Anthony Weiner, spirits soaring, finds voters warm and receptive about his return to politics, writes Buzzfeed’s Ruby Cramer. Some pundits now believe that Mr. Weiner’s smooth entry is an indication that everything is possible. It not a question whether he can win 1st or 2nd place, but a question of what if he does.
“This year, the Democratic field is as crowded as it was in 1977 and gaming out who will be the top two in the expected runoff following September’s primary is anybody’s guess,” Andy Humm writes in the Gotham Gazette.
NY1′s Bob Hardt adds: “With Weiner’s entry, the Democratic primary race resembles It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, with six major candidates prowling the five boroughs on a strange political treasure hunt that they hope will lead them to the West Wing of City Hall. While I do think it’s a heavy lift for Weiner to beat any candidate in a head-to-head primary runoff, the first step is just to get there. And after watching Weiner on the trail so far, I think that his chances to finish at least in second place on Sept. 10, are as good as anyone’s. Get ready for some chaos.”
Blake Zeff warns Mr. Weiner’s political rivals and political junkies to, at the very least, take him as a serious contender. “Anthony Weiner’s own assessment that he’s not a favorite to win this race is accurate, and such an upset is highly improbable. But the conditions are there for an unexpected outcome to occur, ” Zeff writes on Salon. “With an electorate that often surprises when there’s an open seat for mayor, Weiner’s rival campaigns should be taking him seriously — even if the tabloids are not.”
Zeff explains, in detail, that with weak rivals, lots of cash, and the impact of tabloids overrated, an upset is unlikely but possible.
Editor’s Special Note (and invitation):
The Jewish Press Hosts Mayoral Forum For the Jewish Community
The Jewish Press newspaper, the largest independent Jewish weekly in America, will be hosting a mayoral forum for the Jewish community.
The forum will feature the major Democratic candidates for mayor of New York City. (Anthony Weiner has been invited, shortly after his announcement to join the race. We’ll update the news media if he confirms.)
When: Wednesday, May 29 at 8:15 pm
Where: The Manhattan Beach Jewish Center, 60 West End Ave, Brooklyn, NY.
Questions for the candidates will touch on crime, economics and education, among others.
Members of the community are invited to submit questions for the candidates by emailing [email protected] (use the Subject line “Mayoral forum”), and The Jewish Press will select the best questions for inclusion in the forum.