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Zohran Mamdani’s strong opposition to Israel’s military actions in Gaza is a critical element of his political success, according to Patrick Gaspard, a longtime Democratic operative who is advising the mayoral front-runner. In the latest edition of Right Now, Gaspard argued that Mamdani’s Gaza stances resonated with Democrats who were frustrated with party leadership over Gaza, the 2024 election defeat, and congressional Democrats’ refusal to stand up to Trump early in his second term. Gaspard likens the political effects of Mamdani’s Gaza position to Barack Obama having opposed the Iraq War, which many of his 2008 Democratic primary opponents initially supported. Gaspard, who served as Obama’s political director, says that Mamdani uniquely combines “moral clarity,” “curiosity,” “grace,” and an ability to be “nimble.” Polls suggest Mamdani may fall short of winning 50 percent of the vote. But Gaspard rejects the idea that Mamdani needs to win an outright majority to have a mandate to lead New York. He notes that it’s hard to win 50 percent in a multicandidate field and that both Bill Clinton and Donald Trump didn’t win majorities but still governed aggressively as president.
