawn huge turnouts. We have seen that in the millions of people who came out for the No Kings rallies that took place this month in almost every state. And yesterday, we saw that in the Democratic primary in New York City.

We’re going forward. And no one is going to stop us.


https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/25/democrats-learn-zohran-mamdani-victory


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Bernie Sanders: Will the Democrats learn from Zohran Mamdani's victory? (Original Post) Donkees Jun 2025 OP
True, and also... Mike Nelson Jun 2025 #1
NYC has a long history with quasi-socialist parties bucolic_frolic Jun 2025 #2
You're referring to rent control and free public transit, I'm guessing 😒 EYESORE 9001 Jun 2025 #3
Affordable housing is a national message, along Emile Jun 2025 #5
You got that right EYESORE 9001 Jun 2025 #6
"Single-payer health care will "never, ever" happen" Autumn Jun 2025 #12
Hillary Clinton? Emile Jun 2025 #13
Yes. Autumn Jun 2025 #14
A message of "can't we all get along" has failed even worse JHB Jun 2025 #4
James Carville wrote the opposite in Washington Post IronLionZion Jun 2025 #7
I've said it for awhile now & people look at me skeptically, Joinfortmill Jun 2025 #8
Not soon enough to save many lives, though. (nt) Heidi Jun 2025 #22
These are the winning issues for a populist party: cer7711 Jun 2025 #9
Apparently Congress believes more tax cuts for Billionaires Emile Jun 2025 #10
No they won't. They will fight it every step of the way. Autumn Jun 2025 #11
Some will read the writing on the wall, others will ignore it. Passages Jun 2025 #15
He was on with Chris Hayes last night malaise Jun 2025 #16
The working class went for Cuomo JI7 Jun 2025 #17
Where is the data supporting that. Would love Nanjeanne Jun 2025 #19
Let me consult the oracle. Heidi Jun 2025 #18
We should be so lucky Arazi Jun 2025 #20
"I've got news for the Republican establishment. I've got news for the Democratic establishment. They can't stop us." W_HAMILTON Jun 2025 #21
K&R usonian Jun 2025 #23

Mike Nelson

(10,912 posts)
1. True, and also...
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 05:35 AM
Jun 2025

... study Mamdani's campaign. His style, social media... it was impossible to not like him.

bucolic_frolic

(54,010 posts)
2. NYC has a long history with quasi-socialist parties
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 06:13 AM
Jun 2025

Tell us how it will play in brainwashed America. Let them eat cake has failed as a message.

EYESORE 9001

(29,449 posts)
3. You're referring to rent control and free public transit, I'm guessing 😒
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 06:29 AM
Jun 2025

Messages can be adjusted to fit circumstances outside NYC, yunno.

JHB

(37,947 posts)
4. A message of "can't we all get along" has failed even worse
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 06:37 AM
Jun 2025

I think so-called "democratic socialists" are a bit obtuse about the s-word (not to mention it's inaccurate for their stated views, which are more "a modern New Dealer" ), but let's not pretend it makes much of a difference with the other side.

They already call Obama, Clinton, Biden, and Harris "socialists" and "Marxists". They will call ANY Democrat those things.

IronLionZion

(50,817 posts)
7. James Carville wrote the opposite in Washington Post
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 07:29 AM
Jun 2025

They don't have to be mutually exclusive. We need leftist candidates in leftist places. Maybe more moderates in red/swing states.

No matter how moderate our candidates are, GOP will still say we are Bolsheviks coming for you with a hammer and sickle.

Joinfortmill

(20,037 posts)
8. I've said it for awhile now & people look at me skeptically,
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 07:43 AM
Jun 2025

But, the country is going to swing left hard in the midterms. That is the unplanned result of the actions of these maga nuts and a corrupt GOP.

cer7711

(605 posts)
9. These are the winning issues for a populist party:
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 07:51 AM
Jun 2025

-- a public option/Medicare for all
-- paid family leave
-- a living wage for all full-time employees
-- lift the cap on Social Security

Poll-after-poll shows these issues to be broadly supported across all political parties.

Yet nothing substantive is ever done.

Why?

The truth is simple, brutal, incontrovertible: the oligarchs who control our government don't want any progress made on these issues.
So nothing happens.
Simple as that.

The donor class and their paid mouthpieces in Congress grow impatient and annoyed when you point out the obvious.

Tell me I'm wrong.

Emile

(40,579 posts)
10. Apparently Congress believes more tax cuts for Billionaires
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 07:54 AM
Jun 2025

is what the American people want.

JI7

(93,196 posts)
17. The working class went for Cuomo
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 08:25 AM
Jun 2025

lessons have been learned and that is that many of the men that didn't support Kamala Harris would have voted democratic if a man was running.

Arazi

(8,695 posts)
20. We should be so lucky
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 08:47 AM
Jun 2025

Mamdani ran in affordability.

Bernie’s always been a strong voice condemning income inequality and calling for fair wages.

“It’s the economy stupid”….

Maybe Democratic leadership can go back to basics

W_HAMILTON

(10,057 posts)
21. "I've got news for the Republican establishment. I've got news for the Democratic establishment. They can't stop us."
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 09:35 AM
Jun 2025

Narrator: He was stopped. Again.



Of course, it wasn't the Republican establishment or the Democratic establishment that stopped him last time he made a similar declaration -- it was the voters, as it has always been.

usonian

(23,517 posts)
23. K&R
Fri Jun 27, 2025, 09:49 PM
Jun 2025

I was going to post this, since it's verbatim from a Bernie email.

You found me a link!

He is right on key points.

Mamdani has been criticized for his “radical” and “unrealistic” economic policies:

Demanding that, at a time of unprecedented income and wealth inequality, the rich and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes.

Demanding that, when many New Yorkers are no longer able to find affordable housing, there should be a freeze on rent hikes.

Demanding that, when commuting to a job takes a big toll out of a worker’s paycheck, public transportation should be free.

Demanding that, when many low-income and working people are unable to access good-quality food for themselves and their kids, publicly owned neighborhood grocery stores should be created.

These ideas, and more, are not radical. They may not be what billionaires, wealthy campaign contributors and real estate speculators want, but they are what working people want. And maybe, just maybe, it’s time to listen to them.

Mamdani’s victory was not about “star power”. It was very much about people power, about revitalizing democracy and opening the door for ordinary people to gain control over the decisions that impact their lives.




The lesson of Mamdani’s campaign is that it is not good enough just to be critical of Trump and his destructive policies. We have to bring forth a positive vision and an analysis of why things are the way they are. It is not good enough to maintain a status quo that is failing most Americans. At a time when hope is in increasingly short supply, people must have the sense that if we work together, if we have the courage to take on powerful special interests, we can create a better world – a world of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.

Will the current Democratic party leadership learn the lessons of the Mamdani campaign? Probably not. Too many of them would rather be the captains on a sinking Titanic, rather than change course.


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