How Anti-Establishment Energy is Winning While Cuomo FLOPS in Mamdani Debate, with Dave Smith

Debate Highlights and Cuomo's Performance [0:00]

• Zoltan Madani is effectively challenging Andrew Cuomo in a debate, creating a strong contrast.
• Cuomo is perceived as "cooking" his opponent and making up his own facts.
• Madani points out Cuomo's past actions as governor, specifically cutting state legislator funding and MTA funding, holding him accountable for the city "getting screwed by the state."
• Cuomo's energy in the debate is described as low, appearing resentful and bitter, suggesting he has "quit."
• This mirrors past debates where candidates, like Jeb Bush in 2016, faced similar energy declines when their campaigns faltered.

"I mean, Dave, again, neither of us is a particular fan of socialism or rent freezes. Why is Cuomo so bad at this?"

The Power of Being Anti-Establishment [02:41]

• Being outside the establishment is a significant advantage in modern American politics.
• The prevailing sentiment is that people are "getting screwed by whoever, you know, whoever the powerful people are."
• Candidates can leverage this by blaming the government or the state, as Madani did to Cuomo.
• This strategy is compared to Donald Trump's success, where he could pivot complaints back to established figures.

"And Donald Trump really obviously rode to success, but when you think about what a huge advantage it is in politics in America today to just not be in the establishment."

Critique of "Woke" Politics and Character Tests [03:33]

• A critique is levied against "woke tweets," exemplified by a hypothetical "queer liberation means defund the police" statement.
• Such statements are seen as a test of character, and weakness in adhering to them is a disqualifier for support.
• The idea of falling for "mass hysteria" during artificial events is also criticized.
• The premise that Andrew Cuomo could still run for office in New York is viewed as misguided.

"But anyone who's weak enough to have said that at one point, I would just never support. That is just like a test of your character."

Madani's Shifting Stance and Candidate Authenticity [04:36]

• Madani, who previously engaged in "woke mad libs on X," is now nowhere to be found in that persona, even apologizing to the NYPD.
• This shift is seen as a move towards appearing more like a "normal human being," resonating with voters beyond typical Democratic demographics.
• The contrast is drawn with Cuomo, who is presented as a "horrible candidate."
• The argument is made that Madani's current appeal lies in his perceived authenticity and rejection of the establishment's messaging.

"Mom Donnie is picking up on something that a lot of Democrats haven't and that the 2020 Mom Donnie that was doing woke mad libs on X is basically nowhere to be found."

Reforming Government and Fighting Special Interests [05:43]

• The debate shifts to the practicalities of governance and policy.
• Madani suggests that special interest groups lobby heavily against reform.
• There's a focus on ending patronage politics where connections matter more than merit.
• An example is given of New York City potentially paying McKinsey millions for a trash can design, highlighting inefficiencies.
• The need to "transform the inner workings of government" is emphasized.

"What the [__] do you do when special interest groups are going to be lobbying like crazy?"

Attacks on Madani and Political Messaging [06:19]

• Republican Elise Stefanik is noted for calling Madani a "jihadist" while simultaneously wanting him to be a "woke lib."
• This is seen as a contradictory and ineffective attack strategy.
• The overall approach of opponents is described as "tonedeaf" and removed from current realities.
• Past attacks, like questioning support for Israel's right to exist, are deemed irrelevant to the broader base.

"And Dave Republican Elise Stefonic is out there calling this guy a jihadist. Like they want him to be a woke lib at the same time as they want to call him a jihadist."

The Flaws of Tax Increases and Government Efficiency [08:01]

• A 2% tax increase, while seemingly small to the wealthy, can significantly impact families making around $400,000.
• The idea that increased taxes guarantee better government services is questioned, with a lack of positive examples cited.
• The fundamental argument for capitalism over socialism is that capitalism is empirically a better system for prosperity and as a hedge against tyranny.

"The way to think about these things is will a lot more people leave than otherwise would. And actually, yes, 2% is a big difference, right?"

Corruption in Capitalism and the Appeal of Socialism [09:31]

• The system of capitalism in America is described as "so corrupt and blood soaked."
• This corruption makes it difficult to defend capitalism, leading some to view "cronies" as the primary defenders of the status quo.
• This perception contributes to socialism being an appealing alternative, despite theoretical arguments for capitalism.
• The current iteration of capitalism is seen as propped up by deeply ingrained, possibly nefarious, forces.

"But the problem is that our version of capitalism is so corrupt and blood soaked and obviously just full like it's like I don't know, it's like propped up by like some type of satanic pedophilic ring or something."

The Paradox of Cuomo Defending Crony Capitalism [10:23]

• Andrew Cuomo is framed as being forced to defend "crony capitalism," which is equated with a form of democratic socialism.
• The fundamental definitions of capitalism (laissez-faire, private ownership) and socialism (government ownership) are discussed.
• A "lockdown governor" defending capitalism against socialism is seen as hypocritical and a "slippery slope" argument.

"Well, think about this, right? You have in the in the truest sense, right? Like capitalism is what? like lazy fair restrained government and private ownership, right?"

Horseshoe Theory and Anti-Establishment Support [11:44]

• The phenomenon of figures like Zoltan Madani and even Bernie Sanders having conversations with comedians like Tim Dillon and Tim Pool is noted.
• This is linked to "horseshoe theory," where the political extremes meet.
• The core appeal is the anti-establishment stance, which draws support from those who want to "blow up the political establishment."
• This support extends to commentators and comedians who are not bound by traditional party loyalties.

"There's obviously like some horseshoe theory at work here, but I think David, it gets to the point you made earlier just about if you're the anti-establishment candidate and the person on the other side is the establishment candidate, that's how you get a Joe Rogan on your side."

The Central Issue: Anti-Establishment Fury [12:17]

• The central issue of our time is identified as the fury against the establishment, not necessarily left versus right.
• Donald Trump's rise is seen as a direct consequence of this fury, exposing the perceived corruption and dishonesty of the establishment.
• Crises in the 21st century have consistently revealed the government as being comprised of "complete liars."
• The primary concern for many voters is not ideology, but whether a candidate is honest and against the corrupt regime.

"The whole issue is and and this is what's so crazy about the uh the Donald Trump moment as we sit here, you know, um 9 years after he first became president. Is that like what what should Donald Trump have been for everyone? Like a huge wakeup call."

Trump's Approval Ratings and the Democrats' Stagnation [13:54]

• Donald Trump's approval ratings initially surged but have since declined.
• Despite Trump's dips, Democratic approval ratings have not increased, indicating a lack of broad support for alternatives.
• This suggests that voters initially supported Trump due to their intense dislike of the establishment, rather than strong allegiance to him.
• The sentiment is that if Trump "messes up," people's dislike simply shifts, not towards supporting a specific party.

"I've never seen anything like this in my lifetime where Donald Trump So Donald Trump starts his the his second uh term with record high approval for for him, record high approval ratings, and then his approval ratings have gone down since then."

The Breakdown of the Two-Party System and "Lesser of Two Evils" [14:51]

• The two-party duopoly system appears to be breaking down.
• Politics is characterized by "lesser of two evils" decision-making, leading to a "doom spiral."
• Candidates who are attractive to "normal voters" are often targeted by the Democratic establishment for exclusion, as seen with Cuomo.
• This dynamic pushes anti-establishment voices towards socialist platforms.

"It's lesser of two evils politics and it just becomes a a a doom spiral. But the people who are attractive to normal voters are the ones the Democratic establishment is trying to shut down."