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Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
Newt Gingrich Still Running For President
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New Republic Finally Gets Around to Calling Betsy McCaughey a Crazy Person
America's Commitment to Justice Helped Send Lockerbie Bomber Home
William Safire's Finest Speech
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Irving Kristol, 1920-2009
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invisibill
11/03/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
I'm not the biggest Bloomberg fan, but this is bad write-up. I know it's about his 8 years at a glance but you don't have to look too deep under the surface to poke holes into many (most) of your points. Grouping every hot button issue into a box like the West Side stadium, real estate price, gay marriage and the WTC and saying, "see? toldya!" doesn't quite fly here when you look at the cause & effect reality. I'm fine if you don't want to vote for Bloomberg, just don't vote for anyone else. #michaelbloomberg
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allyzay
11/03/09

@invisibill: Maybe if you could provide maybe even one counterexample to show holes in the points being made your argument would be a little stronger? How is the argument about the West Side stadium wrong, for example? #michaelbloomberg
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invisibill
11/03/09

@allyzay: sheldon silver did his best to kill the west side project more to protect contributor$ cablevision and his msg relationship. It's still a wasteland down there and will be for some time to come. a massive construction project and extensive new infrastructure to that dead part of the of the city went well beyond the olympic attempt. It was a long-term plan sparked by the long shot of getting the games. we probably weren't going to get them either way but a massive public works project would have been under way that, unlike yankee stadium, would have been tried to bring life to an area and bring dollars back to the city that would otherwise be sitting in the meadowlands. criticism for buying people off? that's a pretty clear buyoff of mr. silver. So, I can understand being against the stadium but the explanation was misrepresented. Other than that, there are sweeping connections to ressults over the past 8 years that are beyond the power of the mayor. #michaelbloomberg
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Mediahohoho
11/03/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
Yeah, but he's definitely your guy if you like construction cranes falling out of the sky. #michaelbloomberg
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adiam7
11/03/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
Alex, Bravo! Now that you are done breaking Bloomie down I have a few other "questionable" elections I need looked into: The student body president run-off at a certain school on the upper east side. I think we know what kind of "student body" they mean. There is also a very suspicious homecoming "queen" in Virginia that does not embody what I would consider a "queen". Finally , my friend's Grammy has been denied the opportunity to lead her canasta team to glory by a certain woman of a certain income who by the way is also the head of the mahjong delegation that went to AC. #michaelbloomberg
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OrneryBabe
11/03/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
Excellent post, Pareene. Aggressive high-end development is Exhibit A for Bloomberg's clear preference for the interests of the wealthy. New construction is everywhere, everyday in my neighborhood. One new condo building across the street remained vacant for over a year, and is now being marketed as a rental. Naturally, they're all high-end condos and rentals. Because why build middle-class housing? What are they still doing here anyway, right, Bloomberg?

Giuliani always defended police whether they were merely wrong or downright criminal, never letting facts get in the way and sliming their victims in the process. At least Bloomberg waits for details before weighing in, and does not engage in Giuliani-style blanket defense of them. I'll give him that. Not much else, though.

Repealing term limits by referendum was pretty loathsome, but guess what? He'll benefit from the reliably short memories that people have.

Bloomberg failed miserably to read the tea leaves about not having enough support for congestion pricing. You don't start such high-profile shit in Albany unless you're pretty certain you're gonna get your way. Colossal blunder, in my opinion.

Bloomberg has yet to achieve a significant, high-profile accomplishment. I wish I could promise to deliver for 8 years, fail to do so, and still keep my job. #michaelbloomberg
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mizzgoa001
11/02/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
While I'm not voting Bloomberg, this elections reminds me very much of Bush-Kerry election. The entire democratic campaign was based on a lot of people shouting " Whatever you do, don't vote for that guy!" and not enough people saying why I should vote for this guy. I have a feeling tomorrow isn't going to turn out too well for Thompson.
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musicmope
11/02/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
Whither Mark Green? #michaelbloomberg
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shana.r.stephenson
11/02/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
Well written article, but as it stands, I'm still uncertain as to who'll get my vote tomorrow. I dislike Bloomberg just as much as the next person, but I don't think I can bring myself to vote for Thompson. Merely not competent enough, in my opinion. He certainly didn't do a good job of proving why he's the right leader for this concrete jungle that we live in. I hate being undecided this late in the game. It's very unfortunate that we didn't have a "real" candidate to challenge Bloomberg. On a state and federal level, we're screwed.
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Buttafooco
11/02/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
Sorry, I kind of like Bloomy.........especially when pitted against his competition. He's certainly got his faults but taken as a whole, I'll take his management style over those who are running against him.
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Edited by Buttafooco at 11/02/09 8:25 PM Buttafooco was starred Buttafooco was unstarred

musicmope
11/02/09

@Buttafooco: He managed the middle class out of its jobs and homes. #michaelbloomberg
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Buttafooco
11/02/09

@musicmope: Really? I thought there were other factors responsible for that, many beyond his control. You know.......... the financial crisis, many middle class New Yorkers trying to live a class above which they can afford. Granted, there are quite a number of people who lost jobs, homes etc but I don't know that I'd lay all the blame on the mayor for those things. So far, I also haven't heard any brilliant ideas from his opponents as to how they plan to balance the city's budget (again, given the loss of revenue) while still maintaining services, quality of life etc. It's always easy to criticize; a bit more difficult to make difficult choices and come up with constructive ideas in dire times. #michaelbloomberg
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kneetoe
11/02/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
I think you overstate your position, Pareene. I think the Mayor's record is decidedly mixed, but no where near as bad as you say. First, politically, Bloomberg's team has built (and not just bought) an effective and diverse coalition when it comes to city matters, while he/they have been far less successful at influencing Albany (hardly his fault--no one can manage the mess in Albany). As for how he's done in the outer Boroughs with people making less money, my guess is that he'll be pretty successful with that demographic tomorrow. Where he's not the issues will be property taxes and not most of the matters you raise. It's more like places like Park Slope where I wouldn't be surprised he has a hard time (also, as a writer for the esteemed Gawker empire, I'm sure you are a rich white guy from Manhattan and so can't speak for the working class--right?). There are also plenty of areas--the environment and the city's 20-year garbage plan are the two I know most about--where the Mayor has pushed extremely aggressive, progressive policies that will benefit all New Yorkers.

Last, you make him seem both omnipotent and impotent--he is destroying the world while failing to win any political battles. This isn't possible. In reality the power of a city mayor, even the one in NYC, is severely limited by state and federal authority. If he gets too much credit elsewhere, he gets too much blame here. #michaelbloomberg
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thatsrealbutter
11/02/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
He lost my vote when he sent two canvassers to ring my doorbell on a Saturday and annoy me with their dumb prepared spiel. #michaelbloomberg
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adiam7
11/03/09

@thatsrealbutter: Jehovah's? #michaelbloomberg
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thatsrealbutter
11/03/09

@adiam7: i wish, at least i'd have then gotten a free copy of Watchtower #michaelbloomberg
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adiam7
11/03/09

@thatsrealbutter: THere are no free copies of anything they hand out #michaelbloomberg
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SpyMagician
11/02/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
Look folks, I will say this: If your voting location is a school, stop by to see what baked goods they are selling.

Oh wait, that might not be happening because Bloomberg passed some rule that schools can’t sell food like that as part of some nanny-state nonsense.

He’s an asshat!
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Edited by SpyMagician at 11/02/09 7:13 PM SpyMagician was starred SpyMagician was unstarred

kneetoe
11/02/09

@SpyMagician: Stop by ps 10 in Brooklyn tomorrow for some baked goods. And bring your quarters. #michaelbloomberg
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Helio
11/02/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
This was a very well written piece Pareen and while I have no stake in this race personally, my problem with this election was that it sounded so "third world." The richest dude in town gets to stay in office as long as he wants? Yeah, that sounds reasonable. Oh, and he doesn't give a shit about poor people and allows the nypd (who, in a recent visit, jerked me and my peaceful, brown friends around for drinking out of brown bags) to piss on people's rights? Nope, nothing fishy going on here, just good ole representative democracy! Freedom feels good, right?! #michaelbloomberg
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aztecprincess
11/02/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
I'm sitting it out if only because I find those disgusting subway posters with fat pouring into a glass and the admonition to stop drinking soda and drink water or low fat milk instead deeply offensive. What is this, kindergarten? #michaelbloomberg
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LadyChatterlysMom
11/02/09

@aztecprincess: Until this morning I planned on sitting this one out, too. I still can't believe it, but this post actually convinced me to a) vote, and b) vote for Thompson. I don't like him. I can't stand that he's wasted all his airtime talking about term limits. I actually give a shit about term limits *big time*, but by focusing on them, he's given me no reason to think that there is no other reason not to vote for Bloomberg, which only makes me rethink my support for fucking term limits, not Bloomberg.

So thank you Gawker for doing Thompson's job and reminding me that there are actual reasons that I don't like Bloomberg, even if I do kind like that little guy. Plus he should never be forgiven for allowing the RNC to co-opt 9/11 and hijack our city for their hate everything NY (except liberty) 2004 convention. #michaelbloomberg
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Perhaps Not
11/02/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
You know, Pareene, I have heard rumors of rape-as-intimidation as an ongoing part of NYPD culture. I'm not saying I know it's true, I'm saying I heard a fellow reporter talking about how there was no way his editor would let him write a story on it, regardless of the shitloads of reporting he had done.

I would like for someone to do some real reporting on this, publish it in a widely disseminated news organ and see these fuckers nailed to the wall. They are goose-stepping assholes and I am fucking afraid of them. #michaelbloomberg
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Slanguage
11/02/09

In reply to Gawker Endorsement: Don't Vote for Bloomberg
I like your argument Pareene, in that it's the first that isn't based on extension of term limits for a hateblast. I'm not an outright supporter of Bloomberg, but I've never had a reason to dislike the guy. This helps to sway me a bit.

However: Methinks New Yorkers doth protest way, way too much. We still have the lowest violent crime rate per capita of any large city in the country (even without Bratton at the helm). Housing is a clusterfuck of epic proportions across the country, let alone in the five boroughs, and I find it hard to argue that any other mayor would've behaved differently in regards to rezoning. And I've heard no democrat propose a sound argument for solving the MTA rate hike issue.

Bloomberg is a fairly progressive guy, especially given his record with education (it's the answer to everything, people!) Can you honestly argue that someone who is linked to the same NY Democrat machine that has turned Albany into the laughingstock of the nation are more fit to step in and take charge? No flame: honest question, because like Nick said, your anti-endorsement leaves me feeling all confused and stuff. #michaelbloomberg
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