Moby to the Rescue? Democrats May Need Star Power

The mayoral candidacy of the New School president, Robert Kerrey, had the lifespan of a fruit fly, but it got some Democrats thinking they need a celebrity ringer to win back City Hall.To beat Mayor Bloomberg, the theory goes, the party needs to recruit a last-minute candidate with star power, deep pockets, and proof of local residency.P. Diddy? Ralph Lauren? Sarah Jessica Parker? It’s no more absurd than Al Franken running for senator in Minnesota, as the comedian and radio host said he would like to do.So with erstwhile front-runner Fernando Ferrer reshuffling his team, and President Clinton thus far declining tabloid exhortations, who can rescue the Democrats at this late date?A Miramax co-founder, Harvey Weinstein, will have more time on his hands this fall when he’s not dealing with Disney. Should we expect an October surprise?The Queens-born mogul’s spokesman, Matthew Hiltzik, thinks not.“While I’m sure Harvey would run one of the most innovative outreach efforts New York has ever seen,” Mr. Hiltzik said, “he’s focused on his permanent campaign to make a wide range of movies available around the world.”Perhaps a politically minded musician, Moby, would care for the job. City Hall could use some good tunes, not to mention the sort of fancy beverages served at his Rivington Street cafe, Teany.But the ubiquitous Moby isn’t interested.Indeed, he’s a fan of the mayor’s.As he wrote in an e-mail to The New York Sun: “I’m actually one of the few New Yorkers who thinks that Mayor Bloomberg is doing a great job.”Whaddya mean “few,” Moby?According to one political consultant, Greg Strimple of Mercury Public Affairs, Mr. Bloomberg needn’t worry about being outspent by a local Democratic version of Arnold Schwarzenegger or outpolled by a Jesse Ventura.“When you have a mayor with a record of accomplishment on creating jobs and improving education, like Mayor Bloomberg, no Democrat – regardless of the celebrity – is going to rescue their party from defeat,” Mr. Strimple said.But this is politics, where anything can happen.“Tim Robbins would be good. He’s a New Yorker, and he’s got money,” a political consultant who usually works for Democrats, Hank Sheinkopf, said.“Barbra Streisand used to be a New Yorker before she deserted us. She could sing her way up to City Hall,” Mr. Sheinkopf continued.Another star – who, like Mr. Bloomberg, hails from Massachusetts – might not do as well, Mr. Sheinkopf speculated. “Ben Affleck,” he said, “would have trouble as a Red Sox fan.”On the other hand, a New York baseball team might yield a worthy leader. The Yankees manager, Joe Torre, has plenty of experience with the ups and downs of running a major operation in this city. A spokesman for the Brooklyn native dismissed the idea, saying, “We try to separate politics and baseball.”If the next mayor of New York City isn’t to be found in the sports world, the offices of performing-arts organizations might possess a hidden treasure.“Would I enjoy running the city? Absolutely,” the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera House, Joseph Volpe, said. “The person who first suggested it was Rudy Giuliani. He felt that running the city would be easier than running the Met.”Indeed, though Mr. Volpe might not have the name recognition of a Tim Robbins, he does possess a potent combination of attractive features. Born in Brooklyn, Mr. Volpe got his start as a carpenter on Broadway, then joined the Met as an apprentice carpenter. He moved up to become an assistant manager, a post in which he stayed for 10 years. In that time, he was responsible for handling the company’s labor negotiations. As general manager, he has proven himself to be an innovative leader – Met Titles, the electronic screens that translate lyrics, are his doing – and a skillful keeper of the peace: The Met has enjoyed relatively smooth sailing with its unions for nearly two decades.Not only that, he’s not happy with the present administration at City Hall.“I don’t think there should be a stadium on the West Side of Manhattan,” Mr. Volpe said. “There are things that have fallen off since Giuliani was mayor.”Mr. Volpe is leaving the Met next year, but he says he’s not interested in seeking Mr. Bloomberg’s job.“The idea of getting into politics, without any backing, doesn’t really make a lot of sense,” Mr. Volpe said.As making sense is often overrated, however, what about Madonna? She sometimes lives here – but her spokeswoman did not return calls. Regis Philbin declined to comment. U2’s lead singer, Bono – whose name was once floated to lead the World Bank – might do, but he’s got zero New York credibility.Still, a celebrity riding in on a white horse to save the day may not be the best solution, one political analyst said.“A lot of people would be displeased by a celebrity candidate,” a Baruch College professor of public affairs, David Birdsell, said. “The political candidates have a sense of when they are due.”What if, for example, the city comptroller, William Thompson Jr., were looking to the 2009 mayoral election as his time to run and energize a coalition of African-American and Hispanic voters, only to find that the hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons – who has led the fight against Rockefeller drug laws – were to show up? The celebrity razzle-dazzle would get the attention, and the hardworking politician might be overlooked.Of course, at the end of the day, that’s exactly the point.

Moby to the Rescue? Democrats May Need Star Power

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