Andrew Yang has momentum — can he keep up to be next NYC mayor?: Goodwin

Watching Andrew Yang crisscross New York and mix it up with his Democratic rivals in the mayoral race, I am reminded of an observation by the great columnist Murray Kempton. Writing about John Lindsay during his 1965 race for mayor, Kempton declared, “He’s fresh and everyone else is tired.”

The line brilliantly captured Lindsay’s distinction. Beyond his movie-star good looks, Lindsay, a Republican congressman, reflected voters’ hopes for a new era that would finally fulfill the promise of equal rights for all Americans. Yang embodies some of that same generational hope for change, aided by an amiable disposition that makes him quicker to smile than scowl. Optimism and energy are vital now as the city is mired in the pandemic doldrums and beleaguered with soaring crime and a declining quality of life.