and the winner is...

I rarely write about politics but sometimes it's just too hard to ignore.

Zohran Mamdani will be the next mayor of NYC. 

I didn't vote for him for a myriad of reasons. It doesn't matter why, because here we are. For the next four years. With a young, inexperienced, democratic socialist (which I'm still not exactly sure what that all means).

New York has become a city with a huge divide. The gulf between the uber rich and the rest of us keeps growing. Rents are making it unaffordable, especially for the young or those new to the city. My son got "very lucky" and through a friend of a friend found a tiny, fifth-floor walk-up on the Upper West Side. The one-closet apartment is nicely appointed in a great neighborhood, and is only a little over $3,000/month.

I love this city and like others, believe it might be the greatest city in the world. But it certainly has its problems, with affordability being high among them.

I do hope Mamdani is the change agent we need. That he is able to freeze rent-stabilized apartments. And that he finds a way to somehow get along with our childish, vindictive, and utterly embarrassing president.

I also hope that the major sweeps by Democrats is the impetus needed for the party to finally identify a strong and viable presidential candidate for the next national election. 

Pete Buttigieg or Josh Shapiro would be great options, but the country is probably not ready for a gay or Jewish President. Kamala? No. Who else then?

We live in a great country. But right now, its leader is harming its global image, and worse, he's harming the people who live here, every single day.