Short answer.....NO!
“If the GOP ran a ticket that people generally (ie not just Democrats and the media) believed was extreme or out of the mainstream, Bloomberg’s presence on the ballot could attract some moderate or independent votes that could otherwise have been Republican.”
100% right. And if the GOP ran a conservative ticket, instead of running an extreme RINO like Rudy McRomney, Bloomberg’s presence on the ballot would have no effect whatsoever on the Republican vote.