Mayor Mike Madness

I met Michael Bloomberg in the late ‘80s, when his company was gaining traction mainly because it provided high-powered analytics to bond traders. He was already a legendary figure, both for his prior success at Salomon Brothers and his willingness to roll the dice by starting a company that provided technical data on little yellow screens.

Unlike many moguls from that period, I still admire Michael Bloomberg and appreciate the job he’s done as Mayor of New York City. While the city isn’t run as tightly as it was under Giuliani – Subway panhandlers appeared almost overnight after Rudy left office – Bloomberg has been a solid steward. He’s done a great job with the finances and he’s been sensitive to the needs of the most vulnerable.

Nonetheless, what is Mayor Mike thinking?

Perhaps it’s just the hubris that comes with being a billionaire, or the myopia that comes with living in a bubble of constant praise and adulation, but from a real-world perspective, Bloomberg doesn’t have a chicken’s chance in a gator farm of becoming the next president.

Very simply, few people outside the tri-state area know who he is. And even if he’s able to get onto their radar screens, several important cards are stacked against him. He’s a Harvard MBA geek. He's a divorced bachelor. He's been sued for sexual harassment. He’s Jewish. He's switched parties twice. And he has no political experience on a national or international level.

Sure, as an Independent he might be able to avoid the primary process and wind up in debates with the Republican and Democratic nominees, but when it comes to charisma, Mike makes Hilary look like Princess Di. As a public speaker, he’s deadly dull.

I’d be happy for him to run since he would likely steal more votes from the Republicans than the Democrats in states where it mattered. But it would be a fantastic waste of time and effort. Maybe he’s trying to set the stage for a stronger run four or eight years from now, however he would still have significant hurdles to overcome.

It’s hard to imagine a greater insult to the intelligence of the voting public than term limits, and sadly, Bloomberg is prohibited from running for Mayor again. But I’m sure he can find other ways to contribute to public life once his office is up. Rather than spending a hundred and fifty million on a Presidential campaign, he might be better off investing the money in scholarships for disadvantaged teens. At least they would have a chance to succeed. His Presidential bid has none.

- JT Compton

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