If Michael Bloomberg were to run for president he would win, and be good at it too. His moderate viewpoints, non-partisan loyalties, and fiscal wealth and financial understanding would make him an adept candidate and president. The candidates for the 2008 election have started campaigning earlier then any other group in American electoral history. These same candidates have also broken election fundraising records every quarter. The downside to this, however, is that once a candidate is elected, he or she will owe a lot of people favors. If only we had a candidate who focused more on the issues that affect Americans and didn’t have to focus on the issues that affect his or her campaign funds. If Bloomberg were to run he could be this candidate. As the founder of Bloomberg L.P., he has had a very successful career and has been an active philanthropist. This past year alone, his charity organization, Bloomberg Philanthropies, has given $165 million to over 1,000 charities worldwide. Bloomberg has also used his capital as a political weapon. In his first Mayoral bid, he spent $74 million. Four years later, he spent $85 million to remain in office. During his tenure as mayor of New York City he has created his own political infrastructure, with access to more money than the Democrats and Republicans combined. And if he were to run he could easily spend up to a billion dollars of his own money to secure a presidential win. In fact, he already has a plan in place to get him on the ballot as an independent candidate in every state. Nevertheless, the most important benefit of self-financing his campaign would be his complete separation from special interest groups. If elected, he could truly devote time to the issues at hand without having to look back and scratch the backs of everyone who had helped him along the way.
Another big problem in Washington today is the pervasiveness of a system of party politics throughout the entire government. For example, when a president takes office, it’s not the ideals of the elected president but those of his or her party that prevail. If Bloomberg were elected, he would be able to select bipartisan cabinet and staff members chosen for their capabilities and experience, and not for which side of the party line they stand on. Having a bipartisan executive branch would hopefully blur party lines throughout the country, ending the drastic build up of sectarianism of the past decade. With members from both major parties, a Bloomberg administration would be able to pass affective measures with little resistance, regardless of which party controlled congress. He wouldn’t have to worry about midterm elections or any other superficial matters that affect partisan presidents. He would be able to build upon his progress in New York City and at the same time reduce the importance of party politics in Washington. His combination of progressive opinions on social issues and fiscal conservatism is aligned with the principles of most Americans today. This sort of universal popularity would make running the executive branch easier to handle, allowing him to focus all of his attention on governing and not on politicking.
Another bonus of having Bloomberg in office is his vast economic experience as the founding CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company. Just recently, the threat of an impending recession, with the possibility of drastic consequences, has been seriously discussed throughout the business community. The immediate effect has been the foreclosure on eight million homes this year due to excess in subprime lending. Even worse, the National Association of Homebuilders expects its first ever net loss in the financial growth of American homes. This, and other events, has created a domino affect forcing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake to cut federal interest rates, thus leaving our economy prone to inflation and severe depreciation of the dollar. Is there a better time for a president with Bloomberg’s financial experience to take office? Approaching economic issues as a businessman and not as a politician, he would be able to tackle this dilemma in a straightforward and practical manner. With the conveniences of a Bloomberg administration, the executive branch would be transformed into an effective bipartisan body void of party squabbles, the necessary remedy to some of America’s biggest political problems.
