Liberal Cities, Conservative Mayors

Over the past decade, major cities across the world with liberal reputations have shocked analysts by electing conservative mayors. Today, a look at three recent or current mayors in Tehran, Tokyo, and New York.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the mayor of Tehran from 2003-2005 (his term ended early when he was elected president). Tehran until 2003 was ruled by reformists who were popular but widely percieved as useless. When Ahmadinejad campaigned, he emphasized religious activities, seperate elevators for men and women in the municipality offices, but more importantly appealed to the poor with his promise to boost social services. He is called an “ultra-conservative” in the West, but his background as a civil engineer and professor at the Iran University of Science and Technology made him a popular candidate. Ultimately, it was Mr Ahmadinejad’s appeal to the poor that was the secret to his success.

Shintarou Ishihara was first a writer, directed theater, traveled to the North Pole, and crossed South America on a motorcycle before going into politics. He came to the attention of the West with his book The Japan That Can Say No, which criticized the United States. Long a member of parliament, he first ran for governor of Tokyo in 1975 and lost to a socialist; but when he ran again in 1999, the incumbent was Yukio Aoshima, a comedian famous for his “nasty granny” character and who was first elected years as a gesture of popular disgust with the establishment. We know him for his nationalism and racist remarks, but to many in Tokyo, he’s seen as a man who cleaned up the city (pollution, not crime) and who stood up to banks.

Rudy Guiliani started his political life as a Democrat, before registering as an Independent and finally running for mayor as a Republican. While Guiliani is liberal on issues of abortion and gay rights, he gained his reputation for his unapologetic emphasis on law and order. He gained national prominence as the federal U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York where he prosecuted numerous high-profile cases, including leading Wall Street figures. He lost his first run for mayor to David Dinkins but won four years later. His two terms in office saw a massive reduction in urban crime, a crackdown on the mafia (which saved businesses more money than any tax break in the city’s history), and urban renewal (particularly 42nd street). His management of the 9/11 terrorist attack brought him to national attention, and many see him as a possible presidential candidate in 2008.

What does it show? All three men are conservatives and populists. Living in an urban environment leads to a natural social liberalism, but these cities began with socially liberal mayors who couldn’t run a whelk stall. Ahmadinejad, Ishihara, and Guiliani won because the people thought they could get things done. As I see it, plenty of liberal urban populations will tolerate reactionary conservatives as long as the politician in question can improve standards of living.