Bill de Blasio for Mayor of NYC: Harry Belafonte and Rep. Yvette Clark endorse de Blasio

[cali]

OK, I'm not a New Yorker, but if I were I'd vote for de Blasio who really is a progressive and who's damned smart. I actually got called a racist here on DU for expressing support for de Blasio.

Civil rights activist and singer Harry Belafonte is throwing his support behind New York mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio, according to the Daily News.

His reason for backing the candidate is based on de Blasio’s support of legislation that could make it easier to sue the NYPD for racial profiling. It comes as no surprise, considering Belafonte's history of civic activism and recent participation in the "Stand Your Ground" protests at the Florida state capitol.

However, the endorsement likely comes as a shock to Bill Thompson, who is the only black candidate in the mayoral race. In a recent Quinnipiac Poll, both Thompson and de Blasio fell in second place behind Christine Quinn. Thompson also lands second with black Democrats with 22 percent of support, while de Blasio is currently in fourth place with 16 percent.


<snip>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/30/harry-belafonte-bill-de-blasio-new-york-city-mayoral-race_n_3676104.html

Here's his campaign website:

http://www.billdeblasio.com/



Here's an interesting look at de Blasio:
http://nymag.com/news/politics/citypolitic/bill-de-blasio-2013-7/

[cali]

1. de Blasio has some pretty interesting endorsements-

from the city's largest union to Russell Simmons and now Harry Belafonte. He's the best and most consistent candidate on racial justice issues like stop and frisk and racial profiling. Yes, he's white, but his teenage son is black. Furthermore and a bit tangential, on public education, he'd be the first Mayor of NYC with children in the public schools. He's passionate about education and social justice issues.

[kentuck]

2. The next Mayor of New York.

would be my guess.

[cali]

3. well, I think he has a chance. I hope you're right

I'd love to see a progressive mayor of nyc and he's far, far more progressive than Quinn or Thompson.

[allin99]

15. i tell people. homeboy will suprise you..

. just watch. Ppl think, oh, he's just an activist, they can't win..oh no...he will roll up on you, then before you know it...

BLAM

[cali]

4. Kick. Howard Dean has also endorsed de Blasio

[Smarmie Doofus]

5. But Thompson's got Al D'amato. Yes.... THAT Al D'amato.

"Surrender Dorothy."

[cali]

6. Ugh.

I think de Blasio is going to keep moving up in the polls.

[Smarmie Doofus]

7. One crosses one's fingers.

But anything can happen here. One big problem is media. One of the reason's he's not taken off is they don't want someone they see as anti-corporate. Or "anti-business"....as they would put it. So it's hard for him to get coverage.


They've had five full consecutive terms terms of City Hall in the hands of the 1%ers. They are used to getting their way.

[cali]

8. man, that's for sure. de Blasio is the anti-bloomy

and doesn't appear to be either a go along get along guy or someone who just talks and folds.

[KoKo]

9. Thanks for post and links about him, Cali.

He does look like an interesting candidate. I'd never heard of him. Loved the comparison to former Mayor John Lindsay and will check out the other links.

[cali]

10. hey, KoKo. He does look like a real bona fide Progressive

Yeah, he has some political links to Hillary Clinton from quite a while ago (he managed her Senate campaign) but what he's done in public life is definitely progressive on issue after issue.

Love that his son goes to public school and that his daughter who is now in college did as well. And he has a real stake in racial justice issues with two bi-racial kids- particularly with a bi-racial son.

[allin99]

11. hrc hired him b/c he's smart as hell and is highly capable...

it's not a bad thing. She could have hired ANYONE, and she hired him. And if you know anything about the kind of person Blasio is it should tell you that she's not evil boogieman b/c he would NEVER work for someone as low down as you find her. But that aside, it speaks volumes about his competancy that both clintons wanted him to manage that campaign. It's not a negative link at ALL. and in nyc, we actually like hil, so voters who know that like the link in more ways than one.

[cali]

13. all valid points, but he is far more progressive than Hillary

[allin99]

14. yeah, were both...

running for mayor of nyc, or other office, on many issues he would be more "progressive" there is no doubt, on many issues they might agree in theory but he would be less willing to compromise, and some issues (gay rights, women and children's education) they would be equally progressive, education being the issue they commonly care about most passionately. He would not work to elect someone who did not share those last 3 values. And regarding anything national, lol, big difference. Just 2 different people. Her goals are improvement overall, his goal is sticking up for the people who are too often given the short end of the stick, basically, all us little people in nyc who are merely and almost literally prey for the 1%.

i pray he becomes mayor, it would be just downright amazing. we would be so damn lucky. i just need quinn to throw one more tantrum, then it's Bill and Bill in the runoff.

[cali]

16. I'm rooting for him too. I wouldn't be shocked if he won

hope it comes to pass.

[allin99]

17. Thanks. Wish us luck!...

i should go ask quinn an obnoxious comment, lol, just one more tantrum, just one.

[allin99]

12. and Blasio now runs 2nd...