Kennedy Saves the World

Episode Title: Anyone But Mamdani, Please!
Date: September 8, 2025
Host: Kennedy
Guest: Jimmy Failla
Podcast: FOX News Podcasts

Episode Overview

In this episode, Kennedy and guest Jimmy Failla dive into the heated and tumultuous New York City mayoral race. Their discussion zeroes in on the rise of “socialist despair,” the influence of national politics on local elections, and the colorful cast of candidates vying for the city’s top job. With playful banter, sharp political takes, and uniquely New York humor, they dissect the dynamics between candidates like Curtis Sliwa, Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, and Zohran Mamdani. Beyond politics, they riff on urban living, personal anecdotes, and the inherent absurdities of the current political scene.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Mayoral Race Heats Up

• National Spotlight on NYC Politics

  • Discussion opens with the observation that the mayoral race is now "becoming a national issue" as the President considers stepping in and possibly aiding Andrew Cuomo.
    • "A lot of momentum has shifted since the last time we talked about the New York City mayoral race, and now it's becoming a national issue because the President is about to get involved and hand the whole thing over to Handsy Andy." — Kennedy [00:36]

• Backroom Politics and Trump’s Role

  • Jimmy voices skepticism about reported backroom deals, noting allegations that Trump has only called Adams and not other candidates like Sliwa.
    • "Trump hasn't called [Curtis Sliwa] yet. He has not been offered anything and that only Adams got a call. He swears it's true." — Jimmy Failla [00:56]
  • Concerns are raised about Trump making the race about himself, potentially helping progressive candidate Mamdani.
    • "By putting his public fingerprints on this race, it allows Mamdani to run against Trump." — Jimmy Failla [02:12]

• The Anti-‘Team Sport’ Mentality in Politics

  • Failla laments the "team sport" attitude in politics where opposition to a party, rather than issues or candidates, guides voting.
    • "Politics really are... it's such a lazy, like, team sport now. For a lot of people, it is like their Yankee Red Sox rivalry. Like, they don't care as long as the other team loses." — Jimmy Failla [03:48]

Candidate Personalities & Policies

• Curtis Sliwa’s Quirks

  • Sliwa’s cat rescue mission and his proposal for using feral cats to fight the rat problem get special focus. Kennedy and Jimmy riff on rumors of Sliwa's apartment being overrun by cats and jokes about his cat-like odor.
    • "He allegedly has like dozens of cats in his one bedroom apartment." — Kennedy [03:13]
    • "He does say he wants feral cats to solve the city's rat problem." — Jimmy Failla [03:19]

• Interview Gaffes & Anti-Business Rhetoric

  • Jimmy critiques Mamdani’s response to questions about taxing the wealthy, referencing an interview with Al Sharpton.
    • "Sharpton to his credit, said, what are you going to say to the upper 1% of income earners who pay half of the taxes in this city?... And he's like, well, I would explain to them that it's actually better for their quality of life if they do so." — Jimmy Failla [04:29]
    • Kennedy rebuttals: "No, it's not. And in no world, in no world is it better." [04:58]

• Public Safety & Quality of Life Concerns

  • Kennedy draws vivid comparisons between decriminalization efforts and open-air drug use and prostitution in Manhattan, expressing concerns for the city’s future under Mamdani.
    • "You see the people like the, the corpulent, thirsty hookers on Roosevelt Avenue and it's like, that's not going to be confined to Roosevelt Avenue. That'll be everywhere. Because Mamdani is like, well, it's, it's a very honorable profession. It's like that might be, but you don't have a system to make it honorable." — Kennedy [05:35]

• Impact on Businesses and Families

  • Jimmy points out the effect of open prostitution on local businesses and on families, referencing his cab-driving days and the discomfort of explaining such scenes to his child.
    • "It's so bad for local businesses because people don't want to frequent them. It's bad for kids who have to go seen there." — Jimmy Failla [06:04]

Electoral Strategy & the ‘Rope-a-Dope’ Theory

• Extreme Nominations as Political Decoys?

  • The duo discusses the possibility that Democrats have intentionally nominated an extremist to guarantee retaining the mayoralty.
    • "Doesn't this also read like a rope of dope? In the sense that it's like the Democrats have nominated this one, like utter extremist... by throwing Cuomo in there, it almost looks like we got rope a doped." — Jimmy Failla [06:46]

• High-Profile Endorsements and Donor Shifts

  • Bill Ackman’s financial pivot from Adams to Cuomo is highlighted as further evidence of the race’s volatility.
    • "Ackman had given a bunch of money to Adam's campaign. He's like, nah, he's not gonna win... I'm gonna go ahead and shift to Cuomo." — Kennedy [07:25]

Reflections on Candidates: Adams, Cuomo, and Sliwa

• Adams, Cuomo, and Losing Support

  • Kennedy admits she’d rather Adams win over Cuomo, despite reservations. Both agree Adams is a spent force politically after aligning with opposing stances on sanctuary cities and border policies.
    • "He was kind of pro sanctuary city and standing up to Trump... then as the city started little strained by the imported population, he started to call attention to the border problem." — Jimmy Failla [08:10]

• Sliwa’s Stubborn Candidacy

  • Sliwa’s refusal to bow out and Trump’s alleged avoidance are discussed, speculating about negotiation ploys.
    • "I don't think Sliwa can win. I don't know what he thinks, but he swears that he's not dropping out, Trump hasn't called him, and that Trump isn't calling him cuz he knows he can't be bought." — Jimmy Failla [08:52]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Ubiquity of Curtis Sliwa:
  "Never have I ever, in the 33 years that I have been in and around New York either, living here, working here, visiting, whatever. I've never heard so many conservatives talk about Curtis Sliwa." – Kennedy [02:50]

• On Politics as Sports:
  "It's such a lazy, like, team sport now. For a lot of people, it is like their Yankee Red Sox rivalry." — Jimmy Failla [03:48]

• On New York’s Prostitution Scene:
  "You see the people like the, the corpulent, thirsty hookers on Roosevelt Avenue and it's like, that's not going to be confined to Roosevelt Avenue. That'll be everywhere." — Kennedy [05:35]

• On Running for Mayor:
  "I would, I would actually love to run for mayor at one point. I would as a city, because I probably, and this is unfortunate, but when you're a cab driver... you get to see the city from an angle that a proctologist sees a patient from." — Jimmy Failla [09:44]

• On Birthday Shopping:
  "Did you go shopping for your birthday really quick? I know you're supposed to wrap this show up at some point, but did you shop? Yeah. You did to me from me. Isn't it the best thing to do? Shop for yourself?" — Jimmy Failla [12:01–12:09]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening and Setting the Scene — [00:10–01:32]
• Trump’s Involvement and Political Optics — [01:32–02:19]
• Curtis Sliwa’s Rise in Relevance — [02:50–03:29]
• Mamdani’s Policy Positions and Critiques — [04:25–05:35]
• Public Safety, Decriminalization Debate — [05:35–06:22]
• Rope-a-Dope Electoral Theory — [06:45–07:10]
• Donor Shifts and Endorsements — [07:25–07:45]
• Decline of Eric Adams and Candidate Futures — [08:10–09:12]
• Personal Anecdotes/Myths of NYC Living — [09:44–11:38]
• Candor and Birthday Banter — [12:01–12:54]

Conclusion

Kennedy and Jimmy Failla deliver a lively, biting, and character-driven dissection of the current New York City mayoral chaos. By skewering candidates, exposing political ploys, and punctuating their analysis with laughter and empathy—including reflections on the unwinnable choices facing voters—they manage to illuminate the absurdity and gravity facing New Yorkers this election cycle.

Tone:
Witty, irreverent, skeptical, New York-savvy, and slightly exasperated—offering listeners a candid backstage look at high-stakes city politics through the prism of everyday freedom and common sense.