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Super Bloomberg Time?

February 5, 2008

Once we have Super Tuesday out of the way, we’ll know alot more about whom Michael Bloomberg would be running- should he decide to do so. Now, Bloomberg needs time to assess what the political landscape looks like. Would he be running against McCain and Obama, or McCain and Hillary? When he does announce, he’ll have to have good reasons why he’s the candidate that America needs- beyond being the REAL CHANGE that a third party candidate would represent.

Who Wants Cheaper Auto Insurance?

In order to get on the Texas ballot for November, Bloomberg needs to make a move before May 12th, but not before March 4th. And, Bloomberg’s political operatives have spent several months assembling the skeleton of a nationwide ballot-access movement. Sure, he can always decide to NOT run. So, when is the last date that he could make a decision?

State ballot rules vary greatly: Some require little more than a small fee while others ask for specific numbers of signatures from registered voters, which can only be collected at certain times.

Doug Schoen, who was Bloomberg’s pollster in his mayoral campaigns and remains part of the mayor’s inner circle has repeatedly said that Bloomberg could wait until as late as May. I don’t see that but what do I know. And besides, I don’t have a billion dollars to bet on the effort. Schoen specifically said, “This can play out over the next two to three months before he has to make a decision.”

Early petition drives have already started in Texas. I know. I’ve signed up. One has to keep a presence in every playing field of course. I’m for Romney and he’s on life support. I’m for Obama and he could still lose. So, my fall back is Michael Bloomberg because for me anyone but McCain or Hillary. Besides, one of my ten predictions for 2008 was that Bloomberg would be president.

His ballot effort comes at the same time as a sophisticated 50-state voter analysis that Bloomberg also quietly launched in recent months, and is another sign about how seriously Bloomberg is considering a White House run, even as questions have emerged about whether his presidential balloon had begun to deflate. Some have said that the rise of Obama and McCain, who both draw independent voters and have crossover appeal, would make Bloomberg more hesitant to launch an independent campaign because Obama and McCain weaken his selling point as a non-partisan, pragmatic alternative.

But, they can’t quite match Bloomberg’s spending and neither can truly say that they represent change as much as a third-party run would. Bloomberg will be watching not only the results from Tuesday, but also the internal party debates and dynamics that follow. He said last Friday that the Democratic battle could go “maybe even all the way to the convention.” And if that’s the case, then he can step in while they are beating each other up. Cool strategy.

If the New York Giants can do it, the New York mayor can as we go from Super Bowl to Super Tuesday! But, would Bloomberg be considered an underdog?

Let’s get past Super Tuesday first!

Written by Ernie · Filed Under A Third Party? 

Comments

One Response to “Super Bloomberg Time?”

  1. West Virginia Rubicon on February 5th, 2008 4:51 pm

    […] View Past Archives Home / Election News / Blog article: West Virginia Rubicon Previous: Super Bloomberg Time? […]

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