Is Michael Bloomberg running for president in 2008?

[saltpoint]

Republican New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a former Democrat, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for president in 2008.

He is said to be somewhat interested in the job, and is extraordinarily well-funded. There is speculation that he would seek the presidency as an independent and not within either major party.

POLL QUESTION:

Will Michael Bloomberg run for president in 2008?

[Alexodin]

1. Guiliani because they need someone from inside, someone

who knows where the bones are buried. Its got to be a total traitor from inside the GOP, someone who stands to lose as much as they do if the truth were ever to come out. Someone that will hush up and drown strangle and beat to death anyone that threatens to expose them. Guiliani is your man, a total fascist traitor to the bone.

[saltpoint]

3. Welcome to DU, Alexodin. I'm pretty comfortable indeed with your

description of Rudy Giuliani.

[afrosia]

2. An Independent would probably stand the best chance

Plus Bloomberg is both left and right enough to win.

[saltpoint]

4. Welcome to DU.

Bloomberg is kind of a wild card. You're right -- he has a left and right thing goin' at the same time.

Hard to figure at this point, anyway.

[Sherman A1]

5. He will at least consider a run

I would expect to see him poking around in the early maneuvers of a campaign. I doubt if he will get the nod in the long run, but stranger things have happened.

[saltpoint]

15. The talk is that he'd run as an independent, free of either Dems or the

GOP.

[Syrinx]

6. I don't know, but Giuliani CANNOT win the GOP nomination

In an honest primary contest Giuliani simply can't win the nomination. He's pro-choice. He's pro-gay rights. And I think he's been married and divorced two or three times. This ain't your father's GOP.

[Syrinx]

7. I meant he's pro-abortion-rights

I fell into the trap. "Pro-choice" is so stupid. "Pro-choice" is a stupid slogan. I'm pro-choice on a lot of stuff. I'm lowercase libertarian. There are a lot of choices that I want to tolerate, and they don't all involve abortion. In fact, abortion is among my most objectionable "choice" causes. I'm pro-abortion rights, but I'm also pro-choice on issues that don't involve terminating a life.

[TomClash]

8. He also lived with two gay guys

Explain that to the fundies.

[Syrinx]

9. not my job

:)

[TomClash]

10. Not mine either

:)

[saltpoint]

16. He and Rudy both will be unacceptable to a lot of red Reich types

in the GOP, but Bloomberg seems interested in a third party, indy run.

He's got the dough, too.

[Totally Committed]

11. Nah... I don't think he'll run, but in any case...

Hillary's already got the "run to Dems' right & GOP's left" spot all sewn up.

If he does run, it'll be as a Third Party Independent like Ross Perot. Just a guess.

TC

[saltpoint]

17. Hard to say right now which voters would prefer Bloomberg.

He's an odd duck.

But he's a rich duck.

[win_in_06]

12. I think both he and Rudy are too liberal to survive the repug primaries.

[On the Road]

13. I Agree -- That's What Gives Me Hope

Those two are the best nominees the GOP could nominate despie their flaws. But they have no more of a shot at winning the primaries than Lieberman did. unless they can do a chameleon act.

[primative1]

14. Other ...

Other: I could care less.

[saltpoint]

18. From the looks of things now, Giuliani IS going after the GOP nod,

but Bloomberg is indicating that he'd be more likely to run as an Independent.

I may not have emphasized that enough in my original post.

I think he could pose a possible threat to a Democratic ticket, especially regarding independents.

Also, just for the hell of it, I like the idea of speculating that the Democratic ticket carries the day and wins the White House, but Bloomberg defeats one of the GOP nitwit candidates, such as Brownback or Frist.

[sleipnir]

19. Also regarding Democrats.

Depends on who we throw up as the nominee. If it's XXXX person, odds are a good deal of Dems will bolt for a Third Party. And let me tell you, from living in NYC, Bloomberg is DAMN good at stealing away Democratic votes for his own uses. He's not an all bad man, he's a great philanthropist to the arts and sciences and has furthered these goals to a great measure in NYC. I think that if he runs, he will be the Perot to the Dem. nominee. The Republican will win because Bloomberg will split the Dem. vote. Especially if a Moderate Dem gets the nod, like Clinton, Warner, etc.

I'll be honest, I'd rather have Bloomberg in office than about half of the current "short list" of "Democratic" nominees. Most are just Republicans in wolf's clothing and at least Bloomberg has had the decency to change his affiliation in public.

If you want an honest unity "ticket", I think Bloomberg may be onto something...only time will tell...

[saltpoint]

20. Very good point on Bloomberg's ability to swipe Democratic votes.

Moderate Republicans do fairly well in NYC. I recall the days of Mayor John Lindsay, and of course his later run for the White House as a Democrat. An interesting case in demographics-blurring.

Bloomberg might pack a similar punch. I shudder at your comparison to Perot, not because you're wrong, but because I think you may be right. And it's troubling.

Also agree with you on the Dems' nominee -- shifts among voters may come down to perceptions of personality and competence. That's why on the Republican side I'd love to see Frist, THE CAT BUTCHER, nominated. I think the Dem candidate AND Bloomberg could whip Frist.