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Culture War Roundup for the week of November 3, 2025

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My opinion of Zohran has improved over time. It went from negative to neutral.

For one, MAGA twitter and Cuomo's crash outs were embarrassing. It lowered my expectations for political candidates. Zohran seems tame in comparison. Next, he has moderated his positions. Admittedly, he started from a from an extreme place. But, Zohran has extended olive branches to the police & Jewish communities. Good enough. Shows humility and statesmanship.

I love NYC and hope to live here for the foreseeable future. So I'll choose optimism. But yeah, if Eric Adams was electable, I'd have liked to see him re-elected.

But, Zohran has extended olive branches to the police & Jewish communities.

Why would you take that at face value? A politician "moderating" during a campaign is probably the least trustworthy speaker on Earth.

It shows grace in victory. It's good enough.

In practice, his transition team is a good early tell.

Elana Leopold as executive director. It also includes co-chairs Maria Torres-Springer, the former first deputy mayor; Lina Khan, the former federal trade commission chair; the United Way’s president and CEO, Grace Bonilla; and the former deputy mayor for health and human services Melanie Hartzog

I recognize Maria Torres-Springer and Lina Khan, both appointees by moderate democrats. There is some reconciliation with moderates. So far, mt read is more Trump 1 than Trump 2.

I'm judging Zohran by the standards set for your bang average Democrat mayor. The republicans promised pogroms and govt. mandated namaaz 5 times a day. This ain't it.

Look, I am hoping to spend my life in NYC. I am optimistic because I have to be optimistic. I don't want to leave this place. Therefore, I want Zohran to be good. It is ass backwards. But, It keeps me going. For a moment, let me have this. Reality will hit me in the face soon enough.