Thursday, February 28, 2008

Bloomberg Won't Run for President

Which he announced today in a NY Times Op Ed piece. In it he charges the candidates to tell America the truth about the issues facing the nation and to work towards common sense solutions to solve America's problems.

from the NY Times:


WATCHING the 2008 presidential campaign, you sometimes get the feeling that the candidates — smart, all of them — must know better. They must know we can’t fix our economy and create jobs by isolating America from global trade. They must know that we can’t fix our immigration problems with border security alone. They must know that we can’t fix our schools without holding teachers, principals and parents accountable for results. They must know that fighting global warming is not a costless challenge. And they must know that we can’t keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals unless we crack down on the black market for them.

The vast majority of Americans know that all of this is true, but — politics being what it is — the candidates seem afraid to level with them.
...
More of the same won’t do, on the economy or any other issue. We need innovative ideas, bold action and courageous leadership. That’s not just empty rhetoric, and the idea that we have the ability to solve our toughest problems isn’t some pie-in-the-sky dream. In New York, working with leaders from both parties and mayors and governors from across the country, we’ve demonstrated that an independent approach really can produce progress on the most critical issues, including the economy, education, the environment, energy, infrastructure and crime.
...

The changes needed in this country are straightforward enough, but there are always partisan reasons to take an easy way out. There are always special interests that will fight against any challenge to the status quo. And there are always those who will worry more about their next election than the health of our country.

These forces that prevent meaningful progress are powerful, and they exist in both parties. I believe that the candidate who recognizes that the party is over — and begins enlisting all of us to clean up the mess — will be the winner this November, and will lead our country to a great and boundless future.

First I think Bloomberg isn't running because of the likelihood of a McCain/Obama race. Simply put there won't be enough independents left for him to stand a chance of winning. Additionally he is right. We need leadership that that transcends partisan points of view and works towards common sense solutions to the problems at hand. Will we get that after an Obama/McCain race? I'm not sure. But what I do know is that regardless of who wins we'll get a leader that doesn't automatically disregard a potential solution to a problem because of the messenger's party affiliation. And that may be the best we can hope for right now.