Bill De Blasio: ‘He’s Just a Guy From Brooklyn’
Mayor of New York is not afraid to get goofy!
He sported a rainbow tie for the Gay Pride Parade. He wore an “I Love LA” shirt and warbled that song on national TV to pay off a bet. He even donned a pirate outfit — puffy shirt and all — to join his equally outlandishly costumed family for a hipster parade in Brooklyn.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is not afraid to be bold — and, at times, downright goofy — in his appearance and manner, creating an approachable persona that is a stark contrast to his predecessor, buttoned-up billionaire Michael Bloomberg. It’s an everyman image that experts say meshes with de Blasio’s populist politics, a liberal call to reach out to poor and working-class New Yorkers who felt left behind by the city’s growing income inequality.
“He’s just a guy from Brooklyn who happened to be elected mayor who likes hanging out with his wife and talking about his kids,” said Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic political consultant. “People can relate to that, and, for some, it’ll be easier when he has to bear bad news.”