For the last few days, since I glanced at The New York Times headline, “City Voters Approve of Mayor’s Overall Job Performance,” I have been wondering how do you ask a voter a Bloomberg related question and obtain a positive answer? Don’t get me wrong, I wondered how New Yorkers re-elected Giuliani too.
I guess I could imagine enthusiastic responses if the questions were:
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Don’t you agree that the mayor has an exquisite taste in vacation destinations?
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Isn’t the mayor’s complexion quite amazing for his age?
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Don’t you find the Bloomberg stables excellent?
I could even see job related questions being answered in equally good terms:
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Don’t you love the sculptures exhibited in public places on the Upper East and West sides lately?
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Don’t you find the public areas around Macy’s are tourist-friendly?
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Would you favor more tulips planted on the Upper East Side?
Nevertheless, the questions the survey posed were no laughing matter. For instance, one involved the living wage, which the mayor understandably opposes – he cannot comprehend how people wish for so little. Other questions concerned the dismal way the mayor handled the Occupy Wall Street protests, and similarly weighty subjects.
Trying to make sense of the discrepancy between what I believe to be New Yorkers’ opinions of the mayor and what The Times reported, I started blaming the survey sample. It must have been biased – surely only folks who make hefty salaries on Wall Street had been randomly selected. Indeed, the sample was small by New York standards. It contained less than 1,500. In a city of 8 million, 1,500 is only roughly the size of a NYC corporate law firm (including its global offices). Still, I thought, not all those people can be happy with the mayor. Like Giuliani, Bloomberg has done little for city dwellers outside the confines of the Upper East Side, and some corners of the Upper West Side. So, I thought, why not read the Quinnipiac University survey and see who likes Mike and why?
I did not read much of it, because, as Umberto Eco recently stated, we only read what we know already. And, I may add, even so, we tend to read little. I perused its title and opening paragraphs, which summarized its conclusions. The survey found that New Yorkers do not like Bloomberg.
My lingering question suddenly changed. Why did The Times publish an article with a headline suggesting the opposite of the survey’s findings? I will not speculate that New Yorkers are closeted Republicans. Unlike The Times, here at Thepotholeview.com we encourage our readers to form their own opinions:
NEW YORKERS NIX MAYOR ON OCCUPY WALL STREET, QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FINDS; VOTERS BACK LIVING WAGE 4 – 1
New York City voters disapprove 51 – 42 percent of the way Mayor Michael Bloomberg handled the Occupy Wall Street protestors and give the Police Department a 50 – 46 percent positive grade for the way they handled the protests, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Voters approve 52 – 43 percent of the way the protests have been conducted.
Republicans give Mayor Bloomberg a split 50 – 48 percent approval rating on handling the protests, while disapproval is 53 – 40 percent among Democrats and 51 – 41 percent among independent voters, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Men disapprove 55 – 40 percent while women tip against the mayor 47 – 44 percent. White voters also edge against Bloomberg 49 – 46 percent while disapproval is 54 – 40 percent among black voters and 55 – 38 percent among Hispanic voters.
1 The cited Quinnipiac University survey.
Why would I care about your billionaire? There are so many and it’s hard to tell them apart. Satire? Do you think they read? We have quite a few in my Spanish speaking country. They do not read here either.
brilliant post. thanks!
No. If you read the article more carefully, you’ll see that the great newspaper NY Times does not approve the Mayor’s job, although any normal being would approve Mayor Bloomberg’s excellent work for the City. All of it for only $1 each year. This is the last time I am reading your nonsense.