Not long after Eric Adams won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City in June 2021, a lot of people who are paid to be smart about such things began to speculate about what was next. A Wall Street Journal columnist asked if “Manchin-Adams” was “the future of the Democratic party.” Bret Stephens predicted in the New York Times that “Eric Adams is going to save New York.” Lis Smith, the oft-quoted Democratic consultant, told Politico he was “a voice we really need in the Democratic Party right now.” The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee invited Adams to speak to the group to offer messaging tips.