I have a very problematic record when it comes to political predictions, but that won’t deter me from making another one. And it is this: the election of Zorhan Mamdani, an unabashed democratic socialist to lead the most populous city in the country, brings the conversation about socialism and socialist candidates into the public square in an altogther new way.
Moreover, the substance of that conversation in general and the election prospects of socialist candidates across the country in particular will depend to a degree on the skillfulness and successes of Mamdani and his administration. In other words, his successes will redound positively to the image of socialism and socialists, while his missteps and failures will do the opposite.
Written by
Sam Webb
I'm a long-time socialist and activist, but new to the blogging world. I hope to bring a different perspective on politics, sports, culture, and Marxism. Besides blogging, I also leave plenty of time for swimming, hiking, ESPN, music, reading, drinking good beer, and, not least, my family and friends. I wish I could play basketball, but my knees ruled out that possibility long ago.
While I currently reside in New York, my politically formative years were spent in Portland, Me. and Detroit during the 1970s and 1980s. I graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia (where I played basketball) and received a MA in economics from the University of Connecticut.
I was the national chairperson of the Communist Party, USA from 2000 until 2014 when I stepped down at the convention. In 2016 I resigned from the Communist Party two years later. We were no longer on the same page.
