More than just the sun came up today
Feels like change is rising
This will be brief and entirely off-label, but I’ve been steeped in American politics these last five months and today, that’s a good thing. I don’t think my being consumed by the south-of-the-border-calamity will be a surprise to anyone, most of the world already flattened-against-the-wall-spiralling around the insanity that has taken over the White House. In my defence, I did quit Facebook and Amazon (including Audible), had left X months earlier, cancelled my paid subscriptions to the Washington Post, and New York Times, and turned off notifications for anything else connected with the face-to-the-floor billionaires who sold their souls to the unravelling criminal sitting in that big, beautiful house with the matching big, beautiful flagpoles that were erected in a ceremony in which the word “erected” had to be replaced with “lifted” and be referred to solely by its first letter - “starts with an ‘e’ (do you know that word?)” - apparently because the host of the ceremony was too aroused by it.
Yeah. That.
In fact, I even quit the amazing new social platform Bluesky because I simply needed to hang onto what was left of my sanity and eyes-trained-on-the-dumpster-fire wasn’t a good fit for achieving that goal. I would recommend it for anyone looking for something of a new platform alternative to the mountainous ruin that is Elon Musk.
Today, though, my hope for a viable future for America was restored by Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City Mayoral Primary. And what an upset his election was for the Democratic Party, members of which poured bucket loads of money and accolades out for their favoured candidate, former New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo. The photo below is from The Guardian’s coverage of Mamdani’s win. Read their article here, and please consider supporting their excellent reporting.
Today, with Cuomo having now left the race, Mamdani, a Muslim American, is undoubtedly about to take on the leadership of the City of New York in the upcoming election. The excitement about that will sweep the America that’s been reeling from the extreme fascist agenda that was written while the country and its Democratic Party slept under Joe Biden’s presidency. So, too, will the response to his victory sweep through the Republican wings of power, those who wrote that agenda, the revisioning of America through Project 2025. Republicans will do everything in their power to undermine Mamdani’s rise to influence. But at the age of 35, there is a lot of rise potential in the air above him as he grows in political stature.
Yeah. You’ve got to love this guy for so many reasons. Go ahead. Click on the image below for one of them.
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Of course, the right-leaning tabloid The Daily Mail1 currently being sued by seven claimants (including Prince Harry and Elton John) for unlawful behaviour in the pursuit of material for shock-value cover-stories about public figures, will have dug up that old rap video and shared it for the sole purpose of undermining Mamdani’s rise in popularity. After all, the New York State legislator is young and energetic (he walked the length of Manhattan during his campaign simply to meet and talk with people). He’s an unapologetic member of the Democratic Socialists of America (imagine that!), and he had the audacity to put his name on the ballot for “Mayor, New York City” against the well-known former Governor of New York State and Democratic establishment favourite, Andrew Cuomo. Unlike Cuomo, though, Mamdani is not an accused and convicted sexual predator. That’s good. And Mandani looks just fine in an apron, doesn’t he? That’s good, too!
As for Cuomo, well, it’s not the same. At. All.
The Daily Mail’s desire to undermine the member of the Democratic Socialists of America just didn’t work. The video they posted will have gone viral by now. Even as it reaches toward 30+ degrees today, I’m up and grooving to it over and over again. Join me! Up! Groove, people, groove! Catch the spirit of this hopeful wave!
Mamdani’s courage has been on full display throughout this campaign and it will be needed as the Democratic establishment gets its feet back under itself and tries to figure out how to celebrate this dramatic shift in traditional politics. There is no sleeping anymore. There is too much at stake.
Zohran Mamdani can teach us all something about courage. And maybe even before it’s too late for democracy south of our border.
Now, again! Up! Dance!!
Sorry. The Mamdani rap link is the only Daily Mail link you’re going to get today. If you want to read that swampwaterfest, you’ll have to search it yourself. Feel free to enjoy the rap Instagram link over and over and over again, though!
Yay, oh yay!!! What happy news. My old, old legs did a little Irish-Scotch jig. Thank you for a good news piece today.
This is hopeful. Thank you for continuing to write and post for the rest of us. Love.