Andrew Wolf on the Mayoral Race

June 14, 2005

It is an admirable trait for an elected official to be able to make lemonade when confronted with a carload of lemons. At first blush, this is exactly the position Michael Bloomberg finds himself in. He has taken the significant political defeat he suffered last week, when the West Side stadium plan was rejected, picked himself up, dusted himself off, and come up with a viable substitute.

By presenting the Willetts Point alternative site, the mayor appears to have not only salvaged the city's sagging Olympic bid, but also scored some political points for doggedness in the face of adversity.

It is too early to say how this will all shake out, but I believe voters have to appreciate a "can-do," "never-give-up" attitude when confronted by a challenge. These are qualities that are well appreciated in Gotham.

Another winner in the stadium controversy is Rep. Anthony Weiner, who first suggested the Queens site over a year ago. How he exploits this message is important, but it shows a certain degree of realistic vision to understand the public perception of the problems of a Manhattan stadium, and the degree of opposition any large project in Manhattan is sure to attract.

Mr. Weiner's favorite baseball team, the New York Mets, are also winners. They look like public-spirited New Yorkers by agreeing to give up their proposed, still-a-glimmer-in-their-eye stadium for a season, an eventuality that only kicks in should the Olympic bid be won. We'll have the answer to that question in less than a month. But the Mets have greatly enhanced their ability to get their long-delayed need for a new home addressed.

The losers are the Jets, who now may be forced to return to Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands with their tails between their legs. While I understand why they would like to be in Manhattan, I suspect that the Queens site could also serve their needs - certainly as well as a stadium built in a New Jersey swamp. I can see - and almost taste - the international tailgate-party opportunities ahead.

If the mayor brings the 2012 Olympics to New York, without the unpopular baggage of the West Side stadium, he is a huge winner. If he fails, my guess is that the public will give him points for his perseverance.