America's Other Mayor (Mike Bloomberg)

Opinion Journal (Wall Street Journal) ^ | July 17, 2006 | John Fund

[Frank T]

Democrats and Republicans here are taking seriously talk that Mayor Michael Bloomberg will run as an independent for president in 2008. One source close to Mr. Bloomberg predicts he will dispose of his multibillion-dollar business holdings next year, give much of it away to charity, and use some of the remainder for a high-stakes presidential campaign. At a dinner party I attended last month, much of the talk was about whether the mayor might run. Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, noted that the people around Mr. Bloomberg were clearly making noises about the possibility.

[Kenny Bunkport]

There are good, solid conservative candidates available in the Republican Party.

You mean The Pigmys? Who outside of Freeperland knows who these people are? Conservatism has languished since Ronald Reagan left the stage. The conservative movement needs to go through a rebirth and heal its divisions, and hopefully someone of stature will emerge to lead a new generation. I don't see any of the current crop of potential conservative candidates being that person.

[Kenny Bunkport]

Gore "won" the popular vote (which is debablable, since the result was so close that voting irregularities, fraud, states that don't count all absentee votes if they won't made a difference in the final outcome, and simple error probably contributed to Gore's "winning" the popular vote), but he receive only 48.38% of the popular vote, less than Clinton in '96. Bush was about 600,000 votes behind him -- in an election with about a 100 million turn, 600K is within the "margin of error."

I'm not willing to accept that Gore won the popular vote until the whole thing is subjected to a recount.

[GeronL]

No I am this close (thumb and forefinger a centimeter apart) to just deciding we'd be better off without ANY government whatsoever. I truly despise statists.

[nopardons]

Dems.

[NorCalRepub]

yeah.......I think most politicians....with some exceptions on both sides do more to get re-elected then worry about their constituents.....

[L.N. Smithee]

....I would vote for McCain before Bloomberg......really

Ouch. As much as it hurts to think about that, I agree. Bloomberg is more like Richard Riordan, the former Los Angeles mayor and self-confessed RINO.

[NorCalRepub]

....yup....I would lump those two in the same category.. them make Arnold look like a conservative extremest....lol

[nopardons]

Bloomberg, a life long DEM, ran as a GOPer, for mayor, because he knew he had NO chance running in a gigantic filed of well known, well funded Dems, in the Dem mayoral primary.

The GOP, in N.Y. state is in shambles and has been, for a long time.

Bloomy's opponents have been SO terrible, that even lots of N.Y.C. Dems wouldn't vote for them and THAT is how Bloomy has won. This scenario won't work in a national election, since IF he should run as an INDY, Republicans and Conservatives, won't vote for him; not even if, GOD forbid, McQueeg is the GOP presidential candidate....which he won't be.

As a spoiler, Bloomy takes Dem votes...NOT GOP ones.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

On the one hand, with the Dems seldom winning the popular vote (over 50%), any votes taken away from Republicans will help their candidate in 2008.

This ain't 1992.

Conservatives aren't going to fall for the 3rd party bait again.

[Hand em their arse]

i think it's a great idea for "Mr. Excitement" to run... He can begin to speak, put all other foreign leaders to sleep, and we could take over the world!!!

[nopardons]

WHY?

Look at the facts.......

Bloomy is divorced and singlish. ( America has had only one single president )

Bloomy is Jewish. ( America has never had a Jewish president and as the world is today, this isn't the right time for that precedent to be broken )

Bloomy, a life long Dem, is the exemplar of RINO.

Bloomy is pro-abortion, pro-ILLEGALS, pro-gun grabbing, pro-raising taxes, terrible on crime, kowtows to any and ALL unions, and a NANNY GOVVERNMENT person, who wants to tell every one what they can eat/what they can't, anti-smoking, tell everyone how they may or may not live and yet, you would vote for him?

[GeronL]

Most GOP members of Congress are not on the side of the people or country either... its just a game for them. ALL of the Democrats are scoundrels.

I don't like or trust ANY politicians ever.

[Reagan Man]

I can't disagree with you. Conservatism lost its one true leader, when it lost Ronald Reagan. That was 12 years ago. Since then Newt did a good job advancing conservatism at the Congressional level and Bush43 pushed through some solid tax cuts. Lets not denounce any conservative Republican who decides to run for POTUS in 2008. We gotta start somewhere. Lets leave our attacks for the liberals and the Democrats.

[VermiciousKnid]

Well said!

Honestly, I'd burst into flame, jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, pluck out my own eyeballs and feed them to the dog for lunch before I EVER cast a vote for Mike Bloomberg.

Really.

Regards,

[sauropod]

Bloomberg. YECCCCCH!

Buck Floomberg.

[nopardons]

Thanks! :-)

And as far as the rest of your reply....I know and share the same feelings.

[kenboy]

I live just across the river in New Jersey, and I think he's done a pretty good job. Definitely a better job than the folks we've had here, though that's obviously not the highest bar. I'm Jewish, too, and that doesn't hurt. I'm more pro-choice than I am pro-life. As a very aggressive driver, I believe that New York City is a much safer place without easy-to-obtain handguns (and I believe the opposite is likely true in less populated and better tempered places). I'm utterly thrilled that I can go out to dinner or a bar in the city without having to breathe in other people's smoke. I think he's basically right about illegals when it comes to the city's economy.

Frankly, I don't see where he's a lot different than Giuliani on most issues -- and I liked him a lot too, and would probably vote for him as well.

It's true that most of my feelings towards him stem from him keeping NYC a pleasant place to visit; maybe it wouldn't transfer as well to the national arena -- but I'd sure give him a fair hearing and listen to what he has to say.

[nopardons]

YIKES...I have NO idea why you are on FR, with those ideas!

Rudy was a MUCH better mayor and I disagreed with him about quite a few things; however, Rudy was a far superior mayor and far better for N.Y.C., than Bloomy is!

The squeegee men are back, the hookers are back, trolling Hell's Kitchen, in broad daylight, crime is worse, Rudy's " broken window" policy got thrown out, taxes are up, and you may like Bloomy's smokenazi crap, but do you also LOVE his wanting to get rid of pizza places, because he thinks that too many people eat it and get fat?

Just because you are a Jew, does that mean that you would vote for another Jew, just because he IS Jewish? That's as sick as people who aren't Jewish ( or XXXX...fill in the blank ), saying that they wouldn't vote for a Jew, because they are XXXXX ( fill in the blank ), or worse.

[mysterio]

Bloomberg needs to be marooned on some desert island.

[FRONTLINER]

"This ain't 1992.

Conservatives aren't going to fall for the 3rd party bait again."

Another factor is that this isn't Perot who appealed more to the Right side of the political spectrum . Bloomberg would appeal to the moderates which trend towards the Dims .
This would be gift for us if he does run .
Now I worry about McPain getting angry when he loses the primaries again and going independent, thus insuring a Dim win .