Michael Bloomberg announced yesterday that he is no longer a Republican. This announcement had all the shock value of Paris Hilton announcing that she was no longer a virgin.
Speculation had been that if Bloomberg, a Republican, entered the 2008 Presidential race, as an independent, he would syphon off Republican and independent votes and help the Democratic nominee win.
It is an absurd premise. First, Mike Bloomberg was about as much a Republican as...well...Rudy Guiliani. (Although I think Bloomberg is actually a better Mayor than Rudy was.) Bloomberg is a lifelong Democrat who switched to the GOP in 2001 to avoid the Democratic primary. In fact, after voting for himself, in the GOP primary, on the 2nd Tuesday in September of 2001, Bloomberg made his ill fated quip "It's gonna be a great day!"
He picked the wrong day to make that statement, to say the least.
Nevertheless, I think Bloomberg has done OK by Liberal mayor standards. He has been good on the war on terrorism issue...but he never was a Republican.
Bloomberg entering the race would probably benefit the GOP tremendously. It's affect would be most felt in the 4 state region (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania). In fact, I think Bloomberg gives the moderate center-left (who can't stand Hillary but don't want to vote for a Republican) a place to go. Not in large numbers, mind you. However, with Thompson having huge appeal among the Right and Center right, picking off even a small chunk of the center-left tips Pennsylvania to the GOP and puts New Jersey and Connecticut in play. It might reduce the margin in New York but NY is going to go blue.
Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey are 3 states the Dems need badly.
This could get interesting. Stay tuned.
Labels: 2008, A Newt One, American Truth warriors, Blog talk radio, Bloomberg, Checkmate, Conservative, Darter45, Fred Thompson, George W Bush, Iraq, Jimmy Carter, Jimmy Z, Moonbats, Operation America Rising, Patriots for Conservative values, Politics, SonlitKnight, surge, Terrorism, The Headless Thompson Gunners, The Truth Surge, Zulz
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