The annual West Indian Day Parade wasn’t just a jubilant celebration of Caribbean culture this year, it was also one last major chance for New York City politicians to campaign one more time before the upcoming primary election.
With the Sept. 10 primary election just around the corner, mayoral candidates used the 46th annual parade that drew thousands as an opportunity to mix and mingle with revelers in the two-mile parade route along Eastern Parkway on Monday.
Mayoral hopefuls on hand included City Comptroller John Liu, former Comptroller Bill Thompson, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio, former Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman Joe Lhota, and former congressman Anthony Weiner, who reportedly spoke in a Caribbean accent to parade-goers.
“Anybody here from Jamaica?” Weiner shouted into a microphone in the fake accent as he was caught on video. “Anybody here from Barbados? Anybody here from Guyana?”
Then, ditching the island-inspired accent, Weiner yelled, “Anybody here from Staten Island?”
The shamed politician who rode through the parade atop his very on float also made the headlines last month when he mocked a British television reporter.
Other politicians who used the parade as an opportunity to spotlight themselves and greet parade-goers included District Attorney Charles Hynes, who is up for re-election, and once disgraced ex-governor and current City Comptroller hopeful Elliot Spitzer.
