Live from New York, it’s the presidential race!
Michael Bloomberg’s latest flirtation with a run for the Oval Office gives an added dimension to those “New York values.” If the former mayor joins Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Brooklyn-born Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz would have an even richer target for his Gotham bashing.
Hometown congestion is only one of the reasons Bloomy is unlikely to throw his wallet in the ring. The main one is that he’s too smart to go on a fool’s errand.
He won’t run if he can’t win, and anybody who sells him a vision of victory is suffering hallucinations or looking for a payday. Especially fanciful is the idea that he could run as an independent at this point and win the Electoral College.
Consider that the last significant third-party candidate, Ross Perot in 1992, won 19 percent of the popular vote, but not a single state and no electoral votes.
Bloomberg was a very good mayor in many ways, and the city became a far better place thanks to his vision. Although his political instincts are liberal, his pragmatic approach to crime, jobs, terrorism and welfare produced a strong record that unfortunately doesn’t fit well with either party nationally.
To continue reading Michael Goodwin's column in the New York Post, click here.
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