Bloomberg: President? Or Kingmaker? Is he looking to broker a deal after a three-way election?

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: President? Or Kingmaker?
By PATRICK HEALY
Published: June 24, 2007

MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG of New York insisted yet again last week that he did not intend to run for president in 2008, even as he left the Republican Party to become an independent. Then, on Friday, he tweaked his language somewhat, simply saying, “I’m not going to be president.”

Which opens the door to a Swiftian modest proposal, one that might appeal to any billionaire independent presidential candidate who knows the art of a deal: Rather than try to win the White House outright — a long shot — an independent candidate could instead try for a king-making (or queen-making) bloc of votes in the Electoral College.

In doing so, a moneyed candidate like Mr. Bloomberg could advance his post-partisan national agenda — and gain a great deal of power — by introducing coalition politics to America’s system of government, through a power-sharing plan that catapults either the Republican or Democratic nominee to the presidency....

***

...instead of running a national campaign, the independent candidate strives to win the electoral votes of only a few states. This idea is a stretch by the conventional wisdom of American politics, of course. But before 2000 nobody dreamed the Supreme Court would decide a presidential election, either....(S)uppose an independent candidate with unlimited means carried New York in the general election on Nov. 5, 2008, winning a sharply divided vote among three home-state politicians (with Mrs. Clinton as the Democratic nominee and Rudolph W. Giuliani as the Republican). And suppose the Democratic and Republican nominees split the other 49 states and the District of Columbia in a way that left both just shy of an Electoral College majority (270 votes) without New York’s 31 votes.

With his king-making bloc of votes, an independent candidate could broker a deal with one of the candidates, European- or Israeli-style. Cabinet posts could be divvied up (say, Senator Chuck Hagel as defense secretary). Specific policies and spending commitments would be agreed to (say, plans for immigration and health care, two top national priorities for the mayor)....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/weekinreview/24healy.html

[DAMANgoldberg]

1. Wow...

with Bloomberg's money, and Arnold Schwarzenegger name recognition, it could happen, except it won't be NY but CA that could make this scenario happen. The powers that be could win here as well with divided government at the highest level.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Actually, this wouldn't be that bad--I have the feeling he would swing it

to the Dems. I just can't see him handing the election to whichever assclown the R's nominate--AND I don't think his policy/cabinet agenda would be too terrible--he seems pretty Democratic on domestic issues. If this is the worst that can happen, it's not something to worry about.

[Independent Democrat]

3. Correct me if I'm wrong....

But didn't Bloomberg himself say last week that he has absolutely no intention of running in 2008?

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Hi, Indy Dem -- welcome to DU! He does deny he's going to run...

as this self-described far-fetched article indicates. I've heard unconfirmed grapevine reports, however, that he's been thinking seriously about running for quite some time. I'm not sure anyone --maybe even he himself -- knows for sure!