Has Mayor Bloomberg Finally Met his Match in a Cartoon?
With New York City Comptroller William Thompson now officially going head-to-head against Mike Bloomberg in his bid for a third term as Mayor of New York City, a clandestine political opposition has enlisted the help of another famous entrepreneur to fight against Bloomberg’s quest. Oh, and he’s a cartoon.
With the Thompson nomination, New Yorkers are finally being reminded that there is a mayoral election on November 3rd. It’s a necessary reminder considering Bloomberg appeared poised to steamroll to another term just months ago. But with a Daily News/Marist poll indicating that Bloomberg may be vulnerable, could Monte Burns be the election wild card?
He has served as a member of the Flying Hellfish during World War II and hired 1,000 monkeys to write the great American novel. Now Springfield’s Charles Montgomery Burns, the misguided scion from the award-winning animated series “the Simpsons,” has one more prize in his sights. With a compelling new web site, the fictional millionaire has officially launched his campaign to become Mayor of New York. Officially launched through a group calling themselves Concerned New Yorkers for Monty Burns as well as the Art in Odd Places Festival, the campaign promises to bring city bus and train fares down to five cents as well as eliminating unnecessary boroughs.
The TV show doesn’t appear to have any formal connection with the campaign, nor does Democratic candidate Thompson. With a dedicated YouTube channel, the movement behind the vest-loving Burns appears to be the work of two anti-Bloomberg New York-area artists, Kenny Kormer and Boris Rasin.
Even if New Yorkers decide not to vote for a fictional character, the Burns site does serve another intriguing purpose. It provides links for voter registration and absentee ballots, an absolutely-necessary initiative considering at one point many New Yorkers apathetically envisioned Bloomberg winning his third term in a cakewalk. And with a new Marist poll indicating that 47% of voters are tired of Bloomberg, the Burns campaign could serve an unexpected purpose.
