While a woman for New York City Mayor should not seem so bizarre: New York is after all the hippest City on earth. The fact that a female candidate for office requires a poll is concerning.
64 per cent of New Yorker’s would be comfortable with a woman contender for mayor but do not want another business executive on the job according to a Quinnipiac University poll that asked voters to rate race, gender, ethnicity, and a business resume as factors in the mayoral race. A female candidate? Twenty-seven percent said they’d be “enthusiastic” about her and 64 percent said they’d be “comfortable with” a woman contender.
The poll conducted Feb. 20-25 didn’t show much movement in the Democratic primary field.
Christine Quinn maintained her lead at 37 percent; Public Advocate Bill deBlasio moved up to 14 percent, followed by former Comptroller Bill Thompson at 11 percent and Comptroller John Liu at 9. Former City Councilman Sal Albanese got the brush off and wasn’t included.
Polls of this nature do beg the question as to why the possibility of a female mayor even needs a poll? Has New York not accepted the fact that women can do any job, with the exception of Pope?
It never ceases to amaze how countries all over the world including Pakistan, and India, have voted female candidates into office based on qualification. In the most advanced nation on earth we still ask if ‘a woman’ could be something. Speaking on behalf of all women Ask a New Yorker’s response is Yes they can!
