Beautiful Losers: Mamdani & The End of Socialism’s Losing Streak

Breaking History

The Free Press

History

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 29 October 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For 124 years, the American socialist movement has been defined by defeat. From Eugene Debs’ doomed presidential runs to Michael Harrington’s quiet organizing, it’s been a story of almosts: almost mainstream, almost powerful, almost relevant. Until now. In this episode, we look at how Zohran Mamdani’s likely mayoral victory marks the first real crack in America’s century-long resistance to socialism—and why its impact will reach far beyond New York City. CREDITS Executive Producer: Poppy Damon Associate Producer: Adam Feldman Sound Designer and Composer: Tony Peer Original theme songs by Eli Lake Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, listeners. It's me. It's Eli. I am asking you at the top of the show to please rate us well on Spotify and Apple and YouTube or wherever you get your podcast. Tell your friends, write a nice review.
0:16.4	We really want to get the word out on breaking history because we hear at the free press myself poppy
0:22.2	damon my senior producer adam feldman jonathan rosin we work very hard on putting these little
0:28.5	documentaries together and we just think that more people would like to know about it and the more
0:34.4	people that listen the more resources we will have to continue to make
0:37.8	great podcasts. Now, coming up next, we dive into the likely next mayor of New York City,
0:46.1	Zohanam Dhani, and we look at the man who founded his party, the Democratic Socialists of America.
0:53.9	It is a gripping tale, and in some ways a warning about what happens when you try to open your
1:00.2	big tent to radicals and illiberal revolutionaries. and back loud apple the fun you got this next year's model
1:12.6	Lee Harvey odds
1:14.6	Irving Berlin
1:16.6	What happened
1:18.6	once happens again
1:20.6	When news
1:22.6	of kids of mystery
1:23.6	Turn into breaking
1:26.6	history history history Hi, listeners, I want to get it. Turn into breaking history.
1:28.3	Hi, listeners. I want to tell you about the Free Press' latest new podcast, Old School with Shiloh Brooks.
1:38.3	When we met Shiloh, he was one of the most popular professors, and he was making reading great books cool again.
1:45.4	Now he's hosting his show to help all of us, and young men in particular, get back into
1:50.3	reading for pleasure. The show features intimate conversations with fascinating men, from fitness
1:55.6	gurus to philosophers about the books that shape their lives. They cover books like The Old Man in the Sea, Middlemarch, and Down and Out in Paris and London,
	...

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