Mamdani didn’t win because New York suddenly fell in love with socialism. He won because he captured something every politician should be listening to right now: a deep frustration that the system doesn’t feel fair anymore. Lee Carter shares thoughtful, timely analysis about why Mamdani won in this opinion piece for FoxNews.com.
Every few election cycles, America rediscovers an old political pastime: name-calling dressed up as moral clarity. This year’s favorite epithet is “socialist.” But when we label something, we often fail to see what’s really resonating. Republicans warned Barack Obama was a socialist. He won twice. In 2016 and 2024, Democrats branded Donald Trump a fascist. He still won. The pattern is clear: moral name-calling doesn’t persuade. It polarizes. It makes us feel righteous but sound out of touch. In this thought-provoking opinion piece for FoxNews.com, Lee Carter suggests that when everything becomes an “-ism,” we stop listening for the “why.”
