I didn't have super high hopes for New York City Mayor Eric Adams, but I did want him to succeed for numerous reasons. It's New York City. Sure, it's liberal, but you still want the city to do well as it's a symbol of America. For some abroad, New York City is the first place that comes to mind. Also, being a New York sports fanatic, yes—dare I say I would like to not see stories about rampant crime.
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio destroyed New York City. Eric Adams, a former cop, was elected to replace him. One would think the cop replacing the anti-cop was a sign that things could be moving in the right direction. Adams won on a platform of public safety, which is not popular with white progressives in the Big Apple. It's one of the many reasons why progressives were not keen on this guy.
He wants the plainclothes anti-crime unit back on the street. I'll clap for that, but then he declared that he wanted a plant-based diet for New Yorkers. Oh, and that he cannot tell the difference between a drug addict and someone addicted to cheese. Now, it's gotten worse.
Adams went after the press because he feels they don't like him because he's black (via NY Post):
NYC Mayor says the media distorts news about NYC and his leadership because he’s a black man. pic.twitter.com/dX0nqXXaVR
— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) February 15, 2022
Mayor Eric Adams unloaded Tuesday in an epic rant in which he threatened to stop fielding “off-topic” questions at his press conferences — and blasted the Big Apple’s news organizations over what he said was their lack of racial diversity.
The scolding, which came before an unrelated press conference on summer youth employment efforts, appeared to be sparked by coverage of his failed bid to get state lawmakers to budge on his anti-crime agenda — although the mayor failed to convey how race factored into that.
[…]
Adams repeatedly suggested that race played a factor in news coverage of him, telling an almost all-white group of reporters who were hand-picked by his office and invited to cover the City Hall news conference, “I’m a black man that’s the mayor but my story is being interpreted by people that don’t look like me.”
“How many blacks are on editorial boards? How many blacks determine how these stories are being written?” he said.
“How many Asians? How many East Asians? How many South Asians? Everyone talks about my government being diversified, what’s the diversification in the newsrooms?”
Adams also accused the reporters of “writing through your prisms” before adding: “Diversify your newsrooms so I can look out and see people who look like me.”
Yikes. First, it's never a good idea to go to war with the press in general. The notable exceptions are Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. Rick Santorum went after the media during his rough 2006 re-election campaign, which only helped accelerate his demise.
Second, this is New York City, man. Did you think the press was going to go easy on you? They're always tough. They're tough on their leaders, which is a given, but also their sports teams. They're tough on everyone. It's one of the most brutal media markets in the country. There's no mercy.
Third, it's troubling that Adams, so young into his administration, is hurling decks of race cards at the press because he's reportedly struggling now. You have to have thick skin as a politician. You're a public figure—everything can and will be used against you, Officer Adams. C'mon, man. This is a clown show move.
Prove the haters wrong by doing well. Mayor Rudy Giuliani did that. Mayor Bloomberg did that. Former New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning did that. Whining about getting bad press is derivative and won't earn you any brownie points, especially here. Dear lord. Also, your point is crap.