The Brian Lehrer Show Mobilizing the Mamdani Volunteer Army
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Jan 12, 2026 Eric Blanc, an assistant professor at Rutgers and labor organizing expert, discusses the dynamic volunteer army that propelled Mayor Mamdani to victory. He emphasizes the importance of mobilizing these volunteers to achieve policy goals beyond mere voting. Topics include strategic organizing, leveraging grassroots training for issues like childcare, and pressuring corporations connected to ICE. Blanc highlights the role of the Office of Mass Engagement and urges a shift from critique to collaborative power for the left in order to drive real change.
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Politics Requires Mass Organized Participation
- Politics is more than voting and requires organized people to counter powerful corporate interests.
- Winning Zoran's agenda depends on hundreds of thousands staying active and engaging neighbors and coworkers.
Plug Into Weekend Canvasses And Petitions
- Join weekend canvasses and petition drives to pressure Governor Hochul on universal child care financed by taxing the rich.
- Sign up at OurTime.nyc or canvas.socialist to plug into ongoing actions and trainings.
Rapid Post-Inauguration Pressure Worked
- Our Time trained 700 people and quickly produced 2,000 letters to Hochul within 48 hours of the inauguration.
- That rapid pressure reportedly pushed the governor toward a more ambitious child care proposal.