Mamdani wins… why are people so shocked?

Yes, Zohran Mamdani won the election Nov. 4 to become the next mayor of New York City.

It was not surprising, as he had come in as the favorite, ahead comfortably in most of the polls— but what was surprising was all the uproar about him.

“Communist,” “Socialist,” “Anti-Jewish,” “he’s a Muslim” and “he’s too inexperienced” were all cries heard, quite frankly, from both sides of the aisle.

But really, is the new Mayor Mamdani that extreme?

Addressing straight up the income inequality problem in America (and New York) by plainly stating that he will raise the taxes on the wealthy,  while lowering or keeping the same for others—is that so drastic? Is that "extreme" thinking?

When the income balance is so out of whack (1% of country have more wealth than the entire bottom 50%), assuming one is a bit bothered by that fact, is it so “extreme” to want to address that directly? 

To call that “socialism” or “communism” might be unfair, to say the least.

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Is it extreme for Mamdani—even with his Muslim heritage—to criticize Israel for their attacks on Palestinians?  Remember many, including non-Muslims,other Americans and even many Jewish Americans, had the exact same reactions and agreed that the Israeli destruction of Gaza and all the killing was horrible.  So… does that thinking qualify as “extreme”?

Holding housing costs down, freezing apartment rents to protect the middle and lower-middle class, wanting to get more restrictions on gun purchases, refusing to ignore the warnings of climate change, and wanting police oversight to protect ordinary citizens—are these positions by Mamdani really “extreme”?

He is young, has fresh ideas, vows to help all citizens of New York City, and is willing to work hard to accomplish this.

He put an incredible amount of time into his campaigning, going to all parts of the city, including black neighborhoods, Latino neighborhoods, low-income areas, and Jewish temples for meetings and discussions.

He did his absolute best in reaching out to everyone and spreading the message of respect and equality. And it worked!

Let’s give the man a chance, and also realize he really is not some radical, wacky leftist as he is often painted to be. 

He has a huge and enthusiastic following in the city. Many are young and first-timers to the political stage. 

We might need a “breath of fresh air” on the political scene. Let’s give the man a chance.