New York City Mayor

The Surge Of Michael Bloomberg For The Democratic Presidential Nomination

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Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has spent more than $300 million in his quest to be the Democratic Presidential nominee, without participating in any debates, shaking hands and speaking to citizens, or being interviewed by news media.

Can a billionaire, worth $55-$60 billion buy the Presidency is the issue. Bloomberg has surged in recent polls, to be considered as a serious possibility for the Presidential nomination of the Democratic Party.

There is no debate that Bloomberg, while he has shortcomings, actually proved to be quite a good Mayor of New York City for 12 years, from 2002-2014. It is, arguably, the second most difficult government job in America after the Presidency.

He has apologized for his “stop and frisk” policies toward minorities in New York City, and suddenly, there are hints that minorities, particularly African Americans, may be moving toward him, as the sense grows that former Vice President Joe Biden is faltering.

It seems likely that Bloomberg will be participating in the next Democratic Presidential debate in Las Vegas. Nevada, on Wednesday February 19, sponsored by NBC News, since the Democratic National Committee has changed its qualification rules.

There are mixed feelings about Bloomberg, but the fact that he has pledged to spend his money on defeating Donald Trump, even if Bloomberg is NOT the Democratic nominee, makes it a quandary for many Democrats, including this author and blogger.

Michael Bloomberg Makes It Official, But Does He Have Any Chance To Be The Democratic Nominee? NO!

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Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg made it official finally, that he is running for President.

Worth $53 billion, the 8th wealthiest person in America, Bloomberg has begun a campaign where he expects to spend $37 million on ads immediately in the next few weeks, more than all of the other Democratic contenders combined.

Bloomberg is passing the Iowa Caucuses, New Hampshire Primary, Nevada Caucuses, and South Carolina Primary, and putting all of his emphasis on Super Tuesday, March 3, when fourteen states have caucuses and primaries, including the major states of California, Texas, Tennessee, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Virginia as the major states on that day.

Bloomberg will not be participating in any Democratic debates, or so it seems, as he does not register in the polls, and is unlikely to gain enough public support to qualify.

He is betting on his fame and public persona to take him to the Presidency, a highly arrogant and egotistical way of seeking the White House.

While he can be proud of some aspects of his 12 years of government experience governing the largest city in the nation, often called the second most difficult job in America, some of his policies were highly controversial.

Additionally, the fact that he is Jewish will make him a target of white supremacists, and the fact of his magnificent wealth turns most people off, as they do not wish to replace one supposed billionaire with a more qualified, but even much wealthier billionaire.

If somehow Bloomberg goes all the way to the Democratic nomination for President, he probably would have a better than even chance to be elected, but being nominated seems a very long shot, not worth betting one’s income or fortune!

11 Democrats, Non-Southerners, Who Became Republicans Over The Past Half Century

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It is a well known phenomenon that a massive number of Southern Democratic politicians switched to the Republican Party in the years and decades after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 under the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson.

But it would be instructive to trace those Democrats, in their younger days, who were not Southerners, who made the switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.

Following is a list of the more prominent such examples, numbering eleven.

In the early 1960s, actor Ronald Reagan, who had been a liberal Democrat and union leader in his younger days, became a Republican, influenced by his wife Nancy’s father, and soon was recruited by Southern California businessmen to run for Governor, and that was the beginning of an amazing transformation in views.

Donald Trump originally was a Democrat, and contributed to New York City and State Democrats, became an Independent, then went back to the Democrats, and finally allied himself with the Republican Party in 2011 and after.

Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City, started off as a Democrat, and worked for the Robert F. Kennedy campaign in 1968, and voted for the 1972 Democratic Presidential nominee, Senator George McGovern, before becoming an Independent, and then a Republican.

Elizabeth Dole was a Democrat who worked for Lyndon B. Johnson, but later became a Republican in 1975, married Senator Bob Dole, and was a cabinet member twice, sought the Presidential nomination herself, and then was a Senator from North Carolina from 2003-2009 as a Republican.

Vice President Mike Pence left the Democratic Party in the early 1980s, after having supported Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Presidential election, and ran for the House of Representatives and Governorship of Indiana as a Republican.

Condoleezza Rice, left the Democratic party in 1982, and became the National Security Adviser and Secretary of State under Republican President George W. Bush.

Ben (Nighthorse) Campbell left the Democratic Party in 1995, while a US Senator from Colorado, and became a Republican.

Susana Martinez left the Democratic Party in 1995, and later served as Governor of New Mexico as a Republican.

Norm Coleman left the Democratic Party in 1996, while serving as Mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, and later was a Senator from Minnesota for one term as a Republican.

Herman Badillo, former Bronx, New York Congressman, left the Democrats in 1996, and identified with the Republican Party.

Michael Bloomberg left the Democratic Party in 2001 before running for Mayor of New York City as a Republican, just as Rudy Giuliani had done before him.

The Complete Destruction Of The Reputation Of Rudy Giuliani Before Our Eyes

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Rudy Giuliani once had a career one could admire.

Rudy Giuliani began as a Democrat, became an Independent, and then a Republican politically.

He became noted as the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York during the 1980s, prosecuting significant cases against Organized Crime , and against corrupt corporate financiers.

Giuliani served as New York City Mayor from 1994-2002, and the quality of life improved, and the rate of violent crime went down dramatically.

Giuliani was Mayor at the time of September 11, and was hailed for his reaction and performance in that tragic moment, and was honored as Time Magazine Man of the Year, and given an honorary Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in 2002.

After first entering the Senate race of 2000 in New York against Hillary Clinton, he withdrew after a prostate cancer diagnosis, but recovered from that. He became engaged in a business career, but was for awhile the front runner in polls for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination, perceived as a liberal in that race, but then faltered. He also considered running for Governor of New York in 2010 and for President in 2012, but chose to do neither.

Giuliani became an informal cyber security adviser to Donald Trump in 2017, after many decades of knowing and associating with him, and became part of his legal team involving the investigation of Trump for Russian collusion and obstruction of justice in April 2018.

Despite an impressive career in many ways, Giuliani has, in the eyes of many observers, totally destroyed his credibility and his reputation, and has become noted as a person who many think has had mental deterioration, based on his public statements and activities.

He has become a massive liar and manipulator, similar to those characteristics in Donald Trump.

He has disgusted many people who once admired him, and his private life of now three failed marriages, including a very public and messy second divorce while he was Mayor of New York, has caused many people to dismiss his earlier achievements.

When Rudy Giuliani says something, it is soon shown to be pure propaganda and working to confuse the situation surrounding Donald Trump.

So we are witnessing the complete destruction of Rudy Giuliani’s reputation before our eyes.

A few generally unknown and surprising facts about Giuliani:

When he was a Democrat in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Giuliani volunteered for the Robert F. Kennedy campaign in 1968, was a Democratic commiteeman on Long Island in the early 1970s, and supported Democratic Presidential nominee George McGovern in 1972.

Giuliani’s father served time in Sing Sing Prison for felony assault and robbery, and was an organizer for the mob in Brooklyn, all this after having trouble holding a steady job.

Also, Giuliani considered a career in the priesthood, laughable, when one considers his love life since his youth.

Also, Giuliani was blamed by some for the tragedy of September 11, for having decided to locate the Office of Emergency Management in the World Trade Center, undermining coordination between police and fire forces, and causing lack of preparedness of first responders at the time of the attack. And many observers feel that Giuliani built up his reputation as a “hero” on false pretenses.

In any case, Rudy Giuliani remains highly controversial in 2018 as he has been all of his public life.

Proof Of How Far To The Right The Republican Party Has Gone: Rudy Giuliani And Mike Huckabee In 2008 And 2018

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When one looks back at the 2008 Presidential campaign, when Senator John McCain of Arizona was the Republican Presidential nominee against Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, one realizes just how far Right the Republican Party has become in just a decade.

At that time, this observer recalled thinking that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee were quite moderate as compared to most of the candidates competing with both of them for the Republican Presidential nomination.

Giuliani was ahead in polls for the nomination in 2007, and came across as quite liberal in many ways, and his Mayoralty record made him look impressive, particularly after September 11, occurring near the end of his last term.

Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses in 2008 and was third in total delegates behind McCain and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and came across as quite rational and not as an extremist.

Today, ten years later, both of these men have seen their reputations end up in tatters, as they both are among the most despicable supporters of Donald Trump. Giuliani has clearly engaged in helping Trump in his corruption, and is an embarrassment to his own reputation.

Huckabee has become a right wing extremist evangelical pastor, and his daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has done a horrific performance as the White House Press Secretary, actually worse than Sean Spicer, the previous Press Secretary in the first six months of the Trump Presidency.

Disarray At Trump Tower: So Many Candidates, Some Totally Dangerous Or Ridiculous! And Major Problems For Midtown Manhattan!

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There is disarray in Trump Tower in Manhattan, and massive traffic issues below in midtown Manhattan.

Donald Trump seems to want to live in Trump Tower a lot of the time, rather than the White House, which creates major traffic, economic, and security issues.

Fifth Avenue and 56th Street is now barricaded, and traffic will become impossible, and trying to protect the President-Elect is a security nightmare, as it requires tremendous manpower of New York City Police and the Secret Service, and is creating problems for businesses, auto traffic, and pedestrians, which will only get worse.

But also, Trump seems totally disorganized, and rumors are spreading of some candidates for different positions in the government who are totally dangerous or ridiculous!

For Secretary of State, the candidates seem to include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton; South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley; and former Massachusetts Governor and 2012 Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney. The first two named are dangerous for the State Department, as they have no sense of personal diplomacy, and are both loud mouths, with Bolton being the more scary. Haley adds good looks and a woman to the list, but no real qualifications to be Secretary of State. Mitt Romney is the most credible, but really has no diplomatic experience to speak of. And Haley and Romney were bitter opponents of Trump, and did not endorse him.

Then we have the crazy idea of Sarah Palin being Secretary of Interior or Secretary of Energy!

Already, we have Stephen Bannon as Chief Counselor and Senior Adviser in the White House, despite his racist, nativist, antisemitic, Islamophobic, homophobic, and misogynist behavior and utterances. And we have General Michael Flynn, fired by Barack Obama from the Defense Intelligence Agency leadership in 2014, who has also shown elements of antisemitism, and suggested that Hillary Clinton be jailed, to be National Security Adviser. These two appointments do not require Senate confirmation, but it is clear with the chaos in Trump Tower, that Donald Trump will have problems with confirmation of some of his cabinet and other appointments.

All Lives Matter: Both Victims Of Police Overreaction, And Law Enforcement Protecting All Of Us!

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The tragedies of this week–two African American males shot and killed by police without just cause in Louisiana and Minnesota–and the murder of five law enforcement personnel and wounding of seven others in Dallas, Texas during a peaceful demonstration against those incidents—are a shock to the nation, and one thing MUST be made very clear!

All lives matter, not just black lives, but white lives, Latino lives, Asian American lives, Native American lives, and “Blue Lives”, that of the law enforcement professionals who dedicate their lives to protection of all of us, but in so doing, face possible bodily harm and death every day.

We can be angry at law enforcement when it abuses its power and takes the lives of people who are no threat to them, but realize that the number of such cases, while seemingly too many, is still a miniscule number of cases as compared to the total number of good law enforcement people who get very little recognition or appreciation for the important work they do every day.

This is a time of sober reflection, and the hope that we can work to unite the nation, and not allow race baiting villains of any race to further incite violence.

This also requires politicians to stop provoking, but already being shown to be occurring, as with former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani, and many right wing talk show hosts, who should understand the impact of their words, but still are reckless and demagogic!

Potential Michael Bloomberg Independent Presidential Candidacy Complicates Election Outlook In Massive Way!

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The revelation that former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (2002-2014) is considering entering the Presidential race of 2016 as an Independent complicates the election outlook in a massive way.

One could argue that an Independent candidacy will not succeed, as the best any independent or third party candidate has ever done is former President Theodore Roosevelt, running as a Progressive (Bull Moose) party candidate in 1912, ending up second rather than third, and winning six states, 88 electoral votes, and 27.4 percent of the popular vote.

But Bloomberg, the seventh wealthiest billionaire in America by 2015 statistics, and 13th wealthiest in the world with about $41 billion in assets, could upset the apple cart, and could have a real chance to win.

For one thing, as a former Democrat, then a Republican, and finally an Independent, Bloomberg proved he could govern New York City, arguably the second most difficult governing job in America next to the Presidency itself.

And as a social progressive, Bloomberg represents danger to the Democratic party and its reliable 18 “Blue” states, since a three way election could give Bloomberg the balance of power, and possibly lead to him winning some of those states, and denying Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders the Presidency, and indirectly aid the Republican nominee,  Donald Trump or whoever else it is.

And the scenario of no one winning 270 electoral votes is the nightmare, as if that happened, the House of Representatives, controlled by Republicans, and having more than 26 states with a Republican majority delegation, would have the final say on who the next President is, as in long ago 1800 and 1824!

The Bloomberg candidacy will be explored later by this blogger, with more detail and analysis, but this is NOT good for the Democratic Party!

Potential Third Party Candidates Or Independent Candidates Who Could Complicate Presidential Election Of 2016!

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Third parties or independent movements have often affected American Presidential elections, and has helped to influence who is elected to the Presidency.

Several public figures are believed to be considering running, and it would only further complicate an already confusing election contest.

Donald Trump, despite signing a pledge to back the GOP Presidential candidate if it is not him, is now hinting that he might renege on his pledge, as he sees growing opposition from Republican Establishment personalities to the damage he is wreaking on the Republican Party.

Former Virginia Democratic Senator Jim Webb, who dropped out of the race after an unimpressive debate performance, is also flirting with the idea of running as an independent.

And there are rumors that another New York billionaire, former Democrat and Republican and Independent New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, might throw his “hat in the ring.”

Any of these three could have a deleterious effect, with Bloomberg having the potential to harm the Democrats; Webb to harm both parties;  and Trump to destroy any chance for the Republicans to win an already difficult race in the Electoral College!  None could win the Presidency, but help to decide who is inaugurated on January 20, 2017!

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio: Major Screw Up, Time To Apologize And Change!

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New York City’s new Mayor, Bill De Blasio, is rapidly making enemies in his handling of snow emergencies.

Failing to get out in front of snow cleanup in upper class neighborhoods; failing to close schools simply because of historic stupidity that New York City schools hardly ever close; blaming the Weather Bureau, rather than taking responsibility for your own blunders; and then closing schools early, forcing hourly wage workers who are struggling as it is to live in New York City to pick up their children; are all signs of arrogance and forgetting not only common sense, but also acting in a way that will only undermine the progressive agenda, and make many feel that progressives are no better than conservatives in showing concern and good judgment in governing the American people!

Al Roker, the meteorologist for NBC, was engaged in a Twitter war with De Blasio, and Al Roker won, and he might be right: Bill De Blasio, unless he apologizes and learns, will be a one term Mayor of New York City!