Mike Bloomberg Mulls Spending $1 Billion (With A B) of Own Fortune In 3rd-Party WH Run

One billion just to keep the Republicans from having any chance at all of taking the White House?

This guy could teach George Soros a thing or two about commitment.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is prepared to spend an unprecedented $1 billion of his own $5.8 billion personal fortune for a third-party presidential campaign, Ralph Z. Hallow will report Tuesday in The Washington Times.

"He has set aside $1 billion to go for it," a long-time business adviser to Mr. Bloomberg tells The Times. "The thinking about where it will come from and do we have it is over, and the answer is yes, we can do it."

...

"Mike has been meeting with Ross Perot's most senior people about how they did an independent run in 1992," the Bloomberg business adviser said.

Chuck "More Maverick Than McCain" Hagel suggests a third-party bid as well, and boosts Bloomberg's idea of running, suggesting a possible Bloomberg/Hagel ticket.

Though they made "no deals," Hagel says it's a "great" idea to consider a Hagel/Bloomberg or Bloomberg/Hagel bid.

I'm thinking Bloomberg won't spend one billion to be Vice President, though.

Now, does Hagel really think he can be elected, or does he simply think such a bid will guarantee a Democratic victory, which he sees as a net positive?

An NPR reporter notes that third-party bids rarely have any realistic chance of winning-- instead, they favor one or the other main-party candidates.

As Hagel has had nothing good to say about the Republican Party for going on at least ten years now, and now a word of criticism for the Democrats for almost as long, it really doesn't take a genius to figure out his rooting interest in all of this, now does it?

posted by Ace at 06:49 PM

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