Many egg-headed technocrats like me look longingly at Brad Lander and somewhat skeptically at Zohran because of his "lack of management experience"... this article definitely settled my nerves, thanks for sharing.
As an Assemblymember, his patience and good humor is prodigious, even in the face of outright hostility, most of which he seems to have disarmed. He has fans in Albany, even if we can't vote in the primary. He's going places. Loved this piece, as I appreciated your book on Cuomo -- but I hope to God I don't have to reread it because he's in Gracie Mansion.
I love hearing all the nuts and bolts stuff about political campaigns. How exciting your run sounds. And how cool to be working with these talented young people who are going to go on to do big things in the future.
Wonderful read, Ross! It was great learning about your political campaign and your journey with Zohran. I also found your discussion with Ryan and Emily on Breaking Points very insightful. You seemed cautiously optimistic. Zohran has been such a bright ray of hope, a voice of courage, and a promise for a better future for so many of us in these dark times. I really hope and pray he wins for all of us.
As a side note, I've been infuriated to see how the mainstream media is stooping to new lows trying to dissuade voters from ranking Zohran. Shame on the New York Times and the Atlantic. None of us should be surprised because that's what the Democratic establishment and the liberal media has always done, but it's still just so disheartening. I really appreciate lefty journalists like David Sirota, Luke Savage and Nathan J Robinson calling out their lies and setting the record straight. Will be phone banking for Zohran this weekend. 💪
This was interesting to read, Ross. Was thinking what your take looking back and to the present might be. You all were a passionate group and built a very diverse community of support in the neighborhood.
ross aside from you likening yourself to jimmy damn breslin, really appreciated this one. nice to have a record of z's ludicrous political instincts in their early days.
I write better novels than Breslin, but Breslin is better at the reported column. I read his Library of America edition last year and reviewed it and came away impressed. His sportswriting also was very good; he had a funny and forgotten profile of Early Wynn that I enjoyed. Surprised you didn't take issue with Mailer ...
Love this piece, Ross! Those days are so cherished even though the result wasn't as we hoped. Zohran was the real deal even then, and, man, wouldn't it be something if he could pull off such an incredible feat.
Really exciting story, fantastic. I had completely forgotten that at ten years old I had helped my father run for the School Board in Detroit, sticking cards in all the doors in neighborhoods and passing them out at grocery stores, he lost. Thanx for the story and reviving my memory. I’m hoping for Zohran.
Amen. He may be a nice guy personally, but he'll be a disaster for the city. Anyone with an Abolish Police past isn't fit to be dog catcher. And that's just for starters.
I have a dramatically lower opinion of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani than expressed in this piece, and can scarcely imagine anyone I'd deem less fit to be mayor of New York City. His policy agenda is wholesale hocus pocus, in my view, contradicting pretty much everything I've ever seen in the real world. I am hoping and praying for his decisive defeat in the primary and, barring that, his decisive defeat by an independent in the general. I want to give him room to return to his rap destiny. I probably won't stay in NYC forever, and if he becomes mayor I am likelier to flee sooner rather than later. "Outlook not good," as the Magic 8 Ball puts it.
But all that being said, I really enjoyed and appreciated this piece and its insights into "What It Takes" to run a guerilla campaign in a big diverse city. The passionate convictions shone through, much as I may disagree with many of them, and it helped me understand why Mr. Mamdani has attracted more interest than other perhaps less distinctive candidates. It's persuaded me that Mamdani the person is a hard worker who is not unintelligent, regardless of his policy platform.
Many egg-headed technocrats like me look longingly at Brad Lander and somewhat skeptically at Zohran because of his "lack of management experience"... this article definitely settled my nerves, thanks for sharing.
Ha, yes, he'd probably hire Lander too if he won, to be fair
Thank you for the insight. Zohran comes across as the impossible pragmatic progressive that pundits swear didn’t exist—I’m glad he does.
This piece was such a pleasure to read, Ross. And like your father, I’m glad you didn’t win; we need you where you are.
Me too!
As an Assemblymember, his patience and good humor is prodigious, even in the face of outright hostility, most of which he seems to have disarmed. He has fans in Albany, even if we can't vote in the primary. He's going places. Loved this piece, as I appreciated your book on Cuomo -- but I hope to God I don't have to reread it because he's in Gracie Mansion.
I love hearing all the nuts and bolts stuff about political campaigns. How exciting your run sounds. And how cool to be working with these talented young people who are going to go on to do big things in the future.
Excellent storytelling and vivid prose. Thank you for sharing
Wonderful read, Ross! It was great learning about your political campaign and your journey with Zohran. I also found your discussion with Ryan and Emily on Breaking Points very insightful. You seemed cautiously optimistic. Zohran has been such a bright ray of hope, a voice of courage, and a promise for a better future for so many of us in these dark times. I really hope and pray he wins for all of us.
As a side note, I've been infuriated to see how the mainstream media is stooping to new lows trying to dissuade voters from ranking Zohran. Shame on the New York Times and the Atlantic. None of us should be surprised because that's what the Democratic establishment and the liberal media has always done, but it's still just so disheartening. I really appreciate lefty journalists like David Sirota, Luke Savage and Nathan J Robinson calling out their lies and setting the record straight. Will be phone banking for Zohran this weekend. 💪
Thanks for these memories Ross—it feels like yesterday but also another lifetime!
This was interesting to read, Ross. Was thinking what your take looking back and to the present might be. You all were a passionate group and built a very diverse community of support in the neighborhood.
ross aside from you likening yourself to jimmy damn breslin, really appreciated this one. nice to have a record of z's ludicrous political instincts in their early days.
I write better novels than Breslin, but Breslin is better at the reported column. I read his Library of America edition last year and reviewed it and came away impressed. His sportswriting also was very good; he had a funny and forgotten profile of Early Wynn that I enjoyed. Surprised you didn't take issue with Mailer ...
This book about their 1969 campaign is quite entertaining https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Managing-Mailer-joe-flaherty-Coward-McCann/31371756527/bd
Nice writeup. I love his pragmatism and understanding that zoning is a real problem that the left needs to embrace.
Love this piece, Ross! Those days are so cherished even though the result wasn't as we hoped. Zohran was the real deal even then, and, man, wouldn't it be something if he could pull off such an incredible feat.
Yes! It was a great year. You spent a lot of time with Zohran too, haha, I am sure he drove you hard.
Really exciting story, fantastic. I had completely forgotten that at ten years old I had helped my father run for the School Board in Detroit, sticking cards in all the doors in neighborhoods and passing them out at grocery stores, he lost. Thanx for the story and reviving my memory. I’m hoping for Zohran.
Hero worship aside, he has no legislative record to speak of and he has never run anything. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night.
Amen. He may be a nice guy personally, but he'll be a disaster for the city. Anyone with an Abolish Police past isn't fit to be dog catcher. And that's just for starters.
I have a dramatically lower opinion of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani than expressed in this piece, and can scarcely imagine anyone I'd deem less fit to be mayor of New York City. His policy agenda is wholesale hocus pocus, in my view, contradicting pretty much everything I've ever seen in the real world. I am hoping and praying for his decisive defeat in the primary and, barring that, his decisive defeat by an independent in the general. I want to give him room to return to his rap destiny. I probably won't stay in NYC forever, and if he becomes mayor I am likelier to flee sooner rather than later. "Outlook not good," as the Magic 8 Ball puts it.
But all that being said, I really enjoyed and appreciated this piece and its insights into "What It Takes" to run a guerilla campaign in a big diverse city. The passionate convictions shone through, much as I may disagree with many of them, and it helped me understand why Mr. Mamdani has attracted more interest than other perhaps less distinctive candidates. It's persuaded me that Mamdani the person is a hard worker who is not unintelligent, regardless of his policy platform.
He is very smart and he works very hard. We'll see what happens.
You remind me of the Village Voice with this one Ross...