Watching former governor Andrew Cuomo flail on The View as Alyssa Farah Griffin pressed him was a revealing moment for anyone paying attention to why New Yorkers are drifting toward radical candidates. Cuomo tried to blame the upset on a vague “civil war” within the Democratic Party, claiming there are two factions — Democrats and democratic socialists — as if that explains away a grassroots revolt.
The clip Dave Rubin shared in his Direct Message segment captured the awkwardness perfectly, with The View hosts visibly taken aback as Cuomo struggled to articulate a real answer to voters’ frustrations. Conservatives should be grateful outlets like Rubin’s are amplifying moments establishment figures would rather sweep under the rug.
Make no mistake: Zohran Mamdani did not win by accident. The young democratic socialist scored a stunning primary victory over Cuomo and has ridden populist outrage into the center of the mayoral race, banking on promises that sound attractive in campaign literature but are toxic in practice. The upset reflected deep discontent with the status quo and a Democratic Party that keeps moving left while pretending moderate concerns don’t exist.
What Mamdani is actually proposing should alarm every taxpayer and small-business owner in the city: higher corporate and wealthy taxes, rent freezes, and wildly expensive new social programs like free buses and government-run stores. Even his allies admit the math doesn’t add up, and his campaign is already talking about “Plan B” if the usual tax hikes don’t cover his $10 billion wishlist — the classic leftist promise with no credible way to fund it.
Beyond the budget fantasies, Mamdani’s record includes inflammatory attacks on law enforcement and an inability to clearly repudiate extremist slogans tied to violence; these are not the qualities of a unifier who can run a city as complex and fragile as New York. Voters deserve leaders who respect the rule of law and protect small businesses, not ideologues who cheer for confrontation and chaos.
Cuomo’s performance on national TV underscored a broader failure of the Democratic establishment: when called to account, their explanations are defensive, self-referential, and tone-deaf to everyday New Yorkers who just want safer streets and an economy that works. Conservatives should point out that Democrats can no longer hide behind platitudes; their internal quarrels have consequences for the country and hand cultural and political victories to populists on both the left and the right.
This moment is a wake-up call for patriotic Americans who still believe in common-sense government, personal responsibility, and the dignity of work. We must expose the hollow promises of democratic socialism, hold the media and the political class to account, and rally behind leaders who will restore order, protect liberty, and put fiscal sanity back into city government.
