Bloomberg: I'm Not Running For President

NYC's Billionaire Mayor Says He May Support Candidate Who Takes "Nonpartisan Approach"

(CBS/AP)  After two years of playing coy about his presidential ambitions, Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared in a newspaper editorial Wednesday that he will not run for president but might support the candidate who "takes an independent, nonpartisan approach."

The 66-year-old billionaire businessman, who aides had said was prepared to spend $1 billion to run as an independent, wrote in an editorial on The New York Times' Web site that he will work to "steer the national conversation away from partisanship and toward unity; away from ideology and toward common sense; away from sound bites and toward substance."

On Thursday, Bloomberg said that the No. 2 job is not an option either.

"Nobody is going to ask me to run as vice president," he said at a news conference.

Said Bloomberg: "I've had a wonderful opportunity to influence the dialogue. ... I've said repeatedly when people focus on New York City and the mayor, it's good for New York City."

Bloomberg, who has almost two years left in his second term at City Hall, had publicly denied any interest in running for president since one of his political advisers first planted the seed more than two years ago.

But his denials grew weaker in recent months as aides and supporters quietly began laying the groundwork for a third-party campaign.

"I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not - and will not be - a candidate for president," he wrote.

Among his biggest obstacles was getting on the ballot. The process varies wildly from state to state and would have required Bloomberg to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures according to a strict timetable on which the first key date is March 5.

Beginning next Wednesday, a Bloomberg campaign would have had to begin gathering signatures to get on the ballot in Texas, which has one of the earliest deadlines.

Bloomberg underwent extensive preparation for a presidential bid. The work included mass polling and nationwide data collection to determine his viability as a candidate, as well as detailed study and preparation for a state-by-state ballot access drive.

Aides and associates had said in recent days that Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's rise in the Democratic contest against New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was increasingly diminishing the chance that Bloomberg would run.

"In citing the 'current campaigns,' Bloomberg is acknowledging there is no opening for a candidate who would seek a plurality of voters in the broad middle of the political spectrum," said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. "With presumptive GOP nominee John McCain and Democratic front-runner Barack Obama, there is no void in the center for him to fill." (Read more analysis on Bloomberg from Ververs)

In the Times editorial, Bloomberg wrote that while he is not running, the race is too important for him to stay completely out.

"And so I have changed my mind in one area," he said. "If a candidate takes an independent, nonpartisan approach - and embraces practical solutions that challenge party orthodoxy - I'll join others in helping that candidate win the White House."

Putting his endorsement - and wealth - behind one of the candidates could make a significant difference. And Bloomberg, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent, has ties to Obama, Clinton and Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Last November, Bloomberg and Obama met in Manhattan for a highly publicized breakfast, and the mayor has praised some of Obama's positions, such as supporting merit pay for teachers.

He also has worked closely with Clinton, his home state senator, and has a friendly relationship with McCain.

On Monday, Bloomberg defended Ralph Nader's right to seek the White House.

"This business of Ralph Nader being a spoiler - you know, in any three-way race, two of the three are going to be spoilers," Bloomberg said. "Come on. Everybody's got a right to do it - you're not spoiling anything."

Bloomberg's friend and political ally California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has endorsed McCain, and the senator said during a Republican debate that Bloomberg had done "remarkable things" with the city's education system, the nation's largest.

[neoconrcrazy]

Bloomberg: I''m Not Running For President


there is a God, and I thank Him.

[keithle1]

Ron Paul...gimme a break. He''s this election''s Ross Perot. How many delegates does he have? 14? Please.

[keithle1]

Good. Because no one cares. You''d have to be insane to jump in now. Nader is insane.

[denn034]

Yet, the press keeps asking.

[candide777]

Too bad, there will be no candidate for true conservatives this time around. McCain is a joke, and Huckajesus is pre-occupied with his religious agenda, getting the country ready for the Second-Coming instead of addressing any real problems that we face.

[gwagener]

GWAGENER

Maybe Ron Paul could be Ralph Nader''''s VP running mate

Nader/Ron Paul 2008

---------------------
Posted by mocaIeo at 11:43 AM : Feb 28, 2008

Nader wahts the Government to do everything for everyone. Paul wants the Government to go back to pre-1900 level. That does not sound like a good match to me.

[dictatortot]

That breakfast with Obama has me wondering what''s up behind the scenes. An Obama/Bloomberg ticket would be almost unstoppable.
http://newsprism.wordpress.com

[gwagener]

I will be surprized if Ron Paul does not run a general election campaign. If he does, he will have to declare soon. Based on this article, anyone who wants to run a general election capnaign will have to do so very soon.

[hungry1968]

Admit it or not, the USA is not ready to elect a Jewish President.
George W. Bush could win a third term before the majority of Americans are willing to vote for someone who''''s Jewish.
A Christian woman-yes; A Christian male American of African Heritage-yes; A Mormon-maybe; A Jewish person not now, not for a long time.
That''''s a fact-admit it or not.

Posted by Benst1 at 09:32 AM : Feb 28, 2008





95% of our country''s foreign policy is Israel, Israel, Israel.

Yet you say that we wouldn''t elect a jewish president?

[Hybdiesel]

I don''t give a rats (keep it nice) butt who runs, I will never vote for a slime ball republican again.

[hungry1968]

I was holding out hope that he would run. He''s an excellent mayor with a lot of support, and the people of NYC love him as their mayor. Politicians in NYC are usually hated, and he has a 78% approval rating. What does that tell you?

[dovesong-2009]

Perhaps he will join Obama as VP? Secretary of State? Obama needs a great team, and of course he already has one. Bloomberg is respected, perhaps he will join the fight for a UNITED States of America.

[jowand]

Three cheers!

[easeup-2009]

"The only way any repunlikan is going to get in the white house is to take the tour. First off get there early and be prepared to line up. Ignore the smell in the East and Red Room A hole will be leaving soon and we will have it fumigated you loosers!

Posted by jerryomara at 08:00 AM : Feb 28, 2008"

awwwww,,,,does the wittle baby need a nappy?

[repdemapart]

Bloomberg is big in big Cities. The problem is he thinks he''s as big in the rest of the country.

[antoniof123]

Some one said he is better than what we have now.

NEWS FLASH:

A dead rat is better than what we have now.

[cfin5]

He means he''s supporting McCain. The only Senator whose "ONE WAY" reaching across the isle is touted as a "TWO WAY" partisan deal,.....yeah right.

[mcvet]

Yeah maybe you should stay out of the way on this one... that new suit wouldn''t look real good afterward if you don''t.

[gkc99]

The ego of these little men--who cares?

[taotxzen]

Is This America? Is This Separation of Church and State? And Who Set the IRS on Obama''s Church?


NEWS ANALYSIS%u2028by Christine Bowman

Surely one of the greatest things, and a defining characteristic of the United States of America in contrast to the rest of the world, is our Constitutionally guaranteed separation of church and state. It gives us the freedom to worship or not; it gives our political leaders the responsibility to work for all Americans, not just for their own religious camp; it gives the religious organizations the freedom to meet and speak and honor their unique spiritual traditions without fear of political interference. Right?

Wrong. At least, not lately, and not in certain cases.

(cont)