A headline recently caught my eye. The New England Patriots football team was making a “comeback” after a few years of struggle. The pundits praised the miraculous turn around, but it wasn’t a secret sauce that made the difference. All the Patriots did was drop the old strategy and try something new. 

Bill Belichick won six Superbowls with the Patriots and two Superbowl rings as assistant coach for the New York Giants. Belichick is a legend, no doubt. He executed a game plan and it worked, until it didn’t. His relationship with the Patriots ended after a 4-13 season in 2023. 

A year later, under the leadership of former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, the team has turned the losing streak around. All they needed was a fresh set of eyes.

The Democratic Party should look at the ways other people are succeeding

Imagine Obama as Tom Brady and Nancy Pelosi as Bill Belichick. The Democrats experienced a lot of wins from Bill Clinton (1992-2000) to Obama (2008-2016), but over more than twenty-five years, the game has changed. It’s time for a fresh set of eyes. Progressives need to retire their old coaches and promote a version of Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel because doing the same old thing isn’t working.

To prove my point, look at the NYC mayoral election. Mamdani ran a successful campaign despite (or perhaps because of) prominent democrats distancing from him. The victory wasn’t simply due to a bandwagon of corrupt politicians backing his morally questionable opponent.  In late summer/early fall, plenty of NYC friends questioned whether they could vote for Mamdani because he was different, untested. Mandami represented the change everyone fears, until it happens. And after his victory, these same voters celebrated the future wondering why they ever hesitated to take the leap.  

The one true thing Trump has showed us is that change is here, and the old ways no longer work. It is time to trust a young fresh set of leaders to make the bold moves the American people need.