NYC'13: Congrats to Mayor de Blasio

[Beet]

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http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/online-effort-quash-christine-quinn-mayoral-aspirations-article-1.1316224

I don't see how any politician can win in the face of such frenzied loathing. It seems like more than just what would be generated by voting to extend term limits, or becoming a more mainstream, centrist politician. Look at those comments, too

"She and her wife can go crusade for homosexual marriage when she is defeated."

"For the sake of our children, who will be forced to digest school lessons on deviant sex, she must be stopped."

"Many New Yorkers, including this registered democrat will vote for the Republican candidate instead of a woman who should have been investigated more thoroughly, indicted and imprisoned."

"I didn't know Rosie O'donnell was seeking the mayor's seat."

"Many people find it hard to see a woman as a bully but that's exactly how she has handled City Council members who have opposed her. It's time to say goodbye to both Bloomberg & Quinn."

"Christine Quinn is Michael Bloomberg in a skirt, she is in office to serve one person only, herself."

"She could find a cure for cancer and I still wouldn't vote for her because of that term limits issue"





I don't care what the polls day, this woman isn't winning sh_t.

[Beet]

Please, Beet, continue to enlighten us ignoramuses through your information about this election apparently solely derived from online commenters to the Daily News.

Reading online comments are what allowed me to see the Tea Party coming as early as November 2008. If you read the online comments from early 2008 in the Democratic primary (pre-February), it was actually a good indication of the Obama surge that month coming. The thing with online comments is that they can be an indication of where the passion is in the race, and an indication of what those who are following it more closely are thinking. These passionate and informed people also, often, have a tendency to set the narrative of a campaign. And the narrative, in turn, then influences lower-information and more persuadable voters (not to mention, journalists!)

In this case though, my post wasn't *solely* deriving from online comments. If you noticed, I led with the story from the Daily News itself, which supports the same narrative as the online comments do.

The polls, while still showing Quinn ahead, shows big increases in her negatives and drops in her top-line numbers. I'm not the type of guy who doesn't believe in polls (re: the whole 'unskewed' debate), but polls are just numbers. There also is a story that goes along with those numbers. If you look not just at the number, but try to look at the story behind it, you'll get a better understanding of things. Quinn reminds me a lot of Hillary Clinton in early 2008. An early (but not prohibitive) female frontrunner, who was an activist early in her career but became more mainstream as she gained success; an accusation of being a lackey for a more powerful man who helped her career; accusations of being selfish and manipulative; an extremely passionate opposition coming from the left, and a similar tone in online comments. Only there's no Barack Obama in this race.

[Beet]

I'll be doing backflips if he beats Quinn.

I'll be doing backflips if Quinn beats him. I seriously don't see what's so good about Weiner. That he has some entertaining YouTube videos? When I read about him, every story seems to be about the sexting scandal.

[Beet]

I'll be doing backflips if he beats Quinn.

I'll be doing backflips if Quinn beats him. I seriously don't see what's so good about Weiner. That he has some entertaining YouTube videos? When I read about him, every story seems to be about the sexting scandal.

What is good at all about Christine Quinn?

I believe I asked you first. What is good at all about Anthony Weiner?

[Beet]

I'll be doing backflips if he beats Quinn.

I'll be doing backflips if Quinn beats him. I seriously don't see what's so good about Weiner. That he has some entertaining YouTube videos? When I read about him, every story seems to be about the sexting scandal.

What is good at all about Christine Quinn?

I believe I asked you first. What is good at all about Anthony Weiner?

He was a damn good Congressman for those of us with red avatars. Now, please, tell me something redeeming about Bloomberg's lapdog.

How was he "damn good"? He lost his seat to a Republican. By definition, that's bad for us "red avatars."

I'm a bit confused as to how people seem to have a more negative reaction to "Bloomberg's lapdog" than Bloomberg himself, who as I recall never generated such vitriol, was reelected, and had a positive approval rating well into his third term.

[Beet]

Ignoring your misleading use of the word "lost", I guess liberals should hold Russ Feingold in poor regard. I didn't support Weiner's decision to resign, FWIW, but he was terrific in the House.

Uh, Feingold has his name on McCain Feingold, which was the biggest campaign finance reform legislation in a generation. It probably wouldn't have happened without him. You still haven't answered my question. Why, exactly, do you like Weiner?

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So it's ok when Bloomberg does it because "everyone expected it" but it's not ok that Quinn agreed to it, even though it was Bloomberg's third term we're talking about and he's the one who wanted it in the first place?

[Beet]

Uh, Feingold has his name on McCain Feingold, which was the biggest campaign finance reform legislation in a generation. It probably wouldn't have happened without him. You still haven't answered my question. Why, exactly, do you like Weiner?

You missed the point about your faulty logic. Should I be less approving of Feingold's positions and accomplishments because he lost to a Republican? That' what you're implying about Weiner's record.

Well, some people do think that losing = incompetence = less worthy of approval, but I agree with you. I'm no less approving of Feingold because he lost. He represented a state that swings heavily, unlike some others he didn't draw a turd tea party challenger, and he was facing massive national headwinds through no fault of his own. He's still just a great. The same can't be said about Weiner. Him losing his seat was entirely his own fault. The whole thing was initiated by him and solely him; not an ounce of blame falls outside himself. The whole situation is the opposite of Feingold.

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He's a neocon who voted for the Iraq war. Yeah, I agree with him on single-payer, but how does that translate to City Hall? His health care bill never stood a snowball's chance in hell, and I don't believe for a second that he wasn't aware of that. It was entirely a publicity stunt to boost himself, that didn't do anything for anybody.

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How do you deduce from my comment that what Bloomberg did was okay? The super obvious implication in what I'm saying is that most on here already loathe Bloomberg and Quinn is the reason why he was able to circumvent the system. Quinn was also able to run for a third term thanks to the temporary change in term limits.
[/quote]

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=172569.25

I would say Bloomberg is mildly unpopular on the forum, but that's after a decade in office. Personally I don't see what's so odious about him, yeah he's a little too authoritarian for my taste, but he has a lot of good positions, too. Basically, if you hate Quinn because of her alliance with Bloomberg (which seems to be common), that implies you should loathe Bloomberg, and I just don't see that.

[Beet]

I don't support Quinn's candidacy for a whole mess of reasons; the deal with Bloomberg is just the most salient. Since we've fleshed out my views on Weiner at this point, why do you like Quinn?

She's progressive, she knows how to get things done, and she's got plenty of accomplishments as Council Speaker. There are some reasons why you might support someone else, and as a non resident of NYC I can't speak to those. But mostly I just think a lot of the sh**t she gets is exaggerated. And I really don't like Weiner and what he represents in the party.

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He sometimes knows how to put on a good show, but he's also his own worst enemy.

[Beet]

Reading about how Weiner built his career on disgusting race baiting and then lied about only reinforces my hate for him. Anyone who thinks this guy is a 'progressive' is either stupid or just doesn't care.

[Beet]

Well I have to give the guy credit. Even the NY Times is now running a glowing article about how voters see him as "humble" and trying to accept the past. What else is he supposed to do? I may not see running for mayor of NYC as the epitome of humility, but I guess sometimes the voters' psychology just flies right past my head with no comprehension.

[Beet]

I'm voting for Weiner to stop Quinn. Quinn broke with Bloomberg a few too many times for my taste.

You're against Quinn because she broke with Bloomberg too many times? I thought the rap against her was she was too close to him. In any case, you don't have to vote for him unless he makes it into the runoff with Quinn. Personally I don't see what's so bad about Quinn.

[Beet]

I'm voting for Weiner to stop Quinn. Quinn broke with Bloomberg a few too many times for my taste.

You're against Quinn because she broke with Bloomberg too many times? I thought the rap against her was she was too close to him. In any case, you don't have to vote for him unless he makes it into the runoff with Quinn. Personally I don't see what's so bad about Quinn.

I like Bloomberg! But he supported building the West Side Stadium and Quinn was one of his leading opponents on that. New York could be hosting the Super Bowl this year if not for that. And I want Weiner to make the run off because I think he would have the best chance of defeating her- so technically I do "have" to vote for him. Not all candidates will be equal against Quinn. It'd be great to have a female mayor but Quinn isn't a good fit for me.

You do realize that the Super Bowl is a magnet for child trafficking / underrage prostitution right? Do you really want that in NYC?

[Beet]

Stop-and-frisk down 50% while murder rate drops to 60-year low

What a horrible mayor Bloomberg has been!

[Beet]

NYC posts biggest 6-month job growth since 2000

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20130718/ECONOMY/130719880

[Beet]

Why is he still in this?

His Ego.

[Beet]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/08/14/ignore-anthony-weiner-heres-what-matters-in-the-nyc-mayors-race/?hpid=z9

Here's a write up about their respective positions, it doesn't include Liu (or Weiner).

[Beet]

The third term issue seems overblown to me. It's not like Quinn had the power to make Bloomberg mayor- the voters had to ratify it, and they did. The greater responsibility seems to fall on the opposition for not putting up a more vigorous candidate/campaign that would have presented more of a choice in 2009.

Also, I don't see why Bloomberg is so hated. The city seems to have done well under his tenure, and he's used his platform to become an important advocate on gun control issues.