BLOOMY'S DAZZLING OLYMPIC POLL VAULT
By CARL CAMPANILE

June 23, 2005 -- Mayor Bloomberg has opened up a double-digit lead over his Democratic rivals — partly because he has put the controversy over the failed West Side stadium behind him, a new poll showed yesterday.

The Quinnipiac University survey also found that 55 percent of city voters approved of Bloomberg's job performance — his best showing in three years.

The Republican incumbent tops Fernando Ferrer, 50 percent to 37 percent; Manhattan Borough President Virginia Fields, 49 percent to 34 percent; City Council Speaker Gifford Miller, 49 percent to 33 percent; and Rep. Anthony Weiner, 51 percent to 30 percent.

A poll by Marist College two weeks ago had shown Bloomberg in a neck-and-neck race with several Democrats after state leaders rejected his plan to construct a West Side stadium.

But since then, Bloomberg changed course — speedily reaching an agreement to host the Olympic Games at a new Mets stadium in Queens. He also reached a popular deal supporting a new Yankee Stadium in The Bronx.

The poll of 1,780 registered found that 61 percent of New Yorkers back using the new Mets stadium for the Olympics if New York wins the bid to host the 2012 Summer Games.

"Subtract one Manhattan stadium and the political equation alters. A troublesome issue — maybe the only troublesome issue — vanished when Bloomberg shifted attention from the Manhattan stadium to Queens," said Quinnipiac polling spokesman Maurice Carroll.

Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf, who is not involved in the mayoral race, said Bloomberg has turned his biggest liability into an asset.

"It's a real New York story. Bloomberg got knocked down. He took his lumps. He got back up and came up with a stadium plan people feel good about. He stole the stadium issue back," Sheinkopf said.

"The problem for the Democrats is that all they talked about was the West Side stadium. Now, there's a vacuum," Sheinkopf added.

Carroll said the latest poll shows that Bloomberg — barring an unforeseen catastrophe — is well positioned to win re-election.

The billionaire mayor has spent millions of dollars on his re-election campaign and is the only candidate with TV ads airing regularly.

He spent $74 million on his successful campaign for the mayoralty in 2001, and he may spend that much or more to return to City Hall for four more years.

As for the Democratic primary, Ferrer is ahead with 31 percent of the vote, compared with 19 percent for Fields and 12 percent each for Miller and Weiner.

In a May 11 survey, Ferrer's lead over Fields was only 27 percent to 23 percent, following his controversial remarks that the Amadou Diallo shooting wasn't a crime.

Despite Ferrer's recovery, the poll found many Democrats saying that if their favored candidate loses the primary, they would defect to Bloomberg in the general election.

For example, 55 percent of Democrats who back Weiner and 46 percent who support Miller would switch to Bloomberg.