With just a week to go until the Democratic primary for mayor, tonight’s final televised debate promises great drama and suspense: Bill de Blasio, the public advocate, is well ahead in recent polls, and Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, and William C. Thompson, the former comptroller, are neck and neck for second place. Ms. Quinn and Mr. Thompson each needs to try to change the dynamic by if they are to prevent Mr. de Blasio from winning the nomination outright next Tuesday. Under the city’s rules, a nominee will be declared if one of the candidates wins 40 percent of the vote; if not, a runoff will be held Oct. 1.
Last time around, Mr. de Blasio seemed caught off guard by tag-team assaults from Ms. Quinn and Mr. Thompson. No doubt he will be prepared for a double-teaming tonight with new counterattacks of his own.
We, too, are readying a ratcheted-up response to tonight’s climactic encounter, which begins at 7 p.m. and will be aired on NBC 4 New York and WOR Radio in English, Telemundo Nueva York in Spanish, and online at nbcnewyork.com and wsj.com/ny.
A team of half a dozen of us will be live-blogging the 90-minute debate, illuminating the shadings of truth and exaggerations in the claims the candidates make, and calling out the inaccuracies or out-and-out howlers in the facts they toss around.
We’ve been examining the content, context and truthfulness of television ads run by candidates for mayor and by independent groups seeking to influence the 2013 campaigns.
â€" The New York Times
