Hey Scott, the election's over!
But it sure doesn't seem that way when Comptroller Scott Stringer marches in parades — flanked by a determined army of sign holders who alert anyone within eyeshot of the identity of the bespectacled guy with the inscrutable city job.
The signs — color-coordinated to match an event's ethnic flavor — were hoisted aloft at several recent marches, including the Lunar New Year in Chinatown, the 45th Annual African-AmericanDay Parade, India Day Parade and last weekend's St. Patrick's Parade in the Rockaways.
"He's the kind of guy that rolls with an entourage. He likes to have a lot of people around him when he's making a public appearance, especially at a parade or a press conference or during any promotional rallies," a former Stringer staffer told The Post.
At the Columbus Day cavalcade, two of Stringer's green, white and red signs vie for attention in a photo of a glad-handing Gov. Cuomo.
That's no accident. "He and his staff focus quite a bit of time to make sure there is always a sign next to him," noted the ex-staffer.
At one press conference, workers were told to hold up signs, "to make it explicitly clear that Scott Stringer's office organized this," recalled the ex-staffer. "It's a little silly."
Political veterans said Stringer's "sign language" hardly breaks new ground. Sen. Charles Schumer — who never met a Sunday he didn't like for a press conference — is generally regarded as the "great sensei" of self-promotion, one source said.
But Stringer's commitment to the practice — especially for a job many New Yorkers can't pronounce correctly, let alone explain the function of — is taking it to the next level.
"I guess I was slow on the curve," said former Comptroller John Liu, who is no stranger to self-promotion himself. Liu said he would occasionally use signs — but not to the extent Stringer does.
"It's the comptroller's judgment what is reasonably relevant to the office," Liu said.
Stringer's sign nation consists of volunteers, such as district leaders, and staffers who are given comp time, the ex-employee said. Staff members routinely grouse, " 'Why do we have to do this?'
But it was just part of the job," the person said, adding most of the sign holders "are the ones looking to climb up the governmental or political ladder."
The ex-staffer added: "It's pretty ridiculous that elected officials can use government money to promote themselves."
Experts said all signs point to ambition. "He wants everyone to remember his name," said political consultant Hank Sheinkopf. "Like a human billboard."
Stringer spokesman Eric Sumberg said: "Everyone loves a parade. That's why lots of people carry lots of signs celebrating the diverse cultures and neighborhoods of our great city."
Additional reporting by Kate Briquelet
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