> These are the comments that remind me of the core user base of out of touch SF people.
The concept of soft power, where you have power through friendship, influence, and relationships is a surprisingly difficult concept for a lot of folks. It's a nuanced concept and it takes nuance to pull off, but when done right it's far more effective than hard power. Hard power is people do it because you tell them, soft power is they do it because you get them to want to do it. Informal arrangements make some people uncomfortable.
Is it possible for Mamdani to use soft power, when most of the leadership of the Democratic party didn't want him? I guess he has the governor's endorsement, and allyship with AOC, but a lot of the Democratic machine is not happy that their candidate won.
> Is it possible for Mamdani to use soft power, when most of the leadership of the Democratic party didn't want him?
100%, because he's mayor. He has real power, and you use that to create soft power. Nothing else matters now, he's mayor. They have to deal with him, and by trying to make that easy and being gracious with the people who were against him, he can gain a LOT of soft power.
Concern trolls will ask who's going to pay for the free buses, and wonder if they'll be overrun by the homeless or other vilified residents of New York.
The concept of soft power, where you have power through friendship, influence, and relationships is a surprisingly difficult concept for a lot of folks. It's a nuanced concept and it takes nuance to pull off, but when done right it's far more effective than hard power. Hard power is people do it because you tell them, soft power is they do it because you get them to want to do it. Informal arrangements make some people uncomfortable.