CNN:
After some six years as a Republican, the 65-year-old former CEO announced Tuesday that he has left the Republican Party and become unaffiliated in what many believe could be a step toward entering the 2008 race for president.
Bloomberg has fueled those notions with increasing out-of-state travel, greater focus on national issues and repeated criticism of partisan politics, all the while vowing to leave public office at the end of his term in 2009.
Now, undoubtedly, some liberals here at Daily Kos will immediately start toying with the idea of a Bloomberg candidacy. They will stop short of supporting him, but the flirtations will be obvious.
Why, you say?
Well, because Bloomberg is, or was, a Renegade Republican. He supports gay marriage, abortion rights, gun control and stem cell research. He has even raised taxes to balance the city budget.
And recently, in partnership with former Vice President Gore, he announced a plan to make all of New York City's cabs hybrids by 2011. Indeed, he has been a leader on the environment.
But...
But [Bloomberg] never seemed willing to part with the GOP completely, raising money for the 2004 presidential convention and contributing money to Bush and other Republican candidates.
Just last year, he told a group of Manhattan Republicans about his run for mayor: "I couldn't be prouder to run on the Republican ticket and be a Republican."
Now, many in this community have long memories, as well you should. You will never let Edwards forget his 2002 vote on the IWR, even though he has apologized for it. Same for Hillary, because she hasn't apologized as yet. Some remember Markos' every perceived transgression towards them. Some demand purity of all Democrats, and raise holy hell over one disagreement.
Some consider a DLC connection to be the kiss of death.
So how could you flirt with a former Republican, who begged the RNC to have its convention in his city, who was recently proud of President Bush and the party, and who worked with and contributed money towards the 2004 W campaign?
I may be paranoid, but I guarantee some liberals will flock to his campaign, as they did to Ron Paul's. And the more this occurs, the more I lose respect for our side, for how weak can we be if we are always tempted by the free agents of the other side. Make no mistake, that is all Bloomberg is, a free agent. His net worth is $5 billion, and he can buy any office he wants, and he has done so. He may yet try to buy the biggest office of them all. Indeed, his desire to gain office is his only principle. Bloomberg was a life long Democrat, but he wanted to be Mayor of New York City. He did not want to suffer through a crowded Democratic Primary, so he left the party, and became a Republican, in 2001, during the Bush era!!! He is nothing more than a traitorous free agent who can only get elected with our support.
I pray supposedly principled liberals are really not that weak and foolish to support him.
UPDATE Many of you are confused by the poll as you are in a primary race mindset, and of course I screwed it up by not being clear. The poll should read "If the final nominees are as follows, who do you vote for?" Since many of you have voted other but said you will vote Democratic, even if the final nominee is Clinton-Obama, just ignore it. I cannot delete or edit the poll.
UPDATE 2 Some of the commenters note that Bloomberg supported Lieberman in 2006. Further, while Bloomberg supported the Iraq War, and indeed justified it because of September 11th. During the 2004 RNC Convention in NYC, he showed his committment to the Bill of Rights by establishing "Free Speech Zones!" And of course he put liberal protestors under surveillance before, during and after the convention.
If a Liberal is so dissatisfied with Hillary Clinton or the rest of the Democratic candidates that they will consider voting for Bloomberg (who is worse on all the issues that make them dissatisfied with Hillary and the rest of the field), then yes, that liberal is a hypocritical idiot.