January 8, 2008
Does Obama's Success Mean Bloomberg '08 Doom?
Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent yesterday in Oklahoma, discussing the state of politics today at a bipartisan political forum at the University of Oklahoma. Bloomberg lamented the way things are going these days:
Government is dysfunctional. There is no collaboration and congeniality. There is no working together. No 'let's do what's right for this country.' I think there is no accountability today. Nobody is holding themselves accountable and to the standards of what they promised when they ran for office. And I think lastly, there is no willingness to focus on big ideas."Big ideas like a wide-ranging plan for the sustainability of New York City? However, Barack Obama's big Iowa win and encouraging New Hampshire numbers seem to "steal energy" from the event, according to the NY Times. One person organizing the DC effort to draft Bloomberg for President told the Times, "Obama is trying to reach out to independent voters, and that clearly would be the constituency that Mike Bloomberg would go after. An Obama victory does not make it impossible, but it certainly makes it more difficult.”
Mayor Bloomberg described himself as a mayor and "former businessman" - not as a presidential candidate (and didn't answer reporters' questions). Other attendees claim they didn't discuss a Bloomberg presidential run during the forum, which means they probably discussed it during breaks.
And mid-day update: The primary crowds in New Hampshire are insane.
Photograph of Mayor Bloomberg at the Bipartisan Forum by Sue Ogrocki/AP
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Did he just wake up from a four day nap?
The last thing we need is the all-intents-and purposes Democrat Bloomberg pulling a Nader and siphoning off Democratic votes to hand Huckabee or Romney the electoral college. Bloomberg changes his party affiliation for his own gain (Republican, then independent mayor?)
The last thing we need is the all-intents-and purposes Democrat Bloomberg pulling a Nader and siphoning off Democratic votes to hand Huckabee or Romney the electoral college. Bloomberg changes his party affiliation for his own gain (Republican, then independent mayor?)
Bloomberg changes his party affiliation for his own gain.
Yeah. Bloomberg gained so much by becoming Mayor. If ever there were a politician less wrapped up in his own ego it is Bloomberg. Have you still not figured it out that when given the choice between a moderate Democrat in Bloomberg (as well as a then-moderate Giuliani) and a very liberal Democrat the voters opted for the moderate?
If Obama gets the nomination he is going to have to do a lot of hard work to explain his positions to get the independents and moderates that Bloomberg would also be going after. Sooner or later the bandwagon of "change" is going to wear thin. November is a long way off.
If I hear the word change one more time I am going to vomit.
multi-sams, although the thought of another Repub getting into the white house brings shudders, I don't think we should automatically dismiss a third party candidate as a siphon for the dems. I'm a big Bloomberg fan and I think he'll be seen in a much more favorable light than a Nader thanks in part to his lean business-like approach to politics. Vocal standpoint on hardline issues, not 'too' pander-happy to special interest groups, and he fired a guy for playing solitaire while working - he would have my vote for sure.
multi-sams, although the thought of another Repub getting into the white house brings shudders, I don't think we should automatically dismiss a third party candidate as a siphon for the dems. I'm a big Bloomberg fan and I think he'll be seen in a much more favorable light than a Nader thanks in part to his lean business-like approach to politics. Vocal standpoint on hardline issues, not 'too' pander-happy to special interest groups, and he fired a guy for playing solitaire while working - he would have my vote for sure.
multi-sams, although the thought of another Repub getting into the white house brings shudders, I don't think we should automatically dismiss a third party candidate as a siphon for the dems. I'm a big Bloomberg fan and I think he'll be seen in a much more favorable light than a Nader thanks in part to his lean business-like approach to politics. Vocal standpoint on hardline issues, not 'too' pander-happy to special interest groups, and he fired a guy for playing solitaire while working - he would have my vote for sure.
This election is killing me and my soft prejudices. I want to vote for a man.... but he's black. I want to vote for a white person... but she's a woman. I want to vote for bloomberg... but he's a lameduck independent. It's like the democrats are trying to lose the presidency that after George Bush would be a slam dunk.
I think the biggest challenge Bloomberg faces as a presidential candidate is that he isn't a presidential candidate.
The last thing we need is the all-intents-and purposes Democrat Bloomberg pulling a Nader and siphoning off Democratic votes to hand Huckabee or Romney the electoral college
Right, and giving your vote to anyone other than a Republican or Democrat is "throwing away a vote."
The arrogance of the two essentially-the-same parties is disgusting.
If my math is correct all the Democrats have to do is hold the states they carried in 2004 and take Ohio. How hard should that be in a recession?
ER: I think your political analysis is pretty sharp, but you're being pretty easy on Mayor Bling. Like him or not (and I'm mixed, just for the record), I think he gets a huge ego boner out of being the mayor, just as most folks who run for and win elected office do. Doesn't mean he doesn't do a good job, but, c'mon, to paraphrase Woody Allen, Mike luuuuuuurrrves being Mayor, and whether he runs or not, I'm sure he gets a big charge out of the thought of being President. Anyone would.
Tim N., yeah, I'm sure he gets an ego boost from being Mayor and I'm sure he has a big ego as well - although he manages to tone it down a little. Few guys that go to business school and head off to Wall Street don't have big egos already. But I'm contrasting his to the kind of politician that believes his own hype (Mitt Romney), loves the sound of his own voice (Chuck Schumer), just needs to be loved (Bill Clinton) and those that just might implode if they don't win (Hillary Clinton).
Right, and giving your vote to anyone other than a Republican or Democrat is "throwing away a vote."
To count as a reductio ad absurdum it has to be untrue.
We have a de facto two party system in America because it makes no sense whatsoever to vote for anyone other than the top two candidates in a general election. If we had virtually any other system (parliamentary democracy, IRV, picking names out of a hat) this would not be true, but we don't, and I'm kind of sick of people who fail to understand this.
Which is not to say that the two-party system is a good thing; it's in fact one reason America's so fucked. But given that the only people who can change it are the people who already benefit most from it, we will have to live with it until America's dying day. Which shouldn't be long now.
he fired a guy for playing solitaire while working
What kind of dipshit tyrant does this kind of thing anyway? I play my share of web games at the office because my job has downtime. Did he check to see whether the guy--who, incidentally, had left his monitor in plain view because he was off somewhere doing his job--was actually an unconscionable shirker before taking his source of income away? Not for one second do I believe that.
he fired a guy for playing solitaire while working
What kind of dipshit tyrant does this kind of thing anyway? I play my share of web games at the office because my job has downtime. Did he check to see whether the guy--who, incidentally, had left his monitor in plain view because he was off somewhere doing his job--was actually an unconscionable shirker before taking his source of income away? Not for one second do I believe that.
Has anyone here forgotten what a sexist and closet misogynist the man is? What is it about New York pols that make them such easy prey?
If the guy works at Bloomberg, in an office where Mike Bloomberg actually shows up now and then, chances are he's pretty high up and making silly money. He should not get caught playing solitaire. If you work in finance media you really can't screw off when the markets are open, it's the nature of the job.
If the guy works at Bloomberg
He had a city job (one he'd held for six years) for less than 30K, and was running job-related errands when Bloomberg popped in for a photo op. Google it your lazy self.
@:MikeB, You sir are a base poltroon. I stand corrected.
yeah, but here we are - a nation of solitaire players.
No, "Bloomberg '08" spells doom for Bloomberg '08 0 - you think anyone in America has a clue who this guy is? Why, because they say him on Celebrity Apprectice?
"Base poltroon"--I like that. It was probably true in this instance, though I maintain it's bad form not to Google something before stating an opinion.
you think anyone in America has a clue who this guy is?
He was on the cover of Time. Does anyone still read Time?
Bloomberg cannot win the presidency at this time for the opposite reason Huckabee is doing so well in Middle America.
Lots of folks bitch and moan - but few get out to actually vote. Those God-fearing Christians on the Right - they vote.
if the primary season ends with obama and mccain, bloomberg has no chance, which he knows. if it's clinton/romney, bbg makes a go of it.