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New York City - 'What If We'd Done More For Bill Thompson?' |
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*Jul 11 - 00:05*
In the end, despite polls showing him trailing by 18 points in the final days of the campaign, Thompson lost to Mayor Bloomberg and his $100 million campaign by a mere 5 points.
So what if?
What if President Obama - instead of delivering a squishy, nonendorsement-endorsement of Thompson, after his press secretary couldn't even come up with Thompson's name - had stumped for the man?
"There are a number of people around Bill who felt that he was let down and that, yes, it could have helped if President Obama had campaigned with him," one senior Thompson adviser said last night. "But that's not who Bill Thompson is. He has not been bitter."
Bitter or not, the question remains.
What if Vice President Biden, in town Monday to raise money for other Democrats, had taken 10 minutes to say something nice about the controller?
What if City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, instead of sitting on her hands for months, used the power of her purse strings to rustle up some support for Thompson?
What if the Rev. Al Sharpton, who was happy to stand onstage last night at Thompson's concession speech, had stood a little closer during the campaign?
What if the more powerful city unions like the United Federation of Teachers and SEIU Local 1199, Democratic check writers or for-hire strategists had stayed true?
"A lot of Democratic donors who sat on their wallets are kicking themselves tonight," said Rep. Anthony Weiner, who bowed out of the race for mayor early on, but did what he could for Thompson down the stretch.
One senior campaign official conceded no one thought "we could come that close."
"Could we have gotten more support, from people who endorsed and the party itself? Yes," said the official. "We won't know what would [have] put us over the top, but it would have helped - extremely."
Others were not sure anything could have saved Thompson, who never exuded the passion voters want in a mayor.
"It wouldn't have done a thing, just like Bloomberg's money didn't make a difference," said Hunter College's political Prof. Ken Sherrill. "People who have lived in New York know what their lives are like and whether they are satisfied with Bloomberg."
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Read Comments (31) — Post Yours »
1
Nov 04, 2009 at 11:41 AM Anonymous Says:
Wednesday morning quarterback.
2
Nov 04, 2009 at 11:54 AM Anonymous Says:
what's the difference - he LOST and Obama's endorsement LOST.
3
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:08 PM Enough what if's Says:
He lost. Deal with it. Now lets hope bloomie will do something positive for this city in the coming four years.
4
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:07 PM Anonymous Says:
tell Obama not every thing is his business. butt out
5
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:07 PM What If Says:
i am glad that he lost what if my grandmother would have wheels she would be a school bus. there are no what if's. Thompson dose not believe in Thompson him self has no fire in his belly. Bloomberg if i like him or not has the fire in his belly spent his money what he believe's in that is why he ran for mayor again and won
6
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:04 PM Anonymous Says:
B"H they didn't do more because thompson supports toiava which is against the torah
7
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:11 PM Loshon Hora Says:
I guess Ney Yorkers chose the better of 2 evils, like NJersey.
8
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:19 PM Anonymous Says:
Bloomburg is a much better mayor on yiddeshe values than thompson. He is a moderate on abortion and gay rights which is much more consistent with most jews than thompson. We are fortunate to have a yid who so clearly lives a life in accordance with torah-based values than his opponent would have been,.
9
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:19 PM Enough with that! Says:
“ B"H they didn't do more because thompson supports toiava which is against the torah ”
He's not jewish for goodness sakes! He can support that all he wants to. Last time i checked its not one of the sheva mitzvos bnei noach. We need to always vote for Who's best for us overall and will make our lives better.
10
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:18 PM Anonymous Says:
“ B"H they didn't do more because thompson supports toiava which is against the torah ”
So does Bloomberg
11
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:31 PM Mohel Says:
“ Bloomburg is a much better mayor on yiddeshe values than thompson. He is a moderate on abortion and gay rights which is much more consistent with most jews than thompson. We are fortunate to have a yid who so clearly lives a life in accordance with torah-based values than his opponent would have been,. ”
Hay that's not true! Mike Bloomberg did not want that we should do bris milah k'das vadin and he is for gays he is a shiumitzger yungatch
12
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:28 PM shmilfke Says:
“ i am glad that he lost what if my grandmother would have wheels she would be a school bus. there are no what if's. Thompson dose not believe in Thompson him self has no fire in his belly. Bloomberg if i like him or not has the fire in his belly spent his money what he believe's in that is why he ran for mayor again and won ”
no she would be a grandmother in a whelchair
13
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:28 PM Anonymous Says:
The lack of support told me that no one thought Thompson was a good choice. His own party didn't really back him
14
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:27 PM Anonymous Says:
Good morning NY. Now you wake up? Where was the daily news and the NY times last week? Bunch of good for nothings.
15
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:24 PM Milhouse Says:
"a yid who clearly lives a life in accordance with torah-based values".......Are you talking about Bloomberg? Are you nuts?
16
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:24 PM Shmuel Says:
And what if my cats half bothers dog would talked to the talking fish in new square about supporting Mosh Katz on his bid for an eriv in flipenburgers NC
17
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:20 PM Milhouse Says:
Barak Hussein Obama, Joe Biden and Christine Quinn sat on their hands and did nothing because they really were Bloomberg supporters. If Al Shaprton had campaigned more actively for Thompson, that would have driven away the white voters who fear his potential influence in a Thompson administration.
18
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:42 PM Anonymous Says:
“ B"H they didn't do more because thompson supports toiava which is against the torah ”
If that's the case why did Dov Hikind support Thompson. Was there any political payback? Did Dov abandon the community?
19
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:41 PM Anonymous Says:
What if ????????????????????? Hatech patech.
20
Nov 04, 2009 at 12:45 PM Anonymous Says:
“ "a yid who clearly lives a life in accordance with torah-based values".......Are you talking about Bloomberg? Are you nuts? ”
The poster didn't say the mayor-for-life was a big tzadik and shomer taryag mitzvot...he/she said that Bloomer tries to live a life in accordance with Jewish values and I think most voters share that perspective as compared to Thompson.
21
Nov 04, 2009 at 01:20 PM It's OK that he lost.. Says:
I happened to vote for him - but I did that only as a protest vote against Bloomberg, his ego, and his policies (that are driving out the middle-class from NY). For Bloomberg this was a real embarrasment. With the amount of money he spent vs. what Thompson spent - he should have won by a major landslide. Yet he barely squeaked by. Hope he gets the message.
22
Nov 04, 2009 at 01:41 PM yiddishe bubby Says:
if obama or biden would have endorsed him any stronger he probably would have lost bigger as seen in nj and virginia.
23
Nov 04, 2009 at 01:25 PM Charlie Hall Says:
“ Bloomburg is a much better mayor on yiddeshe values than thompson. He is a moderate on abortion and gay rights which is much more consistent with most jews than thompson. We are fortunate to have a yid who so clearly lives a life in accordance with torah-based values than his opponent would have been,. ”
Bloomberg has identical positions on abortion and gay rights to those of Thompson.
24
Nov 04, 2009 at 01:10 PM Theres no room for moral ambiguity Says:
“ The poster didn't say the mayor-for-life was a big tzadik and shomer taryag mitzvot...he/she said that Bloomer tries to live a life in accordance with Jewish values and I think most voters share that perspective as compared to Thompson. ”
Time to call a spade a spade. Theres no such thing as jewish values. Theres Torah values and anything not permissible by theTorah is antithetical to it and can't reasonably called a jewish value. Bloomberg lives by Bloomberg's values. Those values are distinctly unjewish. He eats traif without shame. Is pro gay marriage. Against metsisa bapeh. Is arrogant, selfish, and hypocritical by his own admission and lifestyle and what he then asks and expects of others. I really don't know what compelled ANYONE to think he lives by jewish values.
25
Nov 04, 2009 at 01:10 PM DizzyIzzy Says:
“ Barak Hussein Obama, Joe Biden and Christine Quinn sat on their hands and did nothing because they really were Bloomberg supporters. If Al Shaprton had campaigned more actively for Thompson, that would have driven away the white voters who fear his potential influence in a Thompson administration. ”
They're not Bloomberg supporters. They just realized that Thompson didn't have a chance, and they weren't going to stick their necks out to risk looking stupid. Even if Thompson values and beliefs are consistent with theirs.
As with everything, liberal democrats would rather be dead than ever admit to being wrong.
And this is President Obama's MO. His relationships and values don't matter; the moment someone becomes a liability, he won't think twice before throwing them under a bus.
26
Nov 04, 2009 at 01:04 PM Mea Culpa Says:
He came withn 5 points because less than 2 million New Yorkers out of aprox. 15million bothered to vote. In the areas where Thompson support is strong , voter turnout was respectable if not high. I , like many other Bloomberg supporters, did not bother to vote because a Bloomberg victory seemed to be a forgone conclusion. If the voter turnout had been more respectable, I assure you that the margine of victory would have been more in line with the predictions. I and many of my fellow non-voters should take a lesson from this . Go out and vote , even in the face of landslide predictions. I know I will. because our "lese faire "attitude brought dangerously close to a Thompson victory
27
Nov 04, 2009 at 01:58 PM Mrs. Z. Says:
“ The poster didn't say the mayor-for-life was a big tzadik and shomer taryag mitzvot...he/she said that Bloomer tries to live a life in accordance with Jewish values and I think most voters share that perspective as compared to Thompson. ”
Why is Thompson supposed to be following a life based on Jewish values when he's not Jewish? If you said he should be following sheva mitzvos bnei noach okay you'd have an argument. At any rate it's all over. I did vote for Thompson. It's the first time I've voted for a Democrat in NYC and felt the way I usually do when I vote for Republicans.
28
Nov 04, 2009 at 01:04 PM Anonymous Says:
“ The poster didn't say the mayor-for-life was a big tzadik and shomer taryag mitzvot...he/she said that Bloomer tries to live a life in accordance with Jewish values and I think most voters share that perspective as compared to Thompson. ”
Thompson had the support of Dov Hikind. Why, why, why???
29
Nov 04, 2009 at 02:06 PM Please tell me one good thing Bloomberg did for you. Says:
“ He came withn 5 points because less than 2 million New Yorkers out of aprox. 15million bothered to vote. In the areas where Thompson support is strong , voter turnout was respectable if not high. I , like many other Bloomberg supporters, did not bother to vote because a Bloomberg victory seemed to be a forgone conclusion. If the voter turnout had been more respectable, I assure you that the margine of victory would have been more in line with the predictions. I and many of my fellow non-voters should take a lesson from this . Go out and vote , even in the face of landslide predictions. I know I will. because our "lese faire "attitude brought dangerously close to a Thompson victory ”
You sound like a big fan. What was so good about him over Thompson. Or am i to assume you are a racist and thats why you wouldn't vote Thompson?
30
Nov 04, 2009 at 03:58 PM to #29 Says:
Why is someone viewed as racist if they do not vote for candidate who happens to be black? Would you view a black as an anti-semite if he didn't vote for Bloomberg? What was god about Thompson over Bloomberg? The truth is that this city is in bad financial shape since 9/11 and none of the candidates offered a solution.
31
Nov 04, 2009 at 06:28 PM mea culpa Says:
“ You sound like a big fan. What was so good about him over Thompson. Or am i to assume you are a racist and thats why you wouldn't vote Thompson? ”
When all else fails play the race card. Are you kidding me? Just look at who accompanied him on stage to give his concession speech. Al sharpton and the Nation of Islam thugs! Is this the kind of people youy want running our city? I assume you are one of those parasites that unfortunately will have to go out and get a real job instead of sponging off the rest of us! Once again you prove the old addage, " the pigs will always vote for the guy carrying the slop bucket no matter how many of them he slaughters".