This morning I met with Tony Avella at Donuts Coffee Shop, one of my favorite spots in the Slope. He's running against William C. Thompson in the Democratic mayoral primary on September 15th. During our Breakfast-of-Candidates interview, we talked about this article in the Times' today:
The all-but-invisible mayoral candidacy of William C. Thompson Jr., the city’s comptroller, is baffling even to those who wish to see him elected. He has raised $5 million but has been so low key, some Democrats wonder if he is actually running.
And often, when Mr. Thompson travels, he hears the same question: Where have you been?
The incumbent, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, is everywhere: on television, with a $12 million barrage of ads touting his re-election bid; in mailboxes, with a constant stream of glossy literature; and online, with ads popping up on Web sites from Facebook to local blogs.
A woman approached Mr. Thompson in the Bronx not long ago and asked if she would be receiving campaign literature from him.
"Not anytime soon,” he said.
Now I really want to interview him for my Breakfast-of-Candidates series. I've been in touch and his campaign people say he's interested…
Interesting point, but I think this is a sound strategy for Thompson. He is so outgunned, especially on the financial front, that his only hope is to let Bloomberg be Bloomberg for now, bide his time, and then pour all of his money into the last few weeks of the campaign. I read on the albany project that he is looking to Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter as an example (pulled this strategy off to perfection in a contentious primary in ’07). I don’t really think Thompson has any other choice.