Michael Bloomberg has cancelled his membership as a Republican.He is now unaffiliated (or what pollsters call an independent) which he says is in alignment with the way he has ruled New York City.
True enough.
But the real deal is that Bloomberg--a life-long democrat turned republican turned independent--has been testing the waters for a possible independent run for the presidency of the U.S., and it's the judgement of a growing chorus of disaffacted voters and smart political strategists that the time may be right for an independent to take the presidency--and that Michael Bloomberg may be the man.
While the system is stacked bigtime against third party candidates, a self-funded Bloomberg candidacy has the potential to change everything. His proven stewardship of a NYC, his huge success in business, his commitment to nonpartisan approach to governance and his sensible positions on the issues (including immigration, education reform, national security and environmental protection) make him a serious contender.
Bloomberg claims that he's only interested in completing his term as mayor and then taking on the challenge of donating much of his wealth to charitable causes. However, Bloomberg at age 65 could do both: respond to a lost nation's call to lead and then spend his remaining years giving away his money.
Why not?
As a long-time independent, I applaud Mayor Bloomberg's nonpartisanship, and we'll see whether it's more than a political ploy... And no one should automatically get our votes without seeking our support.
ReplyDeleteAbout the Bloomberg story: I recommend reading Jackie Salit's "The Bloomberg Story" posted on my blog The Hankster for an inside take on the Mayor's independence: "Actually, the record shows that Mike has become more conservative and less willing to go to bat for independents, the longer he has been in the political game. But, in the early days he took stands on behalf of independents in numerous situations."
Nancy