Tim Graham: Zohran Mamdani has the left giddy
In a stunning political shift, Zohran Mamdani, a self-described “democratic socialist,” has secured a decisive victory in the New York City mayoral race, capturing the attention of the media and the public alike. His campaign has been buoyed by enthusiastic endorsements from mainstream media outlets, reminiscent of the fervor once reserved for Barack Obama. This unexpected triumph is not without controversy, as Mamdani’s policy proposals and past statements have drawn scrutiny, particularly from conservative media, which have labeled him as a radical figure. The New York Post, for instance, cheekily dubbed the city “The Red Apple,” highlighting the stark ideological divide that has emerged in the wake of Mamdani’s election.
Media reporter Michael Grynbaum of The New York Times has raised alarms about the backlash from right-wing outlets, which have unleashed a barrage of attacks on Mamdani, often tinged with Islamophobia. Notably, figures like Steve Bannon have labeled him a “neo-Marxist jihadist,” reflecting the intense polarization surrounding Mamdani’s ideology. Critics point to his past comments advocating for the “seizure of the means of production,” as well as his support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, as evidence of his radical stance. However, defenders of Mamdani, including PolitiFact, have attempted to downplay these assertions, arguing that his remarks are often mischaracterized or taken out of context.
Despite the media frenzy, questions remain about the left’s willingness to confront Mamdani’s past associations and statements. His praise for controversial figures, such as Imam Siraj Wahhaj, has raised eyebrows and prompted calls for a more nuanced examination of his record. As the dust settles on this election, the implications of Mamdani’s victory extend beyond New York City, signaling a potential shift in the political landscape and raising critical questions about the role of media in shaping public perception of emerging political figures. The ongoing discourse around Mamdani’s policies and the media’s portrayal of him will likely continue to spark debate in the months to come, as both supporters and detractors seek to define the future of democratic socialism in America.
Zohran Mamdani surged to an easy victory as the “democratic socialist” mayor of New York City, complete with media enthusiasm that carried echoes of silly Obama love songs. The badly named “mainstream media” earnestly promoted the most extreme candidate.
After Mamdani won, New York Times media reporter Michael Grynbaum warned about the opposition of reprehensible right-wing media outlets. The New York Post puckishly called New York “The Red Apple,” with the subhead “On your Marx, get set, Zo! Socialist Mamdani wins race for mayor.”
Grynbaum summarized: “As is often the case in these matters, the screaming front page of The New York Post, the city’s mischievous tabloid that like Fox News is controlled by Rupert Murdoch, summed up the conservative id.”
It’s the “conservative id,” is it? Would Grynbaum be able to locate a “leftist id” at his own newspaper? For example, on the front page of the Times on Jan. 10, 2021, they compared Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. These slanderous citations are repetitively spewed in the leftist press.
Grynbaum added this warning: “Some of the harsher right-wing attacks on Mr. Mamdani have been marked by Islamophobia. Steve Bannon, the right-wing podcaster and provocateur, has called Mr. Mamdani a ‘neo-Marxist jihadist.’”
At the end of his article, he noted Small Business Administration leader Kelly Loeffler referred to Mamdani “talking about seizing the means of production.” At a February 2021 meeting of the Democratic Socialists of America, Mamdani proclaimed: “But then there are also other issues that we firmly believe in, whether it’s BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions of Israel), right, or whether it’s the end goal of seizing the means of production.”
The Left energetically claims it means nothing. When Trump called Mamdani a commie in June, PolitiFact typically went expert-shopping to move the goalposts: “Multiple political scientists and communism experts told us Mamdani’s mayoral race positions did not amount to communism.” They doubled down on this in July. Their funniest expert was Geoffrey Kurtz: “I had the impression that Mamdani intended that phrase as lighthearted hyperbole.”
What about jihad? At a December 2023 DSA meeting, Mamdani talked up the loathing of Israel: “For anyone to care about these issues, we have to make them hyper-local,” he said. “We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF.” PolitiFact won’t be evaluating that metaphor. They haven’t “fact-checked” a single Mamdani statement.
In October, he praised Imam Siraj Wahhaj — an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing — as a “pillar of the Bed-Stuy community.”
The leftist media that dismiss the “conservative id” aren’t coming to grips with Mamdani’s actual public record.
Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org.
