2009 Mayor Election | The New York Observer

What Was in That Anthony Weiner Poll?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:20:14 -0500

Anthony Weiner’s comments about how he really could have beaten Michael Bloomberg have caused a little stir this morning.

Aside from how it must look from Bill Thompson's perspective, it's also gotten him into a trade of insults with people in the White House.

But since he opened the door...

A couple of readers reminded me that there was a $44,600 poll Weiner had paid for days before officially withdrawing from the race. His aides never disclosed...

Weiner Returns to City Hall

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:25:49 -0500

Anthony Weiner could have held his press conference about federal health care legislation anywhere he wanted on Sunday. He held it in front of City Hall.

There's been no shortage of finger-pointing among Democrats over who's really to blame for not helping Bill Thompson in his unexpectedly close loss to Michael Bloomberg. Weiner himself has come under fire for criticizing the White House's conspicuously insignificant role in the race. But Weiner himself is not in...

Unreleased Marist Poll Showed Thompson Closing in on Bloomberg

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:03:23 -0500

A Marist poll completed the day before the election but never made public showed “a continuation of the trend we saw in the previous week” with “Democrats and African-Americans coming home,” said pollster Lee Miringoff.

Miringoff said the poll also showed “Bloomberg’s numbers had this low-50s element.”

The methodology here was slightly different than in earlier Marist polls. Instead of calling mostly land lines and "random dialing" to expand the pool of participants, this latest poll...

Dinkins Wanted More From Obama

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:22:20 -0500

Bill Thompson supporters continue firing shots at those they say could have and should have done more to help out. The latest is from David Dinkins.

From The Post:

“The president should’ve done more. He found time to go to Virginia, he found time to go to New Jersey and he should’ve been here,” former Mayor David Dinkins, who was in office from 1990 through...

Staten Island Room

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:37:42 -0500

Michael Bloomberg has said he removed politics from government. Not so easy to do, though.

From the New York Times:

In the days after the mayor had emerged, victorious, but badly bruised, from his fight to rewrite the city’s term limits law, Mr. Bloomberg and his three top deputies, Edward Skyler, Patricia E. Harris and Kevin Sheekey, gathered in the Staten Island room in City Hall and began to plot his...

Seabrook, Very Live

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:24 -0500

Norman Seabrook sums up the anger among Bill Thompson supporters about non-supporters, saying on live television that people purporting to be "supporters of righteousness, strong supporters of change, strong supporters of taking the homeless off the streets are full of...

Four More Years

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:58:52 -0500

Mayor Michael Bloomberg now has the time and the mandate to create a legacy of LaGuardia-like proportions. His reelection after a catastrophic economic collapse on Wall Street, leading to the loss of tens of thousands of jobs, is a tribute to the high regard New Yorkers have for his managerial skills, economic vision and common sense. Voters clearly understand that as bad as things are in some sectors of the economy, matters could have...

Bloomberg Spends Big, Wins Small, Survives on Independence Party Votes

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:38:48 -0500

Bill Thompson beat Michael Bloomberg among New Yorkers who cast their votes on the Democratic and Republican lines, 479,521 to 414,242.

But Bloomberg’s margin of victory last night was delivered by the Independence Party line, where the mayor got 142,817 votes, compared to the 27,196 Thompson got on his major third party line, the Working Families Party, according to unofficial results from the city Board of Elections.

This can be attributed mostly to the fact that...

The Last Days of Candidate Bloomberg

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:05 -0500

Michael Bloomberg is on pace to spend more than $100 million on his reelection campaign—more than anyone has ever spent to become mayor of anything, and many, many times more than his effectively resourceless Democratic challenger, City Comptroller Bill Thompson.

But even as his campaign blanketed the airwaves with ads and clogged mailboxes with glossy literature in the run-up to Election Day, the mayor’s handling kept him on a full schedule of...

Spotted: Bloomberg, Sanjaya

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:26:30 -0500

Michael Bloomberg hasn’t had an event on his public schedule since 8 a.m. this morning.

There are some theories--David Seifman said the mayor is already calling to thank supporters and practice his victory speech (no lack of confidence over there).

One person on Twitter said Bloomberg “set up a table” on 135th and Lennox.

And in slightly unrelated weird news, Sanjaya, the long-haired phenom from American idol, is over at Avenue N and 56th Street in Brooklyn,...

Bloomberg Meets a Polite Thompson Supporter

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:25:05 -0500

Among the people who stopped to shake Michael Bloomberg’s hand at 72nd Street and Broadway this morning was Richie Fife, the campaign manager for Democratic Governor David Paterson.

Fife, whose boss endorsed Bill Thompson, shook the mayor’s hand and chatted for a few moments. I didn’t hear what they said but it seemed polite.

Afterward, Fife emailed to say, “I said good to see him and wished him luck.”

That's better than what happened when Bloomberg met...

No Rest for the Trackers

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:59:28 -0500

Even though the polls open for only a few more hours, there’s still time for candidates to mess up and for a rival to make use of that negative information.

Which explains why Erica, the (friendly!) woman from the Bloomberg campaign charged with following Bill Thompson, is out in the field today.

A source on the Thompson campaign spotted her at several events. A Bloomberg source shrugged at the notion that this is anything out of...

More Bloomberg Calls, But Live

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:56:51 -0500

Here’s a live call a reader from Manhattan just got from Michael Bloomberg’s campaign, urging people to re-elect the mayor.

“To keep our city safe and strong, we need Mike Bloomberg, and he needs your vote,” the caller says.

The live calls are being done by Whitman Strategies, and the robocalls, of which there are plenty, are being done by Corporate Spoken Hub, I’m told.

Any other interesting robocalls, live calls or general campaign-y stuff floating around...

Bloomberg's Day Before

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:19:36 -0500

Michael Bloomberg, who is outspending opponent Bill Thompson $85 million to $6 million, said he doesn't need to win by a landslide tomorrow--he just wants to win.

Outside a bakery on Staten Island this morning, the mayor said, "Maybe a win's a win, but you'd always like to have more. But nobody is going to remember two days later how much you won by. You're only going to remember who the...

In Bloomberg's Robocall to Latinos, a Nod to Sotomayor

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:10:55 -0500

Here is one of the many robocalls Michael Bloomberg’s campaign is sending out. This one, by Spanish television personality Denisse Oller, mentions Barack Obama and Sonia Sotomayor.

It’s targeted to Spanish voters, but was received by a reader originally from Manhattan with a distinctively Italian name.

“Not only did Mayor Mike recommend to President Obama that he nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, but when some in congress publicly went against her, Mayor Mike...

In Russian, No Alternatives

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:01:05 -0400

Here's an ad the front page of a Russian newspaper, which, when translated, is slightly ominous.

"There is only one choice - Mike...

Bloomberg on Corzine: 'No Strain in Our Relationship'

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:43:21 -0400

David Chen is up with a story saying the relationship between Jon Corzine and Michael Bloomberg – Wall Street guys who entered politics at the same time - has become strained.

“I was at a dinner party with him, maybe, two months ago,” Bloomberg told reporters at Union Square this afternoon, when asked about Corzine. “I don’t think I’ve talked to him, maybe once or twice since. Some business stuff. But there’s certainly no strain...

Poll: 45 Percent Unswayed Over Term Limits

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:11:52 -0400

One fact that may underscore why Bill Thompson’s main complaint about Michael Bloomberg hasn’t served him better: 45 percent of registered voters said extending term limits made “no difference” in their decision.

That’s according to a new Marist poll, which shows Bloomberg leading Thompson 53 to 38 among likely voters, up slightly from last week, when Bloomberg led 52 to 36 percent.

In the latest poll, Bloomberg leads Thompson among Democrats, 47 to 39 percent.

Liz Benjamin...

Wolfson and Garin

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:05:47 -0400

When Mark Penn was dislodged from Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, the two people who stepped up to try righting the ship were Howard Wolfson and Geoffrey Garin.

Now, they’re working for rival candidates in the mayoral race.

After Garin released internal poll numbers yesterday showing Bill Thompson is closing the gap, Wolfson, in defense of his candidate, Michael Bloomberg, trashed Garin’s work.

In a public statement today, Wolfson said, “Bill Thompson’s poll gives new meaning to the...

Jon Stewart on Term Limits

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:50:04 -0400

The impression I got from watching this clip, via Jen Chung, is that he kind of likes...

Thompson Gaining in Thompson Poll

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:47:38 -0400

Bill Thompson’s pollster, Geoffrey Garin, released internal polling numbers, calling this “a very close race.”

“This is a mayor who hasn’t been able to close the deal,” said Garin.

According to the Thompson polling, released late today in a conference call, showed Bloomberg leading Thompson 46 to 38 percent with 17 percent undecided, among 614 likely voters.

Among the 82 percent of people polled who said they were “certain” to vote, Bloomberg led Thompson 44 to 41...

Markowitz Says Vote Democratic (After Voting Bloomberg)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:45:03 -0400

“What we do in the next five days is going to win the election,” Michael Bloomberg told supporters in his Atlantic Avenue campaign office in Brooklyn this afternoon.

Borough President Marty Markowitz, a Democrat, was on hand to support Bloomberg, but remind people to vote for others in the party.

“We have the benefit of a mayor who’s moved this city forward,” Markowitz said. But, he added, “Please, after people have voted for the mayor, tell...

Diaz Backs Thompson Even If It's Not Entirely Helpful

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:53:59 -0400

Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr. said about 100 ministers met with him and Bill Thompson in the Bronx this morning, vowing to help get him elected. Afterward, they went to a senior center.

“The enthusiasm, you should have seen it,” said Diaz. “A standing ovation. Ministers chanting Bill-y! Bill-y!”

I had to rely on Diaz’s account of the event since it wasn’t on the campaign’s schedule, and Diaz’s notice about it got past me and a few...

Cuomo and Thompson Try Focusing on 2009

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:24:27 -0400

Andrew Cuomo walked a few blocks on Third Avenue in the Bronx this afternoon with Bill Thompson, and endorsed him for mayor.

The event was ostensibly to boost Thompson’s mayoral campaign, but it felt like a precursor to next year’s governor’s race. Thompson is trailing in the polls and most pundits and observers consider it only a question of how large a margin Bloomberg wins by.

But the event provided Cuomo, who is reportedly planning to...

Revealed! Bloomberg in Washington Heights, Thompson with Diaz Sr.

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:51:03 -0400

Sometimes, candidates campaign without the media.

This morning at 9 a.m., Michael Bloomberg had a breakfast in Washington Heights with seniors, which was not publicized by his campaign.

A campaign source said it wasn't publicized because they feared reporters wouldn't be able to make it on time, and that the mayor's schedule was so chock full of stuff that they couldn't guarantee when then event would start or end.

This person also said the campaign wanted to...

Cuomo to Endorse Thompson

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:57:54 -0400

Andrew Cuomo is expected to endorse fellow Democrat Bill Thompson today, possibly at an event in the Bronx, according to a person familiar with the event.

The endorsement comes late in the campaign, and it’s unclear if Cuomo, like other elected who have endorsed Thompson, will be any more critical than is absolutely necessary of Thompson's opponent, Michael Bloomberg.

The endorsement today may shed more light on the brewing governor’s race next year, where Cuomo is...

Bloomberg and Thompson Act Like Politicians on Taxes

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:07:48 -0400

The most memorable part of last night’s debate, for me, was the moment when Michael Bloomberg and Bill Thompson attacked one another when asked who would “consider raising taxes” to balance the budget.

It’s likely, if not unavoidable, that whoever is mayor over the next four years will have to raise taxes or fees, since he’ll be faced with a multi-billion-dollar deficit and little hope of getting help from Albany or Washington. As mayor, Bloomberg...

How Much Does a Mandate Cost?

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:05:41 -0400

It’s not often that the mayor’s supporters actually state the premise of his reelection campaign, which is that he can’t merely beat Bill Thompson. He’s got to beat the spread.

“I am, among other things, a phony baloney president,” said actress Cherry Jones, referring to her character on the show 24, onstage at the Hammerstein Ballroom during an Oct. 26 Women for Bloomberg rally. “But like our real president, I like Mike, and that’s...

Bloomberg Beats a Dead Horse

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:02:42 -0400

One of the truisms of politics is that you can’t do anything if you don’t first get elected. Consequently, the noble, high-minded possibilities afforded by a high-visibility campaign almost always take a backseat to the more immediate need to win.

Case in point: Michael Bloomberg’s spare-no-expenses, take-no-risks bid for a third term.

There was a time earlier this year when it actually seemed possible that the mayor would wage a different kind of...

Thompson's Hip-Hop Coalition

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:15:40 -0400

Michael Bloomberg has Bono. Bill Thompson has Andre Harrell, and soon, the “hip-hop party.”

Thompson’s campaign has paid $30,000 since August to Harrell Entertainment, the company founded by hip-hop mogul Andre Harrell.

Harrell, in my book, is best known for giving a start to, and then firing, an up and coming producer named Sean Combs, aka P. Diddy. (It's not unlike Salomon Brothers firing a 31-year old in their tech division who ended up doing pretty...

Everywhere, Bloomberg

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:16:30 -0400

Michael Bloomberg held a women's rally at the Hammerstein Ballroom last night, where, in addition to the free pretzels and iced tea, guests were treated to a slide show of famous pop culture images, doctored to include the campaign logos. It seems the ubiquitous nature of Bloomberg's campaign is something he, and his critics, can agree on.

Here are some images Bloomberg's campaign showed off last night.

Click on the image above to start the slide...

Thompson Is Fine With Sharpton's Silence

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:44:23 -0400

Rev. Al Sharpton was uncharacteristically silent after Rudy Giuliani’s controversial comments in Boro Park, where the former mayor told Orthodox Jews that crime would spike back to their pre-1993 levels if Michael Bloomberg wasn’t re-elected. “And you know exactly what I’m talking about,” Giuliani said.

Today in Jackson Heights, Thompson said, “I don’t have a problem with the Reverend not saying something on that issue. I think there were enough people who complained, who were...

Thompson Supporters See a Scary 2021

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:10:10 -0400

Liz gets her hands on the latest ad from the Communication Workers of America who, like Bill Thompson, are focusing their anti-Bloomberg efforts on term limits.

The best line, from this ad, about an imagined future New York City: "There are no public...

Quinn Argues Consistency, Then Backs Thompson

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:21:03 -0400

When Christine Quinn said she supported extending term limits, she said it was necessary in order to have the same in place to deal with the fiscal crisis.

“As we move forward in these very difficult times, continuity in leadership will allow our city to continue to work,” Quinn told reporters on October 12.

Today, she endorsed Bill Thompson, not incumbent Michael Bloomberg.

How does Quinn square her endorsement of Thompson with her reasoning for extending term...

Bloomberg Envisions 2013, Thompson Sees Empty Promises

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:56:34 -0400

Michael Bloomberg said crime that crime will be cut in half, and schools will be so good that suburban families would move into the city just to get their kids into one.

Those were among the highlights of Bloomberg’s speech this morning about what he thought the city would look like at the end of his third term: a cleaner, greener New York City with more efficiently run schools.

But the speech didn’t break much new...

Poll: Bloomberg at 53 percent

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:24:40 -0400

Michael Bloomberg leads Bill Thompson 53 to 35, according to a new Quinnipiac poll of 1,088 likely voters.

That’s virtually unchanged from their poll last month, which had Bloomberg leading 52 to 36.

This latest poll has Bloomberg leading 46 to 44 among Democrats, 61 to 24 among Independents, and 49 to 35 among Hispanics. Plus, he's leading in every borough.

Last week’s poll from Marist showed similar results, except it had Thompson leading in the Bronx.

A...

Bill Thompson Is Hiring

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:47:30 -0400

The Bill Thompson campaign took a beating today with a story about a dispirited atmosphere pervading the campaign, and their overall sloppiness. There are no typos on this flier, but a reader notes it also doesn't contain a union bug, or note saying it was printed in-house. It's noteworthy since the interviews are taking place at a union...

An Anti-Bloomberg Rapper Elaborates

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:57:31 -0400

Two days ago, a rapper from Harlem released a song that criticized Michael Bloomberg for extending term limits, and encouraged voters to oust him in the November 3 election.

The Daily News reported that the song and accompanying video may have contained a racial slur when it asks "How many condos you sold now?" as an image of Bloomberg is shown kissing the Western Wall in Israel.

In a brief interview, the rapper, Rief Rawyal, formerly...

How New York Is Like Albuquerque, How New York Is Not Like Albuquerque

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:57:47 -0400

Bill Thompson and his supporters have made a calculated decision to invest heavily in the issue of Michael Bloomberg's term-limits extension, which, for campaign purposes, is arguably the most problematic aspect of the mayor's record.

Thompson has repeatedly stressed the issue, and now, one of his institutional supporters, the Communication Workers of America, is launching a second ad reminding people that it was the mayor who pushed for the term-limits extension, overriding two public referendums.

Will...

Poll: Bloomberg at 52 Percent

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:34:47 -0400

Michael Bloomberg inches over the 50 percent mark and now leads Bill Thompson, 52 to 36 percent, widening his lead now to 16 points, according to a new Marist poll. Last month, Bloomberg was hovering at 50 percent, with Thompson back at 39 percent. In July, Bloomberg was at 48 percent.

So, things are trending in Bloomberg's favor. He's even leading among Democratic voters, 47 to 39 percent.

Another figure that stood out to me: 62...

Bloomberg Explains Axing Commissioners, Raising Taxes and Being Polite to Bill Thompson

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:22:20 -0400

At a Crain’s breakfast at the Sheraton this morning, Michael Bloomberg expanded on his comments about wanting to change commissioners in his third term.

“[I]t’s very difficult to walk in, look a commissioner in the eye and say, ‘You know, you have done great things, you’ve worked hard, you’ve done everything we’ve asked you. But it’s time to go.’ But that is what you have to do,” said Bloomberg. “That’s what management is all about.”

“If...

Thompson on 'Cloud 9' Over Obama 'Endorsement'

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:14:55 -0400

The endorsement Barack Obama offered Bill Thompson yesterday has been written off by most of the media as perfunctory and lacking in substance.

Thompson though, has called it “excellent.”

Here’s part of Thompson’s chat with reporters after attending a rally in the Garment District this afternoon, courtesy of an attendee:

Q: What did you think of Obama’s comments about you last night? There were some reports that you had been hoping for more?

A: “Not in the least...

CFB Dismisses Thompson's Complaint Against Bloomberg, Then Changes Rules

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:13:21 -0400

Bill Thompson’s complaint against Michael Bloomberg for not publicly accounting for the the personal contributions he’s given to candidates has been dismissed.

The city Campaign Finance Board said their rules weren’t clarified before the issue was raised by Thompson back in August. Thompson complained that Bloomberg personally donated millions of dollars without declaring it as campaign spending. Bloomberg people responded by saying it wasn’t required, and then provided a list of other citywide candidates, all...

Rudy Takes the Bloomberg Campaign Down Memory Lane

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:06:24 -0400

Maybe the 2009 mayor’s race simply struck Rudy Giuliani as too boring.

And so, at an Oct. 18 breakfast in Borough Park in honor of Holocaust survivors, a black-yarmulked Mr. Giuliani told his audience that he has “worried daily” since leaving office that “the city might be turned back to the way it was, to the way it was before 1993. And you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

The city had been...

Bloomberg Downplays Obama's Thompson Endorsement

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:54:34 -0400

After getting a tepid endorsement from Barack Obama's spokesman, Bill Thompson is expected to get a warmer reception from the president, who is in town today.

When asked what he'd like to Obama to say, Thompson told reporters, "I have no idea what the president is going to say. I think his endorsement has been helpful so far. I’d like him to add to it and put a little more substance to it, but I...

Thompson Goes Past Bloomberg, Calls for Monserrate to Go

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:52:27 -0400

Bill Thompson thinks Hiram Monserrate should step down.

Speaking to reporters outside Michael Bloomberg’s campaign office, where he joined a protest organized by AIDS activists, Thompson said, “I think it’s becoming clearer, and clearer each and every day that in this case of domestic abuse is one that, in spite of the fact that he was only convicted of a misdemeanor, people feel that elected officials should be held to hire standards, and that senator...

On Bloomberg's Campaign Site, No Giuliani

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:24:17 -0400

When Rudy Giuliani endorsed Michael Bloomberg is 2001, he was everywhere. This year, he's pretty much nowhere.

He's not listed on the campaign web site's roster of supporters. Nor is there a video or image of Giuliani anywhere on campaign site.

Giuliani is mentioned prominently in the boilerplate section of press releases the campaign sends to reporters when announcing an endorsement. But his absence elsewhere is notable, considering the emphasis the Bloomberg campaign has placed on...

Bloomberg Offers No Defense of Giuliani Comments

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:09:50 -0400

For the second-straight day, Michael Bloomberg declined to disavow what critics say were racially coded comments made by Rudy Giuliani, who warned an audience of Jews in Brooklyn that crime could rise if the mayor wasn’t re-elected.

While at the ferry terminal in Lower Manhattan to receive the endorsement of Democratic Representative Mike McMahon, Bloomberg was asked if critics had “misinterpreted what he was saying.”

“I don’t know,” said Bloomberg. “I’ve got to work on trying...

Running From the Embrace of America's Mayor

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:50:21 -0400

Eight years ago at this time, after he'd thrown more than $50 million at the mayoral race but still found himself trailing Mark Green by 16 points, Michael Bloomberg bet the farm on Rudy Giuliani, scoring a last-minute endorsement from the outgoing mayor and blanketing the airwaves with a 60-second testimonial from him.

It was all upside: 9/11 had transformed Mr. Giuliani into an exalted figure in New York, where voters, longing for a...

Bill Lynch: 'Giuliani Is Going Back to The Old Days'

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:14:47 -0400

One of the people Rudy Giuliani was aiming at when he talked to an audience of Jews in Brooklyn about the prospect of crime returning to 1993 levels was David Dinkins. (Dinkins, who was the mayor until the end of 1993, when he lost to Giuliani, hasn’t returned my call for comment.)

Another is Bill Lynch, who was Dinkins’ campaign manager and deputy mayor. He isn’t just upset about what Giuliani said, but also about...