What do you think of an Obama-Bloomberg ticket?

[oberliner]

What do folks think of that possibility?

From CBS News:

If the central doubt about Obama is his lack of experience (and, in particular, executive experience), Bloomberg would provide a degree of reassurance. Picking him would substantiate and reinforce Obama’s message of pragmatism and post-partisanship. And he would go a long way toward mitigating Obama’s problem with Jewish voters, a dilemma brought on by a combination of his association with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the nuthouse rumors that he is a closet Muslim, and his willingness to talk to anti-Israel crackpots such as Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/05/23/politics/horserace/entry4122871.shtml

[billyoc]

1. Bad idea. What's he going to bring, New York?

:rofl:

[oberliner]

17. Florida, perhaps

I think he'd be a big help there.

[billyoc]

22. I could see that. Better to pick Wexler from Florida, he could run in '16.

[BklynChick]

2. not gonna happen and I don't think it's a good ticket (Bloomberg's lack of foreign policy exp. among

other things).

[Window]

29. What BklynChick said.

[floridablue]

3. A Republifan w/no National campaign experience

Why do we keep wanting to put Republicans on the ticket? They would bring little, and we don't owe them anything. Find a candidate who involkes party loyalty so they will turn out and vote.

[Genevieve]

16. I don't want him either, but he never "really" was a

Repubulican.

He was a lifelong Dem. and switched to Repub. to get on the ticket for the mayor's position, and has now
formally become an Independant.

I like him, but I think he would be an awful choice.

[oberliner]

18. Bloomberg leaves Republican Party

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19317522/

[DramaOnHwy61]

27. turncoat. Next please?

[matcom]

4. I don't

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

5. I think a McCain/Bloomberg ticket is more likely

Let's find a Democrat for the other half of the Democratic ticket.
:hi:

[Hola]

9. If so

all Dems should rejoice. Bloomberg is very much pro-choice, pro-stem cells, anti-death penalty, anti-gun.

McCain already faces problems from GOP conservatives over these issues - if he's on McCains the ticket, they will sit this one out!

[cloudythescribbler]

40. and a progressive-leaning Democrat -- someone who NEVER supported the IWR while we're at it

[DramaOnHwy61]

6. Bad Idea. Think USA not Israel.

[polmaven]

12. Please explain ..

This looks pretty anti-Semitic to me. I hope I'm wrong.

[DramaOnHwy61]

15. please explain...

how a US president which puts US interests first could be "anti-Israel" let alone "anti-semitic".

[oberliner]

19. What does "Think USA Not Israel" have to do with Bloomberg as a VP choice?

What does that mean?

[DramaOnHwy61]

24. read the OP, and you'll understand. nt

[oberliner]

26. Obama is probably as pro-Israel as Bloomberg

Republican spin aside.

Here are Obama's actual words:

As President, I will do everything in my power to help Israel protect itself from these and other threats. I will make sure that Israel can defend itself from any attack, whether it comes from as close as Gaza or as far as Tehran. The defense cooperation between the United States and Israel has been a model of success, and I believe that it can be deepened and it can be strengthened.

[boobooday]

7. Hate it

I don't think Bloomberg brings anything to the ticket.

[Hola]

8. Excellent

Excellent choice, Bloomberg is very popular, not just in NYC, but across the nation.

Only problems - (1) Iraq War - Bloomberg originally supported it.
(2) Trade - Very much pro-free trade.

If the election is about Iraq - Bloomberg is not so good a choice
If it's about the Economy - Bloomberg is a good choice
If it's about post-partisanship - Bloomberg is an excellent choice

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. Gallup Poll - Jewish Voters: Obama 61%/McCain 32%

But no I'm sure an Obama/Bloomberg ticket is not going to happen.

1. New York is a safe Democratic state anyway

2. This would not help Sen. Obama with small town and midsize city voters

3. It would not help in his effort to carry Western, Southern or Border states.

4. It would only reenforce the "latte drinking" urbane elite image.

[oberliner]

21. Could help secure Florida

That might be a critical state.

[bullimiami]

11. not much.

[davidpdx]

13. I doubt it will happen

and I doubt Bloomberg would accept even if he were offered a chance. The truth is Bloomberg does very little to help Obama.

[LWolf]

14. No, thanks. n/t

[natrat]

20. i think an ethical conservative,if he or she exists,might be good

obviously no dlc or neocon

[endarkenment]

23. I think not.

I reject the theory that business experience is at all relevant to being president of the republic. Bloomberg re-assures who? Outside of NYC he is unknown. Bloomberg delivers the NYC votes, which are going to go 90% Obama anyway, to Obama. Bloomberg plays about as well to the same yahoos Clinton contends can't vote for the Black man as Obama does: they can't vote for the New York Jew either.

[oberliner]

28. I think there are some "Hillary, McCain, Obama" voters

(Voters who (for whatever reason) rank the candidates in the order indicated)

Bloomberg might edge them away from McCain and over to Obama.

[endarkenment]

38. So he brings 100,000 votes to the table?

Obama can do better than that. Clinton would bring more than that herself.

[Boz]

25. Bloomberg doesnt want the job, he supports any ticket that gets the job done and was leaning Hagel,

But I think the CW right now is Richardson, on a ton of fronts, but most notably about geography and the unusual map Obama is going to run, coupled with foreign and domestic experience, Richardson has solid working relations in washington, so a good blend of old washington and new clean leadership.

Richardson also has the personality to keep up with Obama.

[saltpoint]

30. As New York mayors go, I liked John Lindsay. He's no longer with us,

and considered in a line that includes Beame, Koch, and Giuliani, Bloomberg isn't that bad, but he only is mayor because he knew the path to the Democratic nomination for that job was blocked.

He made a better Republican than most Republicans, but his constituency was decidedly more liberal than most Republicans' districts, and now he's bolted the GOP to stand as an independent.

He's got lots of money.

He's sincere about public service but is also a big city politician, so you get the mix of expediency with ideology (moderate-or-so).

Obama has scores of great Democrats to choose from who will bring more to the table for both the November election and to governing after it.

Bloomberg isn't "vice presidential," exactly. He strikes me as a top-dog, board room executive-type ppragmatist not given to taking orders.

It's probably odd for Bloomberg, a capable politician, to look out the window and see John McCain, essentially a walking corpse, with the Republican nomination for president.

If Obama wanted to contend for Florida he might do better electorally with Bob Graham than with Bloomberg, as Graham still retains considerable support in the redder counties and would not lose any ground for Obama in the alread-bluer counties.

Bloomberg doesn't help Obama in states with significant Hispanic populations, where Bill Richardson, for example, almost certainly would.

Etc. Too many great Democrats are available to force consideration of Bloomberg for the ticket, IMO. Which isn't to say Obama won't make his decision on his own instincts and preferences; I'm only offering praise for existing and available Democratic choices instead.

[Toucano]

31. Republicans are not eligible.

No thank you.

[trof]

32. I like Obama-Bloomingdale's

We'd capture women's votes.
:rofl:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

33. Some of you O people sure do love suggesting a Repuke s for the VP

and then have the balls to call us Clinton Dems "repukes".....

amazing

[MilesColtrane]

34. I think it's a monumentally stupid idea, and that it would never happen in a million years.

[Skwmom]

35. Experience has run this country into the ground. Obama's VP will play a large role in DEFINING Obama

Bloomberg would help the GOP define Obama as just another politician and would severely damage the change message. Plus, I think someone like Bloomberg being a heartbeat away from the Presidency would inflame the Middle East. Do we really want to do that?

[Honeycombe8]

36. No. nt

[leeroysphitz]

37. It's gonna be Webb. n/t

[cloudythescribbler]

39. The top of the ticket is fine -- but Bloomberg? Lousy realpolitik, even worse in principle

I would be EXTREMELY disappointed in Obama if he were to pick Bloomberg, or ANYONE AS BAD AS BLOOMBERG to be on the ticket.

How about a woman who NEVER supported the Iraq War Resolution?

[PBS Poll-435]

41. ROFL - Overwhelming Democratic Year.....

And some want to pick a Republican as VP.

Classic.