Can Mamdani Fight the Democratic Party Machine?

FEATURING JAY PONTI - One of the most exciting politicians in recent months has been New York Mayoral Democratic Party candidate Zohran Mamdani, who brings an unapologetically democratic socialist set of solutions to the predatory capitalist gutting of the economy. 

Mamdani has inspired so much new energy, particularly among young people, all over the country, that it is shocking how many of his party colleagues still refuse to endorse him. New York state’s Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, New Jersey Democrat Corey Booker, and others. 

Now, it has emerged that former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who Mamdani beat in the primary race and who has declared an independent candidacy against him in November, is in direct contact with President Donald Trump. 

Trump has considered intervening in the Mayoral election, labeled Mamdani a “communist lunatic” and even threatened to arrest him. 

In an interview from Netroots Nation 2025 in New Orleans, Jay Ponti, a grassroots political organizer, trainer, and consultant discussed how to counter the Democratic Party's political machine.

Ponti has participated in some of the most important social movements of the last decade, including Occupy Wall Street, Standing Rock, and Bernie Sanders’s two presidential campaigns. He is the co-creator of the #BankExit fossil fuel divestment campaign and has organized campaigns and direct actions across the country. And, he’s author of Be The Revolution: How Occupy Wall Street and the Bernie Sanders Movement Reshaped American Politics.

Special thanks to Free Speech TV for sponsoring my travel.

ROUGH TRANSCRIPT:

Sonali Kolhatkar: Welcome To the program Jay Ponti. 

Jay Ponti: Hi, it's great to be here. 

Kolhatkar: So let's talk a little bit about what New York city mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani can expect between now and the general election for mayor. He's facing off against two corrupt Democrats, who basically knew they couldn't beat him, and one he certainly did beat in the Democratic primary. And you are concerned about what Zohran Mamdani is gonna be facing because they've all, basically, all the opposition has lined up and joined forces against him. What should he expect? 

Ponti: Well, first off, what really boggles my mind is who are these Democrats who see a credibly accused sexual predator and someone who has been convicted of corruption and went to the Trump administration, you know, to get exonerated and says, ‘that's my guy.’ Like, how are either of these people even polling that is, that is a question that I have. 

But what can Mamdani expect? One thing that we have seen over and over again is that neoliberals hate socialists more than fascists. Okay? So what we can expect is largely what we saw the alignment against Bernie Sanders in both 2016 and 2020.