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CNN Live At Daybreak
Mayor Michael Bloomberg Stays Cool During Hot Times
Aired August 19, 2003 - 05:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Things got hot during the big blackout in New York City. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg stayed cool. That grace under pressure is winning the mayor some major praise. But will it be enough to boost his political profile?
Deborah Feyerick has more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the lights went out in New York City, people living here already had a rather dark view of their mayor. Less than two years in office and Michael Bloomberg has raised taxes, cut services and banned smoking in restaurants and clubs. Not that the blackout was the mayor's fault. But with an approval rating below 30 percent, it hasn't been looking too bright for Mayor Mike. Then the lights went out and the mayor had a chance to shine. MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: Power is back every place.
FEYERICK: The billionaire businessman criticized for being out of touch with the average new year emerged a hero of sorts.
JULIE WEPRIN, POLITICAL POLLSTER: He was out there giving information to New Yorkers. He was out among New Yorkers. And more importantly, I think, in his style is he was showing that services were being maintained.
FEYERICK: The "New York Times" praised that style, saying, "his cool manner, often interrupted as uncaring on days when the public yearned for some Giuliani era combativeness, struck the right chords."
Bloomberg's style is much different from Rudy Giuliani's. The former mayor was always hands on and center stage, especially in a crisis. Bloomberg likes to delegate, which could explain how he had time to march in a parade Sunday and get in a few rounds of golf. Bloomberg was recently praised for staying calm during a shooting inside city hall.
The critics say Bloomberg's put on a happy face style could boomerang under scrutiny.
JOSEPH MERCURIO, POLITICAL CONSULTANT: There were things missing. The cell phone service was spotty and out in a lot of places. The police department radio system went down repeatedly because repeaters on the high rise buildings, batteries went down. You didn't really have a master plan to reroute buses to get people out of the cities. FEYERICK (on camera): Political insiders predict Bloomberg's poll numbers will go up because of how he handled the blackout. The question is how much of an effect will it have if he decides to run for reelection in 2005?
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 19, 2003 - 05:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Things got hot during the big blackout in New York City. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg stayed cool. That grace under pressure is winning the mayor some major praise. But will it be enough to boost his political profile?
Deborah Feyerick has more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the lights went out in New York City, people living here already had a rather dark view of their mayor. Less than two years in office and Michael Bloomberg has raised taxes, cut services and banned smoking in restaurants and clubs. Not that the blackout was the mayor's fault. But with an approval rating below 30 percent, it hasn't been looking too bright for Mayor Mike. Then the lights went out and the mayor had a chance to shine. MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: Power is back every place.
FEYERICK: The billionaire businessman criticized for being out of touch with the average new year emerged a hero of sorts.
JULIE WEPRIN, POLITICAL POLLSTER: He was out there giving information to New Yorkers. He was out among New Yorkers. And more importantly, I think, in his style is he was showing that services were being maintained.
FEYERICK: The "New York Times" praised that style, saying, "his cool manner, often interrupted as uncaring on days when the public yearned for some Giuliani era combativeness, struck the right chords."
Bloomberg's style is much different from Rudy Giuliani's. The former mayor was always hands on and center stage, especially in a crisis. Bloomberg likes to delegate, which could explain how he had time to march in a parade Sunday and get in a few rounds of golf. Bloomberg was recently praised for staying calm during a shooting inside city hall.
The critics say Bloomberg's put on a happy face style could boomerang under scrutiny.
JOSEPH MERCURIO, POLITICAL CONSULTANT: There were things missing. The cell phone service was spotty and out in a lot of places. The police department radio system went down repeatedly because repeaters on the high rise buildings, batteries went down. You didn't really have a master plan to reroute buses to get people out of the cities. FEYERICK (on camera): Political insiders predict Bloomberg's poll numbers will go up because of how he handled the blackout. The question is how much of an effect will it have if he decides to run for reelection in 2005?
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
