Bloomberg eyeing independent White House bid

The New York Times and the Washington Post report that Bloomberg will run if the “conditions are right” in March 2016 after the initial primaries of the GOP and the Democratic Party are over.

But another source close to Bloomberg said internal polling found that he would theoretically take away more Republican votes from Trump or Cruz than Democratic votes from Sanders. According to sources close to the politician and media mogul, he “sees the Republican and Democratic presidential races as becoming increasingly polarized, and neither fits Bloomberg’s views”.

His potential run was reported earlier Saturday by the New York Times.NYT 3.24 % .

Sources who spoke anonymously to the New York Times, say Bloomberg is willing to spend at least $1 billion of his personal fortune on a potential campaign.

NHGOP Chairwoman Jennifer Horn said that if Bloomberg does become a general election candidate, he would hurt the Democratic nominee more than the Republican. The former NY mayor has flirted with presidential politics in the past without following through but with the Democrats in disarray it seems he’s preparing a late run for the White House.

“If Hillary wins the nomination, Hillary is mainstream enough that Mike would have no chance, and Mike’s not going to go on a suicide mission”, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Clinton ally and friend to Bloomberg, told the Times.

Bloomberg earned 13 percent support when facing a hypothetical three-way race against Clinton and Trump, according to a poll of 4,060 registered voters conducted January 14-17 by Morning Consult. His Independent political party affiliation is a new brand for him as he was a lifelong Democrat before deciding to run for mayorship of New York City.

While the prospect of Bloomberg launching a third-party presidential campaign has been speculated about for years, he’s largely unknown to many Americans and would be entering the race well after his rivals started introducing themselves to voters.

He took office less than four months after NY was traumatized by the attacks of September 11, 2001, pledging that the city would remain “safe, strong, open for business and ready to lead the world in the 21st century”. “The fact is Hillary Clinton is behind in Iowa and New Hampshire”. His more conservative record on policing, as well as his background on Wall Street, could prevent him from picking up crucial support among some Democrats.