The Zohran Party
The best political campaigns, the ones that change the world, capture three key qualities…
A cohesive story, with protagonists, villains, tribulations, and trials.
A distinct and engaging aesthetic.
Simple, understandable propositions that theoretically solve real-life problems.
A quirky outsider just nailed all three, and now, avowed “democratic socialist” Zohran Mamdani is the mayor-elect of America's keystone city, New York, NY. Here’s the scoop.
Zohran Mamdani’s campaign exploded on May 29, when his 30-second “Freeze the Rent” advertisement went viral online. The aesthetic, combining friendly down-to-earth dialogue with idyllic yet realistic street scenes, captured the eyes of millions of New Yorkers. The entire video seeped with a warm, almost sepia filter, producing a homey, comfortable effect. Through quick cuts, bright colors, and constant hand motions, Mamdani’s video team harnessed the science of virality to attract clicks.
With his name out in the public square, Zohran told a cohesive story. Zohran’s tale stayed steady from the jump; New Yorkers are struggling because of soaring costs of living, all because the current government, laden with fatcat financiers, isn’t doing enough to help. He promised to change that by using government power to lower residents’ bills. Simple.
In later ads, Mamdani continued to harken back to his original story while promoting seemingly practical policies: free public transit, zero-cost regulatory help for small businesses, a rent freeze, and government-run grocery stores. A third grader could understand the vast majority of his proposed solutions.
The only campaign in recent memory to capture the 3 magic characteristics began in 2015 on a golden escalator. Donald Trump told an equally simple story; the mainstream media had colluded with the Democratic Party to protect a small group of corrupt political elites he called “the swamp,” and he, the outsider, was equipped to break that system apart. The aesthetic - overwhelming glamour and pomp dragged down to the grassroots by a simple, cheap red hat- was so cohesive that it energized millions and defined a decade. He made simple promises: a border wall, “draining the swamp,” and lower taxes. To “Make America Great Again.”
Luckily for Democrats, Zohran emerged when the left needed a fresh vision most. Trump’s reelection, undoubtedly the culmination of the strategic seeds planted in 2015, broke the DNC of 2008-2024. For 16 years, the left relied on media giants to “control the narrative” and provide space for thousands of leftist bureaucrats to cram through policy and silence dissent. The rise of decentralized media, along with Trump’s success in discrediting cable news, burned that Cathedral to the ground.
Zohran’s campaign will become the blueprint for Democratic Party 2.0. He is Donald Trump’s foil. Instead of fireworks, gilded wallpaper, and old-fashioned American patriotism, Zohran leaned into the day-to-day of urban life in multiethnic communities. His dream for New York will soon become the DNC’s dream for the United States.
In Zohran’s America, there is no real People. No shared culture. What was once a nation transitions into a safe space for every impoverished man, woman, and child around the globe, propped up by a financial apparatus designed to wrest wealth away from heritage Americans whose ancestors built it. The flag stands for freedom: freedom from poverty. America exists strictly as an economic zone; a supermarket (half) full of poorly sourced fruits and veggies available to passersby at zero cost.
In order to withstand the coming tsunami of ethno-socialist Democrats, the right-wing youth must provide a stronger vision. An uncoordinated smorgasbord of Trump mimics, single-act Bible bangers, and “dissident right” conspiracy artists will drown decisively. A front of vital youth ready to boldly tell stories, make tough compromises, and win at all costs, can rise above the wave.
Our vision must be based on a promise: unprecedented quality of life for the middle class. A strong America with cultural cohesion, low tax burden, extreme safety, and sterling infrastructure. We must (accurately) frame the left as harbingers of utter chaos, that, based on vain egalitarian precepts, burns down all that is good. We must counter Marxist narratives with real stories from world history. Sadly, socialism and communism give us plenty of horrors to pick from.
The young right must assert our vision for our country, which terminates in desirable outcomes for our people.
In the meantime, we must not allow Mamdani’s victory to demoralize us. New York isn’t “over.” 24 years ago, its skyline was black with soot. 5 years ago, Bill de Blasio’s handling of the pandemic killed countless New Yorkers. The Jets take the field 17 times a year. No white flag has been or should be waved. New York City will be okay. The Empire State Building stands proudly over the greatest city on the planet. One smiley, overly coy Ugandan socialist won’t change that.