Member-only story
Analysis: Mamdani Won on Policy, Not His “Digital Media” Strategy
Reaching people who are feeling real pain is how to win elections, regardless of marketing strategy
Zohran Mamdani did what consultants on the Democratic side of things said wasn’t possible: he beat Andrew Cuomo and a host of others in the New York City Mayoral primaries with a progressive platform, shutting down any ideas about shifting to the right or reaching the bigotry that has consumed conservatives in the middle.
Pundits on cable news are suggesting copying Mamdani’s “digital media” strategy, a view many political social media influencers are echoing. But this isn’t a new or fresh idea. The Democratic punditry once said the same things about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) after she won her initial and ensuing elections. Ocasio-Cortez ran on policies that benefit her constituents, and nothing changed except that the party continued its shift to the right on key issues.
“I think ultimately this is a campaign about inequality, and you don’t have to live in the most expensive city in the country to have experienced that inequality, because it’s a national issue,” Mamdani told Jen Pasaki on MSNBC. “And what Americans coast to coast are looking for are people who will fight for them, not just believe in the…
