So far, Mayor Bloomberg has spent an unprecedented $37 million on his reelection campaign. What does that get you? From the Times:
• “Gee-whiz technology has left even [campaign] veteran operatives grasping for superlatives,” including:
— “Software that shows when every volunteer is available.”
— “A black and white bar code,” with data cluster, for every city voter.
— Bloomberg for mayor DVDs (“featuring Sinatra singing ‘New York, New York’”)
• “15 political field offices, 80 staff members and about 10,000 television ad spots
• “A snack table at every campaign office, filled with Snyder’s Pretzels, Nature Valley granola bars and Chips Ahoy cookies.”
• Campaign literature in every major language spoken in the city, including “Yiddish, Farsi, Guyanese, Haitian and Tagalog.” Also, Bloomberg handheld fans!
• A “hired a disc jockey to play background music as volunteers called voters.”
Bloomberg’s rival, Bill Thompson, can rest assured that money isn’t the only thing that can earn voter respect. But sadly, it IS the only thing that can buy D.J.’s and Chips Ahoy cookies.
