The relentless negativity and performative cruelty of American politics is exhausting. Following Zohran Mandani’s lead, leftists can distinguish ourselves with a concrete political program paired with genuine enthusiasm for ordinary people.

The day after New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory speech last week, the political commentariat appeared untethered from reality. Veteran liberal talking head Van Jones said that Mamdani’s “tone was sharp” and that he was “almost yelling.” Jones described the performance forebodingly as a “character switch.” Far-right ideologue Steve Bannon seemed to agree with Jones. “That’s an angry guy. That was in your face,” Bannon said of Mamdani’s speech.

These were odd mischaracterizations of a speech that, while a bit cheeky at moments, was meas

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