Somehow, The Numbers Just Keep Getting Worse For Anthony Weiner
Weiner lags in fourth place in Tuesday's Quinnipiac University survey — well behind surprise leader and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.
The numbers contradict the message that Weiner tried to push Monday night in an interview with BuzzFeed's Ben Smith — that though the "elites" in New York City and around the country don't want him to win, voters respond to his middle-class heavy messaging.
Consider the following quotes from his interview when matched up against the Quinnipiac survey:
SHOT: When asked Monday night if he thought his disastrous poll numbers had bottomed out, he said, "I hope so. I mean, you know, I would hope so."
CHASER: His support has dropped from 26% on July 24 to 10% today, among Democratic primary voters. His support with black voters — once a key constituency — is down to just 8%, from 31% on July 24.
SHOT: "I think that there is this dialogue that goes on about the things in my private life. And then there's this conversation that voters want to have about issues."
CHASER: Only 3% of voters say that the phrase "has a strong personal moral character" applies "a great deal" when describing Weiner. Only 17% say that Weiner understands the problems of "people like" them "a great deal." And only 15% are certain he has the right experience.
SHOT: "Democrats haven't won for mayor in the City of New York for 24 years. And why is that? 'Cause we don't deserve to win. We round up every institution we can find, line up as many Democratic organizations as we can, pose with famous people on the steps of City Hall, and then we think we've got a campaign. But for most citizens, that's not what they're looking for. That's not their values. And what they really want to hear is that we're somewhat independent of those things. And they're just basing a campaign on ideas.
CHASER: Voters are more open than ever in the past 24 years to the possibility of a Democratic mayor. Most assume that the Democratic candidate that prevails in the primary will win the general election. But of all the Democratic candidates, the only candidate Democratic voters won't consider, in large numbers, is Weiner.
51% of Democratic primary voters say they will never vote for him. That includes 57% of women, 68% of white voters, and 46% of black voters.
SHOT: "I really do believe that I am the only person occupying this one lane in this race. That I'm someone who's trying to construct this campaign in a different way. And that to some degree the other candidates are some degree of the same, you know? de Blasio wanted to be speaker. He made the same promises that he supported overturning term limits and, you know, former comptroller Thompson comes from the exact same place. So to some degree they're pretty much all the same.
CHASER: Thompson and de Blasio also both have the same 50-point lead in theoretical runoff matchups with Weiner. De Blasio leads Weiner 72-22, and Thompson leads by an astounding 76-20 mark. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn also leads Weiner by 30 points.
Overall, this poll is even more brutal than one released Monday by Siena College, which showed that a record 80% of voters statewide viewed Weiner unfavorably. But overall, the recent surveys display a campaign that is slowly grinding until its eventual death.