Pundit: De Blasio Positioning Himself As New Progressive Voice Of Democratic Party
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Is Bill de Blasio already looking past City Hall, perhaps at the White House?
If he is, there are some people who think New York City's mayor in the White House would be a good idea, CBS2's Dick Brennan reported Monday.
He's been running around Nebraska and Iowa and has, for now, chosen not to endorse Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for president.
Now a report says Mayor Bill de Blasio is positioning himself as the progressive alternative to Clinton, and hopes a "Draft de Blasio" movement springs. A Twitter page already has.
Brennan tried on Monday to ask the mayor if he's secretly plotting to run for president, but he wasn't answering questions. Last week, while Clinton was launching her presidential run, de Blasio was making his appeal to progressives in Iowa.
"As the income disparity in this country is sharper and different," de Blasio said last week.
A spokesperson for the mayor referred Brennan to a quote in which he said: "The only thing I'm doing is running for re-election as mayor of New York City in 2017. That's what I'm eyeing." The quote came from an interview with a reporter in Iowa.
Political experts told Brennan that de Blasio may not want a new job, but certainly would like to take on a new role among Democrats, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren has in Massachusetts.
"What I do think is plausible is that he is trying to get center stage in the national conversation about the direction of the Democratic Party, progressive values, somebody who is considerably younger than Elizabeth Warren; he can preserve eligibility for a future run," Baruch College's David Birdsell said.
Some New Yorkers said it's hard enough being mayor, let alone president.
"I don't think he has a good enough track record yet to really prove to us that he can do it, personally," said Charlotte Everette of Harlem.
"I think it's premature for de Blasio, that's all," added Deborah Aguayo of the Upper West Side.
"New Yorkers tend to think that mayor is the most important job in the country and the mayor doesn't want to be seen thinking about other positions when he still has a second campaign to run here," Birdsell said.
De Blasio has said he will not endorse Clinton until he sees more details on her vision.
