I am not surprised Mr. Lhota wants more debates with Bill DeBlasio-- the Democrat has had all the publicity of the primaries and everyone knows who he is pretty much whereas Lhota has been pretty much ignored by the press. Also noted here is that the Clintons , political powerhouses with great popularity in NYC, have come out for DeBlasio.
This is from the NY Times
This is from the NY Times
Lhota, Behind in Another Poll, Wants More Debates With de Blasio
By THOMAS KAPLAN and KATE TAYLOR
Published: September 19, 2013
Joseph J. Lhota, faced on Thursday with another poll showing him far behind Bill de Blasio in New York’s mayoral race, proposed holding weekly debates, hoping they might alter the dynamics of the contest.
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Mr. Lhota, a Republican, said that the two city-sponsored debates, which are already scheduled for late October, are insufficient, and that the men should face off in all five boroughs.
“I think it’s important that we go out to the people, and they see the contrast between the two of us,” he said in an afternoon news conference on the steps of City Hall, adding, “We have two very, very different philosophies.”
Mr. de Blasio, speaking to reporters in the Bronx, did not accept or reject Mr. Lhota’s proposal.
“We are going to figure out the best way to go about debates, and most importantly the televised debate program where most people have the opportunity to see the contrast between the candidates — and you will see plenty of contrast,” said Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat. “I guarantee there will be a good number of debates. I look forward to them.”
Mr. Lhota made his proposal shortly after another poll showed Mr. de Blasio with a commanding lead, underscoring the long odds Mr. Lhota faces in a city where Democrats far outnumber Republicans.
In the new poll, released by Quinnipiac University, Mr. de Blasio had the support of 66 percent of likely voters, compared with 25 percent for Mr. Lhota. The Independence Party candidate, Adolfo Carrión Jr., received 2 percent.
A poll of likely voters released on Tuesday by WNBC, The Wall Street Journal and Marist College showed Mr. de Blasio with a 43-point lead.
The Quinnipiac poll found strong support for Mr. de Blasio among men and women, and across every income, education and age group. Ninety percent of black voters supported him, as did 68 percent of Hispanic voters and 52 percent of white voters.
More voters viewed Mr. Lhota unfavorably than favorably, which may be a consequence of the barrage of negative television advertisements that a Republican rival, John A. Catsimatidis, broadcast during the primary.
The poll, conducted by telephone from Sunday to Wednesday, included 891 likely voters and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.
1) It has the best beer selection in in the area, by far. Other bars close by don't come close to the variety and quality of beers Third Ave typically has on tap.
2) The food is always good, and sometimes great. The lamb burger here is AWESOME, and I find myself constantly ordering that or the Red Snapper Burrito on repeat visits. The menu is pretty much an amalgam of bougie takes on standard bar food, pretty much everything is delicious, and there's enough variety to come here multiple times without getting bored. Prices are pretty reasonable, as well.
3) This is a SERIOUSLY underestimated brunch spot. Their take on a croque madame, their french toast, and the crawfish hushpuppies(!!!) are SO FREAKING GOOD. I'm not sure why this place isn't on more people's Sat/Sun afternoon short lists.
My only issue with 3rd Ave, and perhaps it's an unfair one, is that I feel like they could have been a truly outstanding beer bar/gastropub, and yet they're only a good one. The beer selection is always very good, but it's rare that they throw on something that's too hard to come by elsewhere (not to mention that when they serve a good Belgian or something similar, they tend to overcharge the bejeezus out of it, for example asking $12 a glass for a Rodenbach Grand Cru). And while I don't know exactly how to describe it, the vibe here always is just a bit too vanilla - it's almost like they took a great gastropub and blended it with 5% Applebee's. I realize that being in this area the owners need to remain accessible to a diverse range of customers, and that simply pandering to hipsteresque beer nerds probably wouldn't be the best business model......but I really wish they'd do a bit more pandering, whether through hunting down some tougher-to-find kegs, lowering the price of the rarer beers that they do serve, or at least by hosting some good tap takeovers. What I believe is their sister bar in Park Slope (4th Ave Pub) does a better job of all this, so I can only assume this is by design, and that they could build a similar gestalt here if they so desired.
Nonetheless, Third Ave Ale House remains my favorite place to grab dinner and a beer in the area, and should certainly be towards the top of your list if you're in the UES.