Bob Herbert writes:
A huge ego and a few billion dollars can cause an awful lot of mischief.
Michael Bloomberg is weighing a possible run for the White House. This is frightening for a couple of reasons. First, consider the prospect of a half-billion-dollars worth of 30-second Bloomberg-for-president ads running all day and all night on television screens in every part of the country.
Americans of every persuasion will have images of the mayor of New York all but burned into their retinas.
For Democrats, the other reason is much more frightening. If Mr. Bloomberg actually decides to run, he risks becoming the Ralph Nader of 2008, drawing votes away from the Democratic nominee and helping to install yet another Republican in the White House.
It is the same old media narrative. Third parties, third candidates are – by the media – not considered to be an asset to elections (so voters have more choices), no, they are considered to be spoilers (per definition). You think I am exaggerating what Herbert wrote? I most surely am not:
(Mr. Nader is also making noises about running next year, but it’s generally agreed that Mr. Bloomberg has a much more credible shot at being a spoiler.)
What an unbelievable arrogance from Democrats. They seem to believe that they are “entitled” to certain votes and that independent candidates “steal” their votes and – by doing so – “spoil” the election. I cannot understand how people like Herbert and the Democratic establishment can get away with this. Americans vote for whomever it is they want to vote for. Third party candidates can, per definition, not “spoil” the elections, they can only enrich them by offering voters an alternative. Look at this:
So whatever political banner he may be waving at any given time (he’s now calling himself an independent), Mr. Bloomberg is a Democrat. If he runs for president, he is far more likely to take votes from the Democratic nominee than the Republican one.
To take votes from the Democratic nominee? Excuse me? Take votes away? Who promised those votes to the Democrats in the first place? If Bloomberg runs these people might actually vote for something (Bloomberg) instead of against something (Republicans).
What an arrogance. It is amazing that they can get away with it.
Cross posted at my own blog.
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