If this guy fucks it up for ClintonObamaEdwardsGore, I'm going to hurl myself off a bridge. The polls say GOP gets hurt more, but... I am concerned.

-T

Second, he has been a real leader for some seriously liberal initiatives in New York. He has built 100's of thousands of units of low-income housing, and is conducting the most
ambitious re-zoning of the city's land in 50 years. He balanced the NYC budget (no small task EVER, and especially hard after 9/11), he has proposed the most far-reaching environmental regulations of ANY American city, and he has engaged in good faith (albeit flawed) negotiations with unions.

Finally, the guy has gone on record REPEATEDLY supporting abortion rights, gay rights, immigrants' rights, and gun control. Of the major candidates, only John Edwards has a record that far to the left, and don't forget, Edwards voted for the war.

I generally like Obama, and can tolerate Hilary, though barely. But if Bloomberg runs, and if you really want to vote for the most liberal, environmentally savvy, pro-gay, pro-civil liberties, pro-social programs candidate, it's gotta be Bloomberg.

Just saying.

If he is as awesome and progressive as you say, but *not* running as a Dem, then he will just split the sane vote and give the election to those who hear voices and think 9/11 was part of biblically prophesized end times.

30% of the electorate will vote Democrat no matter what, especially when faced with a former-Republican of any stripe, and 40% will vote Republican because God tells them to. Even if *all* of the remainder vote for Bloomberg, we still get four more years of shit.

Perhaps it's time for me to go become a Republican and try to get the least apeshit candidate endorsed (umm... let's see... McCain?) since that person will be elected if Bloomberg catches on.

But don't panic just yet. He's one of the country's most successful businessmen and he's as progressive as mainstream politicians come. I think he will do more good than harm if he runs.