Part 2

News outlets with their cams on media high-risers.

Meeting area of Thompson reps after NBC retracted victory call for Bloomberg.

Part 1

Podium four hours before Thompson took the stage.

Main Room of the Thompson Headquarters at the Hilton

Traveling political ad

Stay tune.

Senior Editor Andrea Leone, far left; Senior Editor Ashley Carpenter, center, videotaping. Senior Editor Jonathan Mena not in this picture.

Post Script:

Bill Thompson entering his Hilton Headquarters in midtown.

By Jonathan Mena
WORD Senior Editor/Producer
jonathanmena.nyc@gmail.com
http://twitter.com/jonathanmena

Bill Thompson, who spent the day trying to get last minute votes, was surprisingly absent from Staten Island. A communication staff member, who requested anonymity, said Thompson was only concentrating on the boroughs “he knows he will win.” Bloomberg, who has been very present in Staten Island, made sure to visit the forgotten borough today. The conservative leaning borough overwhelmingly voted for McCain in the last presidential election. Was race a factory in that? In this?

Thompson’s communication staff member said it was too late to try to win over Staten Island and that Thompson’s camp knew Bloomberg would take the borough. It is not a good sign f  to give up on Staten Island so easily. With low voter turnout Thompson will need to pick up the other boroughs if he is expecting to win. “We are concentrating on Brooklyn and Queens”, said the Thompson rep. “We know we can win in those boroughs.” Asked if any exit polling was being done, the rep said they will “wait for official notice” once the numbers begin to come in.

Nevertheless, as I waited by the camera riser, I overheard a Thompson rep say, “If Bloomberg doesn’t concede by 11 p.m. Bill will give a victory speech.”

From a Press Release by Janet Dickerson 22:32:32 EDT 2009:

Tonight Bill Thompson showed why he is the right choice for Mayor. Thompson laid out his vision for the future of New York City while Mike Bloomberg offered little more than negative attacks and stuttering answers.  Mike was uncomfortable onstage and seemed unsure of his own policies.  Once again Bloomberg would not look Thompson in the eye as he launched baseless and inaccurate attacks.

Will have to write something. But for now:

NYT: Bloomberg Is Quick to Attack, Yet Vague on Mission
Published: October 27, 2009

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg ended the debate on Tuesday night sounding very much like the man he was eight years ago, efficient and smart, a guy with reasonable answers for nearly every question, and a knack for the sardonic counterpunch.

Yet, as voters were reminded again, even if he serves another four years, this billionaire mayor could well exit the municipal stage without ever having made that gut connection with New Yorkers that for better or ill defines the best-known mayors.

Mr. Bloomberg has a powerful man’s manner and a technocrat’s way of talking, and he slipped his foe’s punches with practiced ease. But the most obvious questions caused him to double-clutch, such as this one: How do you feel when you are told that you are out of touch with average New Yorkers?

Also NYT:

By DAVID W. CHEN
Published: October 27, 2009

With the ferocity of a bulldog, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Tuesday night ripped into his Democratic opponent, Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr., in a final mayoral debate that touched on issues including education, taxes and whether Mr. Bloomberg had misused his fortune to advance his political ambitions.

While many expected Mr. Bloomberg, who leads by double digits in the polls, to play it safe and offer only vague answers, he showed an aggressiveness he seldom displays in public.

Within minutes of the debate’s start, Mr. Bloomberg repeatedly attacked Mr. Thompson’s stewardship of the comptroller’s office. When a panelist asked about Mr. Thompson’s acceptance of more than $500,000 in campaign contributions from people who did business with the city, Mr. Bloomberg pounced and did something he is not particularly known for: he boiled down his argument to a few pungent words.

Wrapping Up

Other D-candidates spoke before WCT III took the stage and the crowd was definitely not Upper East side in the Kaye to hear about the disgrace of Term Limits. So, one wonders what that was about:  A strategy for a demise in the making? The Comptroller and the Public Advocate Democratic Candidates are obvious shoe-ins.

The NY Times article today, Bloomberg Foe’s Campaign Shows Lax Management, doesn’t draw blood – no coup de grace here – as much as it shows how fortunate it is for the incumbent to be $$$, $$$, $$$, $$$ fortunate. For his Term Limits, he will do $$$ mea culpas to the “right” people/organizations when he finally steps down.