Mayor Bloomberg will give his State of the City address as an economic downturn looms. Will his presidential ambitions influence how he frames the issues? Jonathan Capehart, editorial board member for the Washington Post, and Bob Hardt, executive producer and political director for New York 1, look at what the speech will tell us about the city and the mayor.
Comments [42]
The moderates in this country are unrepresented and account for more voters than the Dems or Reps. We need to have someone speak for centrists who do not think you are evil if you are from the other political party. It is ok to disagree but to focus on solving problems. Neither political party does that today. If the candidates for the Dems and Reps pander to their bases, Bloomberg should run. If the candidates can speak to moderates, then Bloomberg should sit out. Currently, I would be in favor of Bloomberg running given the discourse in each of the primaries.
Post 40:
Agreed. The paranoia regarding the rich is a little silly... I think one has to be wary of those who incredible wealth because with that comes incredible power, but that doesn't mean that they are inherently bad. It simply means that power must be checked.
What is the alternative to a "rich" president? A pauper? Are we going to elect a factory worker to the highest office in the land? No. I don't think so. And if anything an obscenely wealthy man is less likely to be bought than an only moderately wealthy man like our current dear President.
the idea that a self-made billionaire would somehow be *bad*as president by definition is silly far-left socialist babble
I'd love a competent person of any color/gender/religion in the white house who has a proven track record for change and progress and success
Love your show.
I think he's been a fantastic mayor apart from his blind support for development - Atlantic Yds. case in point. Too too big and lacking oversight.
He'd be a great administrator - but noone mentions his Jewish-ness. There is so much anti Semitism in the world even unconscious among fairly educated people. My relatives in England say things like 'well, America's run by the Jews isn't it....?' Gob smackin ignorance.
I do feel that it would be a bad time for America to elect their first Jewish President - given the Palestinian/Israeli issues and the global fundamentalism thats on the increase.
Sad but true - yet take heart! We're about to elect either a woman (and a Clinton to boot) or a black man. Take that Jesse Helms.
Well, were he to win he could still set history as the first Jewish President of the USA...
Don't run Mike! I voted for Bloomberg in 05, and think he's been great, but he'd be a spoiler and can't win for pres. Would rather see him as a running mate for Obama (or less likely) for Clinton.
fyi
under current law Schwarzenegger can not run for president or vice president.
why don't we just sell the office to the high bidder. win win. no campaign ads, new revenue, businessman for pres
I think the Mayor should run but not as an Independent but by creating a REAl new party called the Centrist...
We need a new party one that takes the best of both and builds on the disgruntled members of the other parties!!!
WE NEED HELP!!!
Honestly, I think he would gut the Republican party of its socially moderate but fiscally conservative members as he would do the same for the Democrats. I mean, there are a lot of Republicans who are Republicans for business reasons and squirm just a bit when they find themselves under the same tent as some of these right-wing lunatics. The problem is that they've never been offered a tolerable alternative. Enter Bloomberg.
Of course, it's a risky game, and I will admit riskier for the Dems. I'd support him for veep. Not President. Not this time around at least (although he'll probably be too old for another go).
I'd never vote for a billionaire president with no experience in Washington. I can't believe he is so arrogant to think that he can make up for his lack of national experience by spending a billion dollars. Why not just come straight out and offer everyone who votes for him $100? Plus it is just insulting that he wouldn't run against Obama but would run against Clinton. They both have similar policies and represent historic candidacies. Does he want to go down in history as the man who derailed the first female president and threw an otherwise unwinnable race to the republicans???
Bloomberg as president? He'll just turn the whole US into NYC, with sky-high taxes and cost of living, blatant infringement of most of the bill of rights, and a corrupt, underpaid police force. Sounds great.
He won't run if he can't win.
Too smart a business man to throw away 1 billion.
As a republican originally from a red state, I don't understand why so many of you think Bloomberg will ensure a Repub win. I don't know any dems that would vote for him over Obama or Clinton, and I know a lot of repubs (myself included) that would vote for him over our candidates. The dems are a lot happier with their candidates than the repubs. If he runs, I think the dems will win.
This is more similar to Perot than Nader.
i would vote bloomberg if he should run. he would be my #1 pick. also, as a republican i wouldnt have much to loose if he didnt win.
A year ago, I thought he should run. But now I think he's bad news.
Obama-Bloomberg '08
Why not Bloomberg as VP?
Colin Powell as running mate would be an impresive combination.
He might be postering for VP with this.
I'd love to see him win, but the reality is that he won't win.
Why would any pol from new York be an example of how to lead the country. Blumberg has money to dispense only because of the financial center has paid the bill not overall job generation in NY State. High taxes, bad business climate, net outflow of people, huge deficits, high education costs with low results, high welfare costs, huge medical costs. On and on. The US can not afford this model.
am a Deomcrat who loves Bloomberg, but this is just the worng election to run in. I would love to vote for Bloomberg, but not instead of Barak Obama. Bloombarg should run against an imploding Elliot Spitzer and then run for president later from the much better platform of Governor.
When Bloomberg had that lunch with Obama I was hoping maybe it was to discuss a possible running mate situation in future. I think Bloomberg as Obama's vp would be a very very hard team for the repubs to beat...but I agree...is Bloomberg's ego too big to do that?
No way! We don't need another rich man in the White House!
YES, HE SHOULD RUN - HE CANNOT BE BOUGHT-
SWARTZNAGER(sp?) AS RUNNING MATE
Do we really want another businessman in the White House -- even if this businessman is vastly better at business than the current president?
Other than his objection to the major party nominees not being him, what is his objections to the Democratic nominees? Is bloomberg for continuing the Iraq War? not delivering universal health coverage? I don't understand the rationale for a Bloomberg run.
ALSO - why do we have this $400 rebate program that is completely inefficient and is patronizing as the checks are handed out right before the elections in September? - I would expect something more efficient from a businessman like Bloomberg - Why not make a minor program modificationa and reduce the Tax assessment for all properties that would roughly equal $400 - instead of having this very inefficient process where taxpayers pay their taxes; THEN they get a check where they lose productivity as they have to go to the bank to deposit it- Think of the waste in mailings and time. That is NOT thinking from a visionary corporate leader
Running Mate? Chuck Hagel
I too fear that if he runs, the Republican nominee will be elected.
If Hillary wins the Democratic nomination, Bloomberg should run, with Obama as his running mate. They'd be a shoo-in.
Bloomberg should run as Obama's Vice President. Here is why:
If Bloomberg runs as an Independent, it is a long shot that he will win. But there is a serious risk that he splits the Democratic electorate and prevents a Democrat from being elected in an election that is otherwise a shoe-in for a Democrat after the recent failures of a Republican adminisration.
However, if Bloomberg threatens to run, or does run, but then joins Obama's campaign as Vice President, then we have the best leadership team our country can muster - vision, and pragmatic management united together.
Does Bloomberg have the humility to run as Obama's Vice President?
What does Bloomberg have to offer to the country - Other than Corporate Authoritarian rule and more taxes and fees? - I.e., His authoritarian behavior during the RNC convention in 2004; Increase in Property Taxes for the Middle Class; Levy on goods and services disguised as 'Congestion pricing'. He is complaining about partisanship though he is not talking about removing the need for the Political parties that is due to the fact that there is no campaign financing - Politicians HAVE to either be partisan to pay favors to their supporters or have to be billionaires so they can payoff and buy their political office - NYC Mayoralty and NJ Governorship come to mind.
Bloomberg should not run unless he wants another Republican president. He will take a lot of independent and Democratic votes, but very few Republicans will vote for him. I don't think he has any chance to win, nor would the Democrat should he run.
Yes, please run Mayor Bloomberg. We need an honest, intelligent, hard-working President who can make the tough decisions without being beholden to special interests and to the power structures of each party.
Mike in 2008!
I've never cared for him as Mayor. A billionaire for president? This simply turns my stomach.
this is all about his ego. his politics aren't that different than the Dems. if he runs and throws the election to the Republicans he should rot in hell for all eternity.
he can't win!
NO, MIKE, DON'T DO IT!!! If Bloomberg runs, he will be the new Nader, guaranteeing the White House will go to the GOP.
mayor bloomberg shouldn't run for president. just because you have the money to buy the presidency doesn't mean you're entitled to. that said, his natural running mate is Arnold Schwarzenegger.
does the mayor dislike the junior senator from NY that much that he will run against her??
No he shouldn't, he won't win and will split the vote and I fear that would ensure a Republican gets in office...that would be a great disaster
Tax breaks as stimulus -- hey, look how they,ve worked here in the city for citi and merrill (bonus wise...)...
I find it hard to believe that he'd actually throw his hat into the ring in 2008. If he was going to, he would've done it by now. And since he hasn't yet, it would probably be folly to do it now. This is especially true since an independent candidate has little chance of winning, and if you want to lay the groundwork for that possibility, you have to start WAY earlier than now.
why is the media so rabid about whether he will run or not?
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