It’s only been three months, but the divide on the job performance — and the buyer’s remorse — for Mayor Bill de Blasio is distinctly racial. While a new poll from the New York Times/NY1/Siena College puts his approval rating at 49 percent, up ten points from a different poll last month, more white people disapprove of his performance so far (45 percent) than approve (38 percent). For a comfortable majority of black and Hispanic people, it’s the other way around.
Of the 1,190 adults surveyed, just 13 percent overall said New York made a mistake in electing him, but 24 percent of white people had regrets, compared to just 9 percent of Hispanic people and 6 percent of black people; 59 percent in total, and 55 percent of white people, said it’s too soon to tell. But they’re watching you, Mr. Mayor.
In his landslide victory, de Blasio pulled out a healthy margin overall in majority white neighborhoods, but lost certain traditionally white, Catholic enclaves in Staten Island, Middle Village, and Howard Beach by a 2-1 margin to the since-forgotten Joe Lhota.
The current uncertainty among white New Yorkers, though, does not carry over to new NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, according to this poll. Although most people haven’t heard enough about him to have an opinion, a 38 percent chunk of white people view him favorably, compared to just 9 percent unfavorably.
