Yesterday, I went live with Simon Rosenberg for a wide-ranging conversation that covered everything from Zohran Mamdani’s surprise win in NYC to Donald Trump’s faltering approval ratings, the shifting Democratic coalition, and why grit and authenticity matter more than ideology right now.
We opened up with some origin stories—mine starts with the Iraq War and Barack Obama; Simon’s goes back to Reagan and Mike Dukakis. From there, we jumped into what Zohran’s campaign really tells us (and doesn’t tell us) about where the Democratic Party is headed. Spoiler: it's not about being left or center. It's about whether people believe you give a shit.
Simon offered a powerful big-picture take: Trump is weak, and the pro-democracy movement is building something new. He framed this moment as the end of one era (Clinton, Obama, Biden) and the messy but exciting beginning of the next.
We also got into the Iran escalation, the media spin, and how Trump's repeated attempts to project strength are falling flat—with voters, the public, and even our allies overseas. Simon had some sharp analysis on why the American public isn’t buying the tough-guy routine anymore, and how that shift is showing up in the polling.
If you care about how we fight back—and win—against Trump and authoritarianism, this is a conversation you don't want to miss. We talked digital organizing, messaging strategy, and what it means to show up with heart and conviction in 2025 and beyond.
Thanks for being here,
Mike
