Afraid that scandal-alluring Hillary Clinton may prove too flawed a presidential candidate, some Democrats are talking to billionaire and former three-term New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg about a 2016 presidential run.
Mrs. Clinton’s “slide is accelerating,” writes New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin. “A damaging new poll goes to the Achilles’ heel of her candidacy: People simply don’t trust her.”
Goodwin gushes, instead, at the “intriguing” possibility of Mr. Bloomberg.
“Wall Street wants Michael Bloomberg to run for president,” reports Business Insider, “but the billionaire isn’t budging.”
And for good reason. He can’t win.
It’s not just me saying so; it’s Michael Bloomberg himself. Last year, he told CBS Face the Nation that he’d consider running . . . “If I thought I could win.”
His honor should know, having spent more of his own money chasing public office than any person in American history.
Why did incumbent Mayor Bloomberg have to spend so much dough? He double-crossed voters on term limits. Bloomberg promised to oppose city council attempts to weaken the limits, but flipped to grab a third mayoral term for himself.
Voter anger “over his maneuver to undo the city’s term limits law,” reported The Times, became . . . well, a big problem. “To eke out a narrow re-election victory over the city’s understated comptroller, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg spent $102 million of his own money, or about $183 per vote,” explained the New York Times in 2009, “. . . making his bid for a third term the most expensive campaign in municipal history.”
A similar price tag in a presidential race stands at roughly $23 billion. That’s a lot for anyone.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
5 replies on “The Bloomberg Limit”
$23 billion. Probably chump change compared to how much you can steal.
Despite the fact that the people have elected a Catholic and a black Muslim to the presidency in the past, Bloomberg hasn’t a chance at the presidency because of his religion. I do not think the United States of America will ever have a Jewish president no matter the intensity or lack of his rligious practice.
I’m curious as to why you would make that statement. I could understand if USA wouldn’t elect an OPENLY Muslim president. But can’t fathom why we wouldn’t elect a Jewish one. I vote the individual, not the party, the race or the color & I think that most Americans (not on the dole) think that way.
firstly, Paul, I do not understand why my comments never get moderated. I reply to several of your columns every week in the most thoughtful fashion I can think of with correct spelling, grammar & punctuation. Yet, I check back days later & see my comment is still awaiting moderation.
OK my comment on this is that at least Bloomberg is a capitalist. He’s a control freak – just look at how he wanted to make large sodas illegal. Bloomberg is not a one-worlder. He loves money & fiscally is responsible. He supports the boys in blue. I think we need a President who understands business growth and financial responsibility. Now I’m not going out to campaign for him, but I would prefer him to the abomination of Hillary Clinton.
Bloomberg and the Bloomberg group kind of scare me now after an experience with the prison state here in the Midwest??? and then the “take way guns thing” on top of that??? isn’t that right?They’ll never go with Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders because they have conscience and are real.