The Daily News traveled beyond the Hudson to ask America about Mike Bloomberg, and they come back with some news: The country doesn't hate him. The mayor's aw-shucks joke is to pronounce his unelectability as "a short Jewish billionaire from New York." But the News poll, the paper says today, shows that a quick recitation of his achievements bumps his numbers from 10 percent who'd vote for him to 13 percent. (Oddly, the initiative that seems to most resonate with the heartland is the school cell-phone ban.)

The paper finds it all encouraging — America likes Mike fine, or would if it knew him — and you can be sure Bloomberg's own staffers are running similar polls from Hawaii to Maine. We, however, find the number absolutely terrifying. In an era of razor-thin margins, 13 percent is the perfect spoiler: Nowhere near enough to win, more than enough to screw up the big picture, especially in a few key states. (Bubbe! Zayde! Vote for the Democrat anyway, even if Bloomberg is a nice Jewish boy.) We understand Bloomberg's presence in the election would be great for the city tabs. But so would a citywide cholera outbreak. Encourage the man at your own risk.

Not Too Short, Rich Or Jewish [NYDN]