New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is prepared to spend an unprecedented $1 billion of his own $5.5 billion personal fortune for a third-party presidential campaign, personal friends of the mayor tell The Washington Times.
"He has set aside $1 billion to go for it," confided a long-time business adviser to the Republican mayor. "The thinking about where it will come from and do we have it is over, and the answer is yes, we can do it."
Another personal friend and fellow Republican said in recent days that Mr. Bloomberg, who is a social liberal and fiscal conservative, has "lowered the bar" and upped the ante for a final decision on making a run.
Flyorski From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 978 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (6 years 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 842 times:
I wish him luck. It will be interesting to see what happens. Lots of people are unhappy with both the republicans and the democrats, he might have a chance.
"None are more hopelessly enslaved, than those who falsly believe they are free" -Goethe
Falcon84 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (6 years 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 834 times:
Quoting RJpieces (Thread starter): New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is prepared to spend an unprecedented $1 billion of his own $5.5 billion personal fortune for a third-party presidential campaign,
There's the reason that we need to have ALL federal elections run with public funds. It's gettng that so only the rich can even afford to run, or those who can count on the rich to back them can afford to run.
Get private money out of the campaign cycle. Make it so every candidate gets to spend the same amount, with no outside influence from the rich, from lobby groups, etc.
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38505 posts, RR: 80 Reply 3, posted (6 years 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 832 times:
"Some of the people on McCain's [presidential campaign] staff have been calling me to see if Mike is running because they are ready to leave the McCain campaign, which is a biplane on fire and spiraling down," the Bloomberg adviser said.
I like the aviation reference.
That would be very interesting to see. Who would he draw votes from?
This could make all 50 states battle ground states if say Romney is the GOP nominee. In the past 4 elections, it pretty much been the same 5-6 states that are heavily contested and the rest guaranteed to go to one of the two parties.
AsstChiefMark From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (6 years 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 822 times:
Why would he want to take away votes from the Democratic candidate? That's all he'd do. No Republican in his right mind (pun intended) would vote for him. And his history of sexual harrassment and discrimination against women won't win him any points with female voters.
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38505 posts, RR: 80 Reply 5, posted (6 years 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 816 times:
Quoting AsstChiefMark (Reply 4): Why would he want to take away votes from the Democratic candidate? That's all he'd do. No Republican in his right mind (pun intended) would vote for him. And his history of sexual harrassment and discrimination against women won't win him any points with female voters.
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18852 posts, RR: 64 Reply 6, posted (6 years 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 814 times:
Wouldn't that be ironic. First Perot basically put Clinton into the White House, and now Bloomberg might do the same for his wife. Based upon the article, we should be sending Giuliani some bucks.
CastleIsland From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (6 years 1 week 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 807 times:
Quoting Falcon84 (Reply 2): Quoting RJpieces (Thread starter):
New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is prepared to spend an unprecedented $1 billion of his own $5.5 billion personal fortune for a third-party presidential campaign,
There's the reason that we need to have ALL federal elections run with public funds. It's gettng that so only the rich can even afford to run, or those who can count on the rich to back them can afford to run.
Your point is taken, Falcon, but the alternative often results in a candidate being beholden to a lobbying group or other personal interest that may come between a cheque, a handshake, and a wink.
Regardless of how it happens, we need viable 3rd party candidates to run and succeed. So many people bitch about this side and that side, but almost noone votes 3rd party. The time has come for change, IMO.
That's because so damned many of them are fruitcakes whose sole purpose is to make a point. If any of them ever won, they wouldn't have a clue about how to get their superficial, harebrained goals accomplished.
CastleIsland From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (6 years 1 week 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 796 times:
Quoting AsstChiefMark (Reply 8): That's because so damned many of them are fruitcakes whose sole purpose is to make a point. If any of them ever won, they wouldn't have a clue about how to get their superficial, harebrained goals accomplished.
So what we need is for either a Republican or a Democrat to split from their party and run a viable campaign. Seems Bloomberg is doing just that. He's not a Ross Perot, a Steve Forbes, a Ralph Nader, or a Dennis Kucinich. He's a:
TedTAce From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (6 years 1 week 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 787 times:
Quoting Falcon84 (Reply 2): Get private money out of the campaign cycle. Make it so every candidate gets to spend the same amount, with no outside influence from the rich, from lobby groups, etc.
I have been saying that for how many years here? Oh wait I have only been a member a touch over two.
Quoting Superfly (Reply 3): "Some of the people on McCain's [presidential campaign] staff have been calling me to see if Mike is running because they are ready to leave the McCain campaign, which is a biplane on fire and spiraling down," the Bloomberg adviser said.
Yeah McCain's campaign is ugly and his debate appearance made him look like a desperate despot grabbing for any bit of power he could manage to capture. I know that's not the way he is, but The only thing that would have made him look worse would have been to break a sweat a-la Nixon.
I dunno if Bloomberg has what it takes at this point in the game to make a difference. I'd like to see him run and kick ass, but I think it's too late for a third party candidate to make enough of a difference. I hope I'm wrong.
No we don't.
We need to change the constitution before that happens. Eliminating the electoral college and also going to runoff system for all elections. THEN we can start looking at the 3rd party candidates.
The people who bitch and moan about the two party system should have been in very happy under the the ONE PARTY rule with Bush & Co and Republican Congress. Without Ralph Nader and his silly Greens, that would have never happened.
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