New York Daily News
Friday September 09, 2005 @ 12:00 AM
The Democrats are ending the mayoral primary campaign without settling the fundamental question of the race: Who would mount the most vigorous challenge to Michael Bloomberg in November?
Four days before the election, the polls still indicate that no single member of the pack has inspired the party faithful, let alone New Yorkers at large. In a four-way contest, Freddy Ferrer, Anthony Weiner, Gifford Miller and Virginia Fields have blurred. It is safe to say that only the rarest of voters can now parse their positions, even on issues that have been drummed the hardest: schools and housing.
Barring a stunning surge by one or the other, there will be a runoff between Tuesday's top two finishers. This is an outcome to be hoped for, because head-to-head competition would, at last, let Democratic voters home in on the strengths and weaknesses, similarities and differences, of those who would be standard-bearer in the fall.
Were this a winner-take-all proposition, the Daily News would give the nod to former Bronx Borough President Freddy Ferrer (top left), based on his long experience in city government, grasp of the issues and attention to the needs of working-class and poor New Yorkers. He is right to focus on the less affluent, and we are mindful, as well, of Ferrer's roots in a Hispanic community that is growing in clout as it grows in size.
Having run twice before for mayor, Ferrer led lesser-knowns from the start, but he has been unable to close the sale with the 40% of voters needed to avoid a runoff. And so Rep. Anthony Weiner (bottom left) enters the picture as the contender who is best suited to engage Ferrer in clarifying who should put Bloomberg to the test.
Weiner, who represents communities in Brooklyn and Queens, has run the most effective campaign of the four candidates, overcoming a lack of name recognition to rise to second place. He has a direct style and sharp wit, and he stood apart with two promises aimed at the middle class: He would reduce the city income tax by 10% for New Yorkers earning less than $150,000 a year and identify 5% of city programs every year for elimination or reform.
Ferrer and Weiner are clearly the class of this field. City Council Speaker Gifford Miller proved adept at hectoring Bloomberg, but he generated only one clear-cut legislative accomplishment in four years: adopting a city earned-income tax credit for low-income New Yorkers.
Miller's management skills are limited, as shown by his gross mishandling of the sexual harassment charges that were filed against Councilman Allan Jennings. And Miller's abuse of $1.6 million in tax dollars to pay for campaign mailings revealed a willingness to cut corners for political gain, as did his finagling with campaign-finance rules that could leave his treasury all but bankrupt.
Fields is a thoroughly decent person and public servant, but after eight years as Manhattan borough president she has failed to convey the authority that a New York mayor must command.
The conventional wisdom holds that a post-primary runoff saps the eventual victor's strength in a general election. However true that has been before, the Democrats would benefit this year from a bracing one-on-one that enables the party to wage the strongest fight against a popular incumbent with pockets as deep as the Third Water Tunnel.
Such a clash between Ferrer and Weiner will bring their differences into view and resolve where the party stands after losing three straight mayoral elections to Republicans despite an enormous enrollment advantage. And Ferrer and Weiner have many differences to debate.
Ferrer would raise the stock transfer tax to pay for school improvements; Weiner would not. Weiner says Rudy Giuliani was a better mayor than Bloomberg; Ferrer favors Bloomberg. Ferrer comes out of the Bronx Democratic organization, hews to the party's liberal orthodoxy and has run an extremely cautious campaign after initial missteps. Weiner won his first elective office, a City Council seat, by defeating the Brooklyn organization, has spiced the race with humor and sharp jabs, and purports to be a newfangled Democrat who will get the party back in tune with New Yorkers. We look forward to such a bout.
Four days before the election, the polls still indicate that no single member of the pack has inspired the party faithful, let alone New Yorkers at large. In a four-way contest, Freddy Ferrer, Anthony Weiner, Gifford Miller and Virginia Fields have blurred. It is safe to say that only the rarest of voters can now parse their positions, even on issues that have been drummed the hardest: schools and housing.
Barring a stunning surge by one or the other, there will be a runoff between Tuesday's top two finishers. This is an outcome to be hoped for, because head-to-head competition would, at last, let Democratic voters home in on the strengths and weaknesses, similarities and differences, of those who would be standard-bearer in the fall.
Were this a winner-take-all proposition, the Daily News would give the nod to former Bronx Borough President Freddy Ferrer (top left), based on his long experience in city government, grasp of the issues and attention to the needs of working-class and poor New Yorkers. He is right to focus on the less affluent, and we are mindful, as well, of Ferrer's roots in a Hispanic community that is growing in clout as it grows in size.
Having run twice before for mayor, Ferrer led lesser-knowns from the start, but he has been unable to close the sale with the 40% of voters needed to avoid a runoff. And so Rep. Anthony Weiner (bottom left) enters the picture as the contender who is best suited to engage Ferrer in clarifying who should put Bloomberg to the test.
Weiner, who represents communities in Brooklyn and Queens, has run the most effective campaign of the four candidates, overcoming a lack of name recognition to rise to second place. He has a direct style and sharp wit, and he stood apart with two promises aimed at the middle class: He would reduce the city income tax by 10% for New Yorkers earning less than $150,000 a year and identify 5% of city programs every year for elimination or reform.
Ferrer and Weiner are clearly the class of this field. City Council Speaker Gifford Miller proved adept at hectoring Bloomberg, but he generated only one clear-cut legislative accomplishment in four years: adopting a city earned-income tax credit for low-income New Yorkers.
Miller's management skills are limited, as shown by his gross mishandling of the sexual harassment charges that were filed against Councilman Allan Jennings. And Miller's abuse of $1.6 million in tax dollars to pay for campaign mailings revealed a willingness to cut corners for political gain, as did his finagling with campaign-finance rules that could leave his treasury all but bankrupt.
Fields is a thoroughly decent person and public servant, but after eight years as Manhattan borough president she has failed to convey the authority that a New York mayor must command.
The conventional wisdom holds that a post-primary runoff saps the eventual victor's strength in a general election. However true that has been before, the Democrats would benefit this year from a bracing one-on-one that enables the party to wage the strongest fight against a popular incumbent with pockets as deep as the Third Water Tunnel.
Such a clash between Ferrer and Weiner will bring their differences into view and resolve where the party stands after losing three straight mayoral elections to Republicans despite an enormous enrollment advantage. And Ferrer and Weiner have many differences to debate.
Ferrer would raise the stock transfer tax to pay for school improvements; Weiner would not. Weiner says Rudy Giuliani was a better mayor than Bloomberg; Ferrer favors Bloomberg. Ferrer comes out of the Bronx Democratic organization, hews to the party's liberal orthodoxy and has run an extremely cautious campaign after initial missteps. Weiner won his first elective office, a City Council seat, by defeating the Brooklyn organization, has spiced the race with humor and sharp jabs, and purports to be a newfangled Democrat who will get the party back in tune with New Yorkers. We look forward to such a bout.
