Colorado State University Office Of Budgets Request For: Fill & Download for Free

The President’s recent escalation in verbal attacks on the United States Postal Service (USPS) are only the latest salvo in a long war against one of the oldest arms of government.In 2017, President Trump launched his first twitter broadside against the agency, complaining bitterly about the low rates charged to Amazon and other companies for package delivery.[1]As recently as April 24, 2020, Trump called the agency a “joke,” and falsely claimed it lost money on every e-commerce package it delivered.[2]Vilifying the postal service is a surprising political stance, as the Post remains Americans’ favorite government agency. A survey published by the Pew Research Center in April found that 91 percent of Americans held a favorable view of the postal service, higher than any other agency, including the second-place Centers for Disease Control (CDC).[3]Chart: Public Holds Broadly Favorable Views of Many Federal Agencies, Including CDC and HHSThe president is long known to have particular obsessions that dominate his tweeting and press conference discourse: NATO funding, fawning media coverage, “nasty” women that are mean to him, etc. USPS occupies an honored place in Trump’s pantheon of recurring boogeymen.Politically, the president is facing a crisis in his reelection campaign. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pile on new records in cases and deaths across the country.[4] Polls show him consistently trailing Joe Biden in the majority of battleground states.[5]As a masterful practitioner of culture war scapegoating, the president began flailing about for a new villain on which to focus the hatred of his loyal political base.The voting-by-mail system provides a convenient target for a flailing, incompetent president. The plan of attack follows the vintage Trump playbook:Concoct a big lie.Double down on the lie, repeating it enough to sink in with a credulous audience.Use the lie as cover to mask a political takeover of an independent agency.Derive political benefit from the ensuing chaos.Let’s examine this playbook in action, with the USPS as the latest victim.MAIL-IN VOTING WILL LEAD TO MASSIVE FRAUD AND ABUSE. IT WILL ALSO LEAD TO THE END OF OUR GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY. WE CAN NEVER LET THIS TRAGEDY BEFALL OUR NATION.[6]—President Donald Trump, tweeted on May 28, 2020.We will leave aside the fact that the president himself has voted by mail multiple times, and seems spectacularly unconcerned about the security of his own ballot.[7] Indeed, despite his current loud claims of massive fraud, the president plans to vote in this year’s election by mail as well. (He requested a ballot by mail this week, confirmed by county election officials in Florida).[8]Like most of the president’s lies, this one is easily debunked.The Washington Post, in partnership with the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), analyzed fraud cases “referred to law enforcement agencies in five elections held in Colorado, Oregon and Washington.”[9]Officials identified just 372 possible cases of double voting or voting on behalf of deceased people out of about 14.6 million votes cast by mail in the 2016 and 2018 general elections, or 0.0025 percent.[10]Looking at the data more broadly, we can see that the rate of fraud is miniscule. Over the past 20 years, 250 million votes have been cast by mail nationally.[11] According to a database run by The Heritage Foundation, over the past 20 years, 1,290 instances of voter fraud of all forms have been proven, resulting in at least 1,113 criminal convictions.[12]Amber McReynolds, a former Colorado election official and now the CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, and Charles Stewart, director of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab,[13]have analyzed election fraud data. They have found that the number of actual fraud cases per state can be counted on one hand.One hundred forty-three cases of fraud using mailed ballots over the course of 20 years comes out to seven to eight cases per year, nationally. It also means that across the 50 states, there has been an average of three cases per state over the 20-year span. That is just one case per state every six or seven years.We are talking about an occurrence that translates to about 0.00006 percent of total votes cast. [14]An additional salient point: when fraud is caught, the most vocal scaremongers of voter fraud - Republicans - can be found among the culprits. One of the few prominent prosecutions of mail ballot fraud last year involved a Republican political operative tampering with absentee votes in North Carolina.[15]This is only one of numerous examples of Republicans caught in blatant in fraud.[16][17][18]Besides stringent punishment for voter fraud (including fines and jail time), mail-in balloting benefits from well-known security practices:Signature matching requirements, checked by both humans and technology.[19]Unique ballots built for each individual local election, with dozens of markers that would need to be successfully faked.[20] This includes the ballot’s size, style, and the weight of the paper used.[21]Voting has grown by 15% since 1996, and is consistently rated highly by the electorate. A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that 70% of Americans either somewhat or strongly favor having the option to vote by mail.[22]Chart: 23.1% of votes cast by mail in 2018. Why Is Voting By Mail (Suddenly) Controversial? Here's What You Need To KnowVoting by mail also appears to have little partisan impact, according to a study published in April by Stanford’s Institute for Economic Policy Research.In examining voter data in three states with staggered rollouts of vote-by-mail programs — California, Utah and Washington — the researchers found that the introduction of mail-in voting did not have an effect, on average, on the share of voter turnout for either Republicans or Democrats.Researchers also found that expanding vote-by-mail does not appear to increase the vote share for candidates of either political party. Taken together, the researchers say their findings essentially dispel concerns that mail-in voting would cause a major electoral shift toward one party.[23]“They need that money in order to have the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots. But if they don’t get those two items that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting, because they’re not equipped to have it.”“If we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money, that means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. They just can’t have it. Sort of a crazy thing. Very interesting.”[24]—President Donald Trump during a Fox Business interview, August 13, 2020.Before Trump ensconced his tweeting personage in the Oval office, the US Postal Service suffered through long-known budget issues. The insistence by Congress that the post office must pre-fund retiree and health benefits, along with a steep drop in mail flow, have been large contributors to the budget crunch.[25]The agency reported a loss of $9 billion last year alone.[26]Unfunded liabilities have reached over 200% since Trump entered office in 2016:USPS Unfunded Liabilities and Debt as a Percentage of USPS Revenue, Fiscal Years 2007 through 2018Chart: Key Issues: U.S. Postal Service's Financial Viability - High Risk IssueIt is against this backdrop that we must view the current fight over funding.In the now-infamous quote above, Trump is referring to a bill (supported by Democrats in Congress) that offers $25 billion in Covid-19 related emergency funding for USPS.[27] The bill also removes restrictions placed on a previous $10 billion line of credit granted to the agency.[28]With this in mind, we must also consider the new postmaster general, North Carolina businessman Louis DeJoy (recently nominated to the post in May by the USPS board of governors, all of whom are appointed by the president).Dejoy, a holder of “significant investments in companies that compete or do business with the USPS,”[29] still retains his multi-million dollar stake in his previous company, a USPS contractor.[30]Prior to his appointment, DeJoy was a fundraiser for the Republican National Convention and has given about $360,000 to Trump Victory, a super PAC supporting Trump’s reelection, according to federal filings.[31]Dejoy has instituted multiple changes at the agency, including deep cuts in staffing hours and reductions in overtime.[32]One particular change has alarmed rank-and-file USPS workers: the decision to decommission 10% of the agency’s mail-sorting machines.DeJoy, in service changes last month, has drastically reduced overtime and banned extra trips to ensure on-time mail delivery. His wholesale reorganizations ousted several agency veterans in key operational roles.And the USPS is currently decommissioning 10 percent of its costly and bulky mail-sorting machines, which workers say could hinder processing of election mail, according to a grievance filed by the American Postal Workers Union and obtained by The Washington Post.Those 671 machines, scattered across the country but concentrated in high-population areas, have the capacity to sort 21.4 million pieces of paper mail per hour.[33]Map: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.htmlThough overall mail volume is down, the pandemic has fueled a surge in package deliveries.[34] Coupled with already existing mail delays, could wreak havoc in the postal service as the agency is swamped in ballots for the November election.Dejoy and agency leaders have called the machine reductions “a matter of ‘routinely’ moving equipment to accommodate the mix of packages and letters in the mail stream,” which will result in greater efficiency gains.[35]Despite this claim, service delays have stuck Dejoy with the nickname of “Louie Delay.”[36]What is the result of all this chaos?The post office has notified 46 states (and D.C.) that voters could potentially be disenfranchised, due to slow-arriving ballots not delivered in time to be counted. (It is important to note that these warning letters to the states were planned before the appointment of Dejoy.)[37]Multiple states are planning extensions (some as the result of lawsuits) along with other measures to ensure ballots will be counted in the upcoming election.[38][39]With his alarm bells for mail ballot fraud, President Trump clearly believes that a reduction in voting by mail will help him win the election.[40]Adding to the upheaval, social media reports of the removal of mailboxes (reported across the country on 8/14), have also captured media attention.[41]Representatives for USPS have insisted that this is routine, and are moving mailboxes to higher-traffic areas.[42]NBC Montana reporter Maritsa Georgiou contacted the agency after 68 mailboxes were removed across the state.[43]She published the response from USPS spokesperson Kim Frum.Image: (Please note the Comic Sans font signature from the Sr. Public Relations Representative.) https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/dozens-of-montana-usps-drop-boxes-removedIn response to the uproar, USPS has promised not to remove any more mailboxes until after the election.[44]What can you do to ensure your mailed ballot arrives in time to be counted?I support the idea proposed by CNN columnist David Andelman. He is calling for all Americans to put a 55-cent stamp on their return envelope, even if it is pre-printed with bulk postage by their local election board.Most election mail carries the third-class or bulk rate of 20 cents, which can take as long as 10 days to reach its destination. First-class mail takes two to five days maximum. Until now, the postal service has treated election mail, including voter registration materials, voter information, ballot requests and the ballots themselves as first-class, no matter how much or how little postage they carry.According to the New York Times, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said DeJoy had "informed some states that they may need to pay a first-class rate to deliver ballots rather than the normal rate — nearly tripling the cost." According to the newspaper, the postal service said DeJoy's comments were merely a suggestion for local election officials seeking to curb costs, not an on official mandate.But there's a way to utterly frustrate DeJoy's suggestion.[45]The use of a 55-cent stamp would automatically override the lesser postage, forcing it to be moved to first class.[46] This would allow the ballot to hopefully arrive in time to be counted in the November election.Ultimately, if you are worried about your mail-in ballot, please ask for one as early as possible, and send in your vote as soon as your state’s law allows.Vote early, and vote safely.“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”—Quote chiseled above the entrance to the New York City Post office on 8th Avenue. Excerpted from “The Persian Wars” by Herodotus.[47]Footnotes[1] Trump, Amazon and the Postal Service: The story behind the tweet[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/27/trumps-claim-postal-service-loses-money-every-e-commerce-package-it-delivers/[3] Public Holds Broadly Favorable Views of Many Federal Agencies, Including CDC and HHS[4] Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.[5] Biden leads Trump in 5 of 6 battleground states: poll[6] Donald J. Trump on Twitter[7] Has President Trump Ever Voted by Mail?[8] After criticizing voting by mail, Trump, first lady request mail-in ballots [9] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/minuscule-number-of-potentially-fraudulent-ballots-in-states-with-universal-mail-voting-undercuts-trump-claims-about-election-risks/2020/06/08/1e78aa26-a5c5-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html[10] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/minuscule-number-of-potentially-fraudulent-ballots-in-states-with-universal-mail-voting-undercuts-trump-claims-about-election-risks/2020/06/08/1e78aa26-a5c5-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html[11] Let's put the vote-by-mail 'fraud' myth to rest[12] Voter Fraud Map: Election Fraud Database | The Heritage Foundation[13] Why Is Voting By Mail (Suddenly) Controversial? Here's What You Need To Know[14] Let's put the vote-by-mail 'fraud' myth to rest[15] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/north-carolina-political-operative-indicted-in-election-fraud-case-that-upended-congressional-race/2019/02/27/b0d5f004-3aaf-11e9-aaae-69364b2ed137_story.html[16] Two Republicans charged in Ohio election fraud scheme — and they won anyway[17] West Virginia mail carrier guilty of election fraud after altering ballot requests to Republican[18] Kansas Republican Rep. Steve Watkins charged with voter fraud [19] Let's put the vote-by-mail 'fraud' myth to rest[20] Why Is Voting By Mail (Suddenly) Controversial? Here's What You Need To Know[21] FACT CHECK: Trump Spreads Unfounded Claims About Voting By Mail[22] Two-Thirds of Americans Expect Presidential Election Will Be Disrupted by COVID-19[23] New research on voting by mail shows neutral partisan effects[24] Trump says he is refusing additional post office funding as part of his fight against mail-in voting[25] https://about.usps.com/news/delivers-facts/usps-delivers-the-facts.pdf[26] What's going on with the post office? Here's what we know[27] Collins, Feinstein Introduce Bill to Provide Up to $25 Billion in Emergency Financial Relief for U.S. Postal Service[28] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/29/postal-service-treasury-loan/[29] Financial disclosures reveal postmaster general's business entanglements and likely conflicts of interest, experts say[30] Financial disclosures reveal postmaster general's business entanglements and likely conflicts of interest, experts say[31] What's going on with the post office? Here's what we know[32] In new letter, USPS chief acknowledges 'unintended consequences' of recent policy changes[33] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[34] U.S. Postal Service Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2020 Results[35] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[36] Trump Is Hobbling the Mail the Old-Fashioned Way[37] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[38] https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/court-absentee-ballots-that-come-after-election-wont-count/2020/07/15/a1068eec-c6ca-11ea-a825-8722004e4150_story.html[39] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html[40] Trump vows to block new Postal Service funding to undercut voting by mail[41] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/14/people-are-freaking-out-about-mailbox-removals-postal-service-says-its-routine/[42] Tester demands answers from postmaster general on reports of mailbox removals[43] Dozens of Montana USPS drop boxes to be removed[44] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/14/people-are-freaking-out-about-mailbox-removals-postal-service-says-its-routine/[45] Opinion: It'll cost you 55 cents to protect your vote this November[46] Opinion: It'll cost you 55 cents to protect your vote this November[47] https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/mission-motto.pdf

Here is my brief “history” of each president. Hopefully this gives you a taste for each president. I’m sure you can search the internet for more about some of the episodes in U.S. history if you are interested.George Washington - He set a lot of precedents, but most important (until FDR) was only serving two terms. So beloved, he was the only unanimous selection of the electoral college.John Adams - He defended British soldiers after the Boston Massacre because he believed in the rule of law. Established the American Academy for Arts and Sciences, which still exists.Thomas Jefferson - Wrote the Declaration of Independence, donated his library as the foundation of the Library of Congress, founded the University of Virginia, bought the Louisiana Purchase and sent Lewis and Clark to explore it (and more) and he was an inventor.James Madison - “Father of the Constitution” helped its ratification by co-writing The Federalist Papers. Shortest and lightest president at 5′ 4″ and less than 100 pounds. As president was under enemy fire during the War of 1812.James Monroe - At Jefferson’s request, participated in the negotiations with Napoleon for the Louisiana Territory. Only person to hold two cabinet positions at the same time (Secretary of War and Secretary of State under Madison). Wrote the Monroe Doctrine.John Quincy Adams - First son of a president. First president to be photographed. Elected to the House of Representatives after his presidency. He suffered a stroke on the floor of the House while he voted and died two days later.Andrew Jackson - He was a prisoner of war during the Revolutionary War, at age 13. Survived being shot during a duel. Terribly policies against Native Americans (not good, but important to note during his presidency).Martin Van Buren - The term “O.K.” because popular because of Van Buren. Came from Kinderhook, NY also known as “Old Kinderhook.” O.K. clubs formed to support Van Buren.William Henry Harrison - Shortest Presidency at 31 days, but had the longest inaugural address at 105 minutes.John Tyler - First vice-president to assume the presidency after the death of his predecessor. Only president to also hold office in the Confederacy.James K. Polk - Treaty of 1848 with Mexico gave the U.S. control over California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. Gold was discovered in California in December of that year.Zachary Taylor - Didn’t vote in his own election. Visitors to the White House would take souvenir horse hairs from Whitey, Taylor's old Army horse that he kept on the White House lawn.Millard Fillmore - Tried to reduce tensions between the North and South with the Compromise of 1850 -it didn’t work. He personally fought a fire at the Library of Congress.Franklin Pierce - Purchased territory from Mexico that is now New Mexico and Arizona (the Gadsden Purchase). Was an alcoholic.James Buchanan - Bachelor president. Sat on the fence when it came to slavery believing nothing needed to be done as it would go away on its own, hence setting the stage for the Civil War.Abraham Lincoln - Led U.S. through the Civil War. First president assassinated. Our tallest president at 6′ 4″. Received a patent for a device that lifted boats over shoals.Andrew Johnson - Led the U.S. through Reconstruction. Impeached by the House for violating the Tenure of Office Act. Senate failed to remove him from office by one vote. Purchase of Alaska from Russia was called “Seward’s Folly,” but it turned out to be a good deal.Ulysses S. Grant - Accepted the South’s surrender ending the Civil War. Was so bad at business that he was broke toward the end of his life. To make money he wrote his memoirs, which he finished just days before he died. With no political experience, his administration was plagued by scandals.Rutherford B. Hayes - Won the presidency by one electoral vote. Only future president that served in the Civil War to be wounded in battle.James A. Garfield - First left-handed president. Garfield was the second president assassinated. As Garfield lay wounded, Alexander Graham Bell tried to find the bullet lodged in Garfield with a metal detector he invented.Chester A. Arthur - He was always fashionable dressed. He destroyed all his records before he died. He wanted to redecorate the White House so he auctioned off a lot of priceless furniture, some dating back to John Adams.Grover Cleveland - Served two non-consecutive terms. He was married in the White House and has the only child to have been born in the White House.Benjamin Harrison - Grandson of William Henry Harrison. Neither Cleveland nor Harrison actively campaigned in the election of 1892, which Cleveland won.William McKinley - Third president assassinated. Led the nation to victory in the Spanish-American War. Annexed Hawaii and made it a territory. Established Open Door policy with China.Theodore Roosevelt - Avid outdoorsman and conservationist. Youngest president to take office at 42. Built the Panama Canal. Teddy Bear named after Roosevelt. Broke up monopolies to encourage competition. Shot while campaigning, but continued to speak for another 90 minutes.William H. Taft - Became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after his presidency. As Chief Justice he swore in Presidents Coolidge and Hoover. At over 330 pounds, he was the heaviest president.Woodrow Wilson - Campaigned heavily for the U.S. to join the League of Nations after World War I, which they never did. Exhausted, he suffered a stroke and secluded himself in the White House.Warren G. Harding - Tea Pot Dome Scandal. He was a newspaper publisher. Fathered an illegitimate child.Calvin Coolidge - Nicknamed “Silent Cal”, Coolidge was a very quiet person. After Harding’s scandal, became the first president to appoint a special prosecutor.Herbert Hoover - After each world war Hoover traveled the world fighting poverty. The stock market crash of 1929 lead to depression. Tent cities were called “Hooverville.” Signed the Smoot-Hawley Act which raised taxes on imports which reduced trade for U.S. goods when it was desperately needed.Franklin D. Roosevelt - Only president elected to four terms. New Deal led U.S. out of the Great Depression. Led U.S. during World War II. Afflicted with polio, FDR lost the use of his legs. The press did not print pictures of him in his wheelchair. Spoke directly to the American people in his “Fireside chats.”Harry S. Truman - Dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan forcing their surrender. Plain-spoken, he believed “the buck stops here.” “S” doesn’t stand for anything. Proposed national health care, and issued four civil rights executive orders. Led the U.S. during the Korean War.Dwight D. Eisenhower - Created the interstate highway system. Sponsored Civil Right Bill of 1957. Balanced the budget three times and ended the Korean War.John F. Kennedy - Fourth president assassinated. Cuba was an issue during his presidency with events like the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Founded the Peace Corps. Set direction for landing a man on the moon.Lyndon B. Johnson - Pushed a lot of legislation that was the basis of the Great Society, including three landmark Civil Rights bills and Medicare. Escalated the Vietnam War.Richard M. Nixon - Amid the Watergate scandal, became the first president to resign. Ended U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Improved relations with China.Gerald R. Ford - Pardoned Nixon to get the country past Watergate. Ford was an athlete and a model. Was a member of the Warren Commission that investigated Kennedy’s assassination. Survived two assassination attempts.Jimmy Carter - Mediated negotiations between Egypt and Israel to produce the Camp David Accords. He was a micro-manager. Known for building homes for the poor with Habitat for Humanity.Ronald Reagan - Ended the Cold War. Worked to reduce nuclear weapons. Oldest elected president at 69. Survived an assassination attempt. Was an actor. Iran-Contra affair.George H. W. Bush - President during Desert Storm. Pardoned Iran-Contra affair participants. Celebrates birthdays by skydiving.Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinsky scandal led to him impeachment by the House. He was not removed from office by the Senate.George W. Bush - Second son of a president elected president. President during 9/11 and the war on terrorism that followed.Barack Obama - Passed Affordable Care Act. Bailed out financial institutions and auto manufacturers to rejuvenate the struggling economy.

A New York city mayor running for President of the United States? Many have tried, many have been talked about, but none so far have won. That could change, and I'll get to why, but...Meantime, you guys got time for a little story?A story that will take you through an airplane crash, bad timing, a bosses' puppet turned corruption fighter... two of 'em, why it's bad to make fun of small towns, a politician named Clinton (not that one or that one), and an assassination caught on film...YOU SEE, ALL THAT NEW YORK WORLD photographer William Warnecke really wanted to do was take the picture of the Mayor of City of New York, in a lively pose, while talking.Instead he recorded history...It was 1910, and then New York City Mayor William J. Gaynor was touring a boat docked outside of Hoboken, NJ. Warnecke was getting a few photos of the Hishonor, not sure which one would be used, if any, in the next day's issue. Just as he snapped his camera, a disgruntled and recently fired city employee named James Gallagher walked up to the mayor and, at point blank range, shot a bullet through Gaynor's neck.Gun and camera were improbably timed. And in an age well before TV journalism, the resulting image was one of the greatest but also the most horrific works of photojournalism up until that point.Gaynor would survive the shot and recover quickly, though the bullet would remain lodged in his throat. And given his record of reforms in a city run by bosses- indeed Gallagher was just one of many boss -- appointed employees that Gaynor had dealt with, but especially given that Gaynor was and still is the only new york mayor to suffer an assassination attempt, and given that the photo made its way around the world, Gaynor became a national name and was mentioned among many as a candidate for governor and / or President. But three years later, just as Gaynor was to run for a second term, something that would have been needed if he was going to be considered for President, complications from the shooting caught up with him, and he passed away in 1913.Gaynor is rare to be a New York City Mayor known and liked nationally, and to be under serious consideration for President. But why? why didn't more people rise up from America's greatest city to lead the nation. Why is it rare for Mayors to even be talked about for President... until 2007.By announcing his intention of running for President as a former mayor of New York in 2007, Rudolph Giuliani became one of just three individuals in 218 years to formally go from having what one John Lindsay called "The Second Hardest Job in the World", and to then officially try to secure what must be, to follow that logic, the First Hardest Job. In the entire history of the Presidency and the Mayorality of America's largest city, which actually has a longer history than the office of the American President, the paths of these two great offices, these jobs of great responsibility, headaches, control over the lives of citizens and jobs, have not often crossed, though there's been a few moves in that direction.Prior to 1991, when someone spoke of two Clintons in politics, there were two very different Clintons they were speaking of: George Clinton, Thomas Jefferson's Vice President and former governor of New York, -- and his nephew, DeWitt Clinton. De Witt Clinton was like his uncle a politician in Jeffersonian Republican circles, and was appointed Mayor of New York twice. This was before the Mayor was popularly elected, that would not occur until 1834. In this case the mayor was appointed by a state board which was in control of his uncle.So disappointed with President Madison, particularly his embargo against England that hurt Northeast merchants, that DeWitt Clinton switched to the Federalist party (or we should say, sought the Federalist's out) in time for the 1812 election, and ran against James Madison in attempt for a second term. With Madison, deep in an unpopular war, DeWitt came pretty close but would fail to get the Presidency, and would go on to finish his term as mayor and then become New York governor.The Mayor Who Ran For President of New York CityProbably the boldest mayor was Fernando Wood, the first New York City mayor to recognize, cultivate and manipulate the Irish-American immigration coming into the city and the creator of the New York Police Department as a source of jobs for them. Though Wood's police were not the NYPD of today , they were corrupt and deeply associated with gangs such as the Dead Rabbits and the Bowery Boys.Fernando Wood never ran for President of the United States --- but did attempt to make New York City its own country and then preside over it. Well, if not a country, more like a Free City. When South Carolina seceded in 1861, New York City, which did a brisk business with the South, was perhaps about to lose a lot of its customers. Business leaders were concerned about the upcoming war. Wood's solution was that New York city secede. There were benefits to the concept... as Mayor Wood detailed.As a free city, with but nominal duty on imports, her local Government could be supported without taxation upon her people. Thus we could live free from taxes, and have cheap goods nearly duty free.His idea was not immediately dismissed either. City businessmen were considering Wood's idea. There was no way to predict how the Civil War was going to go at the outset. There had been cities in Europe, such as the not-yet-unified Germany and cities like Hamburg, which were 'free cities.' of no nation. Also, Mayor Wood's suggestion came at a time when it looked like their may be many successions -- one of the Pacific states like California and Oregon, one of the Midwest, as well as the south. In such a scenario, New York would be one of many.One person not taking Mayor Wood's idea seriously was the new President Elect, Abraham Lincoln who would not take office for another month when Wood made his proposal to the city council. Lincoln had just been elected with a minority of the votes, losing 2 to 1 in New York City. He regarded as folly to think that new York could survive and perform all its needed services from port revenue without the benefits of national government. Comparing New York City to the Front Door of America,It will take some time for the front door to settle the house-keeping for itself.A backwoodsman criticizing the snobbery and arrogance of the big city. Though the politics were reversed, the cultural feeling was the same.It was not Lincoln's sarcasm that did in Fernando Wood's chances to move from Mayor of a city to leader of a country. It was the Confederacy he was hoping to do business with. They instituted a new tariff policy that lowered tariffs, specifically to undercut New York City. And after the beginning of hostilities, Mayor Wood reluctantly participated in Union mobilization efforts. In the 1862 he would lose the mayor's office to a war-supporting Republican.Republicans would do quite well running for New York City mayor, although an ambitious dandy from the state legislature named Theodore Roosevelt would lose his bid in the 1880's. Mayor William Strong would combine the cities of New York and Brooklyn and take Queens, Bronx and Staten Island in. A Democrat, Robert Anderson Van Wyck, was the first true mayor of the consolidated city. Van Wyck got caught up in an ice monopoly scheme. The New York World reported that the American Ice Company of planned to double the price of ice, from 30 to 60 cents per hundred pounds (from 66 cents to 1.32 dollars per 100 kilograms). In the era before refrigeration ice was the only preservative available to keep food, milk and medicines fresh. Van Wyck owned stock in the company. Outraged Democrats joined with Republicans on a fusion ticket.This set up New York City's first Brooklyn mayor, Seth Low. He had been mayor of Brooklyn and New York City and will remain the only to do so. A well-regarded person, he was never a national candidate.The fusion ticket didn't last. Tammany Hall found a way to beat the Republicans and that was to invoke the still popular name of former Union War General George McClellan, who at this point had served a term as Governor of New Jersey. They ran his son, George McClellan, Jr. or Max McClellan, and he defeated Seth Low.As head of Alderman and acting mayor in the 1890's, he was famous for ordering an Irish flag raised over city hall on St. Pats and didn't back down when questioned about it. As mayor, he named Times Square, builte bridges. He established the first NYC subway and drove it himself for the first ride. (This according to the excellent Bowery Boys Podcasts Know Your Mayors: George B. McClellan Jr. - The Bowery Boys: New York City History.)An intrepid tale springs up about McClellan involving the grand opening of the IRT’s first subway tunnelin October 27, 1904. Meant only go ceremonially start up the engine of the first train, McClellen requested that he would like to actually go ahead and drive the train all the way up to Harlem! (And Bloomberg brags that he only rides the train.) He deftly steered the new engine up to 103rd Street before handing over the controls.He also banned movies on Christmas Eve one year.The mayor exiting one of those new automobiles. But his ride would end. McClellan's aren't known for liking politicians - see my answer on his father and his opinion about how the war went - he started hiring non Tammany Hall employees, and relations between he and the bosses that sponsored him soured, and he was denied a third term in 1909.But not before his name was floated at the 1904 Democratic convention in St. Louis. After two losses by William Jennings Bryan, the party needed a break from populism. Yet there was too many competitors. There were 13 candidates for president: Alton B. Parker, William Randolph Hearst, Francis Cockrell, Richard Olney, Edward C. Wall, George Gray, John Sharp Williams, Robert E. Pattison, George B. McClellan Jr., Nelson A. Miles, Charles A. Towne, Arthur Pea Gorman and Bird S. Coler. It took one ballot of commitments, one ballot of shifts and a unanimous vote to decide on Parker as the presidential candidate. Why? He offended no one, not the hard money types nor the Populists.Tragic Reformer and Boy MayorWith the dark cloak of Tammany Hall controlling events, the mayorality and the Presidency would not be talked about much together, even remotely, until 1910 when an unconventional mayor named William J. Gaynor was appointed, a creature of Tammany Hall bosses. But once Gaynor got in, he soon defied Tammany hall. He filled high level government posts with experts and city employees were chosen from civil service lists in the order they appeared, effectively curbing patronage and nepotism, and continued the development of the New York City subway system. As we refered to earlier, Gaynor's time as mayor would be cut short by the lingering effects of an assassination attempt on him.His dream didn't completely die with that bullet. The man who succeeded Gaynor would share his reformist beliefs. A special election was held and at thirty-five years old, John Purroy Mitchel was the youngest person ever to be elected Mayor of New York City, a distinction that earned him the nickname, "Boy Mayor."A hyper ambitious graduate of Columbia University and New York Law School, Mitchel held numerous government posts after being admitted to the bar. While city Commissioner of Accounts, Mitchel uncovered a protection racket in the Police Department and conducted investigations that forced the ouster of two borough presidents, and prompted another to flee the continent. In 1913, he dealt a crushing blow to Tammany Hall, winning the mayoral election on a fusion ticket by a large plurality.Mitchel's waste-cutting measures and accounting practices earned the city national acclaim. He brought into the administration competent professionals and devised a zoning plan to govern city development — the first such plan in the nation. He also standardized salary and work requirements for city employees. But Mitchel was unable to beat Tammany a second time to win re-election. In 1918, he enlisted in the Army Air Service to be trained as a pilot in World War I. His life was cut short during a training exercise in Louisiana, when his plane plummeted 500 feet to the ground on July 6, 1918. He was only a few days shy of his 39th birthday when the incident occurred. Though he would never live to see future office or national office, Mitchell did see national press...there is no doubt that had he returned from World War I which would have lasted only about six months after his accident, as a hero and former reforming mayor, a gubernatorial and perhaps national office was sure to follow. This was a man not even 40 who had already served a term as mayor of America's biggest city.As Theodore Roosevelt said about him. "No stauncher American, no abler and more disinterested public servant, and no finer natural soldier than Purroy Mitchel was to be found in all our country." Surely the plane took the life of young man who was going places.LaGuardiaOne New York City politician who had better luck with his own airplane, who did make it back from the early air service of World War I was Fiorello LaGuardia, or "Little Flower," son of immigrants of Italian and Jewish ancestry one of the best known mayors in New York City history.He interrupted his first term in Congress to fly a plane called the Congressional Limited over the fields of France. His tenure redefined the office. He was reelected to Congress, and after. After losing the mayoral election to Jimmy Walker in 1929, he successfully ran for mayor again in 1933 on a fusion ticket after Walker would resign in disgrace.More importantly, La Guardia was able to do what many 'reform mayors' were not able to do - he was reelected. For the next twelve years, the 5 foot 2, demanding, chief executive dominated New York City.And he was popular - he ferreted out corruption in city government and brought in talented professionals. LaGuardia earned a reputation for placing the city ahead of politics. Although technically a Republican, he worked closely with the New Deal administration of President Franklin Roosevelt to secure funding for large public works projects. LaGuardia never made any moves for national office during Roosevelt's lifetime, but in 1945, after Roosevelt's death the first three-term New York City mayor decided not to seek a fourth term, and it was widely sought that in a time when one out of 10 Americans were in New York, LaGuardia was going to enter national politics. But his health would thwart his ambitions, would die of pancreatic cancer before the next Presidential election in 1947.Lindsay's AmbitionJohn Lindsay, a Republican Congressman with a Kennedy-like charm, successfully ran for mayor in 1965 as a Republican in a three-way race defeating the Democratic candidate Abe Beame, then City Comptroller, as well as National Review founder William F. Buckley, Jr., who ran on the Conservative line. Lindsay inherited a city with serious fiscal and economic problems. On his first day as mayor, the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) led by Mike Quill shut down the city with a complete halt of subway and bus service.One area of success was in race relations where though New York was no interracial utopia in the late 60's, the city managed to avoid a major race riot that had plagued several other major American cities. Lindsay was credited for this, and his walks in different neighborhoods helped residents to keep calm.Lindsay's position in the Republican Party grew precarious over time. In 1969, a backlash against Lindsay's policies caused him to lose the Republican mayoral primary to State Senator John J. Marchi. Lindsay was still on the ballot as the candidate of the Liberal Party, and with a coalition of minorities, Jews and public sector unions to eke out a win by a plurality. Lindsay would take this razor-thin reelection as a sign that he should be promoted, and in 1971 Lindsay became a Democrat and shortly thereafter began a brief and quite unsuccessful bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination. His run was never serious and he attracted more attention from hecklers and protesters than voters.You could say in general terms that the famous Ed Koch, who became mayor in 1978, was a Presidential possibility, however slight. In 1982, he ran unsuccessfully for Governor of New York, losing the Democratic primary to Mario Cuomo, who was then lieutenant governor. A pledge that all he was interested in was being mayor hurt him, as well as an interview with Playboy magazine in which he described the lifestyle of both suburbia and upstate New York as "sterile" and lamented the thought of having to live in "the small town" of Albany as Governor, turning off most voters from outside the city. So while its true Koch never ran for President, though much of the eighties he and Speaker Tip O'Neil were the best known Democrats.Cuomo, he was never as well known as Koch when he ran for governor had parlayed that office in to national fame, albeit never tested Presidentially. Had Koch and not Cuomo won the governorship, who knows where this personable figure would have sought out next?A Matter of Timing?Since Lindsay, no mayor actually had run until Rudolph Giuliani. For him, the crime-fighting mayor had a national reputation especially reinforced by an overwhelming reelection in a city of Democrats and the national profile on NYC as a result of the 9/11 terror attacks. But his timing was somewhat unlucky. Giulani's two terms as mayor propelled him to the national scene but at a time too early in his first term to be seriously considered for President in 1996, and by the time of his exit, a member of his own party was President and just starting an eight year stretch.A Republican who could win New York City and likely the state was a rare bird in those days, and had the GOP nod been open in say,2004, he might have a great shot. As it was in 2008 the GOP chances weren't very good, and Giuliani made a fateful decision to stay out of Iowa and New Hampshire, allowing John McCain to gain early momentum.He spent millions of dollars in the Florida primary, only to lose to McCain. While he likely will not become President, a former mayor of NYC has taught a valuable lesson to future campaigns.Bloomberg's First "Not-Run"Giuliani's successor Michael Bloomberg. Though he keeps saying he is not a candidate, he seems to be dropping some hints, weighing in on gun control and national healthcare, issues that don't seem to be in the realm of New York city mayor alone. He's ended some speeches calling for Americans to think anew and set a new course for our nation...then combined with the fact that he refuses to rule out a run in the future. It's not likely that Bloomie challenges Rudy, but many are concluding that he is looking to create a Republican left wing in '08 I didn't happen, and in 2009 he left the Republican party to boost his third-term chances. But there's the talk again 8 years later.Would it have been a good idea for La Guardia, for Lindsey, for Koch to become President? Is it a good idea for Bloomberg or Giuliani? At first glance, the awesome job of Mayor of New York, with control over thousands of city jobs and a city of nearly 10 million people, would seem to be uniquely suited for a run for President. On one hand, a mayor is an executive, and we know that American voters prefer executives -- like governors, incumbent Presidents and Vice Presidents -- more than they like Senators or legislators when choosing a President.On the other hand there is a difference. The Mayor of New York has actually a lot more direct control over the city than the President has proportionately over the nation. New York City has a strong mayor-council form of government, with the mayor in charge of all day to day administration and the council approving the budget. When its not budget time, the city council serves as a weak monitoring body. What little the city council can do, the mayor can veto like the President. In fact, the control has recently gone up as the Mayor now controls the schools system of New York City.Hishonor for the most part, orders people around. He has hiring and firing power and tells people what to do. The President, outside of foreign policy, doesn't bark orders - he must lead Congress to secure funding for his policies, to approve appointments and secure treaty agreements. He must constantly court public approval. Mayors are concerned of course with re-election and public approval but in the end of the day the bulk of city government is under their control. This does not bode well for a New York Mayor running for President.Yet something has changed, particularly on the Democratic side of the equation. There is a bit more of a demographic change that helps Democrats in California, Florida. And Democrats have done better in swing states like Virginia and Colorado. And the state wins are not due to moderation in ideology but due to population changes, voter preferences, blue voters moving West and South and better Democratic turnout, especially among young voters. A New York City Democratic mayor who is able to get their party's nomination may have more of a shot than they would have in the 80's.Now it's too early to look at this, but I do note that current mayor Bill de Blasio is attending a fair amount of national conferences supporting a more progressive agenda for the party. He's also visited Iowa. While only in his first term, if he can cobble a second term victory (and perhaps run for governor), I would not be surprised to see him mentioned as a Presidential possibility, a Bernie Sanders of the 2020 or 2024 race. Long way off.Getting Around to Bloomie. And, you know, Answering the QuestionSo while history doesn't have a lot of hope for a New York City mayor running for President, demographics have changed a bit in the electoral college, always purple has taken on a blueish tint. Bloomberg has staked out a national position particularly on gun control and could attract some attention.He has run both as a Republican and an Independent in three terms as mayor, and had supported Democrats in the past. Ostensibly there could be some support for him. There are a couple of issues though:Independents running for President will always suffer from strategic voting considerations. Voters don't want the worse alternative, so a moderate is more appealing than favorite choice for a good part of the electorate. Even his top supporters, gun control advocates, may fear a strong gun-rights President who would be elected if he split votes.Bloomberg get's all the downside of being a New York City mayor without a serious upside of at least uniting Democrats and hoping for ubber youth turnout and an electoral college win.While a few of us believe gun control is an issue that should be more of a focus, it is a decisive issue and one that the 'anti' is strongly 'anti.' His run could enthuse partisans of the opposite side.Bloomberg generally was deemed to be a good mayor, a good manager, but he's no LaGuardia, Lindsay or even Giuliani. He lacks the personal touch and the charisma needed for a long run.His second and final terms were average by most accounts and not as successful as his first, he won his third election narrowly against a no-name where he spent millions.He could be subject to criticism as a one Percenter, upper class, sometimes a little arrogant. Great for Mayor, not so much for President.