March 14, 2007 - Bumpy Bus Ride And Snowstorm Don't Slow Mayor, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; More Say Bloomberg Would Be Better Pres Than Rudy New York City voters disapprove of the way Mayor Michael Bloomberg handled the school bus scheduling change and the Valentine's Day snowstorm, but still give him a near-record high 73 - 19 percent overall approval rating, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. This compares to a 75 - 16 percent approval in a January 16 independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll. In other findings, New York City voters: Disapprove 62 - 12 of the Mayor's handling of the school bus schedule change; Disapprove 49 - 38 percent of Bloomberg's handling of the Valentine's Day snowstorm; Feel 58 - 35 percent that the Mayor cares about their needs and problems; Say 46 - 16 percent that Bloomberg is a better mayor than Rudolph Giuliani, with 34 percent who say both are the same; Say 46 - 31 percent that Bloomberg would make a better President than Giuliani. "America's Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, doesn't score all that well where he really was the mayor. New Yorkers think Bloomberg is a better mayor than Giuliani and - how will this go over on the campaign trail? - that Bloomberg would be a better president," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "New Yorkers like you, Mayor Mike, even on your bad days. You live like a zillionaire, but they think you care about their needs and problems. "Bloomberg gets bad marks on the Valentine's Day snowstorm and the school bus shifts. And this poll probably is affected to some extent by his visit to Florida after that awful fire in The Bronx. But the Mayor's approval rating stays in the stratosphere." In an open-ended question, where respondents can give any answer, 18 percent of New York City voters would like to see Bloomberg elected mayor in 2009, despite the issue of term limits. Other choices; 4 percent each for former Mayor Giuliani and Sen. Hillary Clinton; 3 percent for Council Speaker Christine Quinn; 2 percent for U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner; 1 percent each for Comptroller William Thompson, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Rev. Al Sharpton and former mayoral candidate Mark Green. Voters say 42 - 35 percent that the next mayor should be a business leader rather than a political figure. "Nobody has focused much on who they'd like the next mayor to be, but a plurality know where they'd like him (or her) to come from - the business world, like Bloomberg, instead of the political world, like every other mayor the city has had," Carroll said. New York City voters approve 51 - 12 percent of the job Speaker Quinn is doing, with 37 percent undecided. Comptroller Thompson gets a 43 - 15 percent approval rating, with 42 percent undecided. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum gets a 41 - 19 percent approval, with 40 percent undecided. From March 6 - 12, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,261 New York City registered voters, with a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and nationwide as a public service and for research. For more data -- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x271.xml, or call (203) 582-5201. 1. The next mayoral election will be held in about 3 years. Who would you like to see elected Mayor in the year 2009? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Michael Bloomberg 18% 27% 15% 20% 20% 16% 8% Hillary Clinton 4 3 5 - 1 6 6 Fernando Ferrer - - 1 - 1 - 1 Rudy Giuliani 4 6 3 6 5 3 4 Mark Green 1 - 1 1 1 1 - Ray Kelly 1 1 - 1 1 - - Marty Markowitz 1 - 1 1 1 - 1 Christine Quinn 3 - 3 3 3 1 4 Chuck Schumer - - 1 - - 1 - Al Sharpton 1 - - 2 - 1 - William(Bill) Thompson 1 - 2 2 1 2 1 Anthony Weiner 2 - 2 2 3 1 1 OTHER 6 7 6 6 6 6 8 DK/NA 59 55 60 56 57 61 65 1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Michael Bloomberg is handling his job as Mayor? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Approve 73% 80% 71% 78% 77% 69% 66% Disapprove 19 14 21 15 17 20 22 DK/NA 8 6 9 7 6 11 12 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 68% 69% 80% 74% 79% 78% 69% Disapprove 23 22 14 18 8 15 21 DK/NA 9 9 6 8 13 7 9 TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Michael Bloomberg is handling his job as Mayor? * - also 75% on 11/17/2005 Highest Lowest Approve Approve Mar 14 Jan 16 Nov 14 Jul 12 Apr 12 Jan 16 Jul 2 2007 2007 2006 2006 2006 2007* 2003 Approve 73 75 72 72 69 75 31 Disapprove 19 16 20 19 20 16 60 DK/NA 8 9 8 9 11 9 8 4. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Betsy Gotbaum is handling her job as Public Advocate? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Approve 41% 36% 45% 38% 39% 47% 39% Disapprove 19 28 16 19 17 19 21 DK/NA 40 36 39 43 44 35 41 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 39% 41% 40% 43% 47% 39% 43% Disapprove 29 17 18 18 9 21 17 DK/NA 33 43 42 39 44 40 40 TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Betsy Gotbaum is handling her job as Public Advocate? Highest Lowest Approve Approve Mar 14 Nov 14 Nov 25 Jul 2 May 7 Jul 2 Feb 26 2007 2006 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 Approve 41 38 41 43 35 43 34 Disapprove 19 18 19 22 18 22 17 DK/NA 40 44 40 35 47 35 49 5. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Christine Quinn is handling her job as City Council Speaker? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Approve 51% 44% 56% 48% 48% 55% 49% Disapprove 12 21 9 15 13 10 13 DK/NA 37 35 35 38 39 35 38 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 47% 54% 55% 46% 46% 50% 51% Disapprove 16 11 10 13 17 16 9 DK/NA 38 35 35 41 37 34 39 TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Christine Quinn is handling her job as City Council Speaker? Mar 14 Nov 14 2007 2006 Approve 51 47 Disapprove 12 12 DK/NA 37 41 6. Do you approve or disapprove of the way William Thompson is handling his job as City Comptroller? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Approve 43% 37% 48% 40% 39% 53% 41% Disapprove 15 22 12 15 11 16 19 DK/NA 42 40 40 45 50 30 40 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 39% 48% 37% 45% 43% 43% 43% Disapprove 21 14 10 15 14 16 14 DK/NA 40 37 52 40 43 40 44 TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way William Thompson is handling his job as City Comptroller? Highest Lowest Approve Approve Mar 14 Nov 14 Nov 25 Jul 2 May 7 Nov 14 Feb 26 2007 2006 2003 2003 2003 2006 2003 Approve 43 45 37 38 37 45 35 Disapprove 15 12 14 20 16 12 13 DK/NA 42 43 49 42 46 43 52 7. Do you think Michael Bloomberg has been a better Mayor than Rudy Giuliani, a worse Mayor, or about the same? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Better 46% 28% 53% 48% 41% 62% 39% Worse 16 26 14 15 20 8 24 The same 34 41 32 34 37 28 35 DK/NA 3 6 2 3 3 2 2 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Better 43% 42% 60% 44% 35% 50% 43% Worse 17 18 12 15 25 16 16 The same 35 37 25 38 36 31 37 DK/NA 4 3 2 3 4 2 4 TREND: Do you think Michael Bloomberg has been a better Mayor than Rudolph Giuliani, a worse Mayor, or about the same? Mar 14 Nov 21 2007 2002 Better 46 15 Worse 16 37 About the same 34 33 DK/NA 3 15 8. Who do you think would make a better president - Michael Bloomberg or Rudy Giuliani? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Bloomberg 46% 29% 53% 49% 42% 59% 36% Giuliani 31 60 22 32 39 17 38 DK/NA 22 11 25 19 19 24 25 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Bloomberg 45% 44% 60% 41% 33% 47% 45% Giuliani 33 34 19 34 51 32 31 DK/NA 23 22 21 25 16 20 24 9. Should the next mayor be a businessman like Michael Bloomberg or come out of the city's political system? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Businessman 42% 59% 35% 51% 46% 38% 34% Politician 35 25 41 27 30 37 46 DK/NA 23 17 24 22 23 25 20 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Businessman 46% 38% 43% 41% 53% 45% 40% Politician 33 42 25 38 27 33 36 DK/NA 21 20 33 20 19 22 24 12. Would you say that Michael Bloomberg cares about the needs and problems of people like you or not? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Yes 58% 68% 55% 63% 64% 53% 46% No 35 28 38 32 30 40 48 DK/NA 6 4 7 5 6 7 7 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Yes 51% 55% 66% 58% 63% 63% 54% No 43 38 28 34 33 32 38 DK/NA 6 7 6 8 4 4 8 HvChldIn PubSch Yes 50% No 44 DK/NA 6 TREND: Would you say that Michael Bloomberg cares about the needs and problems of people like you, or not? Highest Lowest Mar 14 Nov 17 Sep 21 Jun 22 May 11 Nov 17 May 7 2007 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2003 Yes 58 60 49 46 47 60 33 No 35 31 40 46 47 31 60 DK/NA 6 9 11 8 6 9 7 13. Do you approve or disapprove of Mayor Bloomberg's handling of the Valentine's Day snow storm? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Approve 38% 36% 37% 43% 39% 35% 39% Disapprove 49 53 49 46 44 56 50 DK/NA 13 11 14 11 17 8 12 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 32% 36% 48% 34% 41% 43% 34% Disapprove 60 50 35 55 39 46 51 DK/NA 8 13 17 12 20 11 15 21. Do you approve or disapprove of Mayor Bloomberg's handling of the school bus schedule change? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Approve 12% 16% 11% 14% 11% 10% 12% Disapprove 62 57 63 61 56 76 61 DK/NA 26 28 26 25 32 14 26 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 10% 13% 9% 14% 13% 15% 9% Disapprove 72 63 52 64 63 58 66 DK/NA 19 24 39 22 24 27 25 HvChldIn PubSch Approve 11% Disapprove 72 DK/NA 17
