New York City's Populist Shift - and Why It Matters

[LiberalElite]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/new-york-citys-populist-s_b_3868930.html

For 12 years now they've been touting New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a model for the politics of the future. Beltway pundits have pushed hard for his amalgam of economically conservative policies and social-issues liberalism.

They seized on Bloomberg's mayoralty as a vindication of their vision. They were eager to tell us that us his winning candidacy was the harbinger of a new political trend.

They have yet say the same about populist Bill de Blasio, who's leading the polls to replace Bloomberg. And yet, it could be argued that de Blasio is already a more significant political bellwether than Bloomberg ever was.

The race isn't over. But it's beginning to look as if de Blasio, not Bloomberg, is the shape of things to come.

[msongs]

1. times are perfect for strong dems progressive populists, wish we had more than just a few....

dems could put the repubs on the ropes on so many issues, and a strongly populist and progressive personality is just right for the job. instead we have bipartsianshipfirst in the higher leadership of the party. so we must be out own populist adovcates

[LiberalElite]

2. yes and the upper level

"bipartisanship" often appears to be very one-sided (ours).

[Eleanors38]

3. Bloomberg's "social liberalism" was tainted by his reliance in prohibitionism and

Disregard for the Constitutiomn. I hope his successor doesn't carry that baggage.

[DonCoquixote]

4. We need to focus on this

As Bloomberg was a front for the "third way", aka the "we are not GOP< we just hate poor people" division of the fake left. First him, then Emmanuel in Chicago!

[hrmjustin]

5. The great news is he will have a progressive city council to work with.