'It's A Joke': Park Slopers Weigh In On Mayor's Presidential Bid

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — As Mayor Bill de Blasio began his campaign for the 2020 presidential race with a stop in Iowa on Friday, members of his home gym back in Park Slope were irked, or at the very least confused, about his decision to throw his hat in the ring for the Oval Office.

Nearly all of the dozen Brooklynites coming out of the Prospect Park YMCA who Patch spoke with on Friday said they thought the mayor shouldn't be running for president, but should instead keep his sights on fixing a range of issues here in New York City.

De Blasio officially announced his campaign with a video on Thursday, ending months of speculation about whether he would enter the race.

"He should be focusing on the problems we have here," said one Park Slope resident who declined to give his name. "There are a lot of people like me that think it's misplaced for him to think that he could run for president. There's a sense of hubris there."

The reactions should come as no surprise given the low polling numbers de Blasio's presidential bid had received even before he officially entered the race. More than three-quarters of city voters said de Blasio should not run for president in a survey published last month.

Even at the YMCA, the lack of support for his campaign seemed evident weeks ago based on flyers put on the gym's doors that tried to discourage him from jumping into the race.

New York City issues YMCA members thought the mayor should spend his time on instead ranged from affordable housing, to his Vision Zero street safety program, to the city's schools and, of course, its beleaguered transit system.

"It's a mistake," said Albert Mobilio, who lives in Park Slope. "There are things that need to be done here. I see him in the locker room every day and I want to shake him and say, 'Fix the subway.'"

Aside from city issues, many YMCA members couldn't help but also bring up a more local point of contention with the mayor — his trips to their gym. De Blasio has gotten flack for driving his motorcade 11 miles from his home on the Upper East Side to the YMCA in Park Slope even while he touts environmentally friendly policies.

"I'm sure they have a bike at City Hall, or in Gracie Mansion," a resident said. "If he gets elected – which I don't think he will — what is he going to do, fly here?"

Most residents Patch spoke with said they were registered Democrats and most had supported de Blasio in his two terms as mayor. But their opinions of his performance varied.

Some said they were already unsatisfied with de Blasio's progress on his various initiatives even when he was in the city "full-time" and predicted things would likely get worse with campaign stops on his schedule. Political operatives have predicted, though, that the presidential race will likely not change things day-to-day in the city.

But even his more solid supporters who said criticism of the mayor has been overblown still questioned why he added the presidential bid to his plate.

"It's not the right time," said Mike Grizelecki, a Park Slope resident and teacher who said he thinks de Blasio has done a good job in New York. "I don't think he's presidential material. It seems ego-driven."

Others wondered why de Blasio decided to enter what is an already crowded race of Democrats vying for the Oval Office. De Blasio is the 24th Democratic candidate to announce a 2020 campaign.

"It's a joke," said Laura Szapiro of Windsor Terrace. "He's younger than the other two white males that are running, but do we really need another one?"

Bill Mitchell, a resident from Mill Basin, added that it seems many of the other 23 candidates have the same views as de Blasio. He said there likely would be benefits for New York City having a former mayor in the Oval Office, but thinks de Blasio has a low chance of even making it past the primary.

"I think it's a real long shot," Mitchell said. "I'm not sure why he's running when there are (other candidates) with similar positions. I'm not sure what the point is."