Bloomberg Running Mate?

[yankeesfan]

Who would make a good running mate for Bloomberg?  My first thought would be woman and/or minority that is also a technocrat.

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

How about Jim Webb? It could bring Southern appeal.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Maybe Webb but I doubt it... Huntsman?

[Suburbia]

Huntsman or Heath Shuler. Shuler, a Southern Democrat, would help in the South. Shuler would be a draw with suburbanites, due to his college football career.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Evan Bayh. Midwestern appeal, popular moderate ex-Democrat.

[DS0816]

Who would make a good running mate for Bloomberg?  My first thought would be woman and/or minority that is also a technocrat.

How about a 32-ounce cup of his favorite soft-drink brand which is every bit plastic as Michael Bloomberg?

That 32-ounce cup of Michael Bloomberg's soft drink can debate Donald Trump's vice-presidential running mate, Sarah Palin.

[Mike Thick]

Who would make a good running mate for Bloomberg?  My first thought would be woman and/or minority that is also a technocrat.

How about a 32-ounce cup of his favorite soft-drink brand which is every bit plastic as Michael Bloomberg?

That 32-ounce cup of Michael Bloomberg's soft drink can debate Donald Trump's vice-presidential running mate, Sarah Palin.

And it would probably make more sense, too.

I think that maybe Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz would be a good pick: he's well-known but would probably accept an offer while Huntsman might turn it down, and he's fairly liberal like Bloomberg but also independent-minded.

[Mister Mets]

It seems like something up Webb's alley. It would showcase his independent bona fides.

It would end up being a ticket with two white guys in their 70s.

Huntsman also seems like a decent choice for an independent candidate, as a western Republican Governor who served in the Obama administration, but the son of a billionaire probably isn't the best fit for Bloomberg.

[Cobbler]

I feel like Bloomberg would choose someone like Huntsman (I could see Romney too, possibly).

[President Johnson]

Probably Huntsman or Webb. Or maybe even Chafee?

[The Other Castro]

Huntsman seems like a respected figure by both the left and the right. He'd be a good pick.

[Famous Mortimer]

Huntsman or Evan Bayh.

Webb is a gadfly at this point. None of you would be saying his name if not for his presidential campaign and his presidential campaign went horribly.

[Mister Mets]

Huntsman or Evan Bayh.

Webb is a gadfly at this point. None of you would be saying his name if not for his presidential campaign and his presidential campaign went horribly.

Jim Webb was a one-term war hero Senator from a key swing state who has bona fides from both parties (served in the Reagan administration, elected as a Democrat against the most prominent Republican in the state.) If he was interested in being on an independent ticket, he'd have been considered regardless of his presidential bid.

[This account no longer in use.]

Could Angus King be a potential running mate? He's a relatively moderate independent with experience as governor and senator.

[Kingpoleon]

Jim Webb, Jon Huntsman, Evan Bayh, and Angus King all have foreign policy experience. For an outsider, I'd suggest someone like Condoleezza Rice.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Huntsman or Evan Bayh.

Webb is a gadfly at this point. None of you would be saying his name if not for his presidential campaign and his presidential campaign went horribly.

Jim Webb was a one-term war hero Senator from a key swing state who has bona fides from both parties (served in the Reagan administration, elected as a Democrat against the most prominent Republican in the state.) If he was interested in being on an independent ticket, he'd have been considered regardless of his presidential bid.

True, although I think we can likely cross him out for Bloomberg. His pro-gun politics aren't likely to be a good match with the candidate.

[Simfan34]

I feel like Bloomberg would choose someone like Huntsman.

Literally my dream ticket.

[Seneca]

Could Angus King be a potential running mate? He's a relatively moderate independent with experience as governor and senator.

Not a bad shout. Bloomberg spent quite a bit of money on King in 2012, so they already have a relationship. And I'm sure Bloomberg would love to have a currently-serving US senator on his ticket, rather than washed-up has-beens like Huntsman or Bayh.

[IceSpear]

I feel like Bloomberg would choose someone like Huntsman.

Literally my dream ticket.

[Simfan34]

I feel like Bloomberg would choose someone like Huntsman.

Literally my dream ticket.

Ugh, could you possibly be more boring politically? What's next? You support "common sense reform"?

Hey, I live in New York and think Bloomberg was an excellent mayor, and you clearly weren't here for 2012. I shall always wear the badge of "Number One Huntsman Supporter" with pride!

Like I said, a dream ticket! I only hope if Bloomberg is willing to run in 2016, he would be willing to run again for Mayor in 2017 and get rid of the terrible de Blasio.

[Simfan34]

WalterMitty made a rather fantastical thread about a Gore/Bloomberg ticket, which doesn't strike me as a bright idea. Nor does the idea of Bloomie, great a man as he is, running (it wouldn't get anywhere), which would almost certainly only end with him being one or two or three billion dollars poorer (assuming that he funded the entirety of his campaign) but let's put the whole idea of "likelihood of happening" aside for a moment (as every candidate not named Hillary Clinton seems to have done anyway) and think about this question. If Michael Bloomberg were to mount a third party bid for the Presidency, who would be the best running mate for him?

Now, if I was asking who I would consider the most appealing running mate in this case (to be honest, I think that's a good part of why I'm asking in the first place), it would (obviously) be Jon Huntsman- I doubt I be more enthusiastic about a ticket than I would be for Bloomberg/Huntsman. But I (again, obviously) am nowhere near the average voter, so the question stands.

Considering that Bloomberg is an astronomically wealthy older white guy (if Jewish), I'm going to guess he'd be best off running with a person who presents a sharp contrast, so someone younger, ideally a woman and a minority. It'd also have to be someone actually willing to run as an independent- Susanna Martinez comes to mind, but I doubt she'd be willing to sign on. I could see Olympia Snowe doing it, but she's neither a minority, nor that much younger than Bloomberg. Condoleezza Rice seems like a good idea but also a bad idea, and I doubt she'd be willing anyway.

The real question is what constituency in this country has a hankering for mildly personalistic leadership and technocratic paternalism, if one can call it that. I certainly would be eager, but I'm not sure too many others would; if someone other than Hillary (and perhaps Gillibrand, I'd say) was the Democrats' candidate there might be something of an opening. Maybe if Bill Gates helped Bloomie out as he has been with other things he'd have more of a chance, but we'd be testing just how much impact money can have (and we'd be veering towards the scenario I present when I try to explain Thaksin's rise to power to people)... I did say we'd put that aside, though- so, thoughts?

[Maxwell]

Bayh makes the most sense to me - Bloomberg the ex-Pub and Bayh the ex-Dem.

[yankeesfan]

How about somebody like Cory Booker?

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/10/nyc-mayor-michael-bloombergs-1-million-bet-on-cory-booker/

[Lyin' Steve]

Trump

[RR1997]

I feel like Bloomberg would choose someone like Huntsman.

Literally my dream ticket.

You're not alone.

Bloomberg/Huntsman is too my absolute dream ticket.