Bloomberg's Friends Tell Media He's Probably Running for President

Friends of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg tell the The Washington Times that he is very close to launching a third-party campaign for president and that he would be willing to spend $1 billion of his own money. If the report is correct, it would roil the entire 2008 election. Former Federal Election Commission Chairman Michael Toner compares a Bloomberg campaign to "H. Ross Perot on steroids."

With a billion dollars at his disposal, Bloomberg could hire an army of workers to gather the signatures needed in each state to get himself placed on their ballots. Since it's his money, he could also spend as much of it as he liked on advertising.

Bloomberg himself told the media Monday that he's not running for any higher office -- not governor, senator or president. But Joe Gandelman of the Moderate Voice blog writes that while the mayor continues to publicly deny a run for president, observers note that he still seems to be sending out feelers to gauge interest. And Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska has all but gotten down on his knees and begged Bloomberg to run, because a lot of people think Hagel would be the ideal running mate for Bloomberg.

There's buzz and there's buzz. But this is BUZZ - because if it happens these aren't two political unknowns, or people whose faces are all too familiar on the national Presidential election stage (Ralph Nader) or people thinking of entering the primaries who are faces some Americans would like to forget (Newt Gingrich).

Truthdig notes that Hagel added fuel to this fire with his appearance on the Sunday talks shows, where he voiced his strong disapproval of affairs in the Republican Party.

Some people probably think that because Bloomberg is a Republican, he would only take away votes from the GOP candidate in the general election. But that's not necessarily the case. Bloomberg, a fiscal conservative but a social liberal, would likely do very well in both New York and California -- key states for Democrats to win if they wish to recapture the presidency. He would be a particular problem for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton if she wins the Democratic nomination.

So if current frontrunners Clinton and Rudy Giuliani held their leads and won their parties' presidential primaries (always a long shot, to be sure), and Bloomberg ran as an independent, you would have three candidates from the Empire State running for president. Talk about being in a New York state of mind.

9:49 AM ET | 05-15-2007 | permalink