New Yorkers should know better than to vote for a huckster like President Trump | Opinion
New Yorkers can be guilty of thinking the world revolves around our city. But the fact is: For those of you who have moved to Florida, the world may well revolve around you on Election Day. That’s because your votes may be the deciding factor in determining who’ll lead our country for the next four years. As you prepare to cast your ballots, I want to appeal to the New Yorker in you — and urge you to reject the ex-New Yorker living in Florida and vote for the guy from Delaware.
We New Yorkers are known for having strong opinions. (Wanna make something out of it?) We’re also known for respecting each other’s differences. We don’t have to agree with one another to work together; that’s what makes the city great. And our country only works when people with different ideas find common ground. So ask yourself: Which candidate respects differences of opinion, and which one attacks those who disagree with him? Which candidate has a history of working across the aisle as a senator and vice president to get things done, and which one has failed to bring Democrats and Republicans together to strike a deal on healthcare, infrastructure, economic stimulus and so many other issues?
We New Yorkers are tough, but we are also compassionate — and we unite in a crisis. We saw that most dramatically after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. But we also saw it in the blackout of 2003 and the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. We pitch in and help each other out, especially those who need it most. So ask yourself: Which candidate understands the importance of uniting people during this crisis, and which one continues to spend his days dividing us — by race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and party? Which candidate has never hesitated to denounce white supremacists and anti-Semites, and which one retweets their messages and refers to them as “very fine people”?
We New Yorkers are known for telling it like it is. We pride ourselves on our BS-detectors, which help us sniff out liars, cheats and con artists. So ask yourself: Which candidate has the honesty to give it to you straight — and which one routinely makes up bald-faced lies? Which candidate would you trust to tell you the truth in a crisis, like the one we’re in now?
We New Yorkers respect science. Research. Data. So ask yourself: Which candidate has refused to play politics with public health, and which one has attacked some of the nation’s most respected doctors and public-health experts? Which one urged people to wear masks and practice social distancing, and which one continued to hold campaign rallies that infected many more people — while doing nothing to help mayors and governors create contact-tracing programs and take other critically important life-saving measures?
President Trump has put his re-election ahead of the health of the American people and the health of our economy, and the results have been utterly disastrous. The virus has cast an especially dark shadow in the Sunshine State: Only 14 countries have more deaths from the coronavirus than the state of Florida, and only 10 have had more total cases. Tragically, the United States leads the world in both categories.
It didn’t have to be this way. Since the first outbreaks, Trump’s coronavirus plan has been to downplay its seriousness and pass the buck to others. He failed to take action to protect the American people. The result: lives lost that could have been saved, economic pain that could have been avoided and uncertainty about the future. To make matters worse, the president has made the virus a divisive political issue — just like he has with every other important issue we face.
Meanwhile, other urgent problems have continued to fester and worsen over the past four years, including climate change. Florida is one of the most vulnerable places in the world, with increasing costs from storms and flooding that are worsening each year. The president has ignored the science and stuck his head in the sand — putting homes, businesses and lives at risk.
In a state where victory can hang by a thread — or a few chads — it’s critical that every former New Yorker cast a vote. That’s true in every election, but this year it really is a matter of life and death. And that’s why I’m devoting a lot of resources to support groups in Florida that are working to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
I’ve known Joe for a long time. I’ve had the chance to work with him — to protect communities from gun violence, to spur innovation in cancer research and on other big issues. He’s an honest and decent man who can bring our country together — even those on the other side agree that he’s a good guy, or as we might say in New York: a mensch. And as president, he’ll lead a strong economic recovery, protect Social Security, restore America’s reputation abroad, and invest in clean energy and American industry.
Four years ago, some people gave Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt. And during his time in the Oval Office, he’s removed all doubt about his inability to lead. He’s proven to be all hot air and empty promises. He’s the huckster who, as the old saying goes, wants to sell us a bridge in Brooklyn.
But we’re from New York. We know better. And by voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, you have the chance to prove it. I hope you will.
Michael Bloomberg is a former mayor of New York and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.
