You may remember last week when I brought up how Tom Knox tried (unsuccessfully) to buy the Philly Mayoral election (link). I mentioned how Michael Bloomberg is in my egotistically/financially stratospheric weirdos in politics category. It seems that now he’s ready to spend a big chunk of change on the Presidential campaign to influence the outcome. From the Washington Times (link):
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.
The mayor has told close associates he will make a third-party run if he thinks he can influence the national debate and has said he will spend up to $1 billion. Earlier, he told friends he would make a run only if he thought he could win a plurality in a three-way race and would spend $500 million — or less than 10 percent of his personal fortune.
It sounds like he wants to make a statement, and you gotta figure he’ll be Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year” if he does run, if only because he’s anti-gun and pro-fetucide. I admire that the guy built a successful business, but I don’t think that gives him the moral authority to go on the anti-gun crusade he’s been performing illegally (link).
I’m not a political analyst, but I wonder if he’d wind up stealing “D” votes or “R” votes. It looks like the “D’s” are running leftish enough that a Nader can’t swipe votes, but at the same time, I don’t think their far-left views reconcile with what most Americans think.
I think if he does run, certain aspects of his personality that I suspect are there (that’s subjective) would probably be brought to light by others. But unlike other “R’s”, he might be media darling enough to not have massive personality flaws reported.
What’s that you say? There’s no bias in media reporting, and they’ll report all candidates equally? Oh, ok, like all crimes are reported evenly !!! (important link)