In terms of scorekeeping, I think the mayor did well. He was firm, feisty, aggressive, and he showed a side of him that New Yorkers might want to see more of.

The flip side is that there are a lot of issues that are unresolved, such as overcrowding. But it doesn't seem as if the [Democratic] candidates have been able to put together a coherent, cogent and compelling critique of the mayor and a blueprint of what they would do differently.

I don't think he's going to lose by 38 points, but 20 to 25 percent is certainly within the realm of possibility. You have a mayor with a good record and unlimited resources, which we haven't seen before.

We've been working toward a defense that is more aggressive and gets after people, and some of that showed in this game. It was a pleasant surprise, since season-opening games are so unpredictable.

He came in as a liberal Democrat and has governed as a moderate-to-liberal Democrat, and that's why liberal Democrats are mostly satisfied. That's what he is.

But, ... he shows no inclination of doing anything like that.