Perdido 03

Perdido 03

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Can Joe Lhota Win The Race For Mayor?

A tweet from Michael Barbaro:


I don't know many - or actually any - Democrats who say they are open to voting for Lhota.

But I'm also not writing a story for the Times in which I want to frame an article with: "Manhattan Dems Say They Are Open To Voting For Lhota."

Barbaro is.

That said, I do not doubt for a minute that Lhota, given the right circumstances, could be the next mayor of New York City.

The de Blasio campaign knows this too.

They didn't run the savviest primary campaign we've seen since Obama in '08 to suddenly turn clueless in the general.

They will try and turn him into Rudy III and/or Bloomberg IV and capitalize on the Bloomberg fatigue people are having these days.

Poll after poll is showing that about 2/3rds of New Yorkers want the next mayor to go in a different direction than Bloomberg on policy.

De Blasio can win handily if he can get people to realize that Lhota wants more of the Bloomberg/Giuliani policies, especially on the economy, on police issues, on education, in real estate.

Lhtoa has been going around this last week saying "I am not Giuliani.  I am not Bloomberg."

That he feels the need to do this leads me to believe their internal polls are showing them that's how people see him.

And they should see him that way - those are his policy stances.

Stop-and-frisk?

Loves it!

Charter schools and schools closures?

Gotta have more of those!

Affordable housing for working and middle class New Yorkers?

Screw 'em!  Let 'em move to Yonkers!

A Lhota administration would be the start of a third decade of some very harsh, very punitive policies here in NYC.

Now I dunno, de Blasio may turn out to be Obama and do the exact opposite of everything he promised in the primary.

But you can be sure Lhota will do exactly as he is telling people he will do.

Close schools.

Expand charters.

Screw the working and middle class on housing.

Sell out to the real estate interests.

Keep stop-and-frisk and the other authoritarian policing policies Bloomberg and Kelly are so fond of.

The de Blasio campaign needs to start getting this message about Lhota out right now.

One of the problems with Thompson still hanging around is that de Blasio can't turn to Lhota completely just yet.

Once again, Bill Thompson, ostensible Democrat, seems to be helping out the Republicans and corporatists.

Nonetheless you out there can help by talking the race up at school and at work.

Let people know what Lhota is about.

Let them know that if they liked Bloomberg's reign, they'll love Lhota's.

Let them know, too, about his temperament issues.

Let them know how he challenged a 77 year old man to a fight last year at an MTA board meet.

See if people like that sort of thing in their mayor.

Lhota is a loose cannon, he says stupid things (calling Port Authority police "mall cops," for example), he does stupid things (push a reporter outside City Hall back during the Giuliani administration.)

The quicker that meme gets out there about Lhota, the better.

It happens to be truthful.

So start getting that message out to people.

I know I do all the time - both through the blog and in person.

Like Tip O'Neill said, it's all local.

4 comments:

  1. Lhota doesn't hide the fact that he worships Bloomberg. If he wins, it will be by painting de Blasio as another Dinkins. And even though I voted for Dinkins the first time around, I was not impressed with his leadership.

    deBlasio is an excellent strategist and his fight will be to counter those claims that, let's face it, make people nervous. I have friends who insist he will turn NYC into another Detroit. de Blasio is no fool. And he knows he has to turn that message around.

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    1. Here's the thing - Dinkins was 20 years ago. Beame was 36 years ago. Fewer and fewer people remember the "bad old days" of the 70's or late 80's/early 90's. Not sure that resonates with anybody under 45.

      As a sidenote, why doesn't Koch get some of the blame for the bad old days. Wasn't he around for 12 years? Didn't crime skyrocket under him?

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  2. Lhota appeared this morning on WABC with Diana Williams and did come off very well. He is professing to be a progressive on issues such as gay marriage and very pro teacher in fact he admonishes the Bloomberg administration for bashing teachers. He also comes across as very aware of the city finances and offered a perspective on retro active pay and new contracts. It is worth the watch to view Lhota and yes he will be no push over come November.
    The DeBlasio team had better offer more specifics when debating Lhota or they will loose support period. To summarize Lhota has a believable line of shit.

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    1. That's why his record of going crazy on people is important. The de Blasio people know this. They're pros. They'll know to try and get a ferret moment out of him. And it's possible. After all, he did challenge a 77 year old man to a fight and push a reporter on camera. He really has self control issues.

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