Crushed Hopes, Shattered Dreams

Well, that's a disappointment. I was a bit too quick off the mark a couple of days ago, writing about potential third party candidates. There's one fewer today (or, I suppose, technically on Thursday). Michael Bloomberg has been flirting with the possibility of running (all the while denying that he ever intended to--but that's the way flirts operate, isn't it?). Oh, sure, he told Ryan Seacrest a couple of months ago that he wasn't going to run, but who pays attention to what anybody says to Ryan Seacrest? After being encouraged by supporters and petition signers numbering in the thousands, Bloomberg has offered a firmer denial in a more prominent venue: The New York Times.

So, OK, I guess we need to believe him now. But don't worry, he's not going to go away. He's still hanging around to push "an independent approach." I'm fine with the idea that a candidate doesn't need and shouldn't hew to strict party lines on every single issue. But what does it mean to be mindlessly independent? Lyndon LaRouche is independent. Ralph Nader is independent. So what? See for yourself if Bloomberg offers any specifics:

In the weeks and months ahead, I will continue to work to steer the national conversation away from partisanship and toward unity; away from ideology and toward common sense; away from sound bites and toward substance. And while I have always said I am not running for president, the race is too important to sit on the sidelines, and so I have changed my mind in one area. If a candidate takes an independent, nonpartisan approach — and embraces practical solutions that challenge party orthodoxy — I'll join others in helping that candidate win the White House.

In other words, if you're a candidate who supports no one in particular but everyone in general, Bloomberg's got your back.