Bloomberg's Term Limits Play Costs Him Support

Forty percent of New Yorkers less likely to vote for Bloomberg after recent power play

Updated 10:34 AM EST, Wed, Jul 22, 2009

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Mayor Michael Bloomberg is still a popular mayor according to the new Marist Poll but not as popular as he was before he pushed through the change in term limits that will allow him to run for a third term.

"He should be worried if it's a trend," according to Marist pollster Lee Miringoff, "especially if the economy continues to deteriorate."

The percentage of New Yorkers who think Bloomberg's doing a "good" or "excellent" job is 59 percent, down nine points since the last poll in October. It’s hardly the kind of thing that will keep Hizzoner up at night.

Digging deeper 43 percent of voters think the term limits extension is a bad thing while 30 percent think it was good. Almost half (48 percent) think the courts should overturn the hastily passed law. And 40 percent say they are less likely to vote for Bloomberg now as a result of his term limits power play.

But now that we're inside a year to the election (believe it!), Marist also looked at how the mayor might match up with a Democrat. Although only Tony Avella has officially announced his candidacy, both Brooklyn Congressman Anthony Weiner and city Comptroller Bill Thompson have said they may run.

Here are the match ups:

Bloomberg   51 %
Weiner          37

Bloomberg 52
Thompson  32

Bloomberg 54
Avella            28

Finally let's not forget about money. Bloomberg had only a 43 percent approval rating in March 2005 yet handily won reelection eight months later. How? It helped that he spent roughly $80 million of his own money.

So don't get too carried away with polling numbers.