Latest news with #ManofLaMancha
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - 6 lessons from Zohran Mamdani's victory
New York politics has always been outsized, sharp-elbowed, dramatic. This week, it became worthy of a Broadway production. Eric Adams, the incumbent Democratic mayor, grew so unpopular among his own base that he decided not even to bother running in the primary. His character arc took him from an avowed opponent of President Trump to pro-Trump in the face of a six-count indictment, which was dropped by the Justice Department in a remarkable coincidence. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo jumped into the race and quickly crowded out all other contenders on the center-left with his massive fundraising. Meanwhile, Zohran Mamdani, a naturally talented, telegenic and young campaigner, energized by popular frustration with mainstream politics, consolidated the left-wing of the Democratic base. It is 'Man of LaMancha' meets 'All The Kings Men.' The shocking finale: A democratic socialist just won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City. Mamdani is now in the driver's seat. For many centrist Democrats, Mamdani, in vastly surpassing even optimistic pre-election projections, presents a shock to the system. But politicians and pundits should extrapolate national conclusions from this race at their own risk. There are complexities that transcend sound bites. Here are some lessons learned from the New York City mayoral primary. First, Mamdani's victory suggests that the center of U.S. politics is not holding, despite the fact that most Americans place themselves at or near the center of the ideological spectrum. Trump and his minions have pulled Republican orthodoxy and institutions to the extreme right, and Mamdani's victory suggests another yank by Democrats to the far left. We are in a reactionary political environment, wherein action by one side ignites energy on the other. Second, for Democrats, Mamdani's campaign solidifies a generational change, not only on the streets but in state houses and congressional delegations. Younger, more progressive activists are entering the political system. That's a good thing for Democrats in national, state and local government — if we can build constructive coalitions and avoid friendly fire. Third, extrapolating from this race may inform general trends, but it won't define the face of the Democratic Party across the country. Mamdani ran a disciplined, digitally-savvy campaign that rode a surge of enthusiasm on the left. But he won this race with only 30 percent of New York City's registered Democrats turning out to the polls. This was not a representative sample of the voters Democrats need to persuade in swing districts to flip the House in 2026. Mamdani deserves credit, but winning an election in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Brooklyn, Iowa are two different things. Fourth, Democrats do have a silver lining in this perfect storm. If they can power a common-sense policy agenda that appeals to moderate voters with the massive energy of the progressive left, they have a winning strategy. The argument that they must forsake one faction of the electorate in order to satisfy the other is a zero-sum strategy, which is not how to expand the electoral battlefield. It's not the left versus the middle — to win, it must be both. Mamdani's focus helps preview many of the issues progressives and moderates can embrace: affordability, quality of life and opposing slashing health care in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires. Fifth, even Mamdani's stunning victory reveals soft spots in his winning coalition. Mandani's win is impressive. He performed better than expected in every borough — even Cuomo's strongholds of Staten Island and Queens. But there are warning signs for any Democratic Party effort to adopt Mamdani's strategies nationwide. Despite his 'soak the rich' messaging, Mamdani was elected by higher-income and middle-income voters, whereas Cuomo won lower-income voters decisively. It is a good sign for Mamdani's political movement that he can convince wealthier voters in the city to support him, despite his redistributive policies. But the Democratic Party needs to win working-class voters if it is to win in 2026 and 2028. And, not unlike Bernie Sanders's performance in his two presidential primary campaigns, Mamdani faltered with Black voters, whom Cuomo also won convincingly. If Democrats running in the midterms don't earn Black voters' support, the party has no chance to flip the U.S. House next November. Mamdani's coalition was enough to win this primary, but it is not enough for Democrats to win nationally. Sixth, Democrats should replicate Mamdani's grassroots mobilization through digital strategies. He leveraged compelling, direct appeals on social media to become a viral sensation, with one X post arguing 'you can just tweet 'Zohran Mamdani' and immediately get 1000 likes.' This translated into a robust ground game, with his volunteers knocking on more than 1.5 million doors across New York. His dynamic campaign drew a sharp contrast to Cuomo's lethargic messaging, which from its first botched bagel order never felt in touch with voters on the ground. The mayoral primary sets up an equally bizarre November election. Cuomo still has an independent ballot line, as does Adams. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa may have new opportunities to attract Democratic voters turned off by Mamdani's positions, most especially his repugnant views on Israel. Which means there could be even more drama ahead. This is just the intermission. Steve Israel represented New York in the House of Representatives for eight terms and was chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2011 to 2015. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
6 lessons from Zohran Mamdani's victory
New York politics has always been outsized, sharp-elbowed, dramatic. This week, it became worthy of a Broadway production. Eric Adams, the incumbent Democratic mayor, grew so unpopular among his own base that he decided not even to bother running in the primary. His character arc took him from an avowed opponent of President Trump to pro-Trump in the face of a six-count indictment, which was dropped by the Justice Department in a remarkable coincidence. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo jumped into the race and quickly crowded out all other contenders on the center-left with his massive fundraising. Meanwhile, Zohran Mamdani, a naturally talented, telegenic and young campaigner, energized by popular frustration with mainstream politics, consolidated the left-wing of the Democratic base. It is 'Man of LaMancha' meets 'All The Kings Men.' The shocking finale: A democratic socialist just won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City. Mamdani is now in the driver's seat. For many centrist Democrats, Mamdani, in vastly surpassing even optimistic pre-election projections, presents a shock to the system. But politicians and pundits should extrapolate national conclusions from this race at their own risk. There are complexities that transcend sound bites. Here are some lessons learned from the New York City mayoral primary. First, Mamdani's victory suggests that the center of U.S. politics is not holding, despite the fact that most Americans place themselves at or near the center of the ideological spectrum. Trump and his minions have pulled Republican orthodoxy and institutions to the extreme right, and Mamdani's victory suggests another yank by Democrats to the far left. We are in a reactionary political environment, wherein action by one side ignites energy on the other. Second, for Democrats, Mamdani's campaign solidifies a generational change, not only on the streets but in state houses and congressional delegations. Younger, more progressive activists are entering the political system. That's a good thing for Democrats in national, state and local government — if we can build constructive coalitions and avoid friendly fire. Third, extrapolating from this race may inform general trends, but it won't define the face of the Democratic Party across the country. Mamdani ran a disciplined, digitally-savvy campaign that rode a surge of enthusiasm on the left. But he won this race with only 30 percent of New York City's registered Democrats turning out to the polls. This was not a representative sample of the voters Democrats need to persuade in swing districts to flip the House in 2026. Mamdani deserves credit, but winning an election in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Brooklyn, Iowa are two different things. Fourth, Democrats do have a silver lining in this perfect storm. If they can power a common-sense policy agenda that appeals to moderate voters with the massive energy of the progressive left, they have a winning strategy. The argument that they must forsake one faction of the electorate in order to satisfy the other is a zero-sum strategy, which is not how to expand the electoral battlefield. It's not the left versus the middle — to win, it must be both. Mamdani's focus helps preview many of the issues progressives and moderates can embrace: affordability, quality of life and opposing slashing health care in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires. Fifth, even Mamdani's stunning victory reveals soft spots in his winning coalition. Mandani's win is impressive. He performed better than expected in every borough — even Cuomo's strongholds of Staten Island and Queens. But there are warning signs for any Democratic Party effort to adopt Mamdani's strategies nationwide. Despite his 'soak the rich' messaging, Mamdani was elected by higher-income and middle-income voters, whereas Cuomo won lower-income voters decisively. It is a good sign for Mamdani's political movement that he can convince wealthier voters in the city to support him, despite his redistributive policies. But the Democratic Party needs to win working-class voters if it is to win in 2026 and 2028. And, not unlike Bernie Sanders's performance in his two presidential primary campaigns, Mamdani faltered with Black voters, whom Cuomo also won convincingly. If Democrats running in the midterms don't earn Black voters' support, the party has no chance to flip the U.S. House next November. Mamdani's coalition was enough to win this primary, but it is not enough for Democrats to win nationally. Sixth, Democrats should replicate Mamdani's grassroots mobilization through digital strategies. He leveraged compelling, direct appeals on social media to become a viral sensation, with one X post arguing 'you can just tweet 'Zohran Mamdani' and immediately get 1000 likes.' This translated into a robust ground game, with his volunteers knocking on more than 1.5 million doors across New York. His dynamic campaign drew a sharp contrast to Cuomo's lethargic messaging, which from its first botched bagel order never felt in touch with voters on the ground. The mayoral primary sets up an equally bizarre November election. Cuomo still has an independent ballot line, as does Adams. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa may have new opportunities to attract Democratic voters turned off by Mamdani's positions, most especially his repugnant views on Israel. Which means there could be even more drama ahead. This is just the intermission. Steve Israel represented New York in the House of Representatives for eight terms and was chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2011 to 2015.
Chicago Tribune
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin News Digest: Park district adds pre-concert demos to summer concerts; U-46's production of ‘Man of La Mancha' opens Thursday
Dundee Township Park District will offer demonstrations of two of the programs it offers prior to its 7 p.m. Tuesday summer concerts in July. Each will start at 6 p.m. and last 45 minutes. They include: For the full schedule of concerts, go to The School District U-46 summer theater production of 'Man of La Mancha' will run Thursday through Saturday, June 26-28, at the Streamwood High School auditorium, 701 W. Schaumburg Road. More than 75 students and employees from across the district's five high schools make up the cast, musicians and technical crew for the musical, according to a U-46 newsletter. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon Saturday. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online through Booktix or at the door. The Janus Theatre Company opens its 27th season with 'The Ibsen Project: Hedda,' running Friday through Sunday, June 27-29, at the Elgin Arts Showcase, 164 Division St. Actors will perform Ibsen's 'Hedda Gabler' with scripts in hand, according to the Janus website. For an added twist, each performance will feature a different translation of the Norwegian playwright's work. The production is part of this year's 'Season of Outsiders' and features classic stories from the past brought to life for today's audiences, the website said. It is sponsored in part by the city of Elgin and Elgin Cultural Arts Commission. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10. For tickets, go to For more about Janus' season, go to Duke's Blues Fest will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, June 27, and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 28, in Carpenter Park, 275 Maple Ave., Carpentersville. In addition to live music music, the annual free festival will feature various food vendors, including southern cuisine, according to the event's social media post. Money raised goes to benefit nonprofit Taste the Love. Acts scheduled to perform Friday are Guitar Tony, Topeka Smith, The Johnsons, Michael Charles, Gloria and Ruth Ward and Tammy's Blues & Soul. Saturday's lineup will feature Blues Hart, The Cat Gaddis Project, Luke RePass, Carlisle Guy, the NuBlu Band and Sharay Reed. For more information, call 224-699-9030. Illinois' prairie ecosystems will be the topic of a Geneva Natural Resources Committee lecture at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 28, at the Geneva Public Library, 227 S. Seventh St. A Geneva Park District naturalist from Peck Farm Park will discuss the common characteristics of Illinois prairies and examine the different plants and animals found in prairies and methods land managers use to preserve them, event organizers said. The program is free but registration is recommended. For more information, go to the Geneva Public Library District's website,
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Latter-day Saint leader invites BYU students to pursue ‘foolishness' instead of fool's gold
PROVO — A Latter-day Saint leader admitted up front Tuesday that he would be the first person to deliver a BYU devotional speech asking students to be fools. Religious leaders, government officials, friends and even family were skeptics of Jesus Christ's messages, mission and motivations, leading the apostle Paul to write of himself and other believers, 'in the eyes of the world we may indeed be fools, for Christ's sake,' said Elder Michael A. Dunn, a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Paul was describing a dumbing down of the divine that has recurred throughout history, said Elder Dunn, a convert and the former managing director of BYUtv who spoke before an estimated 6,143 at the Marriott Center on the BYU campus. He used Don Quixote, Steve Young, Martha Hughes Cannon and Joseph Smith as examples of characters and people who strived to maintain their ideals and pursue noble goals despite the scorn of a society that offers distractions and fool's gold. 'Paul's sardonic tone to the Corinthians suggests that being a fool for Christ is the clearest evidence that we are aligned with the wisdom of God, and for our purposes today I want you to think of foolishness as not just merely a dearth of knowledge, but the all-too-common delusion of having knowledge,' Elder Dunn said. 'Thus, if my deep love for Jesus, along with yours, makes us fools for Christ's sake, then this is one time that I urge you, from this day on, to join me in making complete fools of yourselves.' Elder Dunn said his perspective changed as a teenager when he saw the play 'Man of La Mancha,' based on the classic Miguel de Cervantes novel 'Don Quixote.' Quixote was a nearsighted knight-errant on an absurd mission who remained relentlessly riveted to his task despite being mocked as a fool. He said Quixote embodied perfectly President Russell M. Nelson's teaching that, 'The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives,' calling it a prophetic invitation to not be distracted or deterred by what the world claims is most important. 'It most often glitters and sparkles in irresistible fashion, which can easily distract even the most determined among us. That's the nefarious nature of what's called fool's gold,' Elder Dunn said. He quoted from the song 'The Impossible Dream' from 'Man of La Mancha': 'To dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe, to bear with unbearable sorrow, and to run where the brave dare not go. To right the unrightable wrong, to love pure and chaste from afar, to try when your arms are too weary, to reach that unreachable star.' Elder Dunn encouraged students to strive to be like the examples he shared of people who were unflinching, undeterred and had a willingness to work. The ultimate example was Christ, he said. 'Jesus Christ battled and beat the unbeatable foes — sin and death. He alone shouldered the full weight of our unbearable sorrows. His Atonement righted the heretofore unrightable wrong,' Elder Dunn said, calling him an example of reaching for unthinkable stars. 'I hope this reminds all of us that the very highest, noblest Christ-like ideals within us, along with every worthy hope and dream that we hold most dear, is well worth clinging to and standing up for, even despite the ridicule and biting scorn of a very naysaying world, a world that even today would dismiss your personal quest for the noble and divine as nothing but a fool's errand,' Elder Dunn said. 'Believers and doers with the courage to do noble needs, champion big ideas and make the impossible possible are still sorely needed, but to really make a difference in the world, we have to live it, we have to be all in, fully vested in the cause, come what may,' he added. Elder Dunn said Christ was the ultimate example as the one who turned the world's perspective upside down with a 'bold, daring and innovative message of the preeminence of love of God and neighbor ... to this day, a message that still ruffles the entrenched and rankles the status quo, leading skeptics to dismiss believers as mere fools.' It's a charge Elder Dunn said he would embrace and asked students to accept. 'If my deep love for Jesus, along with yours, makes us fools for Christ's sake, then this is one time that I urge you, from this day on to join me in making complete fools of yourselves.' Elder Dunn also used Cannon and Young as examples of 'epic, impossible and most would say, improbable quests.' Cannon earned degrees in medicine and pharmacy in the late 1800s, when women were rare in those fields. Then she turned her attention to public policy and politics, defeating her own husband in an election to become the first female state senator ever elected in the United States. In December, her statue was installed at the U.S. Capitol in the Statuary Hall where 100 statues represent two prominent individuals from each state. Young arrived at BYU as the eighth-string quarterback and was told by a coach that he would never play the position because he was a left-handed running quarterback in a program that emphasized right-handed passers. Young persevered, won the starter's job and later a Super Bowl and is a member of the BYU, college football and NFL halls of fame. To watch the devotional, click here.
