From Billionaire to Plain "Mike": Candidate Bloomberg Evolves

Are we seeing the subtle softening of Candidate Bloomberg? Check out the latest endorsement from the Bloomberg campaign. It's by Mohammad "Mo" Razvi, a well-known Muslim and Interfaith activist - and this is the first time I'm seeing anyone refer to him not as "Mayor Bloomberg" or "the mayor" or even "Mike Bloomberg," but just a simple "Mike."

My transcript is below.

"My name is Mohammad Razvi, and I'm proud to endorse Mike for Mayor. Based on my experience in working with Mike, and building relationships amongst the law enforcement and Muslim community, I know we need him for another four years. In my works with the interfaith community, Mike has been instrumental in addressing common goals of communities of all faiths. No one else can bring people together like Mike. Another four years."

When you scroll through the list of earlier endorsements, "Mike" is how he's referred to in the text throughout, but when you actually watch those endorsements, everyone is more formal. So, is this a minor cosmetic change or reflective of something bigger?

Given the mayor's recent stumbles - telling a reporter "You're a disgrace" for asking him to justify a third term in office; stopping a press conference while a disabled (and embarrassed) reporter struggled to turn off a tape recorder - it's possible the Bloomberg campaign wants to soften their candidate's image. Add to that the recent front-page NYT poll piece, finding "lukewarm support" for a third Bloomberg term. And then there's this AP article by Sara Kugler:

Bloomberg, an independent, has significant advantages in the mayoral race: He has consistently high approval ratings and can spend as much of his money as he wants on his campaign. Thompson relies on donations and public matching funds to finance his bid.

But Bloomberg continues to battle an image problem, and polls often show that voters find him to be distant and stony.

The most recent, a Quinnipiac University survey in March, found 30 percent of voters view Bloomberg as warm and friendly, while 55 percent say he's cold and businesslike.

What do you think? Is our mayor in need of an image makeover?