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Scare tactics
Back in 2018, national Republicans singled out California Rep. Nancy Pelosi in hopes of dragging down House candidates, but the strategy failed and Democrats retook the House.
After that, Republicans shifted their focus to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with the same exact strategy. It didn’t work then either.
And yet, this same strategy has been central to what the Republican Party has been planning to do with Mamdani for months. Politico reported this morning that the National Republican Congressional Committee has already launched digital ads in battleground districts trying to link Democrats to Mamdani.
So here is why I don’t think this will work.
First of all, it’s hard to imagine Mamdani, or any of his advisors are going to see the benefit of him leaving the five boroughs for the foreseeable future. So they can put him in digital ads and spend all the money they want, but his focus is going to be far more on dealing with New York City issues from the cost of rent to figuring out how to deliver on free buses — not on leading the Democratic Party nationally.
Second, anyone running for office in a state where his policies might not be popular can just say that. The Democratic Party needs to be a big tent of people aligned on addressing affordability, and defending the rule of law. That doesn’t mean there needs to be agreement on the solutions. And candidates differentiating themselves from a big city mayor can serve them well. It’s not that hard.
Finally, there are a lot of rising stars in the Democratic Party with White House ambitions. And there is no way they are ceding ground to the newly elected mayor, as talented as he may be. So Republicans spending all their money trying to tie Democrats to Mamdani is going to look a little silly when one or two dozen other stars are in the early stages competing for the presidential nomination.
If Republicans want to spend millions trying to make Mamdani the face of the Democratic Party, good luck. They’ve tried this strategy before, and it hasn’t worked.
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“Why do the older Democrats like Chuck Schumer believe they can keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? Like in Maine — supporting an older, long-term politician over exciting young talent. Younger voters do not relate and vote the other way.”
— Steven G. Russell Hi Steven, I have thought a lot about this question myself. The Chuck Schumers of the Democratic party may think that their experience is the only way for Democrats to win again or their incumbency is a required advantage. And those qualities can be helpful components. But if Tuesday taught us anything, younger candidates like 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani that capitalized on social media to connect with young people, is the new winning strategy. Every week, Jen selects a question to answer from a newsletter subscriber. If you have a question for Jen, submit it here and subscribe to the newsletter and for a chance to be featured in a future edition. For the latest episode of the brand-new season of “The Blueprint” podcast, I sat down with political strategists Lis Smith and David Plouffe to reflect on a successful election night for Democrats — and where the party can go from here. Subscribe now and never miss an episode.
Jen Psaki is the host of "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" airing Tuesdays through Fridays at 9 p.m. EST. She is the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden. Recommended
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