"An Independent Bloomberg Candidacy Will Hurt Democrats"

So said WTOP's (DC Newzradio) and WTWP's (Washington Post Radio) political analyst, Mark Plotkin on the air today. His rationale was manifold.

He is moderate to liberal on social issues, particularly those of greatest import to the Democratic voter.

He is fiscally conservative, but in a more Democratic than Republican way (whatever that means).

He isn't a 'real Republican', having changed party simply to get on a major party ballot in NYC.

He will be more attractive to crossover Republican voters and moderate Democrats than will genuine Democrats.

The piece I heard was short, but this pretty much sums it up.

Comments?

(Note: I am NOT espousing a Bloomberg candidacy)

Mark Plotkin's bio, in case you've never heard of him: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/wtwpradio/bio/mark_plotkin.html

I listen to his reports on WTOP all the time...on DC politics, which was his old beat at WAMU, he is fairly good. At 'TOP he tries to discuss Maryland, Virginia, and National politics...and you can tell he is really over his head. At times it sounds like he is just combing the papers that morning and rephrasing them for his report.

DLC candidate.

Any votes he picks up from Independents he loses on the wingnut side. He loses about 50% of the GOP vote for being a liberal.

it depends on who he runs with, whether that person is conservative or Democrat.

Bloomberg will be the most optimistic candidate since Reagan. Oddly, during a surge of liberal affiliation in the electorate, the Democrats will probably run very close to the center and genuine third way social-democrat could clobber them from the left. The Democrats and the gun nuts should never have pissed this guy off. The first Jewish president. Think about it, all the urban votes+ almost all of the suburban votes from coast to coast against any white Dem. The popular billionaire can run to the left of the Democratic nominee on all the issues that matter and still get more Independent votes than a 'bluedog" psuedo LIEbertarian Dem or a DLC Dem. Against PuKKKES, I bet he would do well against Romney or western Republicans. I can see him winning every blue state + Florida, New Hampshire, and Ohio.

I'm pretty much a one issue voter, I say follow the guns and you'll find a bunch of really bad guys like Cheney, Norquist, Cunningham, Zell Miller, American Enterprise Institute, ad nauseum.

described as effeminate. Not sure if he has any charisma. Money can't buy that. He has some allegations of sexual harassment in his past, no Washington legislative experience, no foreign policy or military experience. So he definitely has weaknesses--I'm assuming he'll hurt Dems more because he seems more like a Dem, but it could be that he doesn't hurt either party appreciably.

edit to add--if he runs with Hagel, though, it's a different ball game.

Something Americans desperately long for.

COULD be a threat, and I don't think the GOPers are going to take the primary hit--we will. It depends on how he campaigns.

he is ready to commit 1/2 to 1 billion of his own money. I think if he runs he may win.

Bloomberg has the resources to go around all the need to be nominated as a Republican. Beside's the "brand" image of Republicans is at an all time nadir, the PuKKKe nomination is a boobie prize. The Democrats have had a zillion dollars of negative advertising combined with a hostile media thrown at them for a generation and would be vulnerable to an actual third way liberal with unlimited resources. That's why he has the opportunity to inspire people like Sarkozy, Bill Clinton or Reagan. Democrats keep taking urban voters for granted at their own peril.

NYC leans further to the left than most major cities; barring maybe San Francisco.

Mayor Mike Bloomberg has an incredibly high approval rating with Democrats in his city.

If Bloomberg is up against whoever the Rethugs elect as their nominee, why on earth would they vote for an extremely moderate Republican (one time Democrat) than for their own nominee?

It wasn't Republicans that ensured his victory in NYC.

If anyone is chomping at the bit to keep him out of the race, it's the junior senator from NYC in my opinion.

A Bloomberg/Hagel ticket is what Republicans are hoping for ---> ... but not because they would vote for them.

tech savvy, female and someone close to Bill Gates.