New York City (NYC) Poll * August 29, 2007 * Effective, Cold - That's What - Quinnipiac University

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August 29, 2007 - Effective, Cold - That's What We Like, Dislike About Mayor, New Yorkers Tell Quinnipiac University Poll; Bloomberg's Approval Tops 70 Percent - Again

Word format New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's effective, business-like style tops the list of what New Yorkers like most about him, while arrogance and coldness top the list of what voters dislike most, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
In an open-ended question, allowing for any answer and a wide range of opinions, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University asked New York City voters what they like most about Mayor Bloomberg. Answers are:
26 percent like his effective, business-like style; 12 percent say he's honest/straightforward/sincere; 8 percent say generally that he's doing a good job as Mayor; 8 percent cite his stand on issues; 3 percent say he's compassionate or cares about the city and the people.
Looking at what they dislike about the Mayor:
17 percent say he's arrogant, cold and too rich to care about people; 16 percent disagree with his stand on issues; 11 percent say he's stubborn and opinionated, and too business-like.

"An effective, straightforward guy who calls it as it is - that's Mayor Bloomberg's most attractive quality, New Yorkers think. And they like his businessman approach to the job," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
"What they don't like is his 'arrogant' personal style. A number of them think he's too rich to relate to average New Yorkers with average cares and problems.
"Bottom line: New Yorkers prefer a Mayor who's effective, not lovable. Mayor Mike's job approval slipped below 70 percent, to 69 percent, only once in the last two years. And despite term limits, Bloomberg dominates the list of those they'd like to see elected mayor in 2009.
New York City voters approve 70 - 21 percent of the job Bloomberg is doing, with similar numbers among Republicans, Democrats and independent voters, and among blacks, whites and Hispanics.
When asked to name the person they would like to see elected Mayor in 2009, 57 percent are undecided, while 21 percent name Bloomberg, whose two-term limit is up. Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Sen. Hillary Clinton each get 3 percent, with Comptroller William Thompson at 2 percent and a cluster of possible candidates at 1 percent each.
By a 42 - 31 percent margin, voters say the next mayor should have political experience, rather than business experience.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly gets a 62 - 25 percent approval rating, including 49 - 38 percent among black voters. Approval ratings or other New York City leaders are:
39 - 18 percent for Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, with 43 percent undecided; 41 - 12 percent for Comptroller Thompson, with 47 percent undecided; 44 - 16 percent for Council Speaker Christine Quinn, with 40 percent undecided; 39 - 37 percent for School Chancellor Joel Klein, with 23 percent undecided.
"The total political focus on the Mayor might trouble a political scientist - or an ambitious office-holder. A huge number of New Yorkers say 'don't know' when asked to rate the other top city officials," Carroll said.
From August 21 - 27, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,192 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 November 2009. Who would you like to see elected Mayor in the year 2009?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Michael Bloomberg 21% 25% 21% 22% 24% 18% 19% Hillary Clinton 3 3 4 2 1 4 8 Fernando Ferrer 1 - 2 1 1 1 2 Rudy Giuliani 3 8 2 4 4 - 6 Ray Kelly 1 5 1 1 2 1 1 Christine Quinn 1 - 2 2 2 1 1 William (Bill) Thompson 2 1 2 2 1 5 1 Anthony Weiner 1 1 2 - 2 1 - OTHER SPECIFY 7 6 5 10 7 8 4 DK/NA 57 50 58 55 55 59 55 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Michael Bloomberg 15% 15% 27% 25% 27% 22% 20% Hillary Clinton 4 2 5 2 5 3 4 Fernando Ferrer 2 1 - 1 - 1 1 Rudy Giuliani 4 5 1 2 5 4 3 Ray Kelly 1 - 1 2 5 2 1 Christine Quinn - 1 4 1 1 1 2 William (Bill) Thompson 1 3 2 - - 2 2 Anthony Weiner 1 2 1 1 1 2 - OTHER SPECIFY 10 8 7 3 7 9 5 DK/NA 59 60 50 60 50 52 61
2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Michael Bloomberg is handling his job as Mayor?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Approve 70% 72% 71% 69% 76% 68% 68% Disapprove 21 19 19 24 18 20 21 DK/NA 10 9 10 7 6 12 11 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 66% 67% 76% 69% 70% 70% 69% Disapprove 25 20 16 22 24 20 21 DK/NA 9 14 8 9 6 10 10
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 Aug 29 Jul 25 May 23 Mar 14 Jan 16 Jan 16 Jul 2 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007* 2003 Approve 70 73 74 73 75 75 31 Disapprove 21 19 19 19 16 16 60 DK/NA 10 8 7 8 9 9 8
3. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Ray Kelly is handling his job as Police Commissioner?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Approve 62% 81% 62% 59% 73% 49% 61% Disapprove 25 8 27 27 14 38 28 DK/NA 13 11 11 14 13 12 12 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 64% 61% 58% 64% 73% 67% 58% Disapprove 28 25 23 23 22 24 25 DK/NA 7 13 18 13 5 9 17
TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Ray Kelly is handling his job as Police Commissioner? * - also 70% on 2/3/06
Highest Lowest Approve Approve Aug 29 Jul 25 May 23 Mar 15 Jan 16 Mar 9 Jan 16 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2006 * 2007 Approve 62 64 58 56 52 70 52 Disapprove 25 26 27 30 34 17 34 DK/NA 13 11 14 14 14 13 14
4. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joel Klein is handling his job as New York City Schools Chancellor?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Approve 39% 41% 41% 38% 39% 38% 44% Disapprove 37 40 37 37 37 42 35 DK/NA 23 19 23 25 24 20 21 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 43% 36% 43% 38% 36% 44% 35% Disapprove 36 42 26 39 50 35 40 DK/NA 21 22 31 22 14 21 25
TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joel Klein is handling his job as New York City Schools Chancellor?
Highest Lowest Approve Approve Aug 29 Jul 26 May 23 Mar 15 Jul 12 Feb 26 Mar 15 2007 2007 2007 2007 2006 2003 2007 Approve 39 41 37 33 37 46 33 Disapprove 37 39 39 43 40 27 43 DK/NA 23 20 23 24 22 28 24
5. 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 39% 32% 43% 37% 38% 44% 35% Disapprove 18 27 16 19 19 15 21 DK/NA 43 42 41 44 43 41 43 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 37% 39% 42% 38% 31% 39% 39% Disapprove 20 19 17 16 27 20 17 DK/NA 43 42 41 45 42 41 44
TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Betsy Gotbaum is handling her job as Public Advocate?
Highest Lowest Approve Approve Aug 29 Jul 25 May 23 Mar 14 Nov 14 Jul 2 Feb 26 2007 2007 2007 2007 2006 2003 2003 Approve 39 40 42 41 38 43 34 Disapprove 18 17 15 19 18 22 17 DK/NA 43 43 44 40 44 35 49
6. 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 44% 39% 46% 45% 47% 41% 45% Disapprove 16 20 15 18 13 22 17 DK/NA 40 41 39 37 41 37 38 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 43% 42% 49% 44% 48% 45% 44% Disapprove 20 18 13 14 13 16 16 DK/NA 37 40 38 42 39 38 41
TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Christine Quinn is handling her job as City Council Speaker?
Highest Lowest Approve Approve Aug 29 Jul 25 May 23 Mar 14 Nov 14 Mar 14 Aug 29 2007 2007 2007 2007 2006 2007 2007 Approve 44 45 47 51 47 51 44 Disapprove 16 15 13 12 12 12 16 DK/NA 40 40 40 37 41 37 40
7. 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 41% 41% 43% 39% 40% 49% 38% Disapprove 12 12 11 15 7 15 17 DK/NA 47 48 46 46 52 36 45 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 40% 45% 37% 39% 49% 44% 38% Disapprove 18 12 10 11 8 12 12 DK/NA 42 43 53 50 43 43 50
TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way William Thompson is handling his job as City Comptroller?
Highest Lowest Approve Approve Aug 29 Jul 25 May 23 Mar 14 Nov 14 May 23 Feb 26 2007 2007 2007 2007 2006 2007 2003 Approve 41 43 46 43 45 46 35 Disapprove 12 12 12 15 12 12 13 DK/NA 47 45 42 42 43 42 52
8. Do you approve or disapprove of the way the city council is handling its job?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Approve 44% 45% 48% 36% 45% 43% 47% Disapprove 32 34 28 40 28 36 27 DK/NA 25 21 25 24 28 20 25 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 38% 45% 46% 43% 44% 47% 41% Disapprove 38 35 28 27 35 33 31 DK/NA 24 21 26 30 22 20 29
TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way the city council is handling its job?
Aug 29 Jul 25 2007 2007 Approve 44 48 Disapprove 32 32 DK/NA 25 20
9. Regardless, of your overall opinion of Michael Bloomberg, what do you like most about Michael Bloomberg?
Tot Total Leadership style 26% Leadership style/ Skills/Good administrator/Manager 8 Business approach 8 Effective/Gets things done/No nonsense/ Doesn't give up 9 Efficiency 1 Honest/ Straightforward/ Sincere/Man of his word 12% Doing/Done good job as Mayor/Running NYC 8% Stand on issues Total 8% Crime 1 Education 2 Budget/Finances 2 Affordable housing 1 Smoking ban 1 Cleaner streets/ Environment 1 Cares about NYC/ The people 3 Courageous/Strong/ Outspoken/Believes in what he does 3 Fair/Treats all the same 3 Hands on/Involved/ In touch with the people 3 Non partisan/No party ties 3 Intellegent/Thoughtful 2 Not beholden/Rich/ Paid his way 2 Compassionate/ Humanitarian/Generous 1 Down to earth/ Regular guy 1 Good speaker/ Communicator 1 Like EVERYTHING 2 Like NOTHING 6 Other 8 DK/NA 7
10. And regardless of your overall opinion of Michael Bloomberg, what do you dislike most about Michael Bloomberg?
Tot Total Personality 17% Personality (general) 1 Arrogant/Cold/Not compassionate 6 Doesn't care about people 4 Too wealthy/Can't relate to average person/Out of touch 6 Stand on issues total 16% Stand on issues general 2 Education 3 Police 2 Taxes 2 Affordable housing 1 Congestion pricing 5 Smoking ban 1 Total leadership style 11% No leadership/ Management skills 3 Too much of a businessman 3 Authoritarian/ Can't negotiate/ Too stuborn/Wants own way 3 Opinionated/Thinks he is always right/ Doesn't listen to Other opinions 2 Not honest/Breaks promises/Doesn't deliver 2 Done/Doing Nothing for NYC 1 Too Democratic/ Liberal/Left 1 Way he speaks 1 Favors businesses 1 Running for President not good for NYC 1 Changed party/Flip flops 1 Dislike EVERYTHING 2 Dislike NOTHING 17 Other 17 DK/NA 14
11. Should the next mayor be someone with business experience or government experience?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Business 31% 39% 27% 39% 40% 26% 26% Government 42 37 47 35 35 47 53 DK/NA 26 23 26 26 25 27 22 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Business 25% 32% 30% 34% 39% 35% 28% Government 49 47 41 35 39 41 44 DK/NA 26 21 30 31 22 24 28
TREND: Should the next mayor be someone with - Business experience or Government experience?
Aug 27 May 23 2007 2007 Business 31 38 Government 42 44 DK/NA 26 18