Mayor Mike Uses Millions to Show He's a Man of the Masses

Mayor Bloomberg rolled out his first television commercials of his campaign today, almost six weeks prior to when he hit the airwaves in his 2005 run. With the $3 million he's pouring into the ads, that run in both English and Spanish on major networks over the next two weeks, Bloomberg will be spending half of his competitors' total individual budgets for the primary season since they are accepting public financing. The Times says that Bloomberg's could be "the biggest and most expensive political advertising campaign in the city’s history."

The commercial shows Bloomberg as a man of the people who hears about the economy "when he takes the subway, when he walks through the neighborhoods" (but not when he finds himself buying Shake 'n Bake at the grocery store?) The ad attempts to take on a positive tone with a focus on jobs, so much so that the mayor repeats the word at one point.

The same tone can't be said for the mayor's phone surveys, which Anthony Weiner is still categorizing as push-polling. Weiner said that the Bloomberg campaign's negative questions to voters about him signal something “very nasty and very divisive. This looks like, sounds like, walks like and quacks like a push poll, which is one of those things in politics that, even in a dirty campaign—you often don’t even see push-polling."

After the jump, hear the progress the mayor is making with his Spanish as he unveils his first Spanish language commercial of the election cycle (we wonder if his Spanish has improved since 2005).

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Billy Parker in News on April 8, 2009 5:25 PM

Comments [rss]

Rob

Create or save 400,000 jobs. That's pretty open there. Why not give 200,000 people shovels and tell them to dig holes, then give 200,000 other people shovels and tell them to fill them. Talk about job security!

We don't need "jobs", we need productive jobs. Productive jobs can't be government mandated and pushed top down, they need to form on the market.

JacqueMehoff

this is the only mayor who hired more city marshals to evict people. yeah, he's one of us alright.

I have a feeling he's going to play dirty along with his billions.

jibbly

The SOB bent over for his then Republican overlords to host the 2004 RNC horror show in NYC. Many of us will never forgive him for that alone.

piknyc

Right on. I don't know why this isn't talked about more. Republicans used him as a tool to stifle the civil liberties of his constituents. I too won't for get that.

FlowerGal

The only time I met Mike Bloomberg was the day of the blackout. I traveled via ferry to the Manhattan base of the brooklyn bridge, only to find a line about 3/4 of a mile long.

The holdup was a mystery until we climbed up to see that the 5 foot passage way (leading to the full walkway) was taken up by Mayor (man of the people) Mike and the camera crew from all three local networks. We marveled at the irony that had he moved a few feet towards Brooklyn, he would clear the way for the crowd to get by. As it was, only one person could access the bridge, while greeting the mayor of course, at a time.

It was his own receiving line.

Despite the fact that multiples of people were suggesting -- quite clearly -- that he move a few feet to allow more people to cross, he wouldn't budge. Nor did he look behind him to see the line that he created.

My sense is that he really didn't care.

Past Taliban

It's mEsses. Man of the mEsses.

GOP

NYC is better off since Bloomberg became Mayor. I don't know why people can't see that? Crime is down, schools are better, streets are cleaner... he has my vote.

Brooklynbobby

"NYC is better off since Bloomberg became Mayor. I don't know why people can't see that? Crime is down, schools are better, streets are cleaner... he has my vote."

You forgot to mention that everyone is poorer.

GOP

Everyone is poorer all across the world. Is that Bloomie's fault?

septemous

Well -- maybe in your Uptown neighborhood that's true. Downtown here, the streets are a dumping ground, homelessness is way up, schools suck and the only time you ever see a cop is when their putting a ticket on your car.

Bloomberg sucks. He is the ringmaster running the show - think about it a career businessman running the biggest city! Ever wonder how when the entire world lost money, he increased his fortune from 9 to 14 BILLION DOLLARS?

A 100 Million investment to make 5 Billion is sawdust to him --> Why play by the rules when you can make the rules!!

FU MIke -> I really really hope you lose!

(and I'll do my part to make it so)

Past Taliban

oops, you might wanna wipe that creamy brown smudge off the tip of your nose there.

s0me_g0d

I registered to vote just so that I can vote AGAINST him!

REALITY CHECK

The economy is in trouble because of Wall Street greed and similar mentalities (making money simply by having things, not by making or doing anything, such as real estate flipping).

If Bloomberg was such an expert, he would've seen the financial storm coming a long time ago, as reported in many financial periodicals many, many years ago.

Wall Street is what screwed us, and Bloomberg is Wall Street.

Think about it; are things easier or harder since Bloomberg started?

It's time to stop letting Wall Street and its ideals control our lives. The financial crisis is a big indicator of why things must change.

Brooklynbobby

Does anyone really believe that a billionaire shakes and bakes his own chicken? Puh-leeze!!! Maybe he chokes his own chicken. That I'd believe.