Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the You rang? Oh... never mind.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the Fascinating theoretical, but it will never happen. Edit: In this election, anyway. There's a long, long way to go before an independent is a threat to win several states.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the Not gonna happen. The only way Bloomberg wins several or more states is if his campaign chugs along with very good favorability numbers and showing 10+ percent of the vote in a three way race, the Democratic nominee tanks so badly between the primaries and the convention that the nominee is forced to step aside, Gore refuses to take up the mantle and run, and the Democrats then draft Bloomberg into the race. Bloomberg as the Democratic nominee would probably win the Presidency. Not a likely scenario at all, but more possible than mere fantasy. At this point my hope is mostly that Bloomberg uses the threat to run as a way to help set the tone of the debate and force the major party candidates to substantively deal with issues that he's willing to talk about. God knows the debates and political ads won't ever involve any actual debate or substantive issues unless the candidates are dragged to reality kicking and screaming by outside forces.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the Bloomberg is one of those isolated city politicians, surrounded by clucking yesmen and totally convinced of his broad appeal. Once he ventures out of the cozy confines of New York to find most people questioning who the hell he is he'll swim back to the little pond to puff his chest out like a big fish again. Reminds me of another New Yorker but I doubt Bloomberg lives with his mother.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the "Clucking yesmen." I like that. I do agree that Bloomberg is unlikely to win the Presidency. I think that he, like many financially successful people, has a much higher opinion of himself than is warranted. (Wealth, and particularly self-made wealth can be an indication of admirable qualities, but it is equally likely to lead to arrogance, separation from reality, and other unflattering qualities.) Nevertheless, if he serves as a moderating influence on the GOP, which has recently become something of a self-parody, then he'll have performed a valuable service to the nation.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the Not that I disagree terribly much with your feelings on Bloomberg, but people said the exact same thing about Ross Perot in 1992.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the How would he do that? Bloomberg never was a Republican and never had appeal to Republicans. Excepting the Gestapo effort at the Republican National Convention, he governed as mayor as a mainstream Democrat with independent tendencies. He never raised money for the national Republican party, never supported Bush, never did any of the things that would mark him as even a liberal Republican. All "Republican" was to him was a ballot access line, and Republicans know it. There's no reason for Bloomberg to have any more influence over the Republican party than does Al Gore.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the If the Democratic nominee is wishywashy on Iraq there would be room for a candidate who's platform on the war would involve getting out. 70% of the country want out of Iraq and if the Dems take that section of the party for granted and nominate someone like Hillary, maybe Bloomberg makes the move. I don't really know his stance on Iraq though.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the Yes, ehrie, Bloomberg supports banning transfats in Iraq.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the If there is a groundswell of interest in his positions -- and I've suggested a slate of ten in this thread -- then the political parties will react accordingly. Even Republicans will find their right-wing fantasies more difficult to sustain if Bloomberg's platform were to serve as a magnet for the more sensible members of the American electorate.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the Liet's point is a good one... on the problems with the current crop of ballot access laws. Hmm... Regardless of Bloomberg's appeal (I don't think he's got much, but a billion bucks can buy a lot of airtime... or just a few stations!), the problem presented doesn't actually exist. The solution, like the problem, is spelled out in the 12th amendment. If the House doesn't choose a President by March 4th (January 21st now?), the chosen Vice President becomes President. Though it's unlikely to happen, I wonder what would happen if there were two 3rd party candidates getting an equal, nonzero, majority-breaking number of electoral votes... The 12th amendment says the House can only vote on the top 3 electoral vote candidates.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the Rudy vs. Michael... yes, that would be interesting
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the I think Bloomberg's appeal is being waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay over-estimated. I'd be surprised if more than 10% of Americans had any idea whatsoever who he is. He doesn't have nearly the name recognition that either Ross Perot or Ralph Nader, two more prominent third party candidates, had in recent elections.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the I don't think anyone's really estimating Bloomberg's current appeal per se, just the likely appeal of a center-left anti-war independent candidate for president who doesn't have a lot of baggage and who has the money to get out whatever message he wants. I think people are somewhat overestimating that appeal, but that's another story.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the Perot wasn't well known either until he took a 'Featured Performer' role on Larry King Live.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the There's quite the interesting editorial somewhere about how money isn't as important as people make it out to be. I'll be damned if I remember where it is. One should save such things.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the Perot was an unknown to the majority of people before he ran. Bloomberg being unknown (outside NYC) is actually an advantage as well, because he can cast himself in whatever light he wants, just like Perot did with his "run gov't like a business" campaign. I think people are underestimating the possible appeal he can hold to the electorate at large. People didn't vote for Perot because they liked him, they voted for the message he brought, and Bloomberg could hold vast appeal as a 3rd party candidate to those that are disgusted with both parties, again, just like Perot did. Yea, Bloomberg has his record in NYC to defend against, but he also has his record of success in business to prop him up as well.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the As far as record goes, Bloomberg has the same political experience on paper as Giuliani, and his business experience matches well with Giuliani's prosecutorial experience. Only difference is Bloomberg was more successful in his chosen endeavors before being mayor, and much more successful as mayor. If Giuliani can run on his record then record should be a big plus for Bloomberg. The thing is, Giuliani isn't really running on his record but rather on manufactured 9/11 mystique that has almost nothing to do with his actual record.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the I long for the day when we'll throw off the chains of the two major corrupted parties.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the All irrelevent now. Bloomberg said today he is NOT running for President.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the So did Perot, in June of '92.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the And Hillary said the same thing for years. Misdirecting your opponents until you are ready is what the games about...
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the True, but that was when he dropped out of the race. Since Perot already had an organization, he was able to rejoin the race later.
Re: Electoral Chaos: How Bloomberg Could Deadlock Both the Electoral College and the I don't think any of the existing field of candidates are truly worried about a Bloomberg candidacy. But, since he's distanced himself from the Republicans of late, I think it would be more worrisome for the Democrats if he mounted a campaign.
