Opinion: Bloomberg speaks!
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And no, he’s not running for president, people. But! He still has plenty to say about partisanship, rhetoric and business as usual. From today’s NY Times:
Over the past year, I have been working to raise issues that are important to New Yorkers and all Americans — and to speak plainly about common sense solutions. Some of these solutions have traditionally been seen as Republican, while others have been seen as Democratic. As a businessman, I never believed that either party had all the answers and, as mayor, I have seen just how true that is.... More of the same won’t do, on the economy or any other issue. We need innovative ideas, bold action and courageous leadership. That’s not just empty rhetoric, and the idea that we have the ability to solve our toughest problems isn’t some pie-in-the-sky dream. In New York, working with leaders from both parties and mayors and governors from across the country, we’ve demonstrated that an independent approach really can produce progress on the most critical issues, including the economy, education, the environment, energy, infrastructure and crime.
I agree with Bloomberg, but it’s a little anticlimatic. The title of his Op-Ed kind of says it all: ‘I’m Not Running for President, but ...’ But what, yeronner? But we should still listen to what you have to say?
Granted, a Bloomberg presidential campaign wouldn’t have garnered much support from either end of the political spectrum. Besides, there are plenty of people out there who aren’t running (and some who aren’t superdelegates, even) whose voices still seem to matter in the race. And since the independent mayor of New York has reserved the right to throw his support behind one the the candidates in the future, he could still play a role moving those key unaffiliated voters.
And perhaps removing himself from the contest does take the showboat factor out of the whole endeavor, so people (unlike me, apparently) may actually listen to what he has to say.
Not that he has any problem with third-party candidates, as he told AP a couple days ago:
This business of Ralph Nader being a spoiler — you know, in any three-way race, two of the three are going to be spoilers. Come on. Everybody’s got a right to do it — you’re not spoiling anything ... If people want to vote for you, let them vote for you, and why shouldn’t they?
You tell ‘em, Mike.