This isn't going to be an Obama diss track. But I wanna talk about what went wrong with him and why I believe Zohran Mamdani will avoid those mistakes - in great part, because Obama already made them.
I believe you are right about Mamdani. Obama was a great disappointment to those of us who saw his promise. Your explanation of how and when he turned his back on his supporters and focused on telling us who he was not, is revealing. I don’t see Mamdani doing this. He is right for NY because he IS of NY. And this is the way forward for our country.
Tears of joy last night and again after reading your piece. 😊
I still view that pressure Obama was under with tremendous compassion. None of us have any idea the weight that was on his shoulders and the threats he was under. Even Zohran gets to benefit from learning how to avoid those mistakes.
Superb analysis. A LOT of excitement this side of the pond in the UK where drawing parallels between Mamdani and Zack Polanski too. Empire is getting a serious kick, and we know it will bite-back. Solidarity to you Shaun and all state-side in this moment.
This is why it is crucial to send him All Positive thoughts and intentions to Stay Alive, To be Protected, So he can continue to Be who he is so The Work and Healing can happen. We must learn from history!!!! The powers that be, from the time of Jesus, persecute and kill our leaders who Have and Carry The Light and Wisdom to save Humanity. We must All be constantly and consistently keeping in our hearts and intentions that Mamdani stay Safe and Alive and Protected This must come from Strength Love and Truth and NOT from fear
Everything you said has merit, but ignores the lesson from the Covid crisis.
All the petty silos of entrenched power that get in the way.
Just as the emergency Covid treatment center, despite being set up, staffed, and supplied remained basically empty while the regular hospitals remained overwhelmed or strained, depending on how open they were to the workers of New York, so too will many of the things on Mamdani's list not work out.
Expanding transit means more need for Transit and regular police officers to be on that transit for the Transit Driver's union to agree to put members in control of the vehicles. For the Driver's union, its a perfectly reasonable demand. But that means Mamdani's going to have to get the NYPD union on board, and it's leaders and members want things that will require Mamdani to compromise, and just as Trump underestimates the timeline to getting new factories up and running, you're underestimating the timeline to get those transit routes up, even before you add in active and passive resistance (there aren't a lot of transit vehicles sitting around on lots waiting for buyers, or excess manufacturing capacity, and think how many new traffic signs need to be bought, and installed, for every mile of the new routes, including ones for the intersecting streets).
The same thing, only worse, for childcare spaces.
And when it comes to rent, well, if you're a major landlord or rental management company, this is going to feel like an economic attack, so guess what, there's going to be a lot of efforts to stop it in courts and dodge it with paperwork. Rental buildings will become privately owned, with the spaces being classified as 'not rented out' despite their being rented in some way or other.
Ironically, transit will likely prove to be the program that could get up and running first, but only with a lot of compromises being agreed to by Mamdani.
As always, please chime in. And you can push back all you want, as long as it's respectful.
Excellent comparison.
And I am not even here to diss Obama, per se, but to reflect on where his policy positions truly got lost. And how we can avoid a repeat of this.
I believe you are right about Mamdani. Obama was a great disappointment to those of us who saw his promise. Your explanation of how and when he turned his back on his supporters and focused on telling us who he was not, is revealing. I don’t see Mamdani doing this. He is right for NY because he IS of NY. And this is the way forward for our country.
Tears of joy last night and again after reading your piece. 😊
I still view that pressure Obama was under with tremendous compassion. None of us have any idea the weight that was on his shoulders and the threats he was under. Even Zohran gets to benefit from learning how to avoid those mistakes.
Superb analysis. A LOT of excitement this side of the pond in the UK where drawing parallels between Mamdani and Zack Polanski too. Empire is getting a serious kick, and we know it will bite-back. Solidarity to you Shaun and all state-side in this moment.
Thanks my friend. Always glad to hear from you. I have a new piece out shortly about the threats that are on the way
This is why it is crucial to send him All Positive thoughts and intentions to Stay Alive, To be Protected, So he can continue to Be who he is so The Work and Healing can happen. We must learn from history!!!! The powers that be, from the time of Jesus, persecute and kill our leaders who Have and Carry The Light and Wisdom to save Humanity. We must All be constantly and consistently keeping in our hearts and intentions that Mamdani stay Safe and Alive and Protected This must come from Strength Love and Truth and NOT from fear
Agreed.
🎉 🥳 👍🏾.. and here's my lil' morning after gift: https://open.substack.com/pub/mittyowens/p/victory-but-umm-so-what-exactly-is?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=4vho96
Good work Mitty
Everything you said has merit, but ignores the lesson from the Covid crisis.
All the petty silos of entrenched power that get in the way.
Just as the emergency Covid treatment center, despite being set up, staffed, and supplied remained basically empty while the regular hospitals remained overwhelmed or strained, depending on how open they were to the workers of New York, so too will many of the things on Mamdani's list not work out.
Expanding transit means more need for Transit and regular police officers to be on that transit for the Transit Driver's union to agree to put members in control of the vehicles. For the Driver's union, its a perfectly reasonable demand. But that means Mamdani's going to have to get the NYPD union on board, and it's leaders and members want things that will require Mamdani to compromise, and just as Trump underestimates the timeline to getting new factories up and running, you're underestimating the timeline to get those transit routes up, even before you add in active and passive resistance (there aren't a lot of transit vehicles sitting around on lots waiting for buyers, or excess manufacturing capacity, and think how many new traffic signs need to be bought, and installed, for every mile of the new routes, including ones for the intersecting streets).
The same thing, only worse, for childcare spaces.
And when it comes to rent, well, if you're a major landlord or rental management company, this is going to feel like an economic attack, so guess what, there's going to be a lot of efforts to stop it in courts and dodge it with paperwork. Rental buildings will become privately owned, with the spaces being classified as 'not rented out' despite their being rented in some way or other.
Ironically, transit will likely prove to be the program that could get up and running first, but only with a lot of compromises being agreed to by Mamdani.