The pressure intensified Thursday on Bill Thompson to abandon a runoff fight, with institutional supporters urging the Democrat to avoid splintering the party by continuing to pursue his campaign for New York City mayor.
Mr. Thompson, the former city comptroller, was waiting Thursday for all votes from Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary to be counted to see whether Public Advocate Bill de Blasio made it across the 40% line needed to avoid a runoff. He has until midnight Friday to tell the Board of Elections that he isn’t interested in pursuing a runoff, even though thousands of votes have yet to be counted. Paper ballots won’t be opened until Monday, meaning no official results will be available until next week.
Thompson's supporters are having a strategy meeting tonight to figure out how to proceed.
How much do you want to make a bet that Thompson is told he must get out by tomorrow?
Now I don't know if actually will - he says he's adamant about staying in until all the votes are counted.
I also don't know where this stubborn streak in Thompson came from.
In the 2008 campaign, he certainly didn't show this side of himself.
Hell, I think there were days he didn't leave bed when he was campaigning against Bloomberg.
Now suddenly he's turned into Harry "Give 'Em Hell" Truman.
In any case, his supporters are jumping his sinking ship and I'm going to bet he's gone by tomorrow.
He's got no money, no way to raise money until the paper ballots are counted and a runoff is officially in the works, and most of the party wants him out.
Bill Thompson was given the shaft by Bloomberg and Quinn in 09 the year he was to have a clear path to the primary. If he is insistent know it comes down to his last Hurrah for the job he wanted the most mayor. With that, it sure looks as if he will do damage to the democrats and himself if he fights to have a runoff.
ReplyDeleteHe is attempting to do some damage, that's for sure.
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