Unnamed Pollster Asking New Yorkers: Weiner for Mayor?

An anonymous pollster has been calling New York City voters with a penetrating question: would they vote for Anthony Weiner for mayor?

The unnamed pollster asked voters which Democratic candidate they would be likely to vote for: Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Controller John Liu, former Controller Bill Thompson, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn–or Weiner, who left Congress after it was discovered he texted pictures of his genitalia and then lied about doing it. 

The pollster listed positive and negative information about each candidate, which meant that, while Weiner was described as “forced to leave Congress for sending lewd pictures and lying about it” and also that “many people say he doesn’t have the temperament to be mayor,” the pollster praised Weiner as a “fighter” and noted that Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, was Hillary Clinton’s top aide.

One conversation with the pollster went like this:

Pollster: Hi, is this Kathy?

Voter: Yes.

Pollster: I’m taking a scientific poll regarding which candidate you would support for mayor in the Democratic primary.

Voter: Okay …

Pollster: There are five prospective candidates; Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Controller John Liu, former Controller Bill Thompson and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.  They’re available, which is good, but they’re hardly household names, which is bad.

Voter: You said there were five. That’s only four. Is the fifth candidate a household name?

Pollster: The other candidate is Anthony Weiner.

Voter: Oh.

Pollster: The good news is he’s a fighter and his wife is the glamorous Huma Abedin, who is the top aide to the glamorous Hillary Clinton.

Voter: Glamorous Hillary Clinton?

Pollster: The bad news is that he was forced to leave Congress for sending lewd pictures and lying about it, and many people say he doesn’t have the temperament to be mayor.

Voter: I’ll have to talk to my father about it. (calling) Daddy?

Pollster: How old are you, ma’am?

Voter: I’m eighteen.

Pollster: Hold on a minute. (calling) Huma? Huuuuuuummmaaaa? (Silence) Kathy, do you know how to text?