A new Siena College Research Institute poll uncovers the embarrassing fact that more people in the state of New York have a favorable opinion of Donald Trump than of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Did we mention that de Blasio is running for president of the United States?
Trump is by no means popular in his home state, as the new Siena College Research Institute poll finds that just 34% of registered voters have a favorable view of him, compared with 63% who have an unfavorable view. But when it comes to de Blasio, just 29% have a favorable view, compared with 53% who view him unfavorably.
So far, the mayor’s 2020 presidential campaign has produced more mockery than actual support, which is undetectable in polling.
It may not be detectable, but the inference is clear: de Blasio is making a fool of himself running for president.
Case in point: hizzoner failed to gain any support whatsoever from Iowans in the new Des Moines Register poll that was released yesterday. Could it be because of his dismissive attitude toward rural voters?
De Blasio and Miramar, Florida Mayor Wayne Messam were the only two candidates in the field of 23 candidates to not be listed as either a first or second choice for president by one of the respondents.
“I’ll tell you something, Iowans have consistently surprised the pundits and come out many, many times with a choice that was not expected,” de Blasio contended.
“Ana, it’s a poll of 600 Iowans, eight months before the caucuses. This is just the beginning of a very long process,” he said.
“I wonder if being New York City mayor might hurt you in a place like Iowa,” CNN’s Ana Cabrera asked.
“It’s a fair concern,” de Blasio said. “But I’m hearing about the same issues I hear from my constituents in New York.”
“I think the Democratic Party for decades formed a coalition, a rural-urban coalition. That’s what Franklin Delano Roosevelt did, it worked for Democrats. It was about working people, farmers, factory workers, every day people.” de Blasio said.
I don’t think those 600 Iowans — or many other Democrats in the state — appreciate being dismissed so cavalierly.
Realistically, it’s very difficult to see a successful path forward to the nomination for de Blasio, especially in the early primary and caucus states. By the time the California primary rolls around on March 17, de Blasio should be relaxing in his office, thinking up ways to make the lives of New Yorkers miserable and not in the midst of a battle for the presidential nomination.
So the question arises: why? If Sanders, Biden, or Warren eventually get the nod, de Blasio has zero chance of being named as any of those candidates’ vice president. The mayor is too urban, too northern, too prickly, and too “New Yorkish” to get the nod.
So you have to wonder if de Blasio isn’t setting himself up for a run for governor or, perhaps, senator. When you consider that de Blasio is term-limited and will be out of office in 2021, the possibility of a run for higher office is not out of the question.
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