New Yorkers Approve Of Mayor Bloomberg's Job Performance But Support OWS Protestors

According to a new survey released on Wednesday, New Yorkers approve of Mayor Bloomberg's overall job performance, despite disapproving of his handling of the Occupy Wall Street protests back in November.

The survey, conducted by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, revealed a 49 percent job approval rating for the mayor, with 51 percent at odds with his Occupy Wall Street management.

New Yorkers largely supported Occupy Wall Street protestors with 68 percent agreeing with their views and 81 percent saying it is okay for them to protest.

52 percent agreed with Bloomberg's policies and an even greater 64 percent said they liked him as a person.

Director of the Polling Institute Maurice Carroll detailed the results:

New Yorkers like Mayor Mike personally and they sort of like his policies, but his job approval meanders far below those heady days late in his second term. Voters continue to think that he's lost his focus in this third term.

Wednesday's poll ends the year on a much needed positive note for the mayor, who started the year with his first negative rating since 2003, with a dismal 39 percent approval rating following his highly criticized handling of last year's blizzard clean-up.

His performance continued to disenchant New Yorkers throughout the year, with some pundits blaming the curse of the third-year term. Greg David of Crain's New York Business commented on in August:

It's almost like he didn't look at the history books when he decided to run again, or you know, he decided that he was above the history books, because third terms in New York have been disastrous for everybody who has had one.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly received high marks with a 66 percent approval rating, despite a year marred in NYPD scandals including allegations of ticket-fixing, mistreatment of journalists, rape acquittals, and pizza pilfering.