Victory Lap

Why I Support Mamdani’s Ambitious Ideas

People are so… well, I won’t call names. But if you really think folks voted for Zohran Mamdani just to “pass go” on a bus fare, that’s missing the point. It’s not about a free ride — it’s about ideas that are really for the people. Big or small, bold or simple, he’s bringing a different conversation to the table — one that talks about helping everyday New Yorkers, not the corporations that capitalize off us.

Even if his ideas are radical or highly ambitious, he’s being ambitious for me and you. Meanwhile, others want you to keep believing they’re for you, when in reality they’re controlled by the same forces you claim to despise. Why do people keep going along with the normal political banter — the same talking points, the same empty promises — when these are the same folks who once voted for Obama because they wanted change?

We’ve seen the scandals — Eric Adams with a RICO investigation, Cuomo with his issues — and yet when someone clean like Mamdani steps up, people hesitate. He has no scandals, no corruption cloud hanging over him. But somehow, he’s dismissed because people say he “can’t back his ideas.”

But isn’t that what politics has always been about? Ideas. Promises. Change. Compromise. Reaching for the moon and landing among the stars if we must. At least he’s reaching — and his reach includes goals that could actually help you and your neighbors.

The others? Same old story. As long as he’s not talking danger, why wouldn’t I support progressive ideas that push for better?

Governor Hochul already showed her stance on the free MTA proposal — she said she’s not willing to do it “at the moment.” Maybe she never will. But now she has to address it. We’re talking about it. We’re thinking about it. And if even a small shift happens because of that conversation, that’s a win in my book for Mamdani.

At the end of the day, that’s what I want from a leader — someone who makes us talk, think, and dream again. Someone who reminds us that New York belongs to the people who live here, not just those who profit from it. Even if everything he fights for doesn’t get passed, the energy of that fight moves the conversation forward. And that’s the kind of ambition I’ll stand behind any day.

Part 2: Furthermore…

The idea that the working class should feel ashamed because they want something in return from their city — in return for what they already give — is wild to me. It ain’t free. We pay taxes. And not once. Our money and households are being taxed three times over — at the register, in our checks, and through the cost of living that keeps climbing while wages stay stuck.

The Van Wyck Expressway has been under construction for over twenty years, but somehow there’s always enough money for contracts, consultants, and corporations. Prices rise, but salaries stay stagnant. And the same people who claim to “know politics” want to make the working class feel guilty for simply asking for what’s fair — for help, reparations, or assistance that doesn’t destroy families in the process.

And let’s be real — where were those same voices when the government was handing out $100 for a COVID shot? I didn’t hear anyone saying, “Don’t take that handout.” It’s funny how some folks only call something a “handout” when it’s going to the poor. But when it’s going to corporations, developers, or politicians, it’s called “policy,” “relief,” or “economic growth.”

So don’t tell me working people should feel bad for wanting better. For wanting the system that takes from us every day to finally give something back. That’s not weakness — that’s accountability.

Perfect clarification — that’s a crucial point, and it deepens your argument by exposing the psychology behind that shift in class identity. Here’s Part 3 revised with your full meaning restored — keeping your voice, rhythm, and tone:

Part 3: The Money Always Tells the Story

Mamdani’s opposition donated millions in campaign funds to Cuomo. Why? Let’s look at who these people really are — the Tisch family, Bloomberg, folks endorsed by Trump. When have any of these people ever stood on the side of melanated folks from the trenches? They haven’t. They’re not here to build with us — they’re here to protect their bottom lines and profits. They see Mamdani as being in the way of that.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. A big duhhh!

But here’s what really got me: some of the loudest voices against Mamdani are Black individuals — people who made it to a certain tax bracket and now see themselves as part of the “good ones crew.” They’re not Republicans on paper, but they move like it. They’ve adopted that mindset that everyone struggling just wants a handout.

They forget that their parents were immigrants. They forget they grew up poor. They forget those Section 8 apartments, the bologna sandwiches, and the EBT cards that kept their families fed. Somewhere along the line, they confused survival for shame and turned empathy into elitism.

Now they sit at tables where they feel “accepted,” but don’t realize they were only invited because they learned to keep quiet when the conversation turns against their own people. They think success means separating from the struggle, when in truth, success should mean lifting others out of it.

And that’s why Mamdani threatens so many — not because he’s unrealistic, but because he reminds people of what they promised to change once they “made it.”