Zohran Mamdani decided to air a Bachelor-inspired commercial during the premiere of ABC’s The Golden Bachelor, asking New Yorkers to “accept this rose” in a spot that clearly aimed to turn pop culture into political pandering. The move is clever television placement, but it also reads like an insult to the intelligence of the voters he’s trying to woo — as if tossing a rose into living rooms will substitute for a record on public safety and basic economics.
The ad’s script is syrupy and simplistic: warm lighting, soft music, and promises that amount to platitudes — “You deserve better,” followed by a rose and a photo-op moment. Mamdani’s campaign even backed the stunt with a seven-figure ad buy, proving that this isn’t grassroots sincerity so much as a professionally packaged attempt to manufacture consent.
Conservative commentators aren’t the only ones raising an eyebrow; media figures like Dave Rubin have been circulating clips and direct messages about the spot, and the conversation includes sharp takes from the right questioning Mamdani’s substance. That Rubin and others are dredging up the ad in private messages and on camera only underscores how out-of-touch this kind of theatrical messaging looks when the city is worried about crime, cost of living, and basic services.
This isn’t even the first time Mamdani has leaned into internet theatrics instead of steady, sober governance. His rise was fueled by viral stunts and social media savvy that pleased a certain cultural tribe but did little to answer the sober questions about budgets, policing, and accountability. New Yorkers deserve leaders who can manage a city, not a candidate who treats municipal governance like a content strategy.
What’s striking is the campaign’s assumption about the electorate — that women watching a reality dating show can be blithely persuaded with a rose and a line about “deserving better.” It’s a patronizing play that misreads the very voters Mamdani claims to care about, and it reveals a contemptuous faith in celebrity-backed messaging over clear policy proposals. Americans, especially hardworking women, want results, not marketing theater.
Mamdani’s fanbase and influencers may cheer the gimmick, and a smattering of celebrity endorsements have helped build his buzz among young progressives, but buzz does not translate into competent city management. If he truly believes his bumper-sticker promises will solve crime and skyrocketing costs, voters should demand specifics, not romance-novel staging.
At a time when New Yorkers are rightly anxious about safety, schools, and affordability, throwing roses at viewers is an insult and a distraction. Conservative voters and independents who care about competence should push back hard against a campaign that substitutes theatrical pandering for governing. The ballot box exists to reward seriousness, not to hand the city over to another glossy media campaign.
