When asked on The Root whether he’d support cash reparations for Black New Yorkers, Mayor Mamdani said he wouldn’t rule it out: “Here in New York City, we were very complicit.” The mayor promised an answer once the city’s Commission on Racial Equity reports back in 2027. Slightly inflammatory and highly performative, his answer hit his sweet spot perfectly. He is teasing his supporters with a radical, racialized policy that has no price tag and no implementation plan, just outrage.

Zohran Mamdani is a better content creator than mayor. He knows exactly which topics will generate clicks, articles and outrage. That’s a valuable skill for an influencer or a campaigner — earned media is the best priced media, but less so for a mayor who actually has to govern a major American city. His Instagram-friendly agenda – rent freezes, city-run grocery stores, the second-home tax – made for great social media. But it’s all running into the real world, and the disconnect is starting to show.

Reparations should be a non-starter for any serious person

Reparations should be a non-starter for any serious person

He got his rent freeze rammed through the Rent Guidelines Board, and rents have never been higher. A little less Chomsky and a little more Friedman might have taught him........

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