New York city mayor-elect Bill de Blasio was at the White House yesterday with 15 other newly minted mayors and when he emerged to talk to the press, the Sandanista-supporting Democrat shared with us a vision; a vision of progressive ideology sweeping the country.

NY Observer:

"I think it was, to begin with, inspiring to hear our president, his concern for what we're facing ... He was quick to make clear how much he wanted to help us as we go through our transitions and help our cities as the leading edge of our national economy," he said, surrounded by his fellow mayor-elects. "We talked a lot about the crisis of inequality. A lot of us ran in our elections on a message of addressing the inequality and it was extraordinarily gratifying to hear the passion with which the president and the vice president spoke about this challenge that our country faces and their desire to be active partners with us addressing income inequality and so many other challenges we face."

 

The group also talked specifically about the value of universal pre-K-another central point of Mr. de Blasio's mayoral campaign. "There was real passion in the president's voice when he talked about how fundamental it is to move forward an early education agenda in this country and I think we all now know clearly that he will be a partner in all we need to do," he said.

Later, Mr. de Blasio said that he hoped he and his fellow mayors would be able to come together to help push early education advances, just as current Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined with other city heads to advance issues including immigration reform, climate change and gun control-"but with a different approach."

"What I think we have to do is something that reaches down more to the grassroots ... a real effort to reach Americans in each and every part of this country to say this is a national imperative" he said. "I don't have the game plan today, I can just tell you the vision to me is to take that same kind of approach that Mayor Bloomberg used I think meaningfully and add to it."

If there is a progressive wave building out in the country, it's not showing up in the polls. In fact, quite the opposite is true. But in the NY Times-MSNBC-East Coast media cocoon inhabited by de Blasioand his fellow progressives, the fact that the income inequality issue is prominent makes it seem as if it's all anyone is talking about.

The truth is, the majority of voters see jobs and the debt as more important issues than income inequality. There is worry out there about the growing gap between rich and poor, and a majority would like to see the government address the problem.

But the American people have other priorities. De Blasio would do well to concentrate on creating jobs and improving public safety rather than chasing some progressive dream that government can dictate equal outcomes.