#VERZUZTHESYSTEM

Political Framework by Christopher Teel, A.B.D. (also known as Bored.of.Educatiion)

Do campaigns care about showcasing policy or are they just performing for our attention? 

That’s the question that’s been on my mind lately. Because if we’re being honest, most of what we see during election cycles feels like theater. People shouting over each other, interviews that sound like 2 people trying to get their story straight, and headlines that sound like arguments. Somewhere in all of that noise, the truth gets lost.

This week it all clicked. 

My feed was heavy with politics. Debates, opinions, and arguments were everywhere I looked. In the middle of all the noise, I missed the Cash Money versus No Limit Verzuz. When I realized I missed it, I started to recognize why. Politics has taken over everything.       It had completely consumed my timeline, my attention, and my overall vibe.

So, I went back and checked out the Verzuz. Then afterwards, I watched the rest of the New York City mayoral debate. 

Then the idea hit me. 

What if we could connect these two worlds? I’d much rather watch a Verzuz than a debate. What if we could use a cultural phenomenon to study the system and its power? 

I don't think I want a role in politics outside of educationg how we learn to redesign its power. 

Here is how I have come to see it, like a Verzuz. (Triple entande, don't even ask me how) Everything around us is a system that somebody built. Every law, every policy, every process. Some help us. Some hold us back. But all of them started with an idea. And if systems are just ideas organized into action, then we can create our own. We can create frameworks that belong to us.

Because this is really about systems and authorship.                                                                                                                                                                          It’s about building the lenses we use to understand the world. When you create a system, you create structure for truth. You decide how information moves, how people think, and how stories unfold. Culture has always done that.

That’s what brought me here, to what I would love to lay out as a Verzuz style Political Framework. Swizz Beatz and Timbaland created the Verzuz platform. I think the main thing it did was remind us that the culture loves context. Two artists. Two screens. One crowd. No scripts. No filters. Just truth through rhythm and exchange. Now imagine we replace the songs with policies. Policy versus policy. Idea versus idea. Each side in its own location, streaming live, the original Verzuz way. A simple setup with an opportunity to showcase real substance.

Of course songs are much different from policies. Hit records don’t fix housing. Sound doesn’t pass legislation. But the comparison format should work because it’s familiar. It’s cultural. Verzuz showed us that the culture loves comparison. We like to see two things side by side where we can decide for ourselves

.

And what’s wild, is that we don’t currently have one platform that does that for politics. Not one that puts two candidates’ side by side and just lets the people see them clearly. No drama. No interruptions. Just straight comparison. That’s all we need, but somehow the system made that complicated. It’s crazy to think that clarity has become a luxury. But then again, I just happen to come from a people who can see through confusion. And, that's also how we can design it. 

Aight, so imagine we're in New York City. Mamdani is going against Cuomo for the Mayor's office. Let's go back 2 months though. When your mind wasn't completely made up, but you knew you wanted to be ready with an informed decision by time the election happened. And you and your friends are prepared to link up to watch the Verzuz platform host Mamdani and Cuomo.  This is how I think it would go. (Besides the fact of really serious issues like.... Zohran Mamdani won the primary in New York City, but still had to face a primary loser in the general election. Which seems like nothing, but imagine how stong your campaign has to be to beat more than just the opposing party's top dog. Cuomo, who chose you bruh?

I'm sorry, I went off a little bit, but Cuomo defied the party. And it makes sense for context of why this race matters.  But this is how it would have looked on Verzuz. 

Round One starts with Mamdani opening the night with Freeze The Rent. The base went crazy! This is the type of track that speaks to people who have been surviving instead of living. The comments flood in saying things like “Finally someone gets it” and “This one’s for every tenant waiting on justice.” Cuomo responds with Build and Preserve, a ten-year plan focused on structure and zoning. It’s well written but moves too slow. Someone types, “People can’t live in a plan.” The energy belongs to Mamdani. He’s speaking to reality, not policy paperwork.

 

Round Two shifts the rhythm toward movement. Mamdani drops Free The Bus and the crowd moves with it. It feels like freedom, like access, like everyday life reimagined. The comments read, “This the people’s track” and “No more MetroCard blues.” Cuomo plays Safe Commute next, focused on safety and order, but the energy drops. One viewer writes, “We want motion, not maintenance.” Mamdani has turned transportation into a declaration.

 

Round Three quiets the crowd. Mamdani presses play on Thirty by Thirty, a promise of thirty dollars an hour by 2030. The comments light up with “Finally” and “About time.” It’s bold, simple, and rooted in dignity. Cuomo counters with Jobs and Growth, an older tune with words like incentive and opportunity. Someone writes, “Same song, different day.” Another adds, “Old track, no replay value.” The crowd has heard this one before.

 

Round Four feels emotional. Mamdani drops Every Child Covered and the beat sounds like care. The hook lands on the idea that no family should break under the cost of raising a child. Comments roll through: “Now that’s family policy” and “No parent left behind.” Cuomo offers Tax Credit Relief. It’s supportive, but limited. “One’s a system shift, the other’s a patch,” someone types. The contrast is clear.

 

Round Five hits a deeper tone. Mamdani begins Community First, filled with imagery of youth centers, prevention, and opportunity. “This track got soul,” a viewer writes. “Prevention over punishment,” another adds. Cuomo answers with Safe City, a track lined with phrases like training, compliance, and funding. It feels like bureaucracy. “Sounds like paperwork, not peace,” the chat says. Mamdani’s song plays like protection. Cuomo’s sounds like protocol.

 

Round Six opens with Mamdani’s Green Future, a visionary blend of clean energy and new jobs. “That’s the sound of tomorrow,” someone comments. “He really talkin legacy right now,” another adds. Cuomo follows with Resilient City, polished but reactive. “One’s dreaming forward, the other’s managing decline,” someone writes. The crowd is vibing with the dreamer tonight.

 

Round Seven goes straight for the core. Mamdani performs Tax The Top and the comments explode. “Say their names,” someone yells in all caps. “Fairness is funding,” another says. Cuomo returns with Keep The City Competitive, warning about investors and flight risk. “Safe play, but who’s it safe for,” a viewer asks. The chat splits evenly. Some lean on caution, others on courage, but the emotion in the room doesn’t lie.

 

Round Eight closes the show. Mamdani plays Classrooms as Communities, and it feels human. He talks about community college, creative arts, and education that builds identity. “That’s investment in people,” one viewer writes. “Education got rhythm again,” another adds. Cuomo’s closer, Modern Schools, focuses on testing and infrastructure. It earns respect but no replay. “He’s building buildings. Mamdani’s building people,” the chat says. The screen fills with hearts, comments, and fire emojis as the stream fades out.

The score doesn’t matter.

 What remains is connection.

That’s the purpose of the framework. To show that comparing policies can be as engaging as comparing verses when the presentation respects the people. 

This is for those who grew up breaking down lyrics and catching metaphors. 

We need more spaces where multiple sides of an argument can exist without manipulation. Spaces where people can see ideas next to each other and choose based on understanding, not influence. The Verzuz Political Framework is not entertainment. It’s enlightenment through our rhythm.

That’s what #VERZUZTHESYSTEM is about. And just like that, the framework becomes a campaign. Share this article with #Verzuzthesystem in the post. Be part of the cultural reminder that truth can be designed, that learning can have rhythm, and that the people can build new ways to see power clearly.

Pssssssst, i'm done. But I did want to let you know that the stakes are high. Also, there are systems that are designed to protect lies too. Aight, peace and much love to ya!