EDITORIAL

Come home, Mayor de Blasio

Posted

Donald Trump may have been born and raised in New York City, and there may be several prominent real estate holdings here with his name on it, but the president is not very popular here.

A new poll from Sienna College conducted late last month has Trump’s approval ratings in the city at 35 percent. That’s pretty bad, even compared to his national approval rating of 41 percent in the most recent Gallup poll.

But believe it or not, Trump isn’t the least popular New Yorker on the presidential campaign trail. That title, according to the Sienna College poll, belongs to Bill de Blasio, who has the support of just 26 percent of the city.

And he’s the mayor.

Yet, since he announced this head-scratching campaign for the White House last May, it’s been hard to remember that yes, de Blasio is indeed the mayor of New York City.

Then again, many people — especially any of us living or working in the Bronx — would forget that from time to time even before his quest for Washington, as this particular outer borough always seems an after-thought for de Blasio, at best.

What exactly does de Blasio hope to prove with this presidential run? It can’t be to get a better national profile — he’s the mayor of the largest city in the United States. You don’t win that job without finding a national profile in your welcome basket.

de Blasio has said it’s been a chance to talk about successful programs that have thrived under his leadership. But even then, he has struggled with what exactly these programs are. Like in the first Democratic debate in June, de Blasio bragged about his city already having universal health care. Except there was one problem: New York City doesn’t have universal health care.

de Blasio has worked to overhaul the city’s health care system, but experts seem to agree that all he’s doing is providing new avenues for what’s already available — not providing health care for all with little to nothing out of pocket.

So if it’s not national attention, if it’s not to tout what he believes New York City accomplished under him, then what is it? Could he actually want to become president?

Maybe. Except there’s a big problem: No New York City mayor has ever been elected president.

Not a single one. Not even a past mayor.

There have been several presidents from New York, but none of them — not Martin Van Buren, not Millard Fillmore, not Chester Arthur, not Grover Cleveland, not either of the Roosevelts (although Teddy did run for mayor), and certainly not Trump — have ever served as mayor of New York City.

The most recent poll numbers in a crowded Democratic field have de Blasio at 0 percent. He may not even make it into the next debate.

So maybe it’s time to spend less time on the roads of Iowa and more time on the streets of, well, Riverdale and Kingsbridge. Leadership starts at home, and Mr. Mayor, home is calling.

Oh, and when you get back, look up the outer boroughs. We’re calling, too.

 

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Bill de Blasio, Donald Trump, presidential election, Democratic primary,

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