If you thought the presidential race was hot before, now it's even got front-runners like Trump sweating.
Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City, is rumored to enter the race if either Hillary Clinton doesn't get the Democratic nomination or if Trump does get the Republican nomination (CBSNewYork) The 73 year old billionaire, if he would enter the race, would enter as an independent.
Bloomberg has a strong, tight fiscal policy, representative of the Republican party. According to OntheIssues.com, he has been quoted as saying Wall Street executives deserve bonuses and also “turned NYC’s $5 billion deficit into a $4 billion surplus” in 2007.
However, Bloomberg has liberal social views on issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, gun control, and the environment. For example, while many Republican candidates still believe global warming is a myth, Bloomberg took major steps to implement change in NYC when he was in office, banning smoking, creating PlaNYC 2030: a 25-year “blueprint to reduce air pollution, build housing, improve mass transit and develop abandoned industrial land.” (OnTheIssues).
Essentially, Bloomberg is what many independents and other moderate Democrats and Republicans are looking for. Someone who believes that abortion is a fundamental human right, but also has been proven to handle money extremely well. A happy medium.
This could have many front-runners sweating, such as Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. When the Wall Street Journal interviewed voters in New Hampshire, people seemed to be curious about the new guy in school. “‘I’m at that sort of Clinton fatigue stage,”’ an Independent Clinton supporter named David Grooters said in Iowa (Haddon). Originally coming to support Clinton, Grooters may have just summarized how many voters feel about many of the candidates, which is just tired of the same three-ring circus. “‘“He’s brilliant. He understands the economic system, and we have too many people who are running right now who are economic idiots’” said a Jeb Bush supporter in New Hampshire (Haddon).
Both Republicans and Democrats seem a little tired of their front-runners. The real question may be if Michael Bloomberg could really pull an entire country together as an Independent. We should all keep a close eye on him, as he may be what the middle ground has been looking for.
As David Grooters, an independent said,
“So yeah, Bloomberg would be an interest.”
What do you think?
Do you think Bloomberg will really run?
Do you think Bloomberg has a shot of winning?
Do you think 2016 could be the year of a critical election?
How would the election change if Bloomberg were to run?
Do you think the election would become more serious or more insane if he confirmed he was running?
Fun Question:
Predict a Donald Trump tweet about this whole situation. Bonus points if you use the same type of grammar he uses.
16 comments:
If Michael Bloomberg entered in the 2016 Presidential race he would be a dream come true for many Americans. The current front-runners for the Republican party are Trump and Cruz, both of whom are so far right that more moderate Republicans are at a loss for who to vote for. Similarly, many Democrats are asking for a different option than their front-runners, Clinton and Sanders. The majority of Americans hold moderate political beliefs, making Bloomberg the perfect candidate. Like Olivia said, Bloomberg is fiscally conservative but socially liberal, a combination that many Americans are looking for. Personally, I think that a president who can manage money well but protect the rights of the citizens, specifically regarding abortion, would be preferable. Excitingly enough, it looks like there is a good chance Bloomberg actually will enter as an independent. Bloomberg said if Trump comes out strong in the Iowa debate he will join the race and currently Trump is leading in all the polls. If Bloomberg does enter the race would threaten both the Democratic and Republican candidates and therefore it is possible that just his presence will make the candidates become more serious about the election instead of treating it like a media stunt. What is interesting is that if Bloomberg does run and win we would live through a critical election that would turn the tables for the American political system. Even if Bloomberg runs and gains significant enough support but doesn't win, it will still show the need for a new era of political parties. Clearly the Democratic and Republican parties are not meeting the needs of the majority of Americans and the Republicans are, quite frankly, embarrassing Americans with how much of a circus they are making this election.
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/26/bloomberg-for-president-it-could-happen-commentary.html
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/21/us/elections/iowa-new-hampshire-presidential-election-polls-clinton-trump-sanders-cruz.html?ref=politics
Personally, I would like it if Bloomberg were to run for President. I think Bloomberg appeals very well to the centrist American population, which is refreshing, especially when juxtaposed with other extremely left/right candidates. Though I can't vote because of my age, I must say that I think I would vote for Bloomberg if it were between him, Hillary, and any of the Republican candidates. To answer your question, Olivia, I do think that Bloomberg would be a realistic candidate for President. He is incredibly economically savvy, has moderate to liberal social views, and proved to be level-headed and collected during his successful time as Mayor of NYC.
However, his successor, Bill De Blasio, made some less than favorable remarks about Bloomberg's potential candidacy: "The people of this country are not going to turn to a billionaire to solve problems that were created largely by billionaires" (CBS). Overall, de Blasio has made it abundantly clear that he does not think that Bloomberg is the right fit for President. By the same token, Bernie Sanders also made a statement slamming Bloomberg in regards to his wealth: "If Donald Trump wins and Mr. Bloomberg gets in you’re gonna have two multi-billionaires running for president... The American people do not want to see our nation moved toward an oligarchy" (Meet the Press). In addition to comments made by De Blasio and Sanders, several GOP candidates have spoken out against Bloomberg-- Bush, Christie, and Rubio, to name a few. However, they're running low on material to attack Bloomberg with. At the end of the day, it's hard for his potential opponents to escape the fact that the only major problem with him is that he has a ton of money.
Even so, his fortune could work to his advantage in the race. Bloomberg has already hired a consultant to help him get his name on the ballots in all fifty states. He has also conducted polling, and has mentioned that he is willing to spend $1 billion on his campaign. There may be some opposition to Bloomberg in the 2016 Presidential Race, but Bloomberg's chances look good if he is willing to work hard after getting such a late start. I agree with Mia; Bloomberg running will definitely heat things up, and this could well be the next critical election. What a time to be alive!
Source: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/01/25/bloomberg-possible-presidential-bid/
My Trump Tweet: "It's fun 2 see a fellow richie running for Prez... Unfortunately, bloomberg is a disaster- not to mention ugly !"
In all honesty, Bloomberg’s supposed candidacy is a waste. As we all know well, third party voters RARELY win. If they are doing anything it is taking votes from the democrat and republican candidates. In this election, Bloomberg would take votes from democratic candidate. because it would split the democratic voters and therefore it hands the election to Trump or whoever the Republican candidate will be. As I said before, we all know that Bloomberg really has no shot at winning. Despite his positive outcome as mayor of New York and the good reputation he does have, his coalition will not be nearly enough to embody a winning candidate. Not only this but he will be competing with the candidate for the democratic party. Because of this, both he and the democratic candidate will be splitting the left winged votes and neither of them will win. 2016 most certainly has potential to be a year of a critical election. We have had a democratic president for 8 years and thus far, Donald Trump is leading in the polls. Therefore this is a critical election because a republican may win and this will shift American life as we’ve known it these past 8 years. If Bloomberg were to actually run the election would change because it would automatically allow the Republican candidate to win. Bloomberg running pretty much gives away the entire election. The election would most certainly be more insane if Bloomberg decides to infact run. This will decrease the legitimacy of this election even more and it will create an amount of chaos that has never been seen in any other election. As of now, all we can do is wait to see the next moves of the candidates. And of course we have to vote because indeed every vote counts and this election has potential to be a VERY critical election.
I feel that it is very likely Bloomberg will be running for president and I personally think that him running would be for the better. As Caroline pointed out third party candidates don't win, and votes for them are essentially a waste of a vote. Although in this election, where nothing has been for sure the entire time (I mean no one expected Trump to last this long, or even be in the lead), it's a bit too early to count him out. Therefore I see Bloomberg’s presence in the presidential race as a step in the right direction, as well as a model for the other candidates to follow. In order to win, a candidate has to appeal to the biggest majority of people - and in the U.S. that group of the electorate happens to be moderate. As stated in Olivia’s article Bloomberg perfectly embodies that moderate mindset; he is financially conservative while being socially liberal. These two components are the perfect blend for the current state of the nation. We need a leader who is smart with money and can help mend the economy, while at the same time ensure people’s social rights. Therefore if (when) he runs, Bloomberg will be posing a threat to both parties. This fact, as Mia brought up, really would put the pressure on the other two candidates to step up and take the campaign process more seriously - hopefully allowing for voters to get a real picture of what these candidates would be like if they make it to the White House.
I personally think that Bloomberg would a great compromise between the Republican and Democratic parties that have been so polarized through the past few decades. As Olivia said, he is fiscally conservative, which would be beneficial to the current state of the economy and he is liberal on social issues such as gay marriage and abortion. I feel this is a great combination and that Bloomberg would do well as a leader in terms of unifying our country. However, I think it is impossible for him to win. There are too many ultra-conservatives and ultra-liberals that are uncompromising on their issues and would not vote for such a person. I believe that there will be losses for both the republican and democratic candidates if he runs, but I do not think it possible for him to win. Also, outside of the Northeast, Mr. Bloomberg is not well known. A recent poll done by the Morning Consult showed that Bloomberg only has 13% of support from voters whereas Democrat Hillary Clinton has 36% and Donald Trump has 37%. The poll also found that 43% of voters had no opinion of Bloomberg or did not even know who he was (WSJ). I think that Bloomberg will wade it out before he decides to run or not.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/michael-bloomberg-mulling-run-for-president-as-an-independent-1453568255
Yes please, Mr. Bloomberg. If the two nominees are Sanders and Trump, I would vote for Bloomberg in an instant. Both presidencies would be highly unproductive, but for vastly different reasons. While I imagine Trump knows little about how our government actually functions, Senator Sanders is an experienced politician, yet seems committed to his "set the establishment on fire" diatribe, which is not likely conducive to a productive term. The two are polar opposites in rhetoric, yet have each garnered substantial support in a pageant that is historically geared towards the moderate candidate. Bloomberg, a fiscal conservative and social liberal, would appear to be a godsend for the majority of this country's electorate.
Although he would be a third party candidate, a vote for Bloomberg, however hypothetical right now, would not be a throwaway; Bloomberg will only run if he actually thinks he has a chance at winning. Ralph Nader, the champion of throwaway votes, wrote in an article for TIME this week that Bloomberg is a man of total and utter deliberation. He's considered running for the presidency in the past, and Nader outlines the meticulous planning a potential Bloomberg bid involves. He consults historians, advisers, colleagues, and electoral specialists. Bloomberg is not, as Nader states, "interested in making collateral points or pursuing causes that are not directly on the path to electoral victory."
Third party campaigns have never won the presidency, despite achieving millions in the popular vote. However, with the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, and the general unpredictability of this last six months, an Independent president seems within the realm of possibility for many, including myself.
As Nader puts it, the first ever independent president could "unleash forces, down to local elections, for a much needed competitive democracy."
Bloomberg is somehow less "New York" (as Ted Cruz described it) than Trump and that is probably a good thing. While liberals tend to be tender and conservatives tend to be stern, Bloomberg seems to me as someone right in the middle. Many would claim him to be leaning liberal but I think that ignores the fact that there are many "institutional" Republicans that would avoid a Trump candidacy at all cost. I think Bloomberg has a good shot of making this election really complicated. But outside of that, there is probably no way he can win because, as athenanz implied, no one outside of the Northeast actually knows him. Yes this does come as a shock to me too but apparently there is a place, as Mrs. Fischer puts it, "West of the Hudson." Many people have stated this but I agree, the election would be in thirds. I don't know if I can personally take any more insanity from a successful third party candidate in an election where both the frontrunners are old and crazy enough to be my grandparents. I think I need to go lie down for a bit.
I think that Bloomberg running for president would arguably be the best thing to happen in this election so far. For voters nationwide, whether Democrat or Republican, not many people are confident in any one candidate. Bloomberg so far is the best balance between a Republican's economic standpoint and a Democrat's ideological views. I believe that voters will immediately be drawn to Bloomberg because of his fiscal conservative views regarding the state of the economy yet his liberal stances on gay marriage and abortion. I think that Bloomberg would be the strongest option for president in comparison to all of the opposing candidates.
I disagree with what Caroline said about his supposed candidacy being a complete waste. It is true that third party candidates rarely win, and yes it will be extremely difficult coming into the race at such a late entry point. Bloomberg made it quite clear he would not enter the race unless he thought he had a clear shot at winning, as Ruby Tuesday also pointed out. It is important to remember that Bloomberg already mentioned he is willing to spend over $1 Billion on this campaign, which would help significantly. Although he is best known for his work as Mayor of New York City, I argue that he IS NOT only known in the northeast. Bloomberg's financial strategies and publishings are read daily nationwide and are highly respected in the business world, which will help significantly.
I personally hope that Bloomberg runs, and quite honestly i don't think that anything else can hurt at this point.
Having a grandma who lives in New York City, I've really been able to see all of the changes Mayor Bloomberg has been able to accomplish during his time as Mayor. The most fascinating thing about Bloomberg is that since he is a billionaire, as an annual salary for his service as mayor of New York he takes a $1 salary pay. To me, that says it all for what type of person he is. He's not the type of man to really be bought, Bloomberg tries to accomplish what he believes will best benefit the public.
I agree with what rubytuesday has to say that if Bloomberg were to run, which I think at this point is probably 60% he won't run and 40% he will Bloomberg would probably get a decent amount of votes as an independent, depending on the scenario. For example, if Sanders and Trump happen to win the primaries, I believe that Bloomberg will seriously considering running since most of the American people are centrist, and neither Sanders of Trump reflect those views. However Bloomberg, has mixed views of liberal and conservative which is in line with what most of the American people believe as well. As for winning the Presidential election, I'm not sure if that would be possible. Honestly, I wish there was a strong chance for that to happen for Bloomberg, but missing all of the debates and entering so late doesn't help his case for winning the election.
I also believe that 2016 is a critical election simply because of the candidates running. I know for a fact that if Trump somehow were to become President, that would be critical for all of our futures. So I do believe that 2016 in a way is a critical election even though we aren't currently in wartime, or in a recession, the candidates running are what make 2016 a critical election.
If Bloomberg decides to run, the campaign would get more serious and more insane altogether. It would make it more serious because it would take away votes from both the Democratic party and the Republican party, making it a closer election. We've seen this in the past with third party candidates and I think it would be on a much more wide-scale base than in the past if Bloomberg decides to enter the race.
If Trump or Sanders were selected to be the nominees of the Republican and Democratic Parties, respectively, I believe that Bloomberg would very well run. He has the motivation and he certainly has the funds, so I have no doubt that he would enter the race as an independent.
I agree with everyone that Bloomberg would be very popular in a presidential race against Sanders and Trump, but I still feel that a victory would be difficult to attain. Although a growing percentage of Americans identify as independent (A 2015 NBC poll found that this number has grown to 45%), a substantial portion of Americans nonetheless consider themselves as either conservative or liberal. As a result, I believe that no candidate would receive an Electoral majority in the general election. Though Bloomberg has a strong chance of winning a plurality of the Electoral votes, I feel that he simply would not b able to garner a majority. Thus, because there would be no candidate with an Electoral majority, the vote would land in the GOP-dominated House of Representatives, who would likely elect the Republican candidate.
Source:
http://ivn.us/2015/07/06/poll-independents-will-soon-outnumber-republicans-democrats-combined/
I doubt Bloomberg could actually win the election by entering the race at this time; not only does most the country not know him that well, but it is difficult for an Independent to win as we can see through past elections. However, my concern is that he may take away from the other party’s votes. Because he is fiscally conservative, but socially liberal, he has both Republican and Democratic characteristics, which makes it difficult to predict which party’s votes he would be taking from. If he took votes away from both parties it would make it even harder to establish a clear winner. On the other hand, his participation could favor a particular party. The Observer states in its article Michael Bloomberg Will Never Be the Next US President, that if he runs, he will hand the election over to Republicans. This would make the race much more serious—the front-runners would have even greater competition. There is finally an alternative to the inexperience of Donald Trump and the extremism of Bernie Sanders. However, Bloomberg, whether he wins or not, is still impacting the political system by encouraging a more centrist and balanced political stance that appeals to the moderate group of the US population, one that continues to grow in size each year.
http://observer.com/2016/01/michael-bloomberg-will-never-be-the-next-u-s-president/
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/opinion/campaign-stops/for-bloomberg-ambition-vies-with-caution.html
As Mia said, Mayor Bloomberg running for president would be "a dream come true for many Americans." He appeals to both parties, as he is fiscally conservative but socially liberal. Since most of the country is moderate, he would be a very good alternative to the very extreme Democratic and Republican candidates. If he does decide to enter the race, I think he could actually have a chance, unlike most third party candidates in the past, due to his ability to appeal to large portions of both parties. This could definitely be a critical election year considering how many people are already verbalizing support for Bloomberg. The election will be VERY different if he decides to run because he does appeal to so many people from both parties. This creates a lot of worries for the front runners of each party, and will create much greater stakes for each of them to gain a following. Trump would no longer be able to say whatever ridiculous things he wants, and not worry about losing his following. And Clinton would have another major competitor other than Bernie to deal with. The entire tone of the race would change from being arguably comical, to a legitimate competition.
First off, I will say I love the idea of Bloomberg running for office. He's a great politician, and was a stalwart for the great city of New York. I think he would appeal to many on both sides of the aisle, and would provide a welcome, fresh face to the race. His presence would, in all honesty, turn this election upside down. I'm not sure how much chance he would have to actually win, in fact I doubt it, but he would make it interesting. Bloomberg is pretty centrist, and sensible, but he would definitely take more votes from the left than the right. However, the Democrats are currently projected to win in most match-ups. He has the appearance of a Ross Perot type candidate, but he could be disastrous for the Democrats. I love Bloomberg, and he could provide staunch opposition to both candidates, but his winnability remains to be seen.
There has been a general consensus among the commentors, specifically how Gursimar and Caroline put it, calling it a waste to enter the race so late and that it would be difficult for Bloomberg to win the race running as a third party. If Trump gets nominated, I would love to see someone else besides Hilary run against him to actually give me some one decent to vote for, but with him being an independent, it is nearly impossible to get elected. No matter how many votes you throw his way, Trump has a lot of followers all around the country, even if they don't see how ridiculous he and his campaign are. Most of America does not understand traditional politics, as this display of the 2016 Presidential Race certainly has been anything but traditional, with the media and Trump almost turning it into a game.
I think it would certainly be interesting if Bloomberg were to declare he is running, and see no reason for him not to, but it just doesn't seem likely that this late he could get enough support to beat out even one of the members of the large parties.
I completely support Bloomberg running as a 3rd party candidate, and think it would be very interesting to watch. If there was ever a chance to win as a 3rd party, this would certainly be the election. He claims that he will only run is Clinton was not the Democratic nominee. If this does happen his competition on the democratic side would be Bernie Sanders, and the Republican front runner, Donald Trump. Trump and Sanders are the absolute extremes in this race, and if they ran he'd to head it would be such a divided nation. Therefore if Bloomberg stepped in from a moderate perspective he could draw all people if they were not extreme, and as we have learned in class most people are in the middle, not extremes.
I disagree with Caroline and Gursimar, I don't believe it would be a waste to enter the race at this point, in this circumstance. This isn't a usual election where the 3rd party would never have a chance. I think as the two main parties are becoming more polarized, especially if Sanders and Trump were the nominees, that Bloomberg would have a very good chance, and it would be an opportunity to break free from the typical two party system that we have in America today.
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