Mike Bloomberg Changes Everything

Mike Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York, today renounced his membership in the Republican Party and registered as an Independent. Now, that doesn't mean he's running for President, but it does set him up for a Perot-Like run at an Independent candidacy. He's worth billions, and he can spend a billion dollars on this campaign and not even sweat it, and the guy is undeniably a genius.

For those of you wondering about his politics, I've done some research. There's a great website called "OnTheIssues.org" that analyzes candidates voting record in order to determine their overall stance on issues. Here's a basic Bloomberg rundown:

He's STAUNCHLY Pro-Choice and Pro-Gay Marriage.

He's STAUNCHLY Pro-Gun Control.

His stance on the War in Iraq is still unclear. He hasn't had to take a coherent position as Mayor of New York, so we'll have to wait and find out when and if he actually gets into the race. Stay tuned for updates.

On taxes, Bloomberg is fairly liberal, especially for a rich guy. He raised Property Taxes 18% as Mayor in order to balance the budget. He favors increases in spending for programs like Education, Health Care, and Defense. His positions aren't AS clear as they are on some other social issues, however.

Overall, I think we can safely call Bloomberg a moderate, but a social liberal. I've got to emphasize that he's not in the race yet, and at this point I must agree with the majority of the Pundits that Bloomberg will wait until the two parties have their nominees in place before deciding what to do.

If the nominees are really split to the left and right, along the lines of Obama and Thompson, look for Bloomberg to get in. If it's Hillary and Rudy, forget it, there's no room in that race for an independent, especially since that would mean three New Yorkers in the same race.

In any case, I love the idea of an independent candidacy whether or not I end up voting for Bloomberg. I've often said that what this country needs is the end of the two-party system. We need to go to more of a European system, where multiple parties more fully represent nuanced views and a variety of possible positions. No matter what ends up happening, this is a step in the right direction.