Testing the new HubDub chart widgets

Mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg may run for U.S. president as an independent. The political consequences of that option are more in focus this week. Mayor Bloomberg, by his social policy, is clearly seen to be that of a Democratic liberal. Bloomberg is pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights, anti-Iraq and pro-immigration.

That being the case, Bloomberg will draw from the same well as Hillary. So if Hillary gains the Democratic nomination, she would find it very hard to win the general election. Bloomberg will be in the race, and Bloomberg will do to her what independent Ralph Nader in 2000 did to Al Gore; namely, take a decisive chunk from the Democratic candidate.

Lawrence O’Donnell, a committed champion of Hillary, what can Hillary do now to shield herself from the fatal damage that Mike Bloomberg could inflict on her?

MR. O’DONNELL: I’m a friend of all Democrats, not just Hillary. Listen –

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Are you trying to ease out of the Hillary commitment?

MR. O’DONNELL: Hillary is not the one who has a problem with Bloomberg. Rudy Giuliani’s candidacy, if he’s the nominee, would be destroyed by Bloomberg. Bloomberg’s done a better job as mayor. And Giuliani also would lose support on the right, and then he’d have nothing left. And Bloomberg, by the way, could win the thing if he gets in there in a three-way race. He’s no Nader.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Republicans could vote for Giuliani and take the wind out of Bloomberg’s sails.

MR. BUCHANAN: John, Bloomberg will not win a single state. He does put New York State –

MR. O’DONNELL: Bloomberg can win New York. Bloomberg can win California.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: We’re not talking about that.

MR. BUCHANAN: You think he’s going to beat Hillary in New York State? Are you kidding? He’ll draw off a million or 2 million votes. He’ll cede the state to the Republicans.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: I want to know — but my question is, what is the story on Hillary in this? How does she evolve if Bloomberg gets in the race in July of next year?

MR. BUCHANAN: She can’t debate. She cannot have him in the debate with her and with the Republican because Bloomberg will kill her. She will not debate if he’s in the debate.

MS. CLIFT: I have enough confidence in Michael Bloomberg that if he thinks he’s going to be a spoiler and a Ralph Nader, he will not get into the race. That is not his purpose.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: I know it’s not his purpose.

MS. CLIFT: Well, and it’s –

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: But it’s a de facto occurrence.

MS. CLIFT: No, it’s not, because –

MR. O’DONNELL: No, he can win.

MR. BUCHANAN: (Laughs.)

MS. CLIFT: — the party that’s cracking up is the Republican Party.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Where are you hearing that?

MR. O’DONNELL: Bloomberg can win.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: He can enter the race and win the election?

MR. O’DONNELL: Look at the electoral map. Bloomberg can win California.

MR. BUCHANAN: He’s hearing it up in New York, John.

MR. O’DONNELL: He can win New Jersey. He can win New York. He can win all sorts of states –

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Against the Democratic candidate?

MR. O’DONNELL: — that these other third-party candidates never could.

MR. BLANKLEY: Look, the thing you want to pay attention to in a third-party race is not necessarily the votes they get, but how they change the dynamic of a campaign. Perot didn’t take enough votes away to make a difference, but he changed the dynamic to the benefit of Clinton.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Do you think –

MR. BLANKLEY: And let me just finish the thought. Bloomberg spending a $1 billion could change the dynamic in ways we can’t imagine.

MR. O’DONNELL: Right.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Do you think it’s incumbent upon Hillary to do something to shield herself from Bloomberg? And, if so, what is it? Or do you need help? Lawrence O’Donnell?

MR. O’DONNELL: She doesn’t have to do anything now. Bloomberg has to make his decision. What she needs to do now is run the best possible campaign she can run so that her numbers –

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: But she must be distracted by Bloomberg.

MR. O’DONNELL: She just needs to keep her numbers up so that they intimidate Bloomberg.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: But she knows that he could inflict fatal damage on her if he enters the race, the same way that Nader did.

MS. CLIFT: Hillary Clinton is a pro.

MR. O’DONNELL: Giuliani is in a panic over Bloomberg.

MS. CLIFT: Hillary –

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Who?

MR. O’DONNELL: Giuliani is in a panic over Bloomberg.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Forget Giuliani. Let’s think about Hillary.

MR. BUCHANAN: Giuliani isn’t going to be the nominee.

MS. CLIFT: Hillary Clinton is a pro, and she knows there are a lot more twists and turns before Michael Bloomberg raises his hand.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Why can’t Hillary preempt Bloomberg?

MR. BUCHANAN: Romney or –

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Why couldn’t [Hillary Clinton] put Bloomberg on her ticket?

MR. BUCHANAN: Another guy from New York? You’d lose the electoral votes of New York.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Would Bloomberg run as vice president?

MR. BUCHANAN: You’d lose the electoral votes of New York if you got two from the same state, John. This would elect Romney or it would elect Fred Thompson.

I think, with regard to Rudy, I think that would be a mess, because I don’t think Rudy –

MS. CLIFT: I love the way –

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: The fog is not clearing here. The fog is not clearing. What does Hillary do?

MS. CLIFT: She pays no attention to Pat Buchanan, for starters. And second, I love the way everybody has a scenario that works out so that their side wins. And now there’s a fly on Lawrence’s head — (laughs) — to complete the picture.

MR. BLANKLEY: It’s Bloomberg, the fly in the ointment (Laughs).

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Exit question: Will Bloomberg, in 2008, be the political equivalent of Ralph Nader in ’00, a spoiler for the Democrats? Pat Buchanan.

MR. BUCHANAN: If he runs, he could finish off the Democrats.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Eleanor.

MS. CLIFT: He doesn’t get into the race if that’s what it looks like. And he’s too smart. He’ll make the right assessment.

MR. BLANKLEY: He has an extraordinarily high regard for himself. He might get in thinking he can win, and it could adversely affect the Democrats.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: You sound as though you don’t care for his candidacy.

MR. BLANKLEY: No, I would never vote for him.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: No conservative would vote for him.

MR. BLANKLEY: He’s a nanny stater. I don’t like nanny staters.

MR. BUCHANAN: No conservative would vote for him.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Are you sure of that?

MR. BUCHANAN: Yeah.

MR. BLANKLEY: He’s against trans fats, smoking.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: He’s an extremely good and successful administrator. He has this program for New York that he brought forth a few months ago.

MR. BUCHANAN: Look, he’s against the burger Whopper, he’s against Winchester rifles and he’s against Winston cigarettes.

MR. O’DONNELL: Bloomberg is no Ross Perot.

MS. CLIFT: My kind of guy. (Laughs.)

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Do you think –

MR. O’DONNELL: Bloomberg is no Ross Perot. He’s much better than Perot. Perot got 19 percent. Bill Clinton won the presidency in a three-way race at 43 percent. Bloomberg doesn’t have to get 50 –

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Do you think –

MR. O’DONNELL: — he can win with 40 percent.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Do you think the Democrats are figuring out how to destroy Bloomberg?

MR. O’DONNELL: They will do that if it comes to it.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: How will they do that? How will they do that –

MR. O’DONNELL: Well, they’ll try, but it will not work.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: — when he’s got $5 billion?

MR. O’DONNELL: It won’t work. He’ll be impervious.

MR. BLANKLEY: He’s got more than $5 billion.

MR. O’DONNELL: He’s impervious to attack.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: He’s impervious. You mean they can’t reach him?

MR. O’DONNELL: He’s not going to duck. He’s not going to hide on the issues. And there’s no horrible background story to try to tell about him.

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NEXT: Is it time to buy some Michael Bloomberg event derivatives?

Michael Bloomberg for US President, anyone??

Chris F. Masse — Fri, 25 May 2007 08:05:04 +0000

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Michael Bloomberg to be the Republican Presidential Nominee in 2008

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Michael Bloomberg to run as Independent

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Problem with any brand-new contract is that a blogger cannot embed the “lifetime” chart, yet.

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Those total schmucks at BetFair are superbly ignoring Mike Bloomberg… and his billions.

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Wikipedia: Michael Bloomberg

Bloomberg does not reside in Gracie Mansion, the official mayor’s mansion, but at his own home elsewhere on the Upper East Side (17 East 79th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues). He maintains his home address in the white pages and is known to ride the subway to City Hall every morning, even during periods of heightened terrorist alert.

So far, Mike Bloomberg’s non-campaign is better than Rudy Giuiliani’s.

Chris F. Masse — Tue, 22 May 2007 07:00:47 +0000

Slate in The Bloomberg Effect.

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Should InTrade-TradeSports add a “US President Bloomberg” event derivative????

UPDATE: Michael Bloomberg to run as Independent

Midas Oracle .ORG » Mike Bloomberg

Testing the new HubDub chart widgets

Michael Bloomberg for US President??

Michael Bloomberg for US President, anyone??

So far, Mike Bloomberg’s non-campaign is better than Rudy Giuiliani’s.