Posted on 06/19/2007 3:39:18 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Mayor Bloomberg is decrying the state of the 2008 presidential race, faulting the major party candidates for offering shallow, simplistic prescriptions, and scolding the press for failing to demand more from those seeking the White House.
During an appearance at Google's headquarters in Silicon Valley yesterday, Mr. Bloomberg said the televised debates among the presidential candidates have been, in essence, a waste of time.
"They have absolutely nothing to do with the job and the qualifications. And they don't tell you anything about whether or not any of those candidates would be good or bad presidents. What they really say is, did they memorize their notes of What to say if ' and whether their staff was able to anticipate," the mayor said. "If you look at both debates, they pandered, what I would argue, the same ways."
Mr. Bloomberg said the presidential candidates were exploiting the threat of terrorism, and failing to deliver solutions to problems such as illegal immigration, health care, and education.
"I think that none of them are addressing those issues," the mayor said during an exchange with reporters after the Google talk. "The press really is not doing its job of holding their feet to the fire. ... The tough questions are not what are you in favor of, but how are you going to get it through Congress?"
Mr. Bloomberg painted a picture of politicians in Washington dithering as America runs aground. "The country is in trouble," was his grim refrain.
The public critique of the presidential contest could be part of an effort on Mr. Bloomberg's part to lay the groundwork for an independent presidential bid. However, he insisted yesterday that he plans to serve as mayor through 2009 and then return to private life.
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
I’d think he’d pull more Democratic votes than any!
Not a RINO anymore.
Huh? You’re saying he’s not a RINO?
Did he leave the GOP? If not, the acronym still applies.
“Youre saying hes not a RINO?”
That’s what I am saying ;)
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_170181024.html
I think it’s too soon to tell which party he’d damage more. It depends on the nominees and how Bloomberg decides to market himself.
By the way, how do you get to have stuff written in parentheses next to your screen name?
“If he jumps into the race, it’ll be Ross Perot, the Sequel.”
Just read that Bloomy has dropped his GOP affiliation. I think that if he decides to run for president he’ll damage the Dems much more than he will the Republicans. Especially now that he’s given up the pretense. Not too many Republicans in the Trans-Fat coalition.
No, one doesn’t pull Democrat votes. Real Democrats are total party loyalists: that’s whay they’re Democrats. This has been less true in the South in the past few decades.
Good riddance, Mayor Mike. We never wanted you anyway.
I was thinking: he might duplicate John B. Anderson from 1980.
Perot got more votes from Republicans than he did from Democrats.
Bloomberg, if he runs, would most likely accomplish just the opposite. Good news for the GOP candidate.
As I recall, election night 2005 was so bad for the GOP (the disintegration was already underway) that the GOP chairman was forced to boast about getting Bloomberg reelected was a great event.
except he will only get democrat votes.
This putz can’t stand it that another NYC mayor has a shot at the White House and he doesn’t. Its all envy—pure and simple.
But Ross at least had a good slogan “You’re the boss and I’m just Ross.” What’s Bloomberg’s going to be “I’m King Michael and you are my minions?”
At this early juncture, I think he does John Anderson plus Ralph Nader. So we’d be looking at at least somewhere in the double digit range.
But although he’s a liberal, he’s also a competent businessman and he can articulate issues in a manner unheard of to the Beltway crowd.
That in my opinion will help him from the liberal .01 differential between Shrillary, Empty Suit Obama and Silky Pony Edwards.
On that basis he will do some damage. How much, well you remember Perot. Throw in about 1/3 Perot, with 1/3 Perot business speak with 1/3 power of having a BILLION dollars to spend.
Bloomberg has an itch to spend some money.
When you post a reply to someone.....look toward the bottom of your post....below “Tagline”.....there’s an empty box there - just type your “tagline” in there!
Nah, Ross Perot was right of center overall (don't forget it was Clinton vs. "no new taxes" Bush.
Bloomberg is left of center. This is good for us, bad for Rudy (which of course is good for us, too).
He'll got a lot of the Suburban women in CT and New Jersey.. who had abandoned the GOP, but were maybe coming back to it to support Rudy. They can now be not-completely-insane liberals by going independent. This is disaster for Rudy.
I think Bloomberg will poll well. He will be up over 10% in a short time, but much more will come from Dems than the GOP.
While I agree with what Bloomberg says above about the phony debates, I didn't hear a specific plan on his part to remedy the problem.
:-)
More comic relief, as if needed, as far as I’m concerned. He is such a rodent.
Bloomburg is now an Independent. Well, it’s his money.
Not a question. His appointments in NYC were strictly dim. He is a lib through and through. I don’t believe he can win, but he certainly can come in second. He is worth about 10 billion and rumors have circulated that he is willing to spend 1 billion to purchase/run for office. In NYC in his first election he spend $67 per vote. He doesn’t need to run one fundraiser and beg anyone for money.
Surprisingly he has done a decent job in NY. He has made no attempt to cut spending but has extracted tons of money from Albany and Washington. His crime strategy has worked well and he has increased capital spending. He is the first mayor to rebuild all of the downtown streets which haven’t been touched since NYC was the nations capitol.
I am no fan of him attempting to become president. He was best pick of motley crew for mayor and has done okay in that job and should stay there.
Bloomberg is a bigger control freak than Giuliani.
He is a bigger advocate of abortion than Giuliani.
He hates guns more than Giuliani.
He loves illegals more than Giuliani.
He’s much gayer and whinier than Giuliani.
AND he loves to raise taxes.
Yeah, this guy is going to create a giant sucking sound as he siphons off Republican votes.
(eye roll)
He is so transparent, not even a Clinton worshiping DUmmie would want to fall for it. They still will if there was no one else more accomplished at lying but they’ll have a wandering ear.
He has billions of dollars to change that perception, unlike anyone else running for president.
Republicans should INVITE him to leave the party.........
or throw his disloyal ass out.
idiot mayor
oops. I see it’s too late. He’s gone.
Oh please. He was never a Republician. He just ran under that banner. Is is a life long Democrat. I can NOT stand the MAN. Reminds me of Gulliani. Neither will get my vote. I would be ashamed of either as President or dog catcher.
Oh, thanks!
He'll need billions of dollars to change that perception.
He'll need to keep quiet, too. Every time he opens his mouth, he exposes himself as the arrogant little prissypants that he is.
Bloomberg raised massive new taxes when he was first elected, commuter taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, service fees, parking tickets, etc..., anything for a buck. Now he’s trying to claim he’s a tax cutter, what a joke, he’s a liberal dem through and through. He’s a direct threat to legal gun ownership, he opposes the death penalty and he’s opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning. Bloomberg is Hillary’s worst nightmare, and you can bet her minions are already reaching out to him and begging him not to run. Run Mike run, you’ll help send Fred straight to 1600.
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