06/19/2007
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg Leaves Republican Party
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has left the Republican party, he announced Tuesday evening.
Said Bloomberg: "I have filed papers with the New York City Board of Elections to change my status as a voter and register as unaffiliated with any political party. Although my plans for the future haven't changed, I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead our city. A nonpartisan approach has worked wonders in New York: we’ve balanced budgets, grown our economy, improved public health, reformed the school system and made the nation’s safest city even safer. We have achieved real progress by overcoming the partisanship that too often puts narrow interests above the common good. As a political independent, I will continue to work with those in all political parties to find common ground, to put partisanship aside and to achieve real solutions to the challenges we face. Any successful elected executive knows that real results are more important than partisan battles and that good ideas should take precedence over rigid adherence to any particular political ideology. Working together, there’s no limit to what we can do."
At an appearance at Google headquarters yesterday, Bloomberg pretty much trashed the presidential debates that have been held so far:
"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. If you look at both debates, they pandered, what I would argue, the same ways."
Bloomberg lamented the lack of solutions from the candidates, said they were exploiting terrorism, and decried the state of "dithering" Washington, according to the New York Sun.
Will the billionaire run for president? Although he told the crowd at Google that his "next career will be in philanthropy," these are certainly some interesting developments.
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 7:11 PM EST by Andy in Election 2008, Michael Bloomberg, New York, News, Republican Party | Permalink
Like it?
Subscribe to FREE Towleroad daily headlines with our RSS feed!
RECENT STORIES:
Run Mike Run!
Posted by: patrick nyc | Jun 19, 2007 7:28:27 PM
he was more than willing to run on the Republican line and accept the support of Republican activists, politicians and donors. I don't think "opportunist" is a party label but maybe it should be. And I don't think "opportunist" plays well in America.
He could have run as an independent even if he remained a registered Republican. Bye, bye, Bloomberg.
Posted by: Puddy Katz | Jun 19, 2007 7:45:53 PM
If you take Bloomberg at his word, it's a bold move and could be a good thing depending on what he does next. Then again, he IS a politician...
Posted by: Stephen | Jun 19, 2007 8:12:34 PM
Bloomburg is smart enough to know that he will have to run as an indipendent for president because of republican/bush fatigue.
BUT
If america isn't ready to elelct a mormon anglo saxon from a northern state you know they aren't ready to ellect a northern state jew.
The heads of the southern baptist convention will explode faster then you can say northern state jew. Add in a catholic church that openly praises their new pope who was a hitler youth and there is no way this guy can get enough of the republican voters to side with him. He is liberal on social issues, but too conservative on economic issues to pull a large chunck of dem voters.
Good for him on declaring indipendent, but as a lead in to running for president as an indipendent he should just save his billion dollars.
Posted by: anon | Jun 19, 2007 8:21:18 PM
I rather have him spend his billion dollars and inject real issues into the campaign instead of only being able to select from the farce that the Democrats and Republicans have become. With the right VP candidate Bloomberg is electable and being a politician he won't make the same mistakes as Perot did in '92.
Posted by: yoshi | Jun 19, 2007 8:35:33 PM
Latest FaBlog: Fait Divers -- President Google
http://fablog.ehrensteinland.com/
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Jun 19, 2007 8:59:01 PM
Yoshi you do understand that anti semitism exists right? You also realize that NY is seen by a large swath of voting america as a den of "sin".
Maybe in another decade Blooburg might be electable but alas I am a pessimist. Rich Northern NY jew = a mormon , a woman, or a black man winning first in america before bloomburg.
Anti-semitism is rampant in both parties. The religous base sees christ killer while the liberal base sees opressors of palestinians. The middle will see rich which equals out of touch with middle america.
Bloomburg will just be wasting his money.
Posted by: anon | Jun 19, 2007 9:19:46 PM
The best part of Bloomberg running would be if he were somehow able to pick off enough Republican votes to elect a Democrat (assuming a close race)---just as Nader picked off Democrat votes in recent elections. Problem is, he'd probably pick off nearly as many Democrats, so the net effect would be zero. As for actually winning, that seems unlikely for tons of reasons. That's the problem with being mayor of a major, liberal city and trying to get into national politics. I'd love for San Francisco's Gavin Newsom to be a national political leader... but I don't think it can happen.
Posted by: Paul | Jun 19, 2007 9:47:38 PM
Anyone in favor of Bloomberg-Lieberman?
Posted by: anon (gmail.com) | Jun 19, 2007 9:53:03 PM
Anon g-mail you must be joking. The far left hates lieberman with a passion, and bloomburg would be foolish to pick him as a running mate.
Bush fatigue has only increased since the lieberman lamont race so that video of lieberman kissing bush would sink bloomburg if he even had a chance.
Posted by: anon | Jun 19, 2007 10:57:25 PM
Bloomie has no business running for President. While I don't hate him as mayor (and I live in NY), he leaves a lot to be desired. For most readers of this blog, he wimped out and has not supported gay marriage or even civil rights in the way that he could have and should have. But regardless of that, he has absolutely NO experience in foreign policy, and while I'm sure he's a perfectly smart guy and knows what's going on in the world, that's not good enough. Just look at the force of insane neocons overcoming the completely inexperienced and uninformed W with their disastrous policies. No mayors for president! Just keep giving your money away, thanks for playing.
Posted by: So Left I'm Right | Jun 19, 2007 11:25:11 PM
bloomberg is much too smart to pick leiberman - joe is much to associated with bush and loathed by many democrats. and no way is bloomberg gonna pick another jew for running mate.
personally i would love to see a 2 jew ticket. the fundies would go bat shit crazy. sarah silverman as secretary of state...
Posted by: designer | Jun 20, 2007 12:34:05 AM
Every canidate is pro-illegal immigration as far as I'm concerned. Which is a big negative in my book.
I don't think Bloomberg has a chance though. He's jewish and that will play a huge role because of the situation in the middle east. The people over there will go ape shit if we (the most powerful nation in the world) elect a jew.
He is a very effective business leader and would be an amazing cabinet member of the next administration. We need someone that actually knows something about business instead of the hack we have in the white house.
Posted by: Jack! | Jun 20, 2007 1:41:27 AM
Another rat leaving a sinking ship. I wonder what finally prompted his decision. He'll never be President, and he's certainly smart enough to recognize that.
I never liked him as Mayor. His total lack of interest in the needs of the people who live in NYC (at least those below the 6 figure income level) is just too bloody blatant. His attitude towards us is like an irritated CEO towards a low-level assistant who needs a letter signed, there's just too much annoyed condescension.
Posted by: Roscoe | Jun 20, 2007 7:22:08 AM
Like Mike or hate him, think on this: This is a desperation move, perhaps only to be held for use at the last minute, depending on how strong the GOP candidate is, to make sure Hillary does NOT win and that GOP candidate to come DOES win, ensuring the status quo in the White House. Bloomberg is reportedly shopping for a conservative Democrat running mate -- Novak named ex-Sen. Boren of Oklahoma this past weekend -- so if they take Hillary's swing states and run second in the South, we're looking at four more years of a Republican in the White House, no matter how hungry the majority is for a change. Remember, Ross Perot cost Daddy Bush his second term, and Clinton took the White House with only 42 percent of the vote. Hillary may have to whip two Republicans to win. No wonder she can't see past the middle of the road.
Posted by: Cookie | Jun 20, 2007 3:31:08 PM
bloomberg built on rudy's accomplishments and added little. the big issue in nyc right now is housing for working, middle and poor people, just as crime was the issue in rudy's day. bloomberg has done nada about housing.
Also no one knows squat about his private life, he has one but only in houses outside of nyc and outside the country. he will have to open up on that.
oh, yeah, he's also really really short. i wouldn't want a president who could be carried off by a raptor.
Posted by: Puddy Katz | Jun 20, 2007 6:39:57 PM