The End of Competence

Voters want excitement, charisma, and novelty -- for better or worse.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

As Donald Trump wages a war of choice in the Middle East over alleged weapons of mass destruction, it feels like deja vu all over again. Except this time, the weapons are in fact at least close to existence — because Trump ripped up the Iran nuclear deal and was unable to broker a better one. Again, conservatives are cheering on this dangerous escalation. Again, sane people everywhere are holding their breath.

And Democrats, per usual, don’t really seem to know what to do.

In New York City, Democratic primary voters just elected Zohran Mamdani to run for mayor, and in New York, the Democratic primary winner is effectively the future mayor of the city. Mamdani is a charismatic and clearly bright 33-year-old Democratic Socialist with a policy platform that includes a lot of splashy promises, including a rent freeze and free buses. He’s been a member of the New York State Assembly for five years, and has no experience running so much as a large organization — let alone anything close to America’s largest city. But he is, in this moment, what voters seem to want: Someone who promises to shake things up. Who might break some stuff to rebuild better.