BECAUSE NO POLITICIAN EVER USED ETHNICITY IN A CAMPAIGN BEFORE DE BLASIO

Something Mike Bloomberg said in a New York magazine interview is getting a fair amount of attention. The questions are in bold below:

Then there's Bill de Blasio, who's become the Democratic front-runner. He has in some ways been running a class-warfare campaign--

Class-warfare and racist.

Racist?

I mean he's making an appeal using his [racially mixed] family to gain support. I think it's pretty obvious to anyone watching what he's been doing. I do not think he himself is racist. It's comparable to me pointing out I'm Jewish in attracting the Jewish vote.

Really, Mike? Would you say that it's also comparable to, um, this, from 2009?

In Israel, Bloomberg Shows His Support

SDEROT, Israel -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg was touring this rocket-battered town on Sunday when a public-address system warned of a fresh attack. Chairs were knocked over and frantic shouts -- "Get inside now! Move!" -- could be heard in Hebrew and English as the mayor was whisked by Israeli guards and his own security detail into a protected room....

Calm but somber as he emerged from the safe room, Mr. Bloomberg played down the moment of panic. "I feel exactly the same way I do when I'm in New York City," he said. "You are worried about it, you turn to the professionals, and I think what is obvious is that the Israelis are as well trained as the N.Y.P.D.," he said....

Mr. Bloomberg ... came here to express his backing for Israel and -- like other New York mayors before him -- to enhance his standing with Jewish voters back home....

Traveling with him were Raymond W. Kelly, the police commissioner, and Representative Gary L. Ackerman of Queens....

Sunday's visit was Mr. Bloomberg's seventh to Israel since he entered public life, and it comes as he works hard to secure support for re-election this year....

Yes -- 2009 was the year of the last mayoral election, which Bloomberg won.

But I'm sure Hizzoner would say that was totally different from a candidate's son pointing out that he's a likely target for the city's racist stop-and-frisk policy because of the color of his skin.

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UPDATE: BuzzFeed has more, including instances of Bloomberg campaigning as "Mike the Mensch."