You may have read that Mayor Bloomberg recently told Rupert Murdoch that President Obama is “the most arrogant man I ever met.” Kind of like Chris Christie telling Rush Limbaugh that Nancy Pelosi can afford to drop a few pounds, no?
Theories abound about the Mayor’s “arrogance” rant: He’s trying to distance himself from Obama to gear up for his own 2012 run for President. Murdoch revealed this private conversation because he never misses an opportunity to bash Obama, even indirectly. And so on.
But I think there’s a more obvious reason for Bloomberg’s finger pointing, and it incorporates all of the increasingly over-the-top regulations he’s decreed we New Yorkers live by: Projection!
Without getting too Freudian on you, it’s hard not to notice that our mayor has a nasty habit of projecting all his bad traits onto others, and arrogance is the least of it.
For example:
1) Problem: Bloomberg battled for years to give up smoking. Solution: No one can smoke virtually anywhere in New York City.
2) Problem: Bloomberg is obsessed with his weight, “so much so that the sight of an unflattering photo can trigger weeks of intense dieting and crankiness,” according to The New York Times. Solution: Restaurants must post calorie counts, while big-brother style ads scold us that drinking colas and sugary drinks will make us obese.
3) Problem: Bloomberg is a major salt addict, pouring salt on everything from bagels to pizza. Solution: Use taxpayer money to plaster anti-salt ads throughout the subways.
Anyone detect a pattern here?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad there’s a ban on smoking in public places, and that the mayor has brought our attention to the fact that obesity is costing us in both debilitating health issues and out of control expenses.
So yes, thank you for making us more conscious about the wisdom of regulating our calorie count and salt intake. We all appreciate it. Now go away!
Like a reformed alcoholic turned Carrie Nation-style, liquor bottle smashing crusader, Bloomberg ascribes all his shortcomings to others. Earth to Mayor–these are your problems, not mine, and I don’t want my tax money spend on signs telling me not to put salt in my soup, or not to eat soup at all.
I can control my salt intake, and if I eat too many calories, my girlfriend gently pats my stomach and I eat less the next few days.
When I wrote New York’s In a Nanny State of Mind earlier this month, I didn’t grasp the bigger issue here. But the mayor’s latest rant has made it pretty obvious to me.
So if Bloomberg does decide to run for President, maybe he will attack Obama for not only his “arrogance” but his nasty smoking habit, or perhaps even scarfing down too many fast food burgers in public. But we New Yorkers know the real issue, which we learned in grade school: When you point a finger at someone, there are three being pointed back at you. So cut it out!
Mike -
You are mixing apples with peaches. Not the same thing. Your earlier examples were Bloomie’s bad habits that he has reformed from and is helping others to reform from, like a former druggie that now counsels addicts. As far as arrogance, that is not a habit or something being done that affects one’s well being, it is a personality trait.
Yes, generally when one smarts at a personality trait it is because that is a trait that one himself possesses. When someone brings up the topic it is on their mind or part of their makeup. Your points are well taken, but not collectively. They are separate issues.
Very insightful, Mike. Good job figuring out Bloomie’s psyche. To give the guy his due, Bloomberg does seem like he’s just trying to be a good daddy to his children (the public) and show them what’s good for them, but, like you say, thanks, now go away! Does he really think we need him to tell us that the Double Cheese Baconator might not be the best food choice? Has he been to a supermarket lately? Probably not. But if he went, he would see tons of low fat, low calorie, whole grain, gluten free, low salt grub. Somehow, the food companies figured out that this is what people want and they didn’t need Bloomberg or any other politician telling them what to offer. Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Panera Bread have all built big profitable businesses on the idea that people want healthy food choices. Even McDonald’s has figured it out. All without any government intervention, just the profit motive. Hey, maybe free enterprise capitalism really does work!
Mike-
Talk about arrogance, and the whole “Daddy” thing, how about Emperor Mike having City Council fix things last year, so he could run for a third term. Now that he has his extra term, he then favors the referendum to put term limits back to two, except for those already in office. Ha! How about that for “Do as I say, not as I do”?