Did NYC Vote for Socialism or Against the Establishment?

Plus: Senate GOP releases version of “Big Beautiful Bill” and Republicans shift on gay marriage

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Did NYC Vote for Socialism or Against the Establishment?

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This week, Reason editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson to analyze Zohran Mamdani's primary win over Andrew Cuomo in New York City's mayoral race and what it signals about the future of Democratic politics. They also discuss the Senate GOP's version of President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and how Republican views on gay marriage have shifted since the Obergefell decision in 2015. Finally, a listener question prompts a discussion on Modern Monetary Theory and the risks it poses from a libertarian perspective.

0:00—What does it mean to be a party pollster?

2:53—Socialist Mamdani wins NYC Democratic primary

11:59—The politics of the housing crisis

15:18—The abundance agenda and Mamdani

21:15—Mamdani as the Trump of the left

27:07—Listener question on Modern Monetary Theory

37:15—Senate GOP version of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill"

42:45—Republican voters shift on gay marriage

48:28—Is the GOP more libertarian under Trump?

50:28—Chances Trump might prove us wrong on Iran strategy

54:22—Weekly cultural recommendations

 

Mentioned in the podcast

"On Housing, All New York Politicians Are Socialists," by Christian Britschgi
"Libya, End Zone Taunting, and the Success Curse," by Matt Welch
"Sovereignty Is Such a Lonely Word," by Matt Welch

 

Upcoming Reason Events

The Reason Roundtable Live in NYC!, July 15

The Soho Forum Debate: Jacob Hacker vs. David Goldhill, July 16

 

Today's Sponsors:

Future of Freedom: If you're tired of cable news debates and Twitter shouting matches, and you're looking for serious, good-faith conversations between people who actually care about liberty, then it's time to check out the Future of Freedom podcast. Each episode dives deep into a single topic—tariffs, campus speech, the Department of Government Efficiency—and brings together two guests who disagree on the best path forward. But here's the twist: This isn't a debate show. No interrupting. No dunking. If you believe the future of freedom depends on more than just winning arguments and you're ready for something deeper than the usual echo chambers, check out the Future of Freedom podcast. Real disagreement. Real ideas. Real conversations. Subscribe to Future of Freedom wherever you get your podcasts.

• Producer: Paul Alexander
• Video Editor: Ian Keyser

What are we consuming this week?

Matt Welch

• Franklin

Katherine Mangu-Ward

• REASON VERSUS - Legalize All Drugs
• Trad Wives and Tallow Fries: How the Wellness Wars Flipped Health and Food Politics Upside Down, by Elizabeth Nolan Brown

Peter Suderman

• F1 The Movie

Kristen Soltis Anderson

• F1 The Movie

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Comments

[MasterThief]

The establishment is socialist. What a foolish question.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

What do you expect from those mongoloids?

[Dillinger]

these morons somehow put their libertarianism at one end of the horseshoe this is right on cue

[TJJ2000]

^THIS +1000000000000000.

[Uncle Jay]

"Did NYC Vote for Socialism or Against the Establishment?"

1. NYC voters always vote for the biggest scumbag available, so expect the socialist to win the mayor's race.

2. I always find it fascinating how far left NYC and NY are, and yet there are so many capitalist millionaires and billionaires who live there. Why would any sane person of that kind of wealth want to live in a socialist shit hole like NYC or NY?
Can anyone out there explain that to me?

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Many people to exploit.

[Vernon Depner]

Crony capitalism is a form of socialism.

[Roberta]

Capitalism is crony capitalism. It's not free enterprise.

[BYODB]

Because they are aware that they can bend the system to work for them while inflicting socialism on everyone else.

Every communist or socialist nation has a core group of 'connected' people that the system works to enrich at the expense of everyone else.

These people are expecting to be those connected oligarchs in the new regime. They tell you this pretty straight, too, since they are always trying to meddle in society via captured government types.

[Juliana Frink]

Socialism Is The ELITES' Paradise!

Yes, it really is that clear and concise.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

Assume, for the sake of argument, you are a normal middle class person, enough income to not sweat movie ticket prices, don't need to pay much attention to restaurant prices, you don't feel the need to search out the cheapest gasoline.

That makes you wealthy in comparison to families which patch holes in kids' pants, hand down clothes from older kids to younger ones, and scrutinize the McDonalds' menu prices when they visit once a week.

That's my explanation for "rich" people who live in California, New York, etc. They make enough to not sweat that their income and property taxes will go up 5% or their electric bills will double because natural gas has been banned in favor of heat pumps.

[Brett Bellmore]

Gotta break it to you: The people you're describing as "normal middle class" are actually in the upper 20%. Actual "middle" class people absolutely sweat tax increases and electric bills.

In fact, if you want a non-statistical definition of "middle class", it would be "enough income to be reliably comfortable, but not so much that you don't have to watch what you spend".

[Incunabulum]

In socialist areas those with control of the government can do whatever they want. And in socialism control of the government is how you get rich.

[damikesc]

Those billionaires want more power. Stalin was more powerful in the USSR than any billionaire has ever been in the US.

They are convinced that they will be the ones who will control the lowly proles.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Tell that chick in the pic to shut up.

[AT]

NGL, I don't ever see myself getting used to seeing people with earbuds. For the life of me, I don't know why anyone would photograph themselves with them.

[BYODB]

They are probably avoiding mic echo as the other participants audio is piped through their earbuds rather than an external speaker. Basic A/V stuff.

Real productions use ear buds you can't see as easily.

[AT]

Fair argument. Still weird.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

Koch must be going cheap on production values.

[Longtobefree]

"Did NYC Vote for Socialism or Against the Establishment?"

What difference, at this point, does it make?

[MoreFreedom]

I think the better question is how long before NYC ends up like all socialist societies eventually end up?

Trump has a lot of property there.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

Martial law and crackdowns on Marxists could really do a lot for NYC.

[creech]

Is there any reason today that "Wall Street" can't be located in Hoboken or Wilmington or Easton or Hartford or even Pocatello or Wichita?

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

None whatsoever. Outside of NYC being a prominent physical shipping hub, I see no real value there. They don’t even have good weather.

[MollyGodiva]

Once again people are making no distinction between Soviet style socialism and Nordic style strong social safety nets socialism. Same word, very different meanings.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Norway gets away with it because they have almost unlimited money from selling oil . You know, capitalism.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

They also have a small population and very restrictive immigration policies. Indigents are not admitted. Pedo Jeffy would hate it there.

[Pear Satirical (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Also very high taxes on everyone, not just the Uber rich.

[Uilleam]

The second version is kinder and gentler when they rape and pillage?

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

He is on video saying his end goals are seizure of production Dr retard.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

Careful, that kind of talk gives Tony the vapors.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Was hoping he was the granny in England given 30 years for child rape. Unfortunately Tony's victims still have no retribution.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

True. I always thought it would be very refining for Tony to receive savage beatings every day. Sarc and Jeffy too.

[Pear Satirical (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Be serious here, you don't 30 years for rape in England. You might for complaining about it, but not for rape itself.

[DesigNate]

You don’t understand what socialism is, you don’t have to broadcast it, doc.

[Marshal]

Nordic style strong social safety nets socialism.

The American left is not pursuing "Nordic" style safety net socialism. This version relies on very little business regulation and the resulting business success to fund their programs. The American left believe that all business decisions should be subject to government veto or restructuring as the CFPB allowed. It's not surprising though that the American left wants others to believe that is their goal.

In reality the American left is pursuing South American and African style Corporatism enabled by class hatred.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

STFU commie scum.

[JeremyR]

Because the Nordic countries are not socialist. Socialism isn't welfare, it's when the government runs the economy.

The Nordic countries are actually economically freer (aka more capitalistic) than the U.S. is.

https://www.heritage.org/index/pages/all-country-scores

[Pear Satirical (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

And even then, they have to have very high taxes on the population as a whole to afford it.

[damikesc]

It's cute that you think wanting to seize the means of production (quote from him) is any different than Soviet Communism.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

Mamdami is talking about government owned grocery stores. That is more soviet style than Nordic.

[Wizzle Bizzle]

Look, straws! Let's grasp em.

[AT]

They'd better be paper and biodegradable. Otherwise boooooyyyyy....

[Incunabulum]

1. The establishment is socialist.

2. Something like 5 percent of voters voted Mamdani.

3. The news is trying to blow this up into a 'mandate' - which is how you know the establishment is socialist.

[Sam Bankman-Fried]

I think it has more to do with him being pro Hamas. I think it’s pretty clear Biden was losing and Kamala lost because of their support Israel. Obviously Republicans give them no credit for standing by Israel but it was the right thing to do.

[Incunabulum]

I have a question - why is Mamdani not described as a 'populist'?

Is he not 'pandering' to those disaffected by the liberal status quo? Is he not a charismatic guy with horrible policies talking about tearing down the established order to thunderous applause?

Why is Trump a 'populist' but Mamdani is not?

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

I’m going with skin color.

[JeremyR]

Because the working classes didn't vote for him, the elites did.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

There should be no such thing as a rich socialist.

[Brett Bellmore]

On SSM, the real issue wasn't the SSM itself. It was the judiciary deciding that the people would no longer have any say on the issue, and the question of what topic they'd do that on next. And the whole predictable Masterpiece Bakery Arlene flowers compelled complicity.

But the SSM itself wasn't a big deal for most people, just the courts usurping the power to decide it from the voters.

Now we're, not so much in favor of it, as resigned, and fighting the next fight.

[Uomo Del Ghiaccio]

Did NYC Vote for Socialism or Against the Establishment?
Both

[MWAocdoc]

"Did NYC Vote for Socialism or Against the Establishment?"

This is clearly a finalist in the "Dumbest Reason Titles" competition! Why can't it be both? And isn't "the establishment" socialist? Never mind, those were rhetorical questions. They voted against the socialist lite establishment for the Marxist socialist crew.