His Administration in a relatively short time has reduced the NYCHA repairs backlog by investing in long-needed infrastructure.
He's answered the media's whining about access by making town hall meetings now routine.
Finally, DeBlasio has made it his business to travel to long neglected middle-class neighborhoods like Bay Ridge, Brooklyn; Staten Island, and Throgs Neck in the Bronx, listening and dealing with important quality-of-life issues.
The point is that while his detractors and political enemies were eating up their time trying to nit-pick and undermine the mayor, he has been focused on getting things done, and making his presence felt in all corners of the city. Mayor DeBlasio also goes into next year with unprecedented low crime rates (he's also put 1,000 additional cops on the streets), rising test scores in education, a stuttering, but consistent job creation program, and unquestioned fiscal stability.
For me, barring any major unforeseen issue or legal witch-hunt, it's exceedingly hard to see anyone beating Bill DeBlasio. With these accomplishments and the last quarter of 2016 not done yet, the soft-spoken mayor has the advantage. I'm sure that those who first thought that a Reuben Diaz or Hakeem Jeffries were great alternatives to the gentleman mayor are now having second thoughts because he's succeeding despite the many obstacles in his path.
I think that Congressman Hakeem Jeffries -- a rising star in the Democratic Party and in the US Congress - just played it coy to keep his name "out there." After all its just cheap publicity that can't hurt. DeBlasio does face some political irritation from a newly formed organization called "NYC Deserves Better." Launched by Bradley Tusk, a former advisor to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the group's stated aim is to make DeBlasio a "one-term mayor." But that's easier said than done and it has to do with demographics.
While Mayor DeBlasio has lost support among white voters, he's holding steady in other demographics particularly Blacks and Hispanics. Fact is DeBlasio does not need a majority of the white vote to win re-election because the numbers speak for themselves. Presently, there are approximately 3.6 million white people living in New York City compared to about 2.0 million Blacks and 2.3 million Hispanics/Latinos, and "other races" make up just about 1 million. So no matter how you cut it, slice it, or dice it, the math favors Bill DeBlasio. If white voters are so pissed off with DeBlasio they will vote for his opponent then his path to victory will be so much easier.
As for running a Republican? Not gonna fly this time. Right now with people like Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani yapping and screaming very few New Yorkers will bolt to the Republican Party. Again, the math is simple we now have a 7-1 Democratic advantage in New York City.
Me? I'm putting my money on "The Tall Man" from Park Slope.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
