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Democrats got our asses handed to us in 2024. And it's not as simple as a bad economy or messaging fails—we forgot a lesson we should have tattooed on our foreheads: politics is the game of addition, not subtraction.
We’ve got to do everything in our power to get as many voters as possible to believe the Democratic Party is the party that’s gonna fight for them. And in a country as ideologically messy as this one, that means our coalition is gonna be messy too. That’s the cost of getting shit done in a democracy.
No purity tests.
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Right now, the coalition that’s going to stop the worst of what Trump is unleashing on this country—the coalition that can win the midterms in 2026, the coalition that can actually take the White House back and put it in the hands of someone who isn’t a raging lunatic—stretches from Zohran Mamdani, who just won the primary to become the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, to Joe Walsh, the ex-Republican congressman who tried to primary Trump in 2020 and just switched parties last month.
Zohran can help us expand our coalition to include people left out and disillusioned by the system, especially younger voters getting killed in this economy who are hungry for something new. Joe can help us speak to many Republicans and moderate voters who haven’t quite turned on Trump or embraced the Democratic Party yet but still care about our democracy and our fundamental rights.
I want to stand shoulder to shoulder with people who are in this fight for the right reasons. I’m good with being in a room that includes Zohran and includes Joe, even if I’ve got deep disagreements with both of them on many issues—because we’re all rowing in the same damn direction. I want to fight these fascists with people who care. And I want to fight with people for something better. People who give a shit about democracy, who want to make life better for folks, who believe in building community—not slicing it up.
We need an ideologically diverse group of fighters. Right now, we’ve got too many people answering to corrupt billionaires and corporate donors—or who are just plain cowards and bad communicators. And too many of my fellow Democrats still think you can carve your way to a majority—shave off this group, leave out that one. But that’s fantasy politics. That’s not how this system works. Not if you want the White House. Not if you want enough seats in the Senate to do something big like pass Medicare for All or restore Roe v. Wade protections. Not if you want the House to pass more than just symbolic garbage.
And we need to go big. We need to be bold. We need to give people something to believe in again. Not just believe in—see and feel in their actual, everyday lives. Because 80% of Americans are struggling right now. And when people are desperate, they take risks.
You saw that risk in New York City. People rallied behind Zohran Mamdani—a DSA member, a proud socialist—not simple because of ideology, but because he showed up for them. He fought against the establishment and won. And he took down Andrew Cuomo—a man whose moral rot is matched only by his ego.
As NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, who I’d argue helped tip the scales for Zohran with his endorsement, said on CNN last night: “The line in the Democratic Party right now is not between progressive and moderate. It’s between fighters and folders.”
I’ve been saying this for months: it’s about who can throw a punch and who can’t. And I know Zohran Mamdani can throw punches. Joe Walsh can throw hands, too. And they’re throwing for the right damn reasons—because they care whether you can feed your kids, start a family, buy a home, retire with dignity, live a life with meaning. You know, the American Dream. The real one.
People want authenticity. They want fire. And they want to be called in. Not called out. They want someone who looks them in the eye and says, "Yeah, I see what you're going through—and I'm here to fight for you."
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I saw a quote the other day from some anonymous Democratic member of Congress whining that donors and activists get more excited about Zohran than about some centrist candidate. And I’m like—yeah, no shit. Because Zohran moves people. His policies are bold. His politics are loud. Whether you agree with every plank or not, people showed up for him because he didn’t flinch and more so, because he included their struggles in his fight, genuinely.
And let me be clear: bold and interesting aren’t exclusive to the far left. You can be a centrist with fire in your belly. You can be a moderate with fresh ideas. You can be left of center and still throw haymakers. The key is being real. Being willing to fight, together. Being someone who takes a risk and actually gives a damn about people.
The campaign that Zohran Mamdani ran in New York City to win this primary isn't going to work everywhere. That's why having an ideologically diverse coalition is so important. We need people who can win in New York City. We need people who can win in Michigan and Wisconsin. We need people who can win in South Carolina and Georgia. We're not going to get there through purity tests.
People are thirsty for a new kind of leadership—even if it’s just perceived authenticity. And that’s how you get Donald Trump. That’s why he won. Because to tens of millions of Americans who feel like the system gave up on them, Trump looked real. I don’t believe he is—but he played the part (and played Americans) well enough to win. The key difference, however, is that Trump does not walk the walk. He may have been unique in his rhetoric but he is not authentic or consistent in his actions.
I believe in Zohran Mamdani’s sincerity way more than I ever could in Trump’s. But he won for the same reason: he showed up. He spoke to the struggle. He made people believe someone was finally in their corner. And most importantly, he followed through on his word through his actions. Zohran has built a coalition of diverse voices in his campaign to fight with him and I believe he will continue to walk the talk if he is elected Mayor.
So no—I’m not going to play the stupid game of picking between Zohran Mamdani and Joe Walsh or anybody else in between. That’s not the divide I give a shit about.
The line that matters is: are you ready to stand up against fascism? To give people a reason to care again? To build something bigger than yourself and more important than being endorsed by a Super PAC? To give people a little hope that government can work again, that government answers to the People and genuinely acts in their interest, that life can get better, that we’re not doomed to suffer under Trump and these spineless Republican losers forever?
If we can do that—if we can build a coalition that’s scrappy, loud, unafraid, willing to build bridges, and real—then we can take this damn country back. And more importantly, we can help people who are desperate for change.
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