Letters to the Editor
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me! me! I know!
Joe, I can answer the question in your last line.
In a word? No.
Check his record, going back to his businessman days. He's an opportunistic shark. He didn't get that rich having principles. He has none. He's a classic Alpha. Domination is all.
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Bloomie vs a 'liveral democrat'
I can think of at least one difference between Bloomie and a 'liberal Democrat' - he didn't vote to authorize the Iraq war, or in Nobama's case, the up and coming Iran war.
Another difference - he's not beholden to the teacher unions that have worked relentlessly to bankrupt US education over the last 40 years.
I think Bloomie invented a name for this type of vote buying with their 'core constituencies' such as unions that the 'liberal Democrats' practice: It's called a Block Trade.
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Those Bloomin' Technocrats!
It's the vindication of Bush's tax policies! A billionaire is freed up to weigh an ill-conceived presidential run. Think of all the people who'll be employed in this windmill tilt!
Bloomberg's welcome to run; for all the talk of "buying the presidency" -- it's not like the presidency's been at risk of being occupied by anybody poor or even middle class, yes? Who has the time or money to run? Only the people with the money, and therefore, the time, to consider it (and with the ego and touch of crazy hubris to consider it a desirable prize to win).
Bloomberg's the consummate technocrat -- in fact, should he run, he should name his independent party the Technocrats. That would be amusing, and would be accurate, based on Bloomberg's approaches to policies in the past.
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Israel would appreciate a Jewish President
Why, yes I think it can be very easily done...
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Crazy like a shark
Maybe Bloomberg just wants to help elect a Republican. Let's face it, on paper, he can't win but could syphen enough Democratic votes to push the Republican candidate through. This guy also supported Joe Lieberman's Independent run for Senator....Lieberman is near the top of my slime ball list.
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I know two things he believes
He wants cigarettes criminalized and he wants drugs legalized. That's 25% of the Salon vote right there.
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I Had to Leave New York...
... because Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg didn't lift one finger (or even pretend to lift a finger) to save middle-income Mitchell Lama housing. The building I lived in (along with hundreds of teachers, nurses, social workers, city workers, mid-level administrators and independent shopowners) is now a "luxury high rise." Two bedroom condos start at a million dollars...a bargain by Manhattan standards, but way out of our league. My old apartment is now owned by a retired IBM millionaire.
Hope the city enjoys the tax dollars the new retired residents are paying. I'm sure there's someone out there with an H-1B visa to take my former job while living in one apartment in Queens with 10 other H1B holders. That's the city for you. Push out the middle class, attract non-working moneybags and their trust fund spawn, and get recent immigrants to take jobs native New Yorkers can no longer do because it would take a 6 hour commute to get to and from work.
Elect Mike Bloomberg and get more of the global economy. Sure, it's ok when it's somebody else's job or housing that got deep-sixed. But soon it will be your job, or your house. And look at all the product recalls from China. We only inspect a fraction of the products coming from that country which has no regard for consumer safety. You think Mike Bloomberg gives a shit if your kids are playing with poisoned toys or brushing their teeth with poisoned toothpaste? Think again. It's all profit to Bloomberg, nothing else.
One small consolation I have - the millionaires now living in my apartment do not have the view of the top of the Chrysler Building that I had because the Bloomberg Building was built before I moved, and it's bland glass boxiness now blocks the view of the Chrysler Building from that part of Manhattan.
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Gordon
Maybe you'll get a Klan president someday.
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Oh boy...
...I can hardly wait until I get to choose among THREE New Yorkers for President. All of whom reek of naked opportunism, and all of whom supported the Iraq War. Yippee!!!
I think I'll fill the time until Election Day working on a Canadian accent.
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What Matter?
What matter who wins? He, or she, will bomb Iran, then someplace else, and then someplace else after that. While they are bombing and because of the continuing terrorist threat, they will have to suspend even more of the few remaining freedoms that you have left.
I am not buying it anymore, none of it. What passes for democracy in America has become some elaborate Kabuki theatre, none of it is real, none of it matters; at least in terms of who gets bombed.
Why did the article make no mention of where Bloomberg stands on the Palestinian issue? Can't you at least pretend we don't know the answer?
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He wants the Senate
All this maneuvering, including the presidential buzz, is preparation for a senate run when Hillary goes to the White House. He's not idealistic like Ross Perot or delusional like Ralph Nader -- he's too careful to run for president.
Note that he spent a lot of money to be mayor when it was a tough race, then spent more when it was a sure thing. He makes smart bets.
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Political Convictions or Pragmatic Solutions?
As a NYC resident, Bloomberg's the best mayor we have ever had. Pragmatic, efficient, open for new ideas, Bloomberg is not an idiology-driven but a solution-driven public servant. He says what he means and means what he says. He is not a typical politician or a showy exhibitionist.
The reason today's Washington is so inefficient because our elected officials rigidly stick to their political ideologies, while ignoring the facts and the search for better solutions. If this is called "political convictions," I rather choose someone without "political convictions," but focusing on generating tangible and positive results for people's lives, which is exactly what Mayor Bloomberg has been doing all along.
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My Guess
I think this crop of presidential candidates has all the political conviction of a can of Playdoh, and really, that's being unfair to the Playdoh which continues to be amazing stuff.
Here's my guess about Bloomberg's motivation, which will really create quite an interesting situation should he decide to run even though he has absolutely no chance of winning. After the last election cycle, it's probably hard for political consultants to guess with much accuracy how various districts will vote, but I'm guessing that they (i.e., Karl Rove types) are keeping score and have some preliminary ideas. Anything which can cast doubt on vote forecasts would work to the advantage of someone trying to rig an election, because it makes it that much harder to argue results which have been tampered with. The GOP had to be shocked with the deep resentment of Bush et al. that translated into votes in the last election cycle, and which may have overwhelmed attempts to rig the election. Anyway, out trots Bloomberg, who seems a great candidate not necessarily for actually throwing the vote one way or the other, but simply for muddying the waters as a precursor to someone else rigging the results. Later, he's rewarded with a position of some sort which the new Republican administration can claim is evidence of their bipartisanship. Sound familiar? ... I suspect (and voiced my suspicion before the race) a similar muddying in the last election for senator in Connecticut, with the intent in that instance being slightly different for ol' Mole Lieberman.
The problem is that even if there are experts who understand how to combat wholesale election fraud, nothing has been done in Congress to prevent it from happening again.