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Nov-04-2009NY Mayor: Not Bad News at All for Obama(topic overview)
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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, bolstered by record campaign spending, won a third term Tuesday, but the race was much closer than recent polls had projected. With 99% of the 6,110 precincts reporting, Mr. Bloomberg was leading his Democratic Party opponent, William Thompson Jr., by 51% to 46%, or 556,456 to 505,912 votes, and Mr. Thompson had conceded the race. Mr. Bloomberg was heavily favored despite his unpopular decision to circumvent the two-term limit on the office that New Yorkers voted into effect in 1993 and upheld in 1996. As of the most recent disclosure, released Oct. 23, Mr. Bloomberg had put $85 million of his own money into the campaign, and he was on pace to spend well more than $100 million, outspending his opponent by a 14-to-1 margin. [1] Bloomberg, the richest man in New York and founder of the financial information company Bloomberg LP, is on track to spend more than $100 million on the most expensive self-financed campaign in U.S. history. That's more than 10 times the amount of his challenger, Democratic city Comptroller William Thompson Jr. Bloomberg is heavily favored to win, with recent polls showing him up to 18 percentage points ahead. His actual margin of victory is predicted to be far smaller than the nearly 20-point blowout he pulled off in 2005. That could weaken his power and make his third term more difficult at City Hall, where Democrats poised to sweep into citywide offices indicated they would not shy away from disagreeing with the mayor. "It will be a very different experience than what he experienced the last eight years," said Democrat Bill de Blasio, who was favored to win the job of city ombudsman. Public opinion surveys find the mayor with a much narrower lead over Thompson this year than the lead he held in 2005, when Bloomberg steamrolled Fernando Ferrer by almost 20 points.[2] "There will be moments where I'm going to have to be very aggressive in speaking up for people who aren't being heard," said Democrat Bill de Blasio, who won the job of City Hall ombudsman Tuesday. Before this campaign, Bloomberg was mostly known as a nonpartisan, pragmatic philanthropist who turned the city around after the 2001 World Trade Center attack. "He may be remembered as one of the greatest mayors in New York history," the New York Times said when endorsing him in 2005. Then the mayor reversed his long-held support for term limits and persuaded the City Council to change the law. The richest man in New York and founder of the financial information company Bloomberg LP, Bloomberg said his economic expertise was crucial to steering the city through the recession. He then went on to pour millions of his personal fortune — estimated at $17.5 billion — into his campaign. He had spent nearly $90 million by Oct. 29 and could top $100 million when all the bills are paid. "I didn't like the idea that King Mike thinks he can buy anything he wants, including my vote," said Democrat Kevin Anterline, a 56-year-old university employee who voted for Thompson.[3] "We may be well on the verge of a meltdown." Bloomberg's message couldn't have been clearer at the time, as he began to explain why he - and his tame City Council - had to make the city's laws on term limits go away. The message was that only he, Michael Bloomberg, could save New York City from impending economic doom. Only that's not the campaign Bloomberg has run, the campaign that really started in the Blue Room in October '08, where a potential "meltdown" was his slick transition into talking about term limits. If that's been the real message of his campaign - sometimes you get the idea that the $85 million he's spent to get himself reelected produced 85 million hours of commercials - you tell me where. Bloomberg couldn't bring himself to deliver his real message that day, because that would have meant admitting that he wasn't ready to leave office, or the stage. Now, barring some kind of miracle Tuesday, he is supposed to beat Bill Thompson going away.[4] NEW YORK — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg won reelection in an unexpectedly tight race, after the media tycoon changed the city's law on term limits and spent a record amount of his own fortune to dominate the campaign. Bloomberg had been forecast to win by double digits, but squeaked by with 51 percent against 46 percent for his Democratic challenger Bill Thompson, with nearly all votes counted.[5] NEW YORK: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg won re-election Tuesday in an unexpectedly tight race, U.S. media reported, after the tycoon spent a record amount of his own fortune on the campaign. Bloomberg had been forecast to win by double digits, but squeaked through with 50 per cent against 46 per cent for his Democratic challenger Bill Thompson, local NY1 television and the New York Times reported.[6]
Mr Bloomberg, 67, who has an estimated fortune of $16 billion (£9.7 billion) and is the richest man in New York, had succeeded in getting the city's mayoral term limits changed which allowed him to run for a third time. He had originally supported a ban on three-term mayors. His changed stance, and his stratospheric spending, are thought to have alienated some voters in a low turn-out election. Arguing that he should be allowed to run for a third term, Mr Bloomberg, who was running as an independent, said his financial acumen was needed to guide New York through difficult economic times. Since the middle of summer he has been spending at a rate of $15,000 (£9,100) per hour, including blanket television advertisements and canvassers. Over his three mayoral campaigns he has now spent more of his own money on the pursuit of public ofice than anyone in U.S. history. Mr Thompson called the amount of money spent by his opponent "obscene" and the New York Public Interest Research Group, an independent government watchdog, said the amount was "distorting" the democratic process. The U.S. imposes no limits on what candidates can spend on such campaigns. A former partner at Salomon Brothers, Mr Bloomberg made his fortune after founding Bloomberg LP, a news and information company. As mayor he has succeeded in reducing crime to the lowest levels in decades and boosting education. In his third term he has pledged to cut crime further, reduce the city's carbon emissions, expand mass transit, increase city parkland, improve schools, add affordable housing and diversify the local economy making it less dependent on Wall Street.[7] Just ask outgoing New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, who Matt Bai convincingly argued in the New York Times Magazine was largely a victim of circumstance. It is especially difficult if you are as uncharismatic as Bloomberg or Corzine. Their lack of affability is probably a more salient common trait between them than their Wall Street backgrounds, in terms of how most voters subconciously view them. Then consider that Bloomberg executed an extraordinary power grab to run for re-election, of the sort that gets would-be Latin American despots deposed, when he over-ruled the twice expressed will of New York voters to enact and maintain a two-term limit on citywide officials. Despite his largely successful record as mayor, Bloomberg would have been expected to lose under all of these circumstances, were it not for the fact that he was willing to buy City Hall at almost any cost. Bloomberg spent roughly $100 million, snatched up top Democratic talent, including former staffers for his previous opponents, maybe just so that Thompson could not hire them. Other political leaders who could be expected to support Thompson, such as prominent members of the city's black clergy, were bought off with donations to their charities and churches from Bloomberg's personal fortune.[8]
Bloomberg's spending over three elections has now smashed the previous U.S. record for self-financed political campaigns, according to the Times. The founder of Bloomberg LP, an international news and financial data giant, had also sparked anger by strong-arming the City Council into scrapping a two-term limit approved in a referendum, thereby enabling him to run for a third time. Exit polls showed that 45 percent of voters said Bloomberg's term limit was a factor for their vote Tuesday, and about the same proportion took his spending on the contest into consideration. He nonetheless enjoyed a nearly 70 percent job approval rating. At a New York hotel, Thompson warned that "The work we started during this campaign doesn't end tonight, in fact, it's just beginning." He had faced major challenges in overcoming Bloomberg's massive spending streak, raking in less than six million dollars. Bloomberg argued in the campaign that his big business background made him uniquely suited to steer the city through troubled economic times for another four years.[5] NEW YORK -- Voters appear poised to elect New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to a third term Tuesday, even though many disagree with the change in the city's term-limits law, orchestrated by Mr. Bloomberg, that made his campaign possible. Polls show the billionaire incumbent widening his double-digit lead over Democrat Bill Thompson, 56 years old.[9] NEW YORK — New York City's billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg is trying to portray his narrow third term win as part of a national backlash against incumbents. Bloomberg says his five-point victory over Democrat William Thompson Jr. wasn't about voter resentment over the way he overturned term limits last year. He told reporters Wednesday that voters are upset about the economy. He pointed to other elections Tuesday as proof. New Jersey's governor was unseated by his GOP challenger and Virginia voters elected a Republican to succeed their Democratic governor. Westchester County's executive lost his bid for a fourth term.[10]
Mr Bloomberg, the richest man in New York and founder of the Bloomberg news agency, defeated William Thompson Jr. 51 per cent to 46 per cent a difference of less than 51,000 votes. Mr Bloomberg spent at a rate of $15,000 ('9000) per hour during the mayoral race, in comparison to his rival's $7million for the entire campaign. Bloomberg - who is worth $17.5 billion ('10.5billion) - is thought to have spent more than $100 million on his campaign, half the most expensive self-financed campaign in U.S. history. It is likely he spent more than $50million on advertising alone, and millions more on his huge army of staffers, some of them the top strategists and consultants plucked from presidential-level campaigns. Thompson relied on donations and matching funds for his mayoral bid. Mr Thompson called the amount of money spent by his opponent 'obscene' and the New York Public Interest Research Group, an independent government watchdog, said the amount was 'distorting' the democratic process. The U.S. imposes no limits on what candidates can spend on such campaigns. The mayor described his win as a 'hard-fought victory in a very difficult year,' and promised that New Yorkers 'ain't seen nothing yet' from him.[11] NEW YORK: New York has elected billionaire Michael Bloomberg to a third four-year term as mayor. Bloomberg, who spent more than $100 million of his own money on the campaign, took 51 percent of the vote to 46 percent for Democratic challenger William Thompson.[12]
Bloomberg's relentless, $100 M re-election campaign paid off in a narrow victory over his Democratic challenger. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ]] Michael Bloomberg celebrates his victory for a third term as mayor of New York City.[13] Michael Bloomberg has narrowly won a third term as Mayor of New York after spending a record $100 million (£60 million) on his campaign.[7] Billionaire Michael Bloomberg won a third term as New York mayor today after a closer-than-expected race which saw him spent more than $100million ('60million) on his campaign.[11] NEW YORK — Billionaire Michael Bloomberg won a third term as New York mayor Tuesday in a closer-than-expected race against a Democratic challenger who stoked voter resentment over the way Bloomberg changed the city's term-limits law so he could stay in office.[14] NEW YORK — A year after Mayor Michael Bloomberg orchestrated a change to city law so he could run for a third term, voters decided Tuesday whether to keep the billionaire in office for another four years.[2] NEW YORK, Nov 4 (Reuters) - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who engineered a change in the city's term-limits law so he could run again and set a campaign financing record, narrowly won a third term on Tuesday, local media declared.[15]
Some 4.2 million New Yorkers are registered voters. Noting Bloomberg's unexpectedly slim margin of victory, some political observers said New York voters may have been soured by the mayor's success in getting the city's term-limits law amended on his behalf. Others said Bloomberg supporters may have been lulled by his strong polling numbers and did not turn out in large numbers at the polls. In arguing that he should be allowed to run for a third term, which the city council allowed by amending the law, Bloomberg said his financial acumen was needed to guide New York through hard economic times.[15] There are also the numbers — New York City leans heavily to the left, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans by a ratio of 5-to-1. Democrats were also energized by their party's White House win in 2008. New Yorkers were angry that Bloomberg reversed his long-held support for term limits last year and persuaded the City Council, in a matter of weeks, to extend the law so he could run for a third term.[14]
Ask yourself this question and don't think of your self but the city as a whole! Is New York City better than it was 8 years ago? My answer yes, and I am a registered Democrat. Neither Thompson, nor Weiner is the right candidate against Bloomberg, and if the next 4 years are as good as the last 8 the term limit issue will be a thing of the past and maybe he will run again. It's time to take the politics out of politics! Governments are businesses too, just not for profit and they have a responsibility not to be poorly run. You need to be objective and Bloomberg is! Ben you have NO credibility with me writing garbadge like this! IF he bought my vote where do I pick up my money? Funny how he won the educated voters.[16] "The term limits thing did hurt, but the numbers still say 'Bloomberg easy,'" said Maurice Carroll, Quinnipiac's polling director. The former Republican mayor, who does not belong to any party but still ran on the GOP and Independence Party lines, had long insisted he supported term limits before changing course last year. New Yorkers who voted against Bloomberg on Tuesday overwhelmingly mentioned his changed position on term limits and exorbitant spending. He spent $85 million to win re-election in 2005. "I didn't like the idea that King Mike thinks he can buy anything he wants, including my vote," said Democrat Kevin Anterline, a 56-year-old university employee who voted for Thompson. Marjorie Shea, a retired high school teacher, said the spending was "overkill" but she voted for him anyway, saying his wealth and businessman's mind makes him an independent thinker. "The team he has in place is doing very well. He's not beholden to anyone," said Shea, a Democrat voting on Manhattan's Upper West side. Helen Newman, 32, voted for a Green Party candidate, but said she wasn't bothered by the mayor's spending. "I didn't really see anyone show up who had a chance against him," she said. "But then I guess no one showed up who had a chance against him because he has so much money."[2] Thompson sought to stoke that resentment, but it was not enough. He did not make a strong, separate case for why he should be elected. Many Thompson supporters said Tuesday that term limits was the single reason why they voted for him. Jason Gerald supported Bloomberg in 2005 but voted for the Democrat this year. "I didn't like the way he overturned term limits," said Gerald, a retired police officer. "He thinks he's the only person who can lead this city." When Bloomberg announced last year his intention to change the law and run again, he said it was because the city needed his financial expertise to get through the economic meltdown. He never revived that argument during the race, though, which grew increasingly negative as Election Day drew near and polls showed most voters still did not know much about Thompson. The Bloomberg campaign saw its opportunity — it defined Thompson through negative ads and attacks before the Democrat could do it himself. He will likely have spent more than $50 million on advertising alone, and millions more on his huge army of staffers, some of them the top strategists and consultants plucked from presidential-level campaigns.[14] Mr. Bloomberg, who is seeking a third term, leads Mr. Thompson, the city comptroller, 50 percent to 38 percent among likely voters with 10 percent still undecided, the poll found. That is a smaller gap than was found in a Quinnipiac poll last week that showed the mayor with a lead of 18 percentage points. Although Mr. Thompson has repeatedly criticized Mr. Bloomberg for upending the term limits law so he could run again and for the vast amount of money the mayor is spending on his campaign, Mr. Bloomberg still received a 63 percent favorable rating rating among likely voters. Mr. Thompson still remains unknown among a sizable portion of likely Democratic voters: 26 percent said they had not heard enough to form an opinion. In response to the poll results, Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for the Bloomberg campaign, said: "It's a day before the election.[17] Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to be successful in his bid for a third term, but challenger Bill Thompson ''' the city'''s first African-American comptroller ''' isn'''t going too quietly. A new poll of likely voters released Monday by Quinnipiac University found Mr. Thompson had closed his deficit by six percentage points from the previous week prior. polls show 50 percent of likely voters say they'll vote for Mr. Bloomberg, compared with Mr. Thompson'''s 38 percent.[18]
Of all the races to watch tonight, the one everyone expected to be called right as polls closed was New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's bid for a third term. The man was so insanely popular amongst the five boroughs that the city actually repealed its two-term limit so he could extend his reign.[19] BILLIONAIRE Michael Bloomberg has narrowly won a third term as New York City mayor in a race that was startlingly close.[20]
Bloomberg is only the fourth New York mayor ever to win re-election twice. The close race and the simmering voter resentment this year have energized the political opposition in City Hall, and Democrats suggested that Bloomberg's third term could be his most difficult.[3] Perhaps more important, all of the media outlets in town lined up early for Mr. Bloomberg. Recall that a little over a year ago, before Mr. Bloomberg decided to try to overturn term limits, he first visited with the publishers of The New York Daily News, The New York Post and The New York Times. With Wall Street in full meltdown in a way that seemed to threaten the financial underpinnings of the city, publishers quickly signed off on a third-term attempt for Mr. Bloomberg, figuring if the voters didn't like it, they could say so in the voting booth. The editorial/opinion side of New York media outlets were in the tank, making their endorsements foregone and muting any ability to reflect the electorate's growing discomfort with a mayor who felt the job was his for the taking.[21]
The 67-year-old mayor, who first took office in 2001, is widely credited with turning once gritty and chaotic New York into one of the cleanest, safest and most efficient U.S. cities. He has overseen a surge in luxury developments, barred traffic from teeming Times Square, made restaurants display calorie counts and banned smoking in bars, with a view to extending the ban to city parks. Two controversies marked his path to a third four-year term in a city reeling from the Wall Street crash. One was the astounding use of his fortune, estimated at 17.5 billion dollars by Forbes. He burned through about a million dollars a day in the final weeks, outspending Thompson 15 to 1 with 90 million dollars in the bank.[5]
Mayor Mike Bloomberg's stunningly narrow re-election in New York was a moral defeat for the billionaire incumbent, and a profound embarrassment for a Democratic establishment - from the White House on down -- that abandoned his rival, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, as a hopeless loser. Bloomberg's meager five-point win left Democrats pondering what might have been if New York's Democratic donors hadn't turned their back on Thompson, if its politicians had worked for him, and most of all if President Barack Obama had offered anything more than the lamest words of praise. "Maybe one of those Corzine trips could have been better spent in New York. Who knows?" remarked New York Rep. Anthony Weiner, who weighed his own run for mayor, referring to the White House's devout attention to the New Jersey contest.[16] New York's Democratic candidate for mayor, Bill Thompson, reeling under a huge volume of attack ads from billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is up with his own sharp-edged ad on black radio. The ad -- which, like Thompson's television spots, repeatedly cites President Obama's endorsement of him -- links him to Rudy Giuliani, who remains deeply unpopular among African-American New Yorkers. "Mike Bloomberg has embraced Rudy Giuliani's politics of fear and division," says the ad, an apparent reference to Giuliani's controversial recent appearance with his successor.[22]
The good news for the Democratic mayoral candidate, William C. Thompson Jr., is that he has edged a bit closer to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. The bad news is that he still trails Mr. Bloomberg by double digits, according to a new poll released by Quinnipiac University on Monday morning, one day before New York voters choose the next mayor.[17]
A new poll says William Thompson, the Democrat challenging New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has narrowed the gap a few points.[23] Politics has a way of reminding us that the conventional wisdom, while widely held, is not always wise. Both polls and pundits had Michael Bloomberg walking away with the New York City mayoralty, but he won only by a margin of 5 points, and the race was close enough so that media outlets were finessing their predictions deep into the night. It will take weeks to figure out how a two-term incumbent who spent $90 million on his re-election, overpowering his opponent by a 14-1 spending margin, limped to a narrow victory. In appearances on the cable networks last night, his campaign aides, including Howard Wolfson, went to great lengths to say that it was a rotten night to be an incumbent.[21] "I'm committed to working twice as hard in the next four years as I did in the past eight," Bloomberg said. In the days leading up to the election, polls showed Bloomberg with as much as an 18-point lead, an edge so big that critics accused the mayor of overkill in his strategy of bombarding the city with campaign ads. His actual margin of victory was far smaller than the nearly 20-point blowout he pulled off in 2005. When all the bills are paid, Bloomberg will probably have spent more than $100 million on his campaign, the most expensive self-financed campaign in U.S. history. Thompson, the city's comptroller, relied on donations and matching funds for his mayoral bid, and was on track to spend about a tenth of Bloomberg's staggering total. "This campaign was about defying conventional wisdom. this campaign was about standing strong, standing tall and never backing down in the face of a formidable challenge," Thompson said after conceding defeat.[14] Plus, Democrats put forth a long-shot and ill-funded candidate in comptroller William Thompson Jr. Bloomberg, a former Republican who ran this time as an Independent, spent more than $85 million of his personal fortune on the race ''' dwarfing the amount Thompson raised ''' the most cash dispensed for a self-financed campaign ever. This brings the total amount he's spent for three terms to a quarter of a billion dollars ''' a drop in the bucket for Bloomberg who is estimated to be worth more than $16 billion. (Full, disclosure, I worked for Bloomberg News for four years, though at the time ''' as it still is ''' the company was held in a blind trust). It wasn't until more than 96% of the vote was in that the Associated Press called the race for Bloomberg who leads with 50.5% of the vote to Thompson's 46.2%. That's nearly $20 million a percentage point. The second most expensive self-financed campaign? New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine who has spent more than $125 million of his Goldman Sachs fortune on various campaigns (Senate, governor) ''' more than $22.6 million on his latest reelection bid.[19] With 99 percent of the votes counted, Bloomberg was ahead 51 to 46 percent. His margin was far smaller than expected, given polls that showed him as recently as Monday with a double-digit lead and expectations of a large, lopsided victory. Bloomberg spent more of his own money in pursuit of public office than any other individual in U.S. history, and he vastly outspent his challenger, laying out $13 for every $1 spent by Thompson. Described by Forbes magazine as the richest man in New York, with a $16 billion fortune, he has spent almost $90 million on his re-election bid and is on track to spend as much as $140 million overall.[15] NBC called the New York mayor's race just now, with Mike Bloomberg up about 7 percent and just under 10 percent of precincts reporting. A single-digit margin would mean two things: that Bloomberg pretty much needed to spend something approaching $100 million to overcome a deep resistance to his third term, despite a challenger who didn't break through; and that Bloomberg heads into a third term that appears, in some sense, basically unwelcome. The mayor appears to know that: He's already promised a major shakeup of his senior aides, something that could counteract the sense of stasis that has made third terms for past New York executives so unhappy.[24] Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who ran a relentless re-election campaign buttressed by nearly $100 million of his own money, won a third term last night in a race against Democratic challenger and city Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr.[13] More than 10% of New Yorkers are out of work, tax revenues are down and tourism is off. Mr. Bloomberg hasn't focused his campaign on how he would solve the city's revenue problems. He has attacked Mr. Thompson as likely to raise taxes. "I can't keep straight who he's going to tax, but he's going to tax somebody," the mayor said. During a recent debate, Mr. Thompson denied he would raise taxes, though he previously has said he would be in favor of raising taxes on those making $500,000 a year or more. Mr. Thompson, in turn, has tried to focus attention on Mr. Bloomberg's successful effort to overhaul the city's term limits so he could run for a third term.[9]
Unemployment tops 10 percent, the municipal budget is under strain and New York State's finances are in even bigger trouble. Thompson accused Bloomberg during the campaign of lying to the city about his intention to change the law and be allowed to seek a third term.[5] NEW YORK — Billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg heads toward a third term bruised by a surprisingly close re-election battle that exposed lingering anger over his reversal on term limits and his prodigious campaign spending.[3] NEW YORK — Billionaire Michael Bloomberg is locked in a surprisingly tight race with his Democratic challenger for a third term as New York mayor.[25] The New York Times is reporting that Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been elected to a third term.[26]
"Everybody was shocked," a Bloomberg aide told The New York Times. In his victory speech, Bloomberg downplayed the slim margin, saying it had been "a hard-fought victory in a very difficult year." "Conventional wisdom says historically, third terms haven't been too successful," he said, "but we've spent the last eight years defying conventional wisdom."[5]
Communications Director Jim Anderson said that doesn't mean the era of big ideas is over, noting Bloomberg's last campaign didn't include innovations like closing part of Times Square to traffic or implementing the PlaNYC environmental agenda. "None of that was part of an '05 campaign - but in many ways, those were the issues that defined the second term," Anderson said. As he looks ahead, Bloomberg might want to glance back at the experience of former mayors Fiorello LaGuardia, Robert Wagner and Ed Koch, who were bedeviled by a third-term curse. They were the only three New York mayors to serve three consecutive terms - and the final four years were troubled for each.[27] The "Might is Right" concept applies to elections too. With $100 million dollars spend, Mr. Bloomberg conquered the news media, filled the balcony advertising post with his slogans, blared the radio speakers with the virtues of his service, pasted his face and message on the N.Y. TV screens, and turned the campaign into a frenetic and dizzy atmosphere that hypnotized enough voters to give him a slim victory. He bought the victory, and it has already cost him $25 million a year, or about $1/2 million a week for the privilege to serve as mayor of New York for the next 4 years.[16] Ten percent of voters were undecided. Bloomberg has spent an estimated $100 million from his own pocket, according to the New York Times ''' a record in personal campaign spending.[18]
I'd much rather be up 12 than down 12 points. The Thomspon campaign seized on the 50 percent of likely voters who say they prefer Mr. Bloomberg and said it was a sign of the mayor's weakness. "Mike is stuck at 50% and for a guy spending close to a million dollars a day this poll is pretty shocking," said Anne Fenton, a spokeswoman for the Thompson campaign. "More and more New Yorkers are making it clear that they are ready for a change."[17] Bloomberg's spending over three elections has smashed the previous U.S. record for self-financed political campaigns, making Thompson's US6 million war chest resemble spare change. The founder of Bloomberg LP, an international news and financial data giant, also sparked anger by strong-arming the City Council into scrapping a two-term limit approved in a referendum, thereby enabling him to run for a third time.[6]
By contrast, Bloomberg won easily on Staten Island, which has a much larger white population. He also fared better in Manhattan, particularly on the Upper East Side, where he lives. Turnout was slightly lower than both campaigns had predicted — about 1.1 million New Yorkers cast votes out of nearly 4.5 million people registered. Bloomberg's margin of victory was far smaller than the nearly 20-point blowout he pulled off in 2005, and only slightly larger than the three-point win he managed in 2001 as a politically untested businessman. Bloomberg was a Republican but left the party in 2007 to explore a presidential bid, which he eventually abandoned. For his third mayoral campaign, he ran again on the GOP and Independence Party lines. While Bloomberg had a huge financial advantage and consistently high approval ratings, his campaign still faced obstacles. The mayor, who has close ties to Wall Street and development, was running for re-election at a time when finance and real estate were falling apart and those relationships were not necessarily seen as positives.[3] Bloomberg is just the fourth mayor to win a third term, after Fiorello La Guardia, Robert Wagner and Ed Koch. Bloomberg was a Republican but left the party in 2007 to explore a presidential bid, a dream he eventually abandoned. For his third mayoral run, he ran again on the GOP and Independence Party lines. While Bloomberg was often described as having every advantage in the race, including his estimated $17.5 billion fortune and consistently high approval ratings, his campaign did have to overcome some obstacles. The mayor, who has close ties to Wall Street and development, was running for re-election at a time when finance and real estate were falling apart and those relationships were not necessarily seen as positives.[14] Bloomberg is just the fourth mayor to win a third term, after Fiorello La Guardia, Robert Wagner and Ed Koch. Bloomberg was a Republican but left the party in 2007 to explore a presidential bid, a dream he eventually abandoned. For his third mayoral run, he ran again on the GOP and Independence Party lines. When Bloomberg announced last year his intention to change the law and run again, he said it was because the city needed his financial expertise to get through the economic meltdown. The mayor, who has close ties to Wall Street and development, was running for re-election at a time when finance and real estate were falling apart and those relationships were not necessarily seen as positives.[11]
A total of 1.28 million votes were cast then, according to the city Board of Election. This time Bloomberg also ran on the Republican and Independence party lines, while Thompson, 56, was not only the Democratic standard-bearer but also was carried as the Working Families Party candidate. With his victory Tuesday night, Bloomberg, who is the 108th mayor in city history, intended to solidify programs aimed at diversifying the city economy so that it wouldn't have to rely on cyclic businesses like Wall Street ]] Wall Street.[13]
"I like him," said retiree Irving Hart, 67. "He's gone up against such great odds, and he didn't allow that to interfere with the job he has to do - doing what's right for the people." In Manhattan, Barbara Singleton, a city budget and contract worker, greeted Thompson like a love-struck fan, asking to pose for photos with him and fellow Democratic pols like City Council members Robert Jackson and Inez Dickens and state Sen. Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan). "I'm so excited to see our new mayor embracing New York early in the morning with the people, and I am so happy that he's a people person. We see him all the time and he's one of us," Singleton enthused. "What I mean by that is he's not a millionaire or a billionaire, but he's a person that is willing to enjoy the city and embrace it with confidence, and I like that."[28] The billionaire who disdains special interests stands beholden to average folks. He must deliver a higher quality of life and a more moderate cost of living for those who ratified his term limits extension and those who couldn't abide the change. Many of the latter cast their ballots for challenger Bill Thompson, who channeled their anger into a surprisingly close contest. He can leave public service in New York City at the end of the year with his head high. This is not a time for standing pat or for taking satisfaction in consolidating past gains, substantial as those have been. This is a time for fresh boldness, unfettered by political sail-trimming.[29] Bloomberg, a former Republican who ran as an independent candidate, has been a popular manager of New York's economy and was credited with reducing crime for the last eight years. He drew controversy by asking the City Council to change the laws and extend mayoral term limits from two to three.[12]
With 96 per cent of precincts reporting, Mr Bloomberg was leading Democrat William Thompson jnr 50.5 per cent to 46.2 per cent. The richest man in New York - Forbes magazine last month estimate Mr Bloomberg's wealth at $US17.5 ($A19.4) billion - fended off Mr Thompson, who tried to stoke voter resentment over the way Mr Bloomberg changed the city's term-limits law so he could stay in office.[20] Bloomberg, the richest man in New York and founder of the financial information company Bloomberg LP, defeated William Thompson Jr. 51 percent to 46 percent — a difference of less than 51,000 votes. The mayor called it a "hard-fought victory in a very difficult year," and promised that New Yorkers "ain't seen nothing yet" from him.[14] In the days leading up to the election, Bloomberg was expected to secure an easy victory, perhaps by double digits. He won by just five percentage points — an advantage of less than 51,000 votes out of just over a million cast. The mayor called it a "hard-fought victory in a very difficult year," and promised that New Yorkers "ain't seen nothing yet" from him.[3] Mr Bloomberg, the owner of the Bloomberg news agency, spent 13 times as much as his Democrat rival Bill Thompson and won by 51 per cent to 46 per cent. His victory was much narrower than predicted. A poll the day before the election had put him 12 points ahead.[7] The Quinnipiac University poll finds Thompson narrowing the distance between himself and Mayor Michael Bloomberg since last week. He still trails by 12 percentage points, with 50% of likely voters saying they'll vote for Bloomberg and 38% planning to vote for Thompson. Ten percent of voters told pollsters they were undecided. While it's still a lopsided race, the numbers are an improvement for Thompson since a week ago, when he trailed by 18 percentage points, but it's not much with voting set to begin in a matter of hours. "Mayor Michael Bloomberg hangs on to his double-digit lead the day before the election," said pollster Maurice Carroll.[30] One more day, one more poll. With Election Day less than 24 hours away, voters will get their final snapshot of the race between Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr., when Quinnipiac University releases the results of a poll later this morning. With the exception of an internal poll last week from Mr. Thompson's camp which showed that and this was no surprise given the unreliability of such polls Mr. Thompson had closed to within a few percentage points of Mr. Bloomberg, most of the previous surveys have showed Mr. Bloomberg with a sizable double-digit lead of 15 to 18 percentage points.[31]
A new poll says the Democrat challenging New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has narrowed the gap a few points. [23] NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his Democratic challenger spent the final day of the campaign shoring up support and readying their get-out-the-vote forces.[32] I have to partially disagree with my esteemed colleague Howard Fineman. Howard writes that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's surprisingly narrow re-election victory shows that Americans "are still mad at the Big Boys, whether they are in Washington or on Wall Street." He concludes that, "this is a warning to the president: you better shake things up -- give us real reform -- or your presidency may go from coronation to condemnation."[8] Bloomberg was first elected mayor in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that left more than 2,700 people dead in New York, destroyed the World Trade Center towers and inflicted tens of billions of dollars in damage to the city's infrastructure, Wall Street firms and jobs.[12]
"We won't know what would put us over the top, but it would have helped - extremely." Others were not sure anything could have saved Thompson, who never exuded the passion voters want in a mayor. "It wouldn't have done a thing, just like Bloomberg's money didn't make a difference," said Hunter College's political Prof. Ken Sherrill. "People who have lived in New York know what their lives are like and whether they are satisfied with Bloomberg."[33] Bloomberg needs to beat Thompson going away. Sunday I asked David Dinkins, the last Democratic mayor of New York, what was the most money he ever spent trying to get himself elected.[4] Democratic mayoral nominee William Thompson conceded defeat last night, pledging to put his differences with Mayor Bloomberg behind him to help New York move forward.[34]
Facing an underdog Democratic opponent who had little money and no name recognition, Bloomberg still waged the most expensive self-financed political campaign in U.S. history. City Comptroller William Thompson Jr. hammered the mayor relentlessly on term limits, saying Bloomberg went back on his word when he orchestrated a change to a term-limits law that voters had upheld by referendum twice in the 1990s.[3] The two men were separated by less than 14,000 votes. This after Bloomberg spent more than $100 million on the most expensive self-financed campaign in U.S. history. Thompson was widely predicted to lose by double digits, but he hoped to stoke voter resentment over the way Bloomberg sought a change to the city's term-limits law to stay in office. Thompson relied on donations and matching funds for his mayoral bid and probably spent about one-tenth of Bloomberg's total.[25]
"We've built the most sophisticated get-out-the-vote operation the city has ever seen." Mr. Bloomberg and his camp haven't taken their foot off the pedal despite the margin, with the media mogul spending $85 million of his own money on the race compared with a total outlay of $6 million by the campaign of Mr. Thompson, the city's chief financial officer for all eight years Mr. Bloomberg has been mayor. The winner will take the reins of a city hit hard by the recession, particularly its financial sector.[9] There has been a surprising degree of anti-Bloomberg sentiment on display in the Orthodox community. It has been particularly evident in the Hamodia newspaper, which ran a number of pro-Bill Thompson letters and OpEds in the wake of Rudy Giuliani's controversial remarks about the city going back "to the way it was before 1993" (in other words, during the Dinkins administration) if the mayor isn't re-elected. His comments weren't seen as racially coded, as Giuliani's were). Bloomberg scored some points less than a week after Giuliani's comments by making a stop at a Boro Park senior center - not announced by his campaign - and promising to do everything he could to restore $8 million worth of funding for the Priority 7 after-school vouchers through the end of the fiscal year. Even though it's clear from this photo that there's still some lingering resentment in the community where Bloomberg is concerned, it remains unclear if that will manifest itself at the voting booth tomorrow.[35]
Despite polls showing him trailing by 18 points in the final days of the campaign, Thompson lost to Mayor Bloomberg and his $100 million campaign by a mere 5 points.[33]
The brawling candidates for mayor headed to the polls early Tuesday before hitting the stump once more in a bid to grab every last vote. Mayor Bloomberg pulled the lever at his upper East Side polling place before wooing voters at the W. 72nd St. subway stop, a magnet for politicians. Democratic challenger William Thompson voted for "a guy named Thompson" at Public School 144 in Harlem before making his pitch to commuters at 135th St. and Lenox Ave. "It's a great day.[28] I know a lot of people who don't fit into the two-party system. It's too bad that in most of this country, people don't have any other choice except throwing away their vote. I saw Bill Thompson on Good Day NY this morning. Rosanna Scotto gave him an unfettered opportunity to talk about how he was different that Mayor Bloomberg, to showcase why he would be a better Mayor than Mike Bloomberg and he said nothing other than "yes, I've got positions on the issues" and "eight is enough." He launched into this whole "I'm delighted that President Obama endorsed me" thing when he well knows that President Obama has not everything BUT endorse him. What Obama has done is IGNORE HIM, not endorse him. This just highlights what an empty suit candidate the Democrats put forward this electoral cycle.[17] When Thompson took to the stage to brag about having "defied conventional wisdom" and standing up to fearful odds, the crowd cheered lustily. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn, Queens) - who opted out of walking into Bloomberg's spending buzz saw by not running for mayor this cycle - likened Thompson's uphill battle to trying to win a game of basketball with five against 55. He praised his lack of bitterness. "Say what you like about Bill Thompson - he is a very upbeat, fun guy," Weiner said. "When I saw him this weekend, I saw a candidate who had more negative ads run against him maybe than any candidate in American history. Yet, he was still enthusiastic. He was connecting with voters," Weiner said.[36]
Thompson, who will probably end up spending one-tenth as much as Bloomberg, gave the mayor a scare by running up huge margins in black and Hispanic neighborhoods, winning by a 3-to-1 margin in some election districts. "This campaign was about defying conventional wisdom. this campaign was about standing strong, standing tall and never backing down in the face of a formidable challenge," Thompson said after conceding defeat. He beat the mayor handily in predominantly black neighborhoods such as Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn and Jamaica in Queens. He won Harlem and East Harlem easily, along with other heavily Hispanic districts in upper Manhattan and the Bronx.[3]
While many New Yorkers assumed Bloomberg would steamroll the competition, Thompson insisted since spring the mayor's support had been weakened by years of tax increases and unpopular decisions. "This campaign was about defying conventional wisdom," Thompson said. "This campaign was standing up for your core values. This campaign was about standing strong, standing tall and never backing down in the face of a formidable challenge."[37]
"A win is a win," said Yolanda Ruiz, a Bronx teacher who attended Bloomberg's bash. "If anything, it will make it clear to the mayor that he really does have to work very hard." Bloomberg spokesman Howard Wolfson shrugged off the close total, saying, "Whether the Yankees win in four or five or six or seven games, they are still the world champions." Bloomberg, 67, had once vowed never to pursue a third term, and many New Yorkers who otherwise liked him were upset about how he persuaded the City Council to overturn the two-term limit that voters approved - twice.[37] "We're clearly not looking at a period of big new cash outlays." The mayor has said he would not raise taxes to cover next year's projected $4.9 billion deficit, which will force him to make unpopular budget cuts. Bloomberg will face scrutiny from a new public advocate and controller - vocal opponents of his term-limit extension, who are expected to spend four years throwing hard punches at him. "This third term will not be a cakewalk," said Councilman John Liu, elected last night as the next city controller.[27]
"At the same time, felt that when it came right down to everything, was the safest choice. He has improved a lot of things." At the same poll site, teacher Penny Shaw, 72, was far more enthusiastic about casting her ballot for a third Bloomberg term. "I think he's done a great job. I think the city is better. think he's a fair guy," Shaw said. "And I love that he spent all that money," she added, referring to the more than $85 million Bloomberg has burned through so far. "Everybody is complaining that he's spending all this money, that it's disgusting, but who's getting the money? Instead of Bloomberg keeping it, working people are getting the money - the at those benefit dinners and whatnot."[28] Republicans always face a structural disadvantage when running for citywide office. Despite all of Bloomberg's millions in campaign spending in 2001, he was set to lose handily to Democrat Mark Green, until September 11 canonized Rudy Giuliani and made his subsequent endorsement of Bloomberg all-powerful. Mayors and governors do not often win third terms, and they seldom win fourth ones.[8] By contrast, Bloomberg won easily on Staten Island, which has a much larger white population. He also fared better in Manhattan, particularly on the Upper East Side, where he lives. The tiny margin could weaken his power and make his third term more difficult at City Hall, where Democrats poised to sweep into citywide offices indicated they would not shy away from disagreeing with the mayor.[14] NYers weren't voting FOR Thompson, who is a political hack, but AGAINST Bloomberg and his entitlement of a third term despite popularly voted term limits. Back in early 2002, Giuliani tried to use 9/11 to buck term limits and extend his grip on the mayoralty, but the people revolted and Bloomberg was installed on schedule. You can imagine the irony that Bloomberg had the term limit law declared void by the City Council, using the economic malaise as his excuse to not leave office.[16] As I read it, the people wanted to send a message to Bloomberg or any other rich incumbent that their vote counts notwithstanding how much money is spent to win office. Obviously, the message also included a rebuke of Bloomberg's effort to have local law changed to allow him to run for a third term.[16]
Voters have placed their trust again in Michael Bloomberg, and now he must repay their investment with a third term that makes major strides toward the betterment of New York.[29] "Conventional wisdom says that, historically, third terms haven't been too successful," Bloomberg told supporters at the Sheraton New York.[37]
Twice during Bloomberg's time in office, a repeal of term limits was put to a popular vote, and twice the citizens of New York voted against it.[19] Taxpayers are in no position to shoulder hikes of 4% a year at a time when inflation is below zero and the private sector is shedding thousands of jobs. In the long term, Bloomberg must meet the task of bringing the municipal workforce's pension and health care costs closer into line with those afforded the public at large. This is the last hurrah, Mike; make it great by taking on all the elements of the status quo that make New York tougher for the working and middle classes.[29] New York's unemployment rate rose to 10.3 per cent in September from 6 per cent a year earlier. ''While we can't fix the national recession, we can and we will get our city through these tough times and we'll come out stronger than ever,'' Mr Bloomberg said.[20] Mr. Bloomberg's camp is confident, too, and it has the numbers and the dollars to prove it. While Mr. Bloomberg may be projecting an air of calm confidence even taking time out Sunday night to board the U.S.S. New York, which is to arrive in the city Monday morning, to take in Game 4 of the World Series his army of highly paid staff members and volunteers ranging in age from 12 to more than 90 is leaving nothing to chance.[31]
Thompson supporters also accused Bloomberg of trying to buy the election. Thompson gave a concession speech before a raucous hall of supporters celebrating the unexpectedly strong showing, despite his loss. "Thank you, New York," he said, telling voters that their "desire for change is what carried me to this point."[5] As nails were being chewed at Bloomberg's victory party at the nearby Sheraton New York on Seventh Ave., a stream of pols and union leaders took to the stage to boost Thompson, bash Bloomberg - and delight in a neck-and-neck battle the polls didn't predict. "Tonight, across the street in another hotel, they are shocked!" crowed Assemblywoman Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan).[36] A party that started out perfunctorily at the Hilton New York turned electric when the votes started coming in - and no landslide appeared. Former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, whose own 2005 challenge to Mayor Bloomberg was wiped out by what he called the mayor's "tsunami of dollar bills," was thrilled.[36] Elections today: Incumbents such as New York's Mayor Bloomberg have spent big to ensure they keep their seats on Election Day.[18] Elections today: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg leaves the voting booth after casting his ballot in New York.[18]
"We expect that on Nov. 3, 2009, Bill Thompson will be elected the next Mayor of New York City," said Mike Murphy, a campaign spokesman.[9] Our new public advocate, Bill de Blasio. I look forward to working with them and all of Bill Thompson'''s supporters, because at the end of the day, we all agree on a heck of a lot more than we disagree on, especially our love of New York City. Now, we'''ve come so far in these past few years by staying united, and that'''s how we'''re going to climb out of this national recession together.[38]
We also know a Democratic City machine pol when we see one, and Bill Thompson is machine incarnate. The machine is dedicated to its own preservation, which does not, unfortunately, necessarily depend on good governance. Bloomberg's win translates into one thing above all: voters know that in these difficult times, the incompetence and game-playing of machine politics as usual is a luxury this city can't afford right now.[19] Today's Q poll - the last one we will see voters head to the polls tomorrow - shows the mayor's race has tightened slightly, but Mayor Bloomberg continues to enjoy a comfortable double-digit lead over Comptroller Bill Thompson.[39] Bill Thompson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg hit the polls Tuesday morning to vote.[28]
"A few minutes ago, I called Mayor Bloomberg," Thompson began, sparking a chorus of boos from the crowd gathered at the Hilton hotel in midtown. After quieting the crowd, Thompson said, "I called Mayor Bloomberg to congratulate him on his victory. Although we've had our differences, we have always found common ground in our deep desire to serve this city and to build a better future for its people." Thompson said he's "exceedingly proud" of the campaign he led. "Tonight it is clear that when the final votes are counted, they will not be in our favor," he said.[34] Bloomberg's 50.6%-to-46% victory over city Controller William Thompson was hardly a mandate. It was far closer than many observers expected, fueled by extraordinarily low turnout and ananti-incumbent mood that Thompson picked up early. The thousands of people at Bloomberg's party knew little of the drama as votes were tabulated, but glum faces on the mayor's advisors showed how worried they were before a last-minute burst of votes from Bloomberg strongholds in Queens pulled him into a clear lead.[37]
White voters are going overwhelmingly for Bloomberg, 66 to 24 percent, while black voters overwhelmingly back Thompson, 62 to 23 percent. Another interesting stat for Thompson, the current city controller who is African-American: Fifteen percent of blacks told pollsters they didn't know who they would vote for. Bloomberg started his day early, boarding the Staten Island ferry in Manhattan at 7:10 a.m. and shaking hands with ferry commuters alongside Staten Island Borough President Jim Molinaro. "I've been following him for years," said commuter June Blom, 68, a hospice nurse from St. George who went to college with the mayor.[30] An informed source reports that the mayor's share of the African-American vote was shrinking as voters went to the polls. Bloomberg got 25% of the African-American vote in his first mayoral election in 2001 against Democrat Mark Green, and that grew to 47% in his second-term election in 2005 against Democrat Fernando Ferrer, according to an exit poll conducted that year by Pace University. Exit polls done in 1993 showed that Rudy Giuliani got just 5% of the African-American vote when he deposed then-Mayor David Dinkins, the city's first African-American mayor. Giuliani's share of the vote grew to 20% in 1997 when he beat Ruth Messinger.[40] Pre-election polls had the mayor getting as much as 30% of the likely African-American voters, based on the last Marist College Poll, 22% in the prior poll and 31% in a September poll. A Quinnipiac University poll released yesterday showed Bloomberg snagging 23% of likely black voters compared to 62% for Democrat William Thompson -- that's with 15% of African Americans telling pollsters they were undecided (or refusing to say who they'll vote for).[40] Mayor Bloomberg has a 12-point lead over his rival Democrat William Thompson with just a day left before Election Day, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll.[30]
Something else was at work in New York. Media outlets underestimated the disaffection with the current mayor, partly because of his workaround on term limits and perhaps because of his willingness to spend tens of millions pounding an opponent, the Democrat William Thompson Jr., who had very little way of responding.[21] Jay - you were very good (but wordy!) on Hardball in the wee hours. I think you're right about this being the surprise - but I also think it's likely to have been significantly about voters angry with his deciding he got another term and having the term limit changed. That's a dangerous kind of power. I bet the people of New York would have been really shocked if their protest vote ended up electing the Democrat. Nate Silver over at 538 has more on this.[19]
New York State elected pro-choice Republican George Pataki in 1994 to the first of three terms as Governor, but it still went for Bill Clinton in 1996. (As Andrew points out, Christie Whitman's contemporaneous victory in neighboring New Jersey did not mean that national Democrats had anything to fear there either.)[8] "We're going to make the next four years the best yet, and we're going to do it with the same independent approach we've always taken." Thompson conceded a few minutes earlier across town at the Hilton New York as though he had won a moral victory, telling the cheering crowd, "Your support, enthusiasm and desire for change is what carried me to this point."[37]
A Quinnipiac University survey of 1,360 likely voters had Thompson 12 points behind Bloomberg. Analysts say the smaller expected margin is partly due to voter resentment over the way Bloomberg hastily persuaded the City Council to change the term-limit law last year so that he could run again.[2] Polls in the past week had put the mayor up by 15 points. Voters appeared to have soured on the billionaire for the way he pushed through the City Council a change in the term-limits law allowing him to go for the third term.[13]
Mayor Bloomberg won a squeaker''Tuesday night - claiming a third term by a surprisingly thin 5-point margin after outspending his rival by nearly $80 million.[37] Dllrrs 100 million later and with every newspaper bought, with every political consultant bought, with every contributor threaten so as not to contribute to Thompson, with the Democrats placing a sacrificial candidate up, with a media blackout on Thompson, with every pollster bribe to make up ridiculous number (they all must work at the Department of Education), with Barack Obama turning tail and running from the election (thanks for nothing Barry), with a two term incumbent running Bloomberg got barely over 50% of the vote.[38] What a shame that only about 1 million folks out of the total electorate voted. Many voted for Thompson not because they belived he would win, but because they could not bring themselves to vote for the guy who forgot about the real middle class, the real working class and who has sold the city out to developers and tourists. Bloomberg is probably thanking those who didn't bother to vote or chose to go for a minor part candidate. If it wasn't for having other choices, he would have lost. Now if anyone who voted him back complains about his next term, they should remember that this was the election where they had a chance to vote him out, but didn't. That sort of reminds me of the aftermath of the 2004 presidential election when everyone had the chance to vote out Bush, but decided to re-elect him instead all because they couldn't trust Kerry.[38]
Bloomberg won by 50,342 votes out of 1.1 million cast - which averages to just eight more Bloomberg voters than Thompson voters at each of the city's 6,110 poll sites.[37]
I've worked as hard as I can for the last eight years, and have lots of ideas what we can do to continue the progress and make the city even better," Bloomberg said. Ahough polls say he's trailing Bloomberg, and his campaign has been spectacularly outspent by the self-funding billionaire mayor, Thompson predicted an upset.[28] New Yorkers want a mayor who can stretch across the aisle and bring people together. That'''s what we'''ve done over the past eight years and that'''s what we did in this election. We'''ve built the most diverse coalition of supporters this city has ever seen: thousands and thousands of people who gave their time and energy to this campaign: college students and seniors, union members and small-business owners, New Yorkers from every community, speaking just about every imaginable language, reaching out to every single voter in every neighborhood. Handing out literature, making phone calls, stuffing envelopes and, up to this evening, knocking on more than two million doors. Make no mistake: you make this happen. Actually, this is the first time I'''ve seen any of you standing still. None of this, none of this would have been possible without all of you.[38] No white candidate has mounted a serious campaign for the office since 1973, when Maynard Jackson was elected as the first black mayor of a Southern city. Some political observers said they were surprised at how attitudes about race seemed to have changed just a year after President Barack Obama's historic election. "I'm not looking at her race," said Veronica Kelly, who is black and lives in Venetian Hills, on the city's predominantly black south side. "I'm looking at what needs to be done, and she's calling it like it is." She said she likes how Ms. Norwood has handled complaints about trash collection and abandoned houses. In Detroit, Mayor Dave Bing, a Hall of Fame basketball player and millionaire businessman, won re-election over his only remaining opponent, Tom Barrow, an accountant with a criminal past.[1]
People don't like feeling bought. If the campaign had been subtle, or had grassroots (like Obama's did) then people feel like they are part of a movement, they are working with others to accomplish a goal. They just felt looked down upon. On the flip side, voters who support Bloomberg despite all that felt they had very little reason to turn out and prove it. Even if they had been planning on voting, the assurance that their preferred candidate would win regardless meant that if voting was an inconvenience they may not have gone to the polls. They felt their vote did not have as much of an impact; they felt he didn't need their support in order to win. Between these two elements I think the perfect storm was created, resulting in what we saw last night.[21] Bloomberg really needs to stop pretending to be one of us, because he really isn't. He was born rich, raised rich, and will die rich. Just about every ad he has shown, he has been trying to either mix it around to be true or just simply lie about it. It's time to stand up to him and vote him out tommorow. Again, sitting out on the vote will give Bloomberg his victory very easily, because he and his friends will be at the ballots making sure their votes will count. The only way he will be voted out of office is if those who don't like him and are registered to vote come there to vote for Thompson. If Bloomberg wins, it will just show how once again money can buy an election, plus he will have the non-voters to thank for by staying silent on it.[17] At $200 per Bloomberg vote compared to Thompson spending $4 per vote I think Thompson was better at managing the money. Lets hope the Mayor's ego will allow him to at least reach across to the other 49% of the voters and see that there needs are met.[38] Thompson also blasted Bloomberg as an out-of-touch elitist who abandoned the middle class. Thompson gave voters few other reasons to support him. Some voters expressed their discontent in the voting booth, even though they did not believe Bloomberg could lose. Pedro Fuertes said he voted for Bloomberg in 2005 but abandoned him this year. A vote for Thompson, he said, sent a message to the mayor. "He will know how people feel," Fuertes said.[3]
Queens Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., a Bloomberg supporter, predicted the next four years will be "much more difficult for the mayor." "For two terms, he's had an administration that really has not had much opposition and now he will have people who are politically ambitious and who will be nipping at his heels," said political consultant George Arzt. "That opposition will, in part, be a major factor in the new administration." Bloomberg has a third-term agenda that sounds a lot like his second, such as cutting crime and improving school scores.[27] Term limits or no term limits is not the issue. It was how the term limits were overturned by the insider politicians who stand to benefit. Thompson is a good guy; he deserves a chance to be our mayor for four years after what Bloomberg did.[17] Four years later, the number fell to about 1.3 million, a figure that represents participation by only one in three voters. These days, compared with a 10% primary turnout, that would be counted a success. It would still represent a low-water mark in involvement, one that could well provide a distorted sense of broader public sentiment. With a top-notch record of plummeting crime, rising test scores, cleaner streets and parks, sound fiscal management and harmonious racial and ethnic relations, Bloomberg is up against one force: the lingering effects of his fight to extend term limits. Although he happened to have been right in that battle, Bloomberg energized voters for whom this is the single overriding issue. They are passionate and they are pent up to vote.[41]
Mr Bloomberg spent more than $US100 million on the most expensive self-financed campaign in U.S. history. His margin of victory was far smaller than his nearly 20-point blow-out in 2005. The win gave him another four years to begin balancing a city budget with a projected $US5 billion deficit in the fiscal year beginning July 1, while making good on promises to improve schools and municipal services.[20] There's definitely a lot of fault to be laid at the feet of the Democrats for not coming up with a credible candidate to run against Bloomberg. The fact that the guy basically pulled a dictator move and changed the law to keep himself in power, ran all but unopposed, and still had to spend nearly $100 million to win proves that he's earned a lot of ill will with his recent actions. Hey, who cares? The guy's going to be mayor for the rest of his life, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.[19] Some of the ads contain inaccuracies or misleading implications. This $5 million, 90-second TV ad for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg ran hourly for three weeks on broadcast networks and cable news stations across the United States, Puerto Rico and populous portions of Guam.[42]
Opinion polls ahead of the vote put the 67-year-old Bloomberg 12 percentage points ahead of Thompson, 56. Bloomberg's personal wealth is estimated at $16 billion, fuelled by the namesake financial news service he founded decades ago.[12] Sizable, but hardly insurmountable, and certainly not a predictor for Tuesday: after all, in 2005, Mr. Bloomberg led Fernando Ferrer by a mind-blowing 34 percentage points in some late polls before winning by 20 percent. Members of Mr. Thompson's camp say that their last-minute push this weekend barnstorming through black churches, releasing a final ad and trying to remind voters finally locked in to Tuesday's election makes them guardedly optimistic that their man can pull off an upset.[31] The poll of 1,360 likely voters has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. Mr. Thompson's campaign says its internal poll shows a much closer race, though the reliability of such polls is usually suspect. Both campaigns are crossing the city in an effort to persuade voters to go to the ballot in an election in which turnout is expected to be low.[17]
The poll, which has a margin of error of 2.7 %, surveyed 1,360 likely voters on Thursday, Friday and over the weekend. It showed Bloomberg leading Thompson 82 to 10 % among Republicans and independent voters while Thompson was leading among Democrats, 48 to 43 %.[30]
Thompson to running against Bloomberg was a direct reflection as to the quality of people active in the Democratic Party. Maybe its time for better educated democrats to seek public office. Thompson was lame as was Weiner and even he knew it and chose not to run against Bloomberg.[16] Overall, Hizzoner's narrow escape is not bad news for President Obama. Bill Thompson was the candidate of Obama's party, so his strong showing against Bloomberg can hardly be interpreted as anti-Obama sentiment.[8] The choice between Michael Bloomberg and Bill Thompson matters too much to have the contest decided by a tiny slice of the electorate.[41]
Come on. I thank Bill Thompson for his service to the city, and I also want to congratulate our new comptroller, the first Asian-American elected to citywide office, John Liu.[38] Bloomberg must also adjust to a changing City Council, where more than dozen new members were elected in part due to term limits fury - and returning members will be maneuvering for higher office.[27] It is hard to reconcile saying that Bloomberg was insanely popular with voters because he and a majority of the City Council decided to reverse the results of two referendum votes, so that they could stay in office for at least another term.[19]
I think the big problem here is approaching the race the main bloomberg media coverage focused on how much he was spending - and didn't do anything to discuss or portray the issues he was discussing or the things he had achieved. What this accomplished was highlighting for the average voter how much bloomberg was not like them - pointing out the income gap. It also made it look like he thought he could buy New Yorker votes.[21] Bloomberg aired copious commercials and inundated New Yorkers with direct mail. His focus on Thompson was relentlessly negative -- ironic for a man who professed to deplore politcs as usual. That was enough to put Bloomberg over the top. But his victory should not be seen as a positive bellweather for Republicans either. His spending advantage is unique.[8]
As my colleague Michael Barbaro pointed out, the Bloomberg re-election play was built on a "Powell doctrine," a demonstration of overwhelming force designed to sell "inevitability." It was a strategy that apparently left many members of the New York electorate unmoved, but it did have a huge side benefit: Most of the media organizations covering the race thought a Bloomberg victory was foregone and covered it as such.[21] Bloomberg, a former Republican who ran as an independent candidate, has been a popular manager of New York's economy and was credited with reducing crime for the last eight years.[12] Even The New York Observer editorialized for Mr. Bloomberg, but with a young publisher who is also vested in media, real estate and politics sort of a mini-Bloomberg that is probably less of a surprise. All of that money, all of that overwhelming force, failed to account for the atavistic pleasure of voting against a guy who thought he had it sewn up.[21]
There are more than 4 million registered voters in the five boroughs. This election must awaken New York City from political sleepwalking.[41] Granted, mayor of New York holds quite a bit more weight than mayor of podunk city, usa. but there is no real power outside of New York City.[16] Four more years of blitzes by police who should be out there protecting us, traffic enforcement agents who will be there to ticket your car if heaven forbid your 30 seconds late on a day of alternate parking (which of course will not be waived unless it is absolutely unavoidable, the ticket revenue you know, and even then might not be waived, remember February 14, 2007), santitation police going through your garbage if heaven forbid there is something that should have been re-cycled, transit police if heaven forbid you put something down on an unoccupied seat even if the bus or subway car is empty. Four more years of an incompetent, inept, School Chancellor, who has done his utmost to destroy the New York City school system with insane policies that make no eeducational sense (but then again since he's not an educator, how can he be expected to understand).[38] Our city and our country, as we all know, are going through some very difficult times. We'''re in the midst of the worst national recession we'''ve had in decades, and these are tough times, even for our tough town. Tonight, throughout the nation, the public has been very clear, and some incumbents have learned that they are tired of politics as usual. The public wants their leaders from both parties to get things done. They want more independence, and less partisanship, and a government that is free of the special interests. That'''s what we'''ve done in New York City. That'''s why New Yorkers have defied tonight'''s trend and said yes, instead of no.[38] During the good times, we showed that New York City could outperform the nation in creating jobs, improving schools, fighting climate change, even extending life expectancy. Now in these tough times, we'''re going to show that we can keep outperforming the rest of the country.[38] "I think we have seen results today that truly speak well of democracy in New York. People understood that there was a need for change in this city."[36]
New York City also leans heavily to the left, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans by a ratio of 5-to-1.[3]
If there'''s a common thread to the mayor races in major cities across the U.S., it'''s that incumbents are facing more difficult races than usual. Most are spending heavily to hold their ground, setting spending records in Boston and New York.[18]
Bloomberg's record on education, as well as on service delivery in general, was key to reelection. He had a fight on his hands partly because of term limits and partly because so many New Yorkers feel squeezed by rising costs, including taxes, subway and bus fares, parking fees and revenue-producing ticket blitzes. On this front, the mayor must reduce the expense of government.[29] Voter surveys put Bloomberg in the lead. These surveys are no doubt correct that the majority of New Yorkers want him for a third term, recognizing that Bloomberg has delivered safer streets and improved schools and much more.[41] Bloomberg pledged in a speech to supporters to cut crime further, reduce the city's carbon emissions, expand mass transit, increase city parkland, improve schools, add affordable housing and jobs and diversify the local economy. "Conventional wisdom says that historically third terms haven't been too successful, but we've spent the past eight years defying conventional wisdom," he said, citing the city's economic resilience following the Sept. 11 attacks and its success at lowering crime rates.[15]
"But I imagine it would be a fraction of a paper clip compared to what Mike has spent." Dinkins, who endorsed Thompson, made it quite clear yesterday that he likes Bloomberg, even as he said, "But I think a lot of people who like Mike don't like what he did with term limits, and advised him against doing it."[4] Throughout the weekend, the campaign was putting the final touches on a major get-out-the-vote operation deploying 5,000 volunteers to knock on 100,000 doors and make countless phone calls on Election Day. Mr. Bloomberg's final advertisement of the campaign an upbeat 60-second paean to his eight-year term is being broadcast over and over again during the World Series, a luxury that the cash-starved Thompson campaign simply cannot afford.[31] The Quinnipiac University survey finds William Thompson Jr. 12 points behind Bloomberg, with one day of campaigning left before Election Day.[23] Bloomberg campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson didn't seem concerned. "On the day before Election Day, would you rather be up 12 points or down 12 points?" he asked.[30]
Bloomberg has come at Thompson harder than ever in the closing days of the campaign, pumping up the volume, and the attack ads, occasionally making the whole thing sound like the Corzine-Christie Mud Bowl in Jersey.[4]
Or maybe, all the news about Bloomberg being up in the polls by 15 or 18 led Bloomberg-supporters to think they didn't really need to bother voting. Not as exciting an explanation as all the 'what-ifs' and the whining that Obama lost it for Thompson, but probably much closer tot he truth.[16] In this race turnout will be everything. If all the Thompson supporters don't get disillusioned by the polls, and if they have the fire in their belly to DUMP BLOOMBERG, and if many Bloomberg supporters figure "its in the bag" and fail to show up and vote, Thompson has a serious shot tomorrow.[17] Mr. Thompson needs to mobilize a huge turnout in Democratic precincts to have a chance of pulling off an upset. Mr. Bloomberg, meanwhile, is trying to ward off apathy among supporters who believe that their vote is not crucial because the mayor seems to have such a commanding lead.[17] Bloomberg is far out in front in Manhattan (60-34), Queens (53-35) and Staten Island (57-20). The Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent mayor is far and away the favorite among Republicans (82-10) and independents (61-21, although 15 percent remain undecided), while Thompson is ahead - not by much - among his fellow Democrats (48-43).[39] With 64 percent of precincts reporting, Bloomberg had 48.9 percent to Democrat William Thompson Jr.' s 47.6 percent.[25]
A new poll shows hope for Democrat William Thompson going into'' Tuesday's mayoral election - but not a lot of hope.[30]
Businessman and former professional basketball star Dave Bing has only been mayor of Detroit since May, when he won a special election to replace Kwame Kilpatrick, who resigned and subsequently served jail time for lying in a civil trial to cover up an affair with a staff member. In his brief tenure, Mayor Bing has preached tough love to the ailing city, which is facing a steep budget deficit. Bing has said that layoffs may be needed to help balance the budget, a move his challenger Tom Barrow has criticized and which has cost Bing some union support. Bing seems posed to retain his post Tuesday, with a poll of likely voters choosing him over Mr. Barrow 46 to 24 percent, though a quarter of those polled remained undecided.[18] The media did the people of NY a great disservice by trumpeting Bloomberg's win weeks ahead of the vote. Had the reporting been more equitable, especially in the face of the flood of money and mailings by the mayor, he may not have won at all.[21] King Bloomberg for mayor. I got 4 to 5 calls yesterday from the Bloomberg campaign asking for my vote. it's good to have money to burn.[17]
Now comes''the hard part. With the frenzy of his third campaign out of the way, Mayor Bloomberg needs to animate an administration entering its ninth year - while operating under a crushing deficit.[27] A reader sent in this photo of a row of defaced Mayor Bloomberg campaign posters in Boro Park, where the mayor has spent a considerable amount of time trying to shore up his support among Orthodox Jews - a key voting bloc that generally swings right.[35]
Despite running against an African-American Democrat, aides to Mayor Bloomberg have predicted he'll score a sizable share of the black vote.[40] Bloomberg would become the first three-term mayor in the city since Democrat Ed Koch, who has endorsed Bloomberg.[2]
With unemployment at 10% and with the death of the Wall Street cash cow, New Yorkers face service reductions and/or higher levies unless Bloomberg dramatically alters the city's cost structure.[29] If we include NY-23, it looks to me like the theme of this election was voters voting against Global Capitalism (Corzine, Bloomberg) and the Club For Growth. That's a hint for President Obama to get off the pot and demand real accountability and re-regulation of Wall Street. He can start by making Elizabeth Warren Secretary of the Treasury.[19] The reason Bloomberg has that 30% support of black voters is because, like so many other things involving him, he has bought. He has given large sums of money and city contracts to the likes of Calvin Butts and Floyd Flake so that they can in turn steer black voters toward him.[40] Mr. Menino has spent the most money ever in a Boston mayoral race ''' approximately $2 million at last count to Flaherty'''s $1.3 million. Like Bloomberg, Menino maintains a solid lead ''' and a 60 percent approval rating ''' but his numbers have been slipping in recent weeks.[18]
Surveys indicate that while a majority of voters approve of the job Mr. Bloomberg has done as mayor, nearly half don't like the term-limits change.[9] Everything else is secondary." Staten Island has been Bloomberg's most supportive borough in his last elections, and the crowd was largely pleased to see him -- though one woman with a Thompson sticker on her jacket told him, "Mayor Bloomberg, you're a disgrace."[30] I noted that Thompson was supported extremely strongly in black neighborhoods, and Bloomberg in Jewish ones. The election appears to clearly suggest that there was more than a hint of racism as evidence by this fact.[16]
Thompson ran up huge margins in black and Hispanic neighborhoods, winning by a 3-to-1 margin in some districts. He beat Bloomberg handily in predominantly black neighborhoods like Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn and Jamaica in Queens. He won Harlem and East Harlem easily, along with other heavily Hispanic districts in upper Manhattan and the Bronx.[14] "Still, the margin seemed to startle Mr. Bloomberg'''s aides and the city'''s political establishment, which had predicted a blowout. While they praised his competence and intelligence, many were put off by what they saw as Mr. Bloomberg'''s heavyhanded move to rewrite the law that would have limited him to two consecutive terms, saying it was obviously self-serving.[38] Hard to know. Bloomberg's reversing term limits had nothing to do with his insane popularity. It had to do with the City Council's agreeing with him on subverting the electorate's clear (TWO referenda) direction that terms be limited.[19] Of course, with 35 of the council's 51 members barred at the time from running for re-election due to term limits, it was easy to see how that vote was gonna go. What's funny is that Bloomberg called Rudy Giuliani his favorite pejorative term, "disgraceful," when he tried the same thing in 2001.[19] I voted for Bloomberg last time around, but not this time. I am too angry about his arrogance about changing the term limits.[16]
I had a problem with Bloomberg changing the term limits and I don't even live in NYC. That type of arrogance stinks.[16]
Just rich and savvy. That he bought this third term for himself should be proof enough to anyone that we need publicly financed elections with real spending limits and some measure of equal media access for all legitimate candidates.[19] Early polls showed the openly-gay Parker with a slight lead over Brown. After spending about $2.4 million from his family'''s fortune, Brown pulled ahead of Parker. It seems unlikely that either candidate will receive enough of the vote to avoid a December runoff.[18]
Black voters are overwhelmingly going with Thompson (62-23), but 15 percent remain undecided. Only 13 percent of either candidate's supporters say they might change their minds before tomorrow. The margin of error for this poll, conducted Oct. 29-Nov. 1, is +/- 2.7 percent.[39] Bloomberg is now ahead 50-38 among likely voters with 10 percent still undecided and Conservative candidate Stephen Christopher receiving just one percent.[39]
Initial reports and spot checks of polling places by reporters found turnout Tuesday lighter than in the 2005 mayoral election, when Bloomberg, who was also carried as the Independence Party candidate, won handily over Democratic challenger Fernando Ferrer.[13] The White House needs to wake up because it looks like Obama is leading the Democratic Party to a slaughter in 2010. He need to right this ship before it sinks to likes of the New John Birch society sweeping the nation. This is no joke and Obama is a fool to think independanats and moderate democrats Americans will vote democratic again in 2010 if the WH doesn't fulfill some of its campaign promises in the next 6 months.[16] As New York's mayoral campaign has come down to the wire, the candidates' advertising has grown increasingly negative.[42] We'''re also going to make New York the most environmentally friendly city in the country.[38] Media Decoder is an insider'''s guide to the media industry that tracks the transformation of the movie business, television, print, advertising, marketing and new media. It's a showcase for the extensive media coverage throughout The New York Times and a window on how the business of connecting with consumers is changing in the digital age.[21] Time Inc. has given notice in New York that it plans 280 layoffs in the state between Nov. 2 and Jan. 31.[21]
At stake are governor'''s races in New Jersey and Virginia and a congressional seat in upstate New York'''s 23rd district.[18] New York is always an outlier in American politics. It is overwhelmingly Democratic, and far more diverse than the country as a whole.[8] The Daily Politics is a running conversation about New York's political scene.[35] New York's liberal politics mean that it is one of the last bastion's of moderate Republicanism.[8] You shouldn't really read too much of anything into the New York mayoral at all, though.[8] Read Melena Ryzik's UrbanEye report each weekday to find out about New York's newest restaurants, cultural events, weekend activities, latest styles and more.[17] As New York magazine pointed out, the other epicenters of civic power seem to be in retreat and Bloomberg-ism has all but defined the current epoch.[21]
The mayor's ego, not satisfied with winning the election, now wants to bask in the adulation that will be given the Yankees if they win the World Series. From the way he mentioned the victory parade, I do believe this mayor is going to imagine it is as much for him as for them. I guess all that means is that he is finally an honest-to-god politician. No, he will never be an honest-to-god New Yorker, nor an honest-to-god Yankees fan, but for sure, an honest-to-god insatiable-ego politician. [38] If the media would have come out with polls that were even close to the mood of voting New Yorkers, then we would have had a new mayor today.[21]
Few people showed up at the polls in the Democratic primary and runoff that the occupants of the two citywide offices next highest to mayor - controller and public advocate - were selected, in effect, by fewer than 5% of the voters.[41] Mr. Bloomberg, 67, who is running on the Republican and Independence party tickets, enjoys leads of 15 and 18 points, respectively, among likely voters in the latest Marist and Quinnipiac polls.[9] What does Bloomberg's squeaker of a reelect mean? There's a lot of voter unhappiness with incumbents out there, it seems. Especially those who've made millions on Wall Street.[19] The total bill for Bloomberg's campaign was expected to exceed 100 million dollars.[5] Part of the reason that the coverage reflected a belief that Mr. Bloomberg would win without breaking a sweat was that Mr. Thompson did not present an alternative narrative. His campaign was not well-financed, given the context, and had trouble executing very basic political endeavors.[21] If Bloomberg does win, it would be the fifth straight mayoral defeat for the Democrats in a city dominated by registered Democrats.[26] If you believe that preserving the quality of life, maintaining scandal-free government and pulling the city through tough economic times are more important than expressing anger, get to your polling place and vote for Bloomberg.[41] Last fall, Bloomberg got together with city council and put it to a city council vote.[19]
The combined effects of the recession and loss of tax revenue means the city is projecting yearly budget deficits of around $5 billion that have to be closed. Bloomberg has said he doesn't intend to raise taxes to close that gap. Most experts expect that if he wants to keep that pledge, Bloomberg will have to seek to renegotiate some contracts with city workers and get some substantial givebacks from municipal unions.[13]
Who else would you want in the Mayors office when the city will be facing massive deficits for the coming years with the Banking and Wall Street issues that are going to impact city tax revenue? You better think about your choice for Governor next, Patterson is a lame choice and I don't think Cuomo is a much better choice.[16] Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino held off a challenge from Michael Flaherty, a city councilor, in a race that largely served as a referendum on Mr. Menino's 16 years in office.[1] Atlanta's mayoral race appeared headed for a runoff between City Council member Mary Norwood and former state Sen. Kasim Reed, in a closely watched race that would determine whether the cradle of the U.S. civil-rights movement has its first white mayor in nearly 40 years.[1]
Four more years on contempt for the population from a man who decided just because the law says eight is enough, my money can buy off enough people to defy the will of the people. What a tragic day for most of the citizens of this city.[38]
For reasons I don't know, nor care that much about, citizens of NYC love to have republican mayors. Heck they shrug and change the term limits law for them.[19] The mayor had previously opposed any undoing of term limits, which voters had approved twice."[38]
Even more postings containing complaints about Bloomberg by Boarat of NYC and Perley J. Thibodeau etals; if Mayor Mike doesn't really change at least some of his political ways. [31] Bloomberg is an independent, but ran on the Republican ballot. His main challenger, Thompson, had received almost no support from the camp of U.S. President Barack Obama.[6] "There are a number of people around Bill who felt that he was let down and that, yes, it could have helped if President Obama had campaigned with him," one senior Thompson adviser said last night.[33] Now, a little while ago, I received a very gracious call from Comptroller Bill Thompson. Come on ''' Bill is a good man, who I'''ve always enjoyed working with, and in all fairness, he ran a spirited campaign and he put up a tough fight. He deserves a round of applause.[38]
City Controller William Thompson, Jr. campaigns through Chinatown in a down-to-the-wire blitz.[33]
Thompson is listed in 2 places, too. This lets you send a message without throwing away your vote. At the turn of the century, the robber barons in power figured out they needed to end the ability of different parties to list the same candidate because, as one Minnesota Republican said, "We don't propose to allow the Democrats to make allies of the Populists, Prohibitionists, or any other party, and get up combination tickets against us. We can whip them single-handed, but don't intend to fight all creation."[17] On the upper West Side, registered Democrat Jann Jaffe, 56, crossed party lines to vote for Bloomberg - but not without some misgivings. "I had a little trouble, because I wasn't happy with about he did to be able to get on the ballot again," said Jaffe, an artist.[28]
I'm still a strong Democrat but, for the first time in my voting life I split my ticket and voted for Bloomberg as an Independent.[17]
'I'm committed to working twice as hard in the next four years as I did in the past eight,' Bloomberg said.[11]
"Maybe Anthony Weiner should have manned-up and run against Michael Bloomberg," shot back a White House official, who attributed the night's results across the board to anti-incumbent fervor.[16] With 93 percent of precincts reporting, Bloomberg, 67, was just 4 percentage points ahead.[13] Rudy Giuliani won twice and Bloomberg had won twice heading into tonight's race.[26] "A lot of Democratic donors who sat on their wallets are kicking themselves tonight," said Rep. Anthony Weiner, who bowed out of the race for mayor early on, but did what he could for Thompson down the stretch.[33] When is the party going to come up with compelling candidates. Thompson has not proven he deserves to be Mayor or in my opinion, that's he's even remotely qualified for the position.[17]
Where did the media get their polling from? I know of at least three people who didn't vote last night because the polls told them that it was pointless to vote for Thompson.[21] I am driving 4 people (senior citizens) to the polls tomorrow and am calling everybody in my cell phone tomorrow to come and vote for Thompson.[17]
I had to cross my lifetime political party line to vote for the showiest winner of all but, I just know that people have to change with the times, and professional politicians, who are basically people too, know that, also.[38]
From time to time, we will send you e-mail announcements on new features and special offers from The Wall Street Journal Online. [42] Brawl for the Hall is your new center for breaking developments, in-depth coverage and exclusive videos about the 2009 city elections.[40] A poll by the University of New Hampshire's Survey Center in mid-October had Menino with 52 percent of registered voters, compared with Flaherty'''s 32 percent.[18]
"You'll see a lot of strong voices as checks and balances," said Democrat Bill de Blasio, who won the job of City Hall ombudsman Tuesday. "It will be a very different experience than what he experienced the last eight years." [14] Hey, Ben, is there anything that isn't profound? You and politico better hope Obama wins becuase if he doesn't win a second term you and Politico won't have anyoen to pile on because you all won't have the ball$to go after republicans like you do dems.[16]
SOURCES
1. Bloomberg Wins Re-Election in New York City - WSJ.com
2. The Associated Press: Bloomberg favored to win 3rd term as NYC mayor
3. The Associated Press: NYC mayor bruised by surprisingly close victory
4. Big-bucks Bloomberg has to win big against Thompson
5. AFP: Billionaire Bloomberg reelected NY mayor
6. channelnewsasia.com - Bloomberg re-elected New York mayor for thrid term
7. Michael Bloomberg elected mayor of New York for a third time - Telegraph
8. NY Mayor: Not Bad News at All for Obama - The Gaggle Blog - Newsweek.com
9. New York's Bloomberg Poised to Win Again - WSJ.com
10. The Associated Press: NYC mayor: National backlash caused close contest
11. The $100m mayor: Michael Bloomberg rules New York after most expensive campaign in U.S. history | Mail Online
12. Michael Bloomberg wins third term as New York mayor - US - World - The Times of India
13. Michael Bloomberg wins NYC mayor's race
14. The Associated Press: Bloomberg wins 3rd term as NYC mayor
15. UPDATE 2-New York Mayor Bloomberg narrowly wins third term | Reuters
16. Bloomberg's rebuke - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com
17. Bloomberg's Lead Narrows Slightly, Poll Shows - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com
18. Elections today: How mayor races stack up | csmonitor.com
19. NYC Mayor Bloomberg Wins Reelection, But In a Surprisingly Close Race - Swampland - TIME.com
20. Bloomberg wins third term as New York mayor
21. A Look Under the Hood at Coverage of Bloomberg's Run - Media Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com
22. On black radio, Thompson accuses Bloomberg of 'fear and division - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com
23. Mayor Bloomberg's lead narrows in poll
24. Bloomberg III - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com
25. The Associated Press: Bloomberg, challenger in close race for NY mayor
26. 'N.Y. Times' calls mayor's race for Bloomberg - On Politics - USATODAY.com
27. Mayor Mike Bloomberg's third term needs balance
28. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, challenger William Thompson hit polls, then the trail to stump for votes
29. Make the most of it, Mike: Mayor Bloomberg must swing for the fences in his third term
30. Poll: Mayor Bloomberg leads Democrat William Thompson by 12 points day before Election Day
31. Today's Tip Sheet: The Final Push - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com
32. The Associated Press: Bloomberg, lead shrinking, makes final pitch
33. In wake of 5% loss to Mayor Bloomberg, Dems left asking, 'What if we'd done more for Bill Thompson?'
34. Brawl For The Hall - NY Daily News
35. The Daily Politics - NY Daily News
36. Bill Thompson supporters find comfort even after defeat; close end results confound pollsters
37. Mayor Michael Bloomberg defeats William Thompson by thin margin; squeaks through to third term
38. Bloomberg's Victory Speech - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com
39. The Daily Politics - NY Daily News
40. Brawl For The Hall - NY Daily News
41. Get out & vote - for Mike: New Yorkers must go the polls and choose Bloomberg
42. Bloomberg-Thompson Slugfest, Reply to All Humor Column - WSJ.com
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