Bloomberg launches a trial balloon

[Wrong Element]

I was actually expecting this a few months ago, but I put it on my mental backburner when there was no activity. But nearing the deadline for when one could plausibly start an independent campaign (I seem to recall it was early 1992 when Perot began chatting about being a candidate), here he comes:


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/24/nyregion/bloomberg-sensing-an-opening-revisits-a-potential-white-house-run.html?_r=0

This would be just complete chaos, especially since this could likewise open the door for the "establishment GOP" to run its own candidate as an "independent" in lieu of Trump. If the election somehow went to the House (see the 12th Amendment), the Republicans would have it locked up, but they would certainly want to be able to choose someone other than Trump or two liberals.

But Bloomberg getting into the race would also make it much, much more likely that Trump could win outright. Bloomberg's only liberal positions are on the social issues that 99% of Jewish New Yorkers are in agreement on, but that alone would make it impossible for him to win any conservative votes.

I don't see how he could win, which means I suspect he will decide against it. Of course, I didn't think he could be elected mayor of New York either.

 

[Iceprincess12]

I like balloons

Helium gives me a headache though!

 

[NOIRTRASH]

The GOP and Democrats don't yet get how pissed off white America is. We still make up 75% of the population, and got fucked since Obama took office. And plenty of blacks aren't happy, either, and got bigger fish to fry than the silly Oscars.

Trump's appeal is simple: Folks believe he'll fuck a different part of America than regular people.

By April I expect we'll know which way the cat jumped. My crystal ball says Biden comes into the game to stop Trump.

 

[sr71plt]

The white population you're talking about is much smaller than that and many of them are in prison anyway. Most of the rest are too lazy to do more than mouth off in front of their computers. If they vote, it will be the first time, and they'll be too dumb to figure out that you have to actually register first.

 

[IrezumiKiss]

This late in the game and with the odds? He's bored and looking for shit to do.

Stupid that he's not going to do something more productive with his money, but...it's his money.

 

[Aglaopheme]

Don't have time to look now, maybe the article mentions just how many states he'll be unable to get on the ballot at this time?

 

[RUlookingup]

Don't have time to look now, maybe the article mentions just how many states he'll be unable to get on the ballot at this time?

Fuck Bloomberg. Go count your money you Boston transplant douchebag. Go buy another election.

 

[Liar]

Fuck Bloomberg. Go count your money you Boston transplant douchebag. Go buy another election.

Um... that's what he's thinking of doing, innit? Don't encourage him.

 

[RUlookingup]

Um... that's what he's thinking of doing, innit? Don't encourage him.

Nobody would vote for this smarmy weasel named Bloomberg.

 

[Wrong Element]

The GOP and Democrats don't yet get how pissed off white America is. We still make up 75% of the population, and got fucked since Obama took office.

I can fill up my car for $20 and get change back. Yeah, I'm really fucked.


Outside of the deep South, white people don't vote as a bloc and never have.

Don't have time to look now, maybe the article mentions just how many states he'll be unable to get on the ballot at this time?

It didn't really come up. The implication was that he would only consider it if it looked like Sanders might be the Democratic nominee (since Bernie as President might cause Bloomberg and all his friends to drop dead on the spot), or if Hillary appeared to be fatally flawed as a general election candidate.

 

[JackLuis]

What!
Another split in the Rethuglican Party!

I sense a 'brokered' convention will result and the men in 'the smoke filled room' will come up with someone more to their liking.

 

[Hypoxia]

What!
Another split in the Rethuglican Party!

I sense a 'brokered' convention will result and the men in 'the smoke filled room' will come up with someone more to their liking.

Bloomberg ain't really GOPish but yes, he'll make things fun if he runs. And yes, I see a brokered con, with Ryan the establishment favorite. Bern or Hil would dismantle him in debate -- yes, much fun. Start the popcorn machine.

 

[JackLuis]

Bloomberg ain't really GOPish but yes, he'll make things fun if he runs. And yes, I see a brokered con, with Ryan the establishment favorite. Bern or Hil would dismantle him in debate -- yes, much fun. Start the popcorn machine.

Oh yeah, Ryan! Well he's got the ears for it.

A Ryan v Bernie debate would be awesome!

 

[Wrong Element]

What!
Another split in the Rethuglican Party!

I sense a 'brokered' convention will result and the men in 'the smoke filled room' will come up with someone more to their liking.

Bloomberg ain't really GOPish but yes, he'll make things fun if he runs. And yes, I see a brokered con, with Ryan the establishment favorite. Bern or Hil would dismantle him in debate -- yes, much fun. Start the popcorn machine.

It's always easy to come up with brokered convention scenarios in January, but there's a good reason we haven't had one since primaries became the main way of choosing party nominees. The backlash to not choosing the guy who won the most delegates in the primaries would be infinitely larger than it was in the "smoke-filled rooms" era of conventions.

To get a brokered convention on the Republican side, you'd need to have at least three viable candidates surviving deep into the process. But if nobody other than Cruz or Trump finishes either first or second in Iowa and New Hampshire, I'm not sure that's going to be possible.

 

[Sean Renaud]

It's been more than 60 years since the last brokered convention, it's not happening folks. I don't personally have a problem with having one if for no other reason than academic but I doubt one would fly these days especially within the Republican Party. I mean half the argument for Trump centers around him not being the establishment pick so I can't see any positive coming out of a brokered convention for anybody. Either the establishment picks him and he loses that merit (possibly, he could play it as I finally whipped this bastards and they know their place but something about dogs, fear and biting you when you let your guard down comes to mind) or they go against him and his followers go all Tea Party on us. . .again. So I would expect the establishment on that side to find a way to avoid that fight.

On the left I don't think it would be nearly as destructive but would have a similar effect. Either Bernie got everybody to back him and he'd need to be wary of the establishment (but less soo than Trump) or Hillary would win. But I think most Bernie Suppporters still don't expect him to win and are already prepped to fall in line with the Establishment not burn the house down.

 

[BotanyBoy]

But I think most Bernie Suppporters still don't expect him to win and are already prepped to fall in line with the Establishment not burn the house down.

I think Sanders making into office in and of itself would burn the house down.

At a bare minimum 4 more years of totally broken government where the GOP just exists to make the government broken.

Honestly I think they would freak shit......a self proclaimed socialist in the WH? The south will try and leave. Hopefully they do, and hopefully we let them go.

 

[Sean Renaud]

I think Sanders making into office in and of itself would burn the house down.

At a bare minimum 4 more years of totally broken government where the GOP just exists to make the government broken.

Honestly I think they would freak shit......a self proclaimed socialist in the WH? The south will try and leave. Hopefully they do, and hopefully we let them go.

Okay, fair enough. In this case I mean they aren't planning to give the election to Republicans if Bernie doesn't win because he was never expected to win

Realistically yeah we're talking 4 more years of broken government if he wins. We're talking Cats and Dogs lying together, Sunni and Shia joining hands and celebrating Kwanzakah with bacon wrapped shrimp and Batman vs Wolverine a nine part series where Harry Potter get the One Ring and saves Equestria from Shao Khan.

 

[Aglaopheme]

It didn't really come up. The implication was that he would only consider it if it looked like Sanders might be the Democratic nominee (since Bernie as President might cause Bloomberg and all his friends to drop dead on the spot), or if Hillary appeared to be fatally flawed as a general election candidate.

I had to look it up. A third party candidate has until March to get on the November ballot.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Okay, fair enough. In this case I mean they aren't planning to give the election to Republicans if Bernie doesn't win because he was never expected to win

Realistically yeah we're talking 4 more years of broken government if he wins. We're talking Cats and Dogs lying together, Sunni and Shia joining hands and celebrating Kwanzakah with bacon wrapped shrimp and Batman vs Wolverine a nine part series where Harry Potter get the One Ring and saves Equestria from Shao Khan.

That, in my mind, could be one of the most epic paintings ever.

I wish I could get a print....it would go well with
https://img0.etsystatic.com/010/0/6230905/il_fullxfull.434017298_8drs.jpg

 

[Hypoxia]

Saw a DAILY BEAST piece suggesting Bloomburg expects Hillary to be indicted, opening a path for him. He can't really run against her because he'd only be a Nader-like spoiler giving the election to Crump (Cruz or Tromp). If Bernie kicks ass in primaries or Hil faces charges then MB has a chance. I'll bet he buys some interesting ads.

 

[Wrong Element]

Saw a DAILY BEAST piece suggesting Bloomburg expects Hillary to be indicted, opening a path for him. He can't really run against her because he'd only be a Nader-like spoiler giving the election to Crump (Cruz or Tromp). If Bernie kicks ass in primaries or Hil faces charges then MB has a chance. I'll bet he buys some interesting ads.

My guess is that in this scenario, he'd count on being treated as the de facto Democratic nominee, since there would be no way to get the party's actual nomination at such a late date.

There's recent precedent for this working at the Senate level, when Connecticut Republicans decided to abandon their official nominee in 2006 in favor of "independent" Joe Lieberman, who had been denied renomination by the Democrats because of his insanity on the war. But for that to happen in the presidential race, Bloomberg would have to not only inherit all of Hillary's would-be supporters, he'd have to convince Sanders's people to mostly jump ship too -- and considering Bernie would be the actual Democratic nominee by then, and his people are going to be less likely than most to be swayed by an advertising blitz from a billionaire, that doesn't seem at all plausible.

 

[Aglaopheme]

Here's the article.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/25/is-bloomberg-betting-hillary-gets-indicted.html

 

[dan_c00000]

The GOP and Democrats don't yet get how pissed off white America is. We still make up 75% of the population, and got fucked since Obama took office. And plenty of blacks aren't happy, either, and got bigger fish to fry than the silly Oscars.

Trump's appeal is simple: Folks believe he'll fuck a different part of America than regular people.

By April I expect we'll know which way the cat jumped. My crystal ball says Biden comes into the game to stop Trump.

Who's we? Do you think black people or any minorities are really going to vote for Trump? You're fucking delusional.

 

[IrezumiKiss]

Who's we? Do you think black people or any minorities are really going to vote for Trump? You're fucking delusional.

A very select low-informational few might, but I wouldn't put any legit stock into that shitstain's assumptions of black people's mores or anyone else outside of his chicken coop universe.

 

[renard_ruse]

If it comes down to scum like Bloomberg, or Kaisich, or the rest of these types of scum vs. Clinton or Sanders, and Trump appears to have no chance (hypothetically), I'll donate and even volunteer for Clinton or Sanders.

We have to send a message to these sorts of self-styled "moderate" scum, that they are NOT wanted. They are the worst scum, worse than liberals. There is nothing "moderate" about them. They are generally wrong on everything and the worst possible choice.