The history of the U.S. has, since its inception, been marked by many honorable struggles against oppression in one form or another. From the American Revolution to the Civil Rights movement, there have been many times when the people of this country fought stubbornly for what they believed in, regardless of who opposed them–whether it be the government or the majority.
This is not one of those times. In the farcical era of politics we live in, ideology reigns supreme. In recent years both parties have drifted towards their respective extremes, with the result being a more polarized society in which individuals fortify their own ideological positions while attacking those who disagree with them. Whether this takes the form of a social media post, or, in some cases, a tragic act of violence, the us-vs.-them mentality of this environment puts the function of democracy in jeopardy; compromise ceases to become a realistic concept due to the ideological gulf between parties being perceived as too great to overcome.
This, then, is the background to Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York City. A self-proclaimed democratic socialist, Mr. Mamdani undoubtedly pushes the Democratic Party further to the left given his popularity among liberals. The general Republican response remains to be seen; however, given that 74% of conservatives held an “unfavorable” opinion of him in the latest Economist/YouGov Poll, it seems likely they may drift further to the right as a matter of principle. Just as during the years leading up to the Civil War, when actions perceived as ‘extreme’ by the North and South–mostly notably the election of Abraham Lincoln–resulted in extreme polarization. The South saw in the election of Lincoln an escalation of the fight over slavery, and retaliated with further escalation in the form of succession.
A clash between Mr. Mamdani and President Trump already seems inevitable, with the latter having referred to the former as a “communist” and threatened to withhold federal funding to New York City. Mr. Mamdani addressed Mr, Trump in his triumphant victory speech on November 5th, claiming that “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him” before referring to Mr. Trump as a “despot”. In portraying political opposition to him as a battle against a tyrannical leader, Mr. Mamdani seems to have forgotten that it is Mr. Trump who won the popular vote of the 2024 election.
Calling the chosen candidate of many voters a “despot” and emphasizing the need to “defeat” him, as many leaders of the Democratic Party have chosen to do, is not only counterproductive if it hopes to win elections, but undemocratic. Mr. Trump has admittedly worked to undermine democracy in his own way by directing the Justice Department to investigate his political opponents and take over roles generally performed by Congress, among other things–the danger he poses to the established order should not be underestimated. However, it should also not be overstated; most would agree that the U.S. is still more of a democracy than an autocracy, after all. And, while that remains the case, it is important for politicians to act like it. Warning of a threat to democracy is not the same as pretending that democracy no longer exists.
A democratic system relies on compromise, which, though Democratic lawmakers would be quick to point out the stubbornness their counterparts exhibited during the longest government shutdown in American history, also extends to the electorate. Alienating Republican voters will only continue the cycle of polarization that has caused extremists like Mr. Trump to be elected in the first place, and lessen the Democrats’ likelihood to win the midterm elections. If voters are dissatisfied with Mr. Trump (as the same poll mentioned above would suggest), they will seek candidates dissimilar to him–in other words, not as divisive, radical, or contemptuous of the rule of law. Thus, it is in the Democrats’ best interests to appear the more rational, conciliatory party, concerned more with engaging with the system this country runs on to fix its problems rather than railing against their political opponents.
