KFC Radio: We React to Zohran Mamdani Winning the NYC Mayoral Election
Date: November 6, 2025
Hosts: KFC (Kevin Clancy), Feitelberg (John Feitelberg)
Producer / Guest: Jackie
Main Theme: Reaction, analysis, and many tangents following Zohran Mamdani’s upset victory in the NYC mayoral race. The crew debates NYC politics, the future of the city under a self-declared democratic socialist, the reaction from around the country, and a bit of everything from cult t-shirts to youth basketball.
Episode Overview
This episode opens in typical KFC Radio fashion—rowdy, irreverent, and swerving immediately from sponsor plugs into pure New York City chaos. The hosts break down their reactions to Zohran Mamdani’s shocking mayoral victory, contextualizing the national and local panic, questioning what "democratic socialism" will mean for NYC, and wading through the internet's heated response. The conversation is packed with sharp political observations, personal confessionals about voting, musings on campaign promises, and hilarious sidebars about Curtis Sliwa, cults, retro t-shirts, and growing up in youth sports.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Zohran Mamdani’s Election & New York’s Identity
- Immediate reaction: KFC and Feitelberg note the intensity and emotional energy in the office following Mandami’s win, including Barstool founder Dave Portnoy’s threat to move operations to New Jersey because of the election outcome.
- The National Obsession with NY Politics:
- KFC: “No matter what you feel about the politics...proof positive that New York is New York. Because I'll tell you this much, like, I don't know who the mayor of Dallas is...but I know about this.” [03:15]
- Feitelberg highlights the non-replicability of NY and wonders why out-of-towners care so much: “They treat New York like a test bubble...but I don’t think Zoron has a chance anywhere else.” [07:29]
2. “Democratic Socialist” vs. “Socialist”—What’s in a Name?
- Feitelberg: “Everyone just drops a word...the whole...every Nordic country is a democratic socialist. All the happiest countries in the world are democratic socialist countries.” [10:40]
- Debate on the feasibility of Mandami’s policy proposals, with humor and skepticism about the practical constraints of turning campaign ideals into reality:
- KFC: “He’s gonna have a really hard time implementing any of this stuff...that’s any other campaign you’ve ever seen in your life.” [04:54]
3. Cuomo, Sliwa, and ‘Doing It For New York’
- Sharp contrasts are drawn between the main candidates’ motivations and personas.
- KFC on Cuomo: “He cares about his fucking self...he wanted to be president...I think he's going to do what is best for him.” [08:13]
- Curtis Sliwa is characterized as a "real New York character," embracing his image as a dedicated weirdo who just loves the city.
- Memorable moment:
- Feitelberg: “I'm the Republican candidate who gets his fucking clock cleaned. You think I'm gonna step away? No. It's on my calendar every four years.” [38:10]
4. Reaction to Mandami’s Promises—Reality Check
- Skepticism about sweeping policy:
- Regarding promises like free buses and ambitious rent policies, there’s debate about their practicality:
- Feitelberg: “You can point to a million things like...Sweden, Finland, Norway—they’re all democratic socialist. You can point to Kansas City who did Zoran's bus plan—and Kansas City went bankrupt.” [10:40]
- Regarding promises like free buses and ambitious rent policies, there’s debate about their practicality:
- On campaign rhetoric vs. reality:
- KFC: “If it could work or would work or did work, we would be doing it, you know?” [06:01]
5. The Internet Backlash, Billionaires, & Oligarchy
- On business fleeing NY:
- “I’d be curious...rich people and businesses will flee New York City. I’d be surprised, but it is something to keep an eye on.” [16:31]
- On billionaire influence:
- KFC: “If the billionaires are this concerned about it, you could have stopped this a long time ago just by being a little more strategic about how you hoard your billions.” [40:29]
- Feitelberg on billionaire campaign spending: “26 billionaires combined to spend $20 million to like, fight Zoron and lost...you didn’t even try.” [39:44]
6. Comparing Political Personas: “The Trump Effect”
- KFC likens Mandami’s critics to Trump supporters:
- “That is exactly, and I mean exactly the same as Donald Trump...making people think that you care about them whether you do or don't, that’s politics.” [13:37]
- Feitelberg: “To be clear, I don’t know if Zoran’s rich...rich people can care about poor people. That’s okay.” [13:48]
7. Policy Lightning Rounds: Buses, Rent, Police
- Free buses, defunding police, and rent regulation all get their own slightly unserious (but honest) treatment.
- KFC: “The bus thing is funny to me...if you give the bus away for free, that’s gonna, like, fuck up everything...What does the MTA do with this money that you know about and care about so much?” [20:24]
- Feitelberg: “The phrase...I think the police are good, did they need all the money? I don’t know.” [25:33]
8. The Power of the Internet and “Cancel Culture”
- Much later in the show, the crew reflects on social media’s impact, especially on women (in context like Barstool's own drama and Paige Spiranac’s hate DMs):
- KFC: “Girls always get treated differently. I know...it's the Internet in general. But you just get more hate.” [94:35]
- “Golf world is...a little bit like, they have not had much drama or controversy or disagreement or hate yet. And I don't know if they know how to handle it yet.” [98:38]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On New York winning/losing:
- KFC: “A lot of people out there are saying it's a big L for New York because the end is now near and we're about to descend into an apocalypse of socialist, you know, failures.” [03:32]
- Feitelberg: “They might be right.” [03:48]
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On campaign promises:
- KFC: “We didn't build a wall. We didn't make Mexico pay for it. There's been a billion promises on the campaign trail that people just don't actually do or can’t get done.” [05:05]
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On Curtis Sliwa’s cat plan:
- KFC: “He’s sitting down...and he’s like, cats are so, like, powerful that if a rat is pregnant and smells a cat...it will abort the fetuses.” [32:10]
- Feitelberg: “I don’t think there’s any animal that like, naturally self aborts.” [34:04]
- This whole riff becomes a running bit: “Can we get a rat abortion expert on the show, please, somebody?” [34:44]
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On political actors:
- KFC: “He turned himself into a hood ornament for the poor and the downtrodden...He plays, he acts.” [13:16]
- Feitelberg: “Rich people can care about poor people. That’s okay.” [13:29]
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On billionaires and campaign spending:
- Feitelberg: “If you’re a billionaire, you don’t want someone—You should have spent more money...You didn’t even try.” [39:44]
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On Internet hate:
- KFC: “People will either make up or they're just not real.” [110:01]
- Jackie: “When trolls comment mean stuff on girls, it's just showing that you have been rejected by so many girls...You're outing yourself as an ugly person.” [98:21]
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On youth sports humility:
- KFC: “One of the most demoralizing things in sports is when you are insanely overmatched in basketball. It's the least fun you will ever have, ever. It is just miserable.” [75:47]
- Feitelberg: “That’s the trick. Next time we're arguing could a WNBA team defeat an NBA team? The guy sweat too much.” [73:39]
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On online comments and self-esteem:
- KFC: “I think we were, we've done this long enough that I think you, in the beginning, you can't even see it or understand it. Then the second phase is you tell people you don't care, but you really do care. I don't read the comments. But you do read the comments. And then the final phase is like, I see all this, I accept all this. I don't like it...But it also really doesn't affect me.” [107:05]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Mandami’s win, initial reactions, national obsession (02:00–04:30)
- Cuomo/Sliwa breakdown, who’s doing it for NY (08:13–12:00)
- Socialism vs. Democratic Socialism, NYC as a “test balloon” (06:33–08:13)
- Billionaire Panic & Campaign Financing (38:28–41:35)
- Curtis Sliwa’s “cat plan” and Guardian Angels past (31:37–36:20)
- Bus plan policy & rent regulation debates (20:22–23:03)
- Defund the Police tangent (24:55–26:11)
- Why is the internet so hateful? The Paige Spiranac / barstool hate debate (93:12–97:38)
- Reflecting on the realities of internet culture, hate, and comments (103:11–109:19)
- Light segments: cult t-shirts, youth sports, worst inventions (48:05–53:54, various)
Tone and Style
- Irreverent, highly conversational, and tangential.
- Hosts riff with humor, skepticism, and relatable New Yorker energy.
- Moments of genuine reflection (especially about internet culture and the realities faced by women online) blend with laughter and absurd stories.
- Classic “bar conversation” format: roast one another, make space for serious points, but never take anything too seriously for too long.
Summary Takeaway
The KFC Radio crew takes Mandami’s upset in stride—admitting their own lack of political expertise while capturing the unique drama of NY politics. Their breakdown is less about policy specifics and more about personalities, cultural meaning, and the sheer weirdness of democracy in America’s capital of chaos. They’re not convinced doom is coming, but see both comedic and serious potential for change and conflict ahead.
As always, they balance the heavy with the hilarious, closing out with segments on cults, youth hoops, and the persistent insanity of internet life.
For New Listeners
Missed the episode? This summary covers the heart of KFC Radio’s Mandami mayoral analysis and gives you a feel for why the Barstool flagship is part confessional, part roast, and part sociological experiment—all best enjoyed with a drink in hand.