“So favored that he won by less than 1%”
I know I ‘don’t do my homework’, but the if I were to do my homework, the interwebs say he won 50.6 to 46.0 last time.
And his re-election in 2005 was by 20%!
And the latest approval rating I can find (February) is 50%.
Now I would only know that if I ‘did my homework’.
But I guess I’ll accept your premise: Bloomberg’s two re-elections, successful modification of election law, and high approval rating are not indicative of anything. He is the least popular person in New York and nobody likes him.
And ‘give me a break’. So what if NY politics are broken, and Bloomberg has been able to ‘exploit’ this. That is the definition of ‘no pushback’...letting him roll all over people.
Do you know who is appealing the soda ban decision? The people of New York City are. Not Bloomberg personally. The City’s legal team is pursuing it. I’d say the man is in control. The accuracy of my observation is not contingent on how recently I may have visited New York (and I used to make monthly visits), it is contingent on the easily observed realities of his success. With the exception of a state court ruling against him (which the city is fighting for him), when has he not been successful? Banning trans fats? Plan B to 14 year olds? Eliminating his own term limit?
His power is fairly unchecked, at least to this distant observer who doesn’t do his homework. And BTW, it affects us in flyover country. NY is such a big market, if they ban trans fats for example, entire food chains comply - nationwide.
And those two figures add up to 100%, by your math?
The "anybody but Bloomberg" vote was, and remains, 49.3%.
And his re-election in 2005 was by 20%!
Underlining my point that he was a different, less drunk-with-power, individual at the end of his first term.
high approval rating
His approval rating is about 50%.
Do you know who is appealing the soda ban decision? The people of New York City are. Not Bloomberg personally. The City’s legal team is pursuing it.
And who do you think these attorneys work for? Who do you think hired them as city attorneys in the first place?
when has he not been successful? Banning trans fats? Plan B to 14 year olds? Eliminating his own term limit?
How did he accomplish each of those things? By putting them to a popular vote?
His power is fairly unchecked
The check is supposed to be the city council, but he has successfully purchased a working majority of that council.
Just because Bloomberg's opposition has been ineffective does not mean it has been nonexistent.
it affects us in flyover country
Do you blame Iowans or Ohioans or Coloradans (all residents of so-called "flyover country") for the Obama presidency? Because Obama is president and has had lots of success with his agenda, does it mean that 100% of Americans support him and no one has the guts to challenge him or speak up against him?
Does the fact that he won 51.1% of the vote (a much broader "mandate" than Bloomberg's 50.7% win) or his 50% approval rating mean that all Americans are sheep who love him and are happy to do whatever he says?
Take a step back and examine your arguments.