Bloomberg quits GOP. To run as independent?

[Hooper]

http://www.drudgereport.com/

Very interesting. Rumor has it he's set aside 500 mil of his own money to finance his campaign. Dude is flush.

Would definitely take more dem votes than republican. Though him entering would really hurt Rudy as well.

[Burgold]

I don't know. Both parties are pretty wanting for candidates that they can rally behind, but I think the Repubs are more in a bind. Fred Thompson? Rudy? McCain (who I think is now in fourth)? I think Bloomberg would have more of a Perot effect than a Nader effect.

[Larry]

Makes me wonder exactly what his objective is.

I can't believe that even in this political climate, that he thinks he stands a snowball's chance of winning.

So what's his objective?

I've seen interviews with Buchannan, where he's flat-out declared that he knew going into the campaign he didn't stand a chance, but that his reasoning was that by running around shooting off his mouth, he forces the GOP candidate to move to the Right (at least rhetorically), just to keep Buchannan from stealing his base.

Buchannan figured that by losing, he could influence the government.

[luckydevil]

I can't believe that even in this political climate, that he thinks he stands a snowball's chance of winning.

So what's his objective?

Bloomberg would cause some serious damage. He has all the potential to be a major contender. I like his chances against Hilliary and Giuliani. If he brings on Hagel with him, he could steal votes from both sides.

[PeterMP]

Makes me wonder exactly what his objective is.

I can't believe that even in this political climate, that he thinks he stands a snowball's chance of winning.

So what's his objective?

I've seen interviews with Buchannan, where he's flat-out declared that he knew going into the campaign he didn't stand a chance, but that his reasoning was that by running around shooting off his mouth, he forces the GOP candidate to move to the Right (at least rhetorically), just to keep Buchannan from stealing his base.

Buchannan figured that by losing, he could influence the government.

It depends on what happens in the Republican primary. If Rudy doesn't win it, it would be easy to see where he could win in NY, NJ, and potentially other NE states. That would make a real impact and if nothing else give him a national platform to vioce his opinions.

[Tarhog]

He's not electable as an independent. He's about as charismatic as a cardboard cutout. The only thing he'd accomplish is helping to elect Hilary by siphoning off a few percentage points from those independents who generally vote conservatively (in my opinion).

I don't admire this kind of move. You knew the pros/cons of the party when you joined. You certainly make a bigger impact in terms of change from within than you can from outside it. Smacks of self-promotion to me.

[PeterMP]

He's not electable as an independent. He's about as charismatic as a cardboard cutout. The only thing he'd accomplish is helping to elect Hilary by siphoning off a few percentage points from those independents who generally vote coservatively (in my opinion).

I don't admire this kind of move. You knew the pros/cons of the party when you joined. You certainly make a bigger impact in terms of change from within than you can from outside it. Smacks of self-promotion to me.

Look, I don't know him personally so I'm not going to argue w/ you to ardently, but from what I have seen of him (and I was living in NYC when he ran for mayor the first time and a good bit of his first term) he's a thoughtful guy not much into self-promotion and not a conceited/power hungry type of guy.

In general, he really is a guy w/o a party. He was a registred Democrat, but figured there was no way he would win the Democratic primary for the NYC mayor so he switch parties. He's pretty fiscally conservitive, but not hard core, and if people think Guiliani is to the left on social issues, he is even further. Guiliani will tell you he is personally pro-choice. I don't think Bloomberg would echo those same sentiments so there is no way he'd win a Republican nomination for President, and there is no way the Democrats would take him back.

If he wants to run, I say all the more power to him. You say he doesn't have any charisma. Part of that is because all he wants to do is talk about issues, problems, and solutions. He doesn't do the sound bite thing.

I don't even agree w/ him on a large number of issues, but would have be half tempted to vote for him because in the end he's going to do what he thinks is good for the country and not because it is good for him politically or the political party.

[Ghost of]

Bloomberg would cause some serious damage. He has all the potential to be a major contender. I like his chances against Hilliary and Giuliani. If he brings on Hagel with him, he could steal votes from both sides.

Oh boy, anti-smoking Nazi PLUS someone who exceeded his legal authority (and actually broke the law) in setting up stings using city police OUTSIDE of their jurisidiction in Virginia to try to snare gun shops for his pathetic lawsuit/extortion scheme.

Yeah, this is EXACTLY the guy we need running. More of him please!

[luckydevil]

Oh boy, anti-smoking Nazi PLUS someone who exceeded his legal authority (and actually broke the law) in setting up stings using city police OUTSIDE of their jurisidiction in Virginia to try to snare gun shops for his pathetic lawsuit/extortion scheme.

Yeah, this is EXACTLY the guy we need running. More of him please!

Right, his politics suck. Still rather him be the president than Clinton or Giuliani.

[PeterMP]

Oh boy, anti-smoking Nazi PLUS someone who exceeded his legal authority (and actually broke the law) in setting up stings using city police OUTSIDE of their jurisidiction in Virginia to try to snare gun shops for his pathetic lawsuit/extortion scheme.

Yeah, this is EXACTLY the guy we need running. More of him please!

So Bloomberg was convited of a crime in VA? No that can't be true. That I would of heard about.

Okay, he was indicted for a crime and the conviction is sure to follow? No, an internet search doesn't seem to find any evidence of that.

Okay so they are indicting one of the cops involved so he will roll over on Bloomberg? No that doesn't seem to be the case either.

In fact, it appears VA changed their laws so that this will be illegeal in the future, but wasn't.

So you have no idea of how American justice system works and Virginians are upset that somebody from the big city proved they weren't bothering to enforce the gun laws on the books?

Unless I missed something that would seem to be the ticket.

[Teller]

His first name isn't Sybil by chance, is it? Switch from democrat to republican to run for mayor, and from republican to independent to run for president. No thanks. Kerry was Mr. Flip-Flop, but at least he knew what party he belonged in.

[Ghost of]

So you have no idea of how American justice system works

Unless I missed something that would seem to be the ticket.

Yeah, you missed a whole helluva lot. He wasn't indicted because he's the Mayor and our Overlords rarely suffer the consequences of this misdeeds.

And the facts of the cases actually bear out that they were following the rules but the undercovers were really stretching matters to make it seem as if tehy were.

I'm not going to spend my time after driving home for 40 minutes and a long day at work to educate you on this. Do your own research.

[Ghost of]

Right, his politics suck. Still rather him be the president than Clinton or Giuliani.

Thank you for reminding me of how absurd it is to consider anyone from NY State in any way, shape or form for President this election.

[Murdering Purple Turds]

I'd vote for Pee Wee Herman if it meant we could add a third party choice to national politics. Bring on Bloomberg!

[PeterMP]

Yeah, you missed a whole helluva lot. He wasn't indicted because he's the Mayor and our Overlords rarely suffer the consequences of this misdeeds.

And the facts of the cases actually bear out that they were following the rules but the undercovers were really stretching matters to make it seem as if tehy were.

I'm not going to spend my time after driving home for 40 minutes and a long day at work to educate you on this. Do your own research.

Maybe you should explain to the VA Attorney General how there is already a law on the books they are breaking:

"Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell is warning New York to stop, by the summer, sending private agents into Virginia to look for illegal gun sales, saying that the agents could face legal action.

Because of a Virginia law that goes into effect in July, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg ® and his agents could be charged with a felony if they continue to target Virginia gun dealers with undercover sting operations, McDonnell said."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/09/AR2007050902573.html

"The Virginia attorney general added that such cooperation will also be "the only legal course of action" after the July 1 implementation of HB 2653, a new state law that passed the House of Delegates unanimously and the state Senate by a vote of 30-10. It was later signed into law, without amendment, by Gov. Tim Kaine."

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200705/POL20070514a.html

and that they really didn't have to pass a new law and he could charge Bloomberg and the officers w/ a crime now instead of waiting until this summer.

Let me repeat, NOBODY has been indicted for a crime here. Even if you were right and Bloomberg somehow was being "protected" you'd think they would charge one of the people that actually carried out the crime. Even Scooter Libby has gone to jail.

[Riggo-toni]

Right, his politics suck. Still rather him be the president than Clinton or Giuliani.

Seems to me Bloomberg is even more authoritarian than Giuliani. I still remember his push to ticket commuters who sat on steps (a pregnant woman was ticketed for needing to sit down on the steps at Grand Central) or had bags on seats. Maybe I'm missing something here, but it seems like Bloomy harbors all the qualities you detest in Giuliani, yet has little of the accomplishments of his predecessor.

[PeterMP]

Seems to me Bloomberg is even more authoritarian than Giuliani. I still remember his push to ticket commuters who sat on steps (a pregnant woman was ticketed for needing to sit down on the steps at Grand Central) or had bags on seats. Maybe I'm missing something here, but it seems like Bloomy harbors all the qualities you detest in Giuliani, yet has little of the accomplishments of his predecessor.

Depends on what you mean. One of the things I like about Bloomberg is he brings a business attitude to laws. It is very simple, here is the law, and I am going to apply it evenly and consistently; even if I don't like it. If we find we don't like the law, we can change it. Just like a business would do w/ its rules. Despite what the one guy said, he won't break the laws.

Giuliani's mind set still seems to go back to his time as a DA. What do I have to do to catch the people I think are crooks even if it means bending the laws?

I think you'll see that they take a completely different view on things like Bush's circumvension of the Fisa (sp?) court w/ respect to over seas wire tapping, and the secret CIA prisions in Europe.

Not to undermine Giuliani, because he did some good things, but the fact of the matter is he did them while the national economy was booming in the mid to late-90's. Even a state like NJ had a balanced budget, now we are running a defeciet so big that it has affected our bond rating.

Bloomberg managed to keep the city going during the general down turn in the economy and even a more pronounced affect in NYC because tourism was really down. In addition, Bloomberg has done things that Giuliani didn't, like taking on the teacher's union and EXTREMELY liberal board of ed to get the schools fixed.

[Riggo-toni]

Interesting points, thanks. Since I stopped working in Manhattan I hadn't really paid much attention to NYC politics anymore.

[Kilmer17]

I think anyone dismissing his chances of winning a significant number of electoral votes is going to be shocked.

Imagine the fun if he carries NY, Mass and Ohio?

Nobody reaches 270 and it goes to Congress.

What fun that would be????

Anyone know the current breakdown of the state delegations? I havent bothered to look since 04.

[Kilmer17]

Just found it-

25 Dems, 22 GOPs and 3 ties.

It get's even more fun when you look at the states involved.

Deleware has a GOP delegation (1 person). How much pressure would there be to vote against the GOP member if Deleware as a state voted for the DEM nominee?

Or Tennessee to vote for the DEM as it would seem given the delegation breakdown, while the State votes for the GOPer?

Im excited just to watch the fireworks!

[Larry]

Im excited just to watch the fireworks!

You want an effin Civil War.

Seriously, if you think having the Supreme Court pick a President ticked people off, just imagine what would happen if Congress did.

[Kilmer17]

You want an effin Civil War.

Seriously, if you think having the Supreme Court pick a President ticked people off, just imagine what would happen if Congress did.

I'd love to watch it!

I cant figure out which Congress get's to vote on it though. The current one, or the one who will take over after the election of 2008.

I just redid the math and if Bloomberg wins NY, and the Dem wins Ohio and everything else remains the same, then no candidate will have 270.

[PeterMP]

Now, imagine if he picked Mcain or Richardson as his runningmate and managed to pick up a state or two out there.