With Quinnipiac’s shock poll this morning creating more doubts than ever about the inevitability of Andrew Cuomo’s ascent to the governor’s mansion, the endorsement of Mayor Bloomberg this morning couldn’t have come at a better time. While there was never a snowball’s chance in hell that Bloomberg would endorse Carl Paladino, Hizzoner has been backing both Democrats and Republicans this year, so his nod adds to the bi-partisan flavor that Cuomo has been striving for with his highly public support from people like former GOP senator Al D’Amato and former state GOP chairman Pat Barrett.
“New Yorkers are angry at Albany and I think for good reason,” Bloomberg said, “but anger is not a governing strategy. We need real change. We need new strategies, we need independent leadership. We need someone who has the guts to take on entrenched interests, and the skill to work in partnership with the legislature to get big things done. And I feel very strongly about this, I think that Andrew Cuomo is that person.”
Cuomo himself then took to the microphone and assured reporters that he takes the Quinnipiac poll “with a grain of salt.” (For the record, Quinnipiac’s Mickey Caroll tells us that they didn’t include Rick Lazio in the poll because he “just plain didn’t know” if Lazio is going to remain in the race as the Conservative Party candidate. “If he decides to run, really run, he’ll be in the next one.”) He went on to stress that, like Paladino and everyone else, he’s angry — “angry but positive,” however, and still unwilling to engage in name-calling. “I don’t believe in it, and I’m not going to do it,” he said.
