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In the midst of populist fervour, it’s a relief to see New York’s mayor easily re-elected after an unshowy first term in officeIt was an odd experience reading the local election results in the US this week, a case of not knowing what to do with one’s feelings. Democratic gains were, of course, cause for good cheer. But political optimism, along with trust in analysis and faith in the accuracy of polling data, belong to the certainties of the pre-Trump world. The failure of Trumpism in Virginia and New Jersey were good signs; but so what?Even the re-election of Bill de Blasio for a second term as mayor of New York had some head-scratching elements to it. It was a comfortable victory over Republican Nicole Malliotakis, with De Blasio winning 66% of the vote. In spite of this, to call him a popular mayor isn’t quite right. His progressive policies have been largely successful – most notably, his introduction of universal free pre-school for four-year-olds in the city, an initiative he wants to roll out to three-year-olds – yet there persists the sense that De Blasio is not equal to the task of stewarding a city such as New York. Continue reading…

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