Bloomberg’s take on Trump comes on the heels of having weighed a run for president as a third party candidate, something he also toyed with in 2008.
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Mr Bloomberg, who has voted both Democrat and Republican in the past and now considers himself an independent, said for him neither political party “has a monopoly on good ideas or strong leadership” but that each presidential election was about weighing the attributes of the two candidates.
Bloomberg, who served as New York Mayor from 2002-2013, was first active in the Democratic Party until 2000, and then joined the Republicans before eventually becoming an independent. And I know Hillary can do that because I saw it firsthand.
Longtime Bloomberg adviser Stu Loeser told ABC News the endorsement is a sign of Bloomberg’s dismay with Republican nominee and fellow billionaire Donald Trump.
“There are times when I disagree with Hillary Clinton”, he said.
Bloomberg’s tenure as mayor of NY is not without controversy.
Bloomberg had considered running for the White House. He later explained that Trump is a “risky” choice for the country, while Clinton is the “responsible” choice. Might he have given Hillary Clinton her new campaign slogan? Some estimates suggest Trump’s wealth is basically the value of his inheritance plus inflation. “God help us”, Bloomberg said to thunderous agreement from the crowd.
“Lets select a sane, competent person with worldwide experience, a unifier who is mature to reach out for advice”.
For New York Democrats attending the convention, they see the move as an example of crossing the aisle as opposed to him coming back into the fold. “He wants you to believe that we can solve our biggest problems by deporting Mexicans and shutting out Muslims”.
Bloomberg’s pitch was likely aimed at upper-income voters and business leaders who dislike Trump’s populist campaign which has reduced their influence and status in the GOP.
Shrum, also a professor of political science at the University of Southern California, said he saw Bloomberg’s remarks as an “unconventional convention speech” that also struck the right notes on patriotism and duty to country, especially when he evoked the 9/11 terror attacks. “What’d I miss here?!”
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At the Davenport rally, Trump continued to say, “I was gonna hit a number of those speakers so hard their heads would spin, they’d never recover…”
