New Yorkers expect their mayor to be larger than life, so maybe Alec Baldwin should oblige us by running for office.
The Hollywood star and credit-card pitchman has flirted with the idea before. After his latest brush with reporters from this paper, we hope the Long Island native reconsiders a run for Gracie Mansion. Here’s what sets him apart from his fellow Democrats already in the race:
Race: No one can accuse Baldwin of pandering to racial sensitivities — witness his conversation Sunday with Post photographer G.N. Miller. Our photog (a retired NYPD detective from the narcotics unit who is black) says Baldwin called him a “coon,” a “crackhead” and a “drug dealer.”
Women’s Equality: Baldwin believes in treating women exactly the way he treats men. Long before Sunday, when he grabbed Post reporter Tara Palmeri by the arm and told her “I want you to choke to death,” he left a famous voicemail for his daughter in which he called the 11-year-old a “thoughtless little pig.”
Red Tape: Baldwin hates mindless regulation. In 2011, he was booted from an American Airlines flight for playing iPhone games after being asked to turn off his phone. The airline said he was “extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language” as he stood up for his right to play Words With Friends.
All this argues for a Mayor Baldwin who would be independent; how could any interest group buy the loyalty of a man who cares only about himself?
If he’s still not persuaded he has what it takes for a Democratic primary, there’s one last argument for a Baldwin candidacy: Could he be any worse than the alternatives?