New Poll Reveals New Yorkers Not High On Idea Of De Blasio As Democratic Nominee For President In 2020
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A new flap has rocked Mayor Bill de Blasio's exploratory presidential campaign as a new poll has New Yorkers telling hizzoner to extinguish his 2020 ambitions.
It could turn out to be one of the great existential questions of the campaign: can a man who puts beans on his grilled cheese sandwich gain national traction as a presidential candidate?
And here's another one: can a man who awkwardly flapped his arms along with South Carolina churchgoers on Sunday to the R. Kelly tune "I Believe I Can Fly" brush away the very public faux pas with regard to the disgraced R&B singer and his sexual abuse charges.
When asked by CBS2's Marcia Kramer if he is at all worried that it sent a bad message, de Blasio said, "I did not know it was his song. I know you guys have a job to do, but I hope if you were in the same situation you would accept if you don't know it's someone's song you can't pass judgment in the moment."
Yeah, the judgment thing. After trips to South Carolina and Iowa, the mayor is hearing it from New Yorkers, the people who know him best. They are passing their own judgment on his possible 2020 campaign.
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According to a new Marist poll, only 25 percent of New Yorkers would be happy if de Blasio were to become the Democratic nominee, while 65 percent said they would be unhappy.
This as a new Iowa poll by the Des Moines Register gave him a zero. He was not named as a first choice for president by a single poll respondent.
And with the murder rate going up and ongoing problems with the New York City Housing Authority and the homeless, Kramer asked the mayor at what point should he cut bait and say, 'I'm giving this up because I have serious issues that I need to deal with as mayor of the city of New York?"
"Marcia, I am absolutely confident in my ability to address those issues. I've been doing it for five years," was the mayor's response.
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Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf said, "Flapping his wings to a song of a guy who has recently been accused of beating up women, in South Carolina, appealing to black voters, is his exit strategy to get away from the housing authority."
The mayor said he's going to make up his mind about running from president sooner rather than later, which may mean sooner if he doesn't get a bump in the polls and later if he does.
