University-Educated Women and the Flight from the West, By Mrs. (Dr) Abigail Knight (Florida)
Published on June 28, 2025, in American Thinker, Andrea Widburg's article contends that Zohran Mamdani's victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary was driven not by working-class, minority, or immigrant voters but by college-educated voters, particularly women. The author links this to a broader critique of academia, using a College Fix story about Oriette D'Angelo, a Venezuelan graduate student at the University of Iowa pursuing a Ph.D. in Spanish and Gender Studies, as a case study. Key points include:
Mamdani's Voter Base: The article claims Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, was propelled to victory by college-educated voters, especially women, rather than traditional Democratic constituencies like minorities or immigrants.
Critique of Academia: The Iowa case exemplifies academia's shift from teaching practical skills and Western values to promoting "Marxist" ideologies, including socialism, anti-Semitism, and open borders, which the author argues influenced Mamdani's supporters.
Cultural Decay: Universities are described as "Ground Zero" for the Democratic Party's embrace of socialism and related ideologies, producing graduates who support radical candidates like Mamdani.
Proposed Solution: The author advocates defunding academia, except possibly for STEM programs, to curb the spread of these ideologies.
The article frames Mamdani's win as a symptom of academic indoctrination, particularly among university-educated women, who are portrayed as a key force behind his progressive platform.
The article's assertion that college-educated voters, particularly women, played a significant role in Mamdani's victory is supported by sound evidence. Posts on X from June 26, 2025, suggest that Mamdani's support came disproportionately from "white and Asian educated liberal elites" and "wealthiest, mostly white/Asian university-educated New Yorkers." A New York Times report on Mamdani's victory notes his coalition included "white, Asian, and Latino voters in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens," with a strong emphasis on younger, progressive voters, many of whom are likely college-educated. A March 2025 NBC poll further indicates that college-educated women are a core Democratic constituency, leaning Left on cultural issues like DEI, which aligns with Mamdani's progressive platform.
The Iowa case study, drawn from a College Fix report, highlights an extreme example of prolonged academic study in fields like Gender Studies, which the author argues fosters Leftist ideologies. This resonates with broader critiques of academia's shift toward interdisciplinary programs emphasising social justice, as seen in a 2023 Heritage Foundation report criticising universities for prioritising ideological agendas over practical education. Mamdani's platform, free buses, rent freezes, city-run grocery stores, and universal childcare, funded by taxing the wealthy, appeals to voters influenced by progressive academic theories.
University-educated women certainly played a significant role in Mamdani's victory, given broader trends. A March 2025 NBC poll highlights college-educated women as a Left-leaning Democratic bloc, particularly on cultural issues. Mamdani's platform chosing affordability and social programs, aligns with priorities often associated with this demographic, such as equitable redistribution and public investment. His campaign's focus on younger voters, many of whom are college-educated, was bolstered by nearly 50,000 volunteers and viral social media engagement, as noted by the BBC. A Gothamist analysis suggests early voters in 2025 were younger (under 45) and included new residents, a group likely to include college-educated women.
The article's critique of academia as a source of Leftist ideology aligns with conservative concerns about universities fostering progressive activism, as seen in a 2023 National Review article on campus radicalisation. However, Mamdani's win suggests a demand for change amid dissatisfaction with the Democratic establishment, as noted in a PBS report. The role of college-educated women reflects a broader trend of progressive realignment, but their influence is part of a larger coalition, not the sole driver. The problem is much bigger and worse, but the article's attack upon the universities advocating defunding is a good first step on a long road of resistance.
"A story out of Iowa explains why college grads were instrumental in Mamdani's NYC victoryOne of the facts that instantly emerged from Zohran Mamdani's victory in the mayoral Democrat party primaries in New York City is that he was pushed over the top, not by working-class people, minorities, or immigrants. Instead, his victory came from the college crowd.
So, when a friend sent me a link to a June 6 report from The College Fix, even though the report is a couple of weeks old, I had to share it, because the headline alone explains what went wrong in New York:
10th year gender studies student worries Trump will deport her before she graduates next year
It gets worse as you read:
A graduate student in Spanish and gender studies is worried she will not be able to finish her 11th year of college here in America due to the president's immigration policies.
University of Iowa doctoral student Oriette D'Angelo first came to the country in 2015 on a student visa. In addition to her doctorate degree, set to be finished in 2026, D'Angelo is pursuing a "Graduate Certificate in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies," according to her university bio.
But that could all be for naught if President Donald Trump begins deporting Venezuelans who have "Temporary Protected Status" visas, which D'Angelohas held since 2020. The Trump administration revoked her visa in January but she obtained an international student visa in April.
That's it. In a nutshell, that explains why New York's barista class voted for a Muslim-Marxist antisemite. This is what academia has become: A haven for aberrant people to engage in endless leftist mental m**turbation.
Europe's first universities were intended to teach students both practical skills (becoming a scribe or notary) and, more importantly, the finer points of Christian doctrine. They were to become wise in the ways of their culture. During the Renaissance, colleges and universities added the wisdom of Greece and Rome and developed scientific curricula. Over the centuries, the subjects being taught expanded, but the point of getting a college education remained the same: To advance core European society, one predicated on ancient Western wisdom and the Bible.
The same held true in America. Harvard was founded in 1636 to train Puritan clergymen for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The College of William & Mary, founded in 1683, was intended to create a "perpetual College of Divinity, Philosophy, Languages, and other good Arts and Sciences," where students could master "good letters and manners." Yale was founded in 1701 so that students could be prepared for "Publick employment both in Church and Civil State."
In one college and university after another, across America, the purpose was to create wise and moral adults who would go on to benefit the society in which they lived, whether through the pulpit or through civil endeavors.
However, we've reached the 21st century, and instead of academia focusing on wisdom and morality, we have a 10th-year Ph.D. illegal alien trying to master the complexities of "Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies." Perhaps it's a good thing she's not American and, if deported, will take the wonders of her skills to Venezuela rather than imposing them on American society.
America's colleges and universities are Ground Zero for everything that is wrong with the Democrat party. The Marxist rot we see isn't an organic eruption from oppressed people living at the bottom of American society, no matter how much the grifters and race hustlers want us to think that.
Instead, the Democrat party's embrace of socialism, an unnatural, tyrannical concept that has broken every society in which its been tried, along with all the ideas intended to advance socialism (e.g., antisemitism, Islamophilia, aberrant sexuality, open borders) comes from the top—from the people who teach in and graduate from academia.
The fastest way to save America is to withdraw every penny from academia. I used to say that we should save the science programs, but when you look at what's infecting America's medical schools, I'm not so sure they're worth it either. If it were me, I'd stop all money, and then have the STEM disciplines come crawling back with promises to sin no more in exchange for funding for programs that will clearly benefit America's defenses in both hot and cold wars against our geopolitical enemies."
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