The Many Denials Of Mayor Bloomberg
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg should be taken at his word when he says he's not running for president. RIght? (AP)
What is Michael Bloomberg thinking?
It is tempting to take the New York Mayor, literally, at his word, especially when his statements seem so direct and to the point: "Nobody's going to elect me president of the United States," he told Dan Rather in an interview broadcast on Tuesday.
But wait. Less than a month earlier, his people quietly snatched up the website address www.mike2008.com. If you type that into a web browser, it automatically redirects you to www.mikebloomberg.com, his personal -- and very campaign-like -- Web site.
His earlier statements and actions have been equally contradictory. In the space of just a few days in June, he declared at the Google headquarters that "I'm not a candidate for president," only to bolt days later from the Republican Party to become an independent, stoking exactly the kind of speculation his Google comments were meant to tamp down.
So what's he up to? Most observers believe he's doing two things: First, he's avoiding the pitfalls of participating actively in a drawn-out White House campaign by fervently denying interest while leaving himself just enough wiggle room to change his mind later.
And second, he's sprinkling presidential pixie dust over all of his other actions and comments. As mayor of New York, he's pursuing an agenda involving guns, the environment and health care, and people are paying more attention to what he says because they think he might -- just might -- run for president in 2008.
In April of 2006, he told friends that he could "easily put up a half-billion" to run for president. Last month, he joked that the only way he could run for president was if "everyone else in the world was dead."
So which is it?
Both, it seems.
Below is a look at the statements -- and actions -- of non-candidate Bloomberg and his supporters.
-- Michael D. Shear
Posted at 6:30 AM ET on Aug 22, 2007
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Posted by: sfmandrew | August 25, 2007 10:13 AM
Re the above "The Washington Post" has covered me before.
Posted by: ruchopchop | August 23, 2007 3:16 PM
Re the above "The Washington Post" has covered me before.
Posted by: ruchopchop | August 23, 2007 3:16 PM
The domain registration research was poorly done or misguided. I should know firsthand-I did a bit of related business back in 2004 with Mayor Bloomberg's law firm (initinals W,F&G in NYC). Right at that point (as late as 2004 but I beleive December of 2003) I checked ownership on Mike2008.com and it was ALREADY registered to someone rleated to the Bloomberg organization. What the writer here may have seen is the date the web address was renewed or a change of ownership (which could mean something). However given the domain was registered no later than 2004 by Bloomberg's people (and it has been reported as long as 2 years ago by the New York Daily News) I don't think this indicates a Presidential run. Bloomberg is a straightshooter so when he vehemently denys something I would think his work is true. His last statements were pretty strong.
Posted by: ruchopchop | August 23, 2007 3:11 PM
Look at Mayor Bloomberg's record instead of engineering irrelevant gossip.
Posted by: amayasatt | August 23, 2007 1:10 PM
Consider the possibility that at the appropriate time a "totally unauthorized" but well-funded write-in campaign will be launched for Bloomberg in the New Hampshire Democratic primary...
My guess is that he would do quite well in that, if that campaign is properly run, which could position him properly if a deadlock ever occurs after the primaries which -- unlikely, of course -- results in more than one ballot at the nominating convention in Denver.
I do not believe he will run as an independent. He is bright enough, and a believer in key progressive (nee liberal) principles, not to run the risk of splitting the progressive vote and handing the election to the Republicans.
Posted by: wyona53 | August 22, 2007 2:20 PM
Dear mclaughj,
As opposed to Giuliani's quest for power? Obviously you feel that Rudy is not a power hungry ego maniac. Oh, I forgot, he loves his country and all the troops he's advocating having killed and maimed in Iraq.
Posted by: leider3676 | August 22, 2007 11:31 AM
Run Mike Run. Then we could well have three New York candidates: Giuliani, Hillary and Mike. Hillary and Bloomberg proceed to split the leftist vote and guess who is there to collect the electoral college votes of The Empire State? Yes, New York goes Republican for President. Giuliani's task becomes much easier as he picks up the South, Mountain West and is elected President. Run Mike Run and do your part to deny Hillary her quest for power.
Posted by: mclaughj | August 22, 2007 11:15 AM
He's playing the waiting game and, I suspect, hoping that the two parties pick extreme candidates leaving ground for him to run straight down the middle.
In a race between him, Clinton and Giuliani polling indicates that he already with no advertising at all and less political name recognition polls in the high teens. Throw $500m into the equation and he can afford to declare later as a consensus candidate, bulking that number up with airtime buys.
If he openly admits he's considering running now that narrows the race, forces both parties to move to the center to kill his campaign off and he won't be able to pull the consensus card.
It's far from a silly move - in fact I'd go so far as to say it's his best strategy to avoid declaring too early and shooting his own candidacy in the foot.
Posted by: 0207084b | August 22, 2007 10:32 AM
Candidates do this minuet routinely, and it is no big deal. What has Fred Thompson been doing?
I am no fan of Bloomberg, considering that he switched parties merely to run for NYC mayor. And switched again, with an eye to to 2008 campaign. However, inconsistencies in announcements of running/not-runing are hardly cause to criticize a candidate. We should look for more substantive policy positions. Such as McCain on Iraq/Iran war, Giuliani on Roe vs Wade, Romney on, well anything.
Posted by: pKrishna43 | August 22, 2007 9:51 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
He's not running. Get over it.