Former NYC Mayor Bloomberg considering presidential run as independent, per report

His advisers and associates have said that was appalled by Donald J. Trump’s dominance of the Republican field, and concerned by Hillary Clinton’s stumbles and the rise of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont on the Democratic side. That sound you heard was campaign finance advocates across the land having heart attacks.

This is not the first time that Bloomberg has flirted with a presidential run. He repeatedly concluded that there was a limited constituency for his very NY combination of social liberalism, grumpiness and enthusiasm for plutocracy.

The billionaire former mayor of New York City has told close advisers to draw up plans for an independent campaign bid for the presidency, saying he would be willing to spend at least $1 billion on the effort, reports the New York Times, citing unnamed sources. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Democrats nominate Sen.

Bloomberg, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent, would likely try to carve a path up the middle to counter Trump’s popularity with the far right and Sanders’ with the far left.

The Times reported that Bloomberg commissioned a poll in December to test his chances in the general election and plans on conducting another poll after the New Hampshire primary in February.

This could serve as a moderate foil to Trump – he has also crafted an image as a businessman and problem-solver, but with bombastic rhetoric and a bigger focus on soundbites than on detailed policy plans.

So if Trump gets the GOP nomination and Bloomberg hops into the race too, then we’re gonna have two billionaires running for president against each other.