http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/bloomberg_perot_president/2008/01/..=

Bloomberg Meets With Perot Manager, Ballot Expert

Friday, January 18, 2008

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg met Friday with the ballot access exp=

and campaign manager for H. Ross Perot's third-party presidential bid,=

sign of the multibillionaire's seriousness about a possible independen=

Bloomberg met privately with Clay Mulford, who is well-versed in third=

ballot access and served as campaign manager for Perot, according to a=

individual close to the mayor. Perot sought the presidency in 1992 and=

The lunch meeting with Mulford comes less than two months before Bloom=

would be able to start gathering signatures to get on the ballot and m=

Texas' early deadline.

If Bloomberg wants a chance at winning the state's large slice of elec=

votes -- 34 -- he would need to collect about 74,100 signatures by May=

and cannot begin circulating petitions here until March 5. Not only do=

have a short window to petition, the signatures need to be from Texas
residents who did not vote in a party primary.

Earlier Friday, during a news conference, Bloomberg was asked about th=

significance of being in Texas, with its early ballot deadline. He see=

irritated with the question, having said only a moment earlier that he=

"not a candidate" despite all the calls for him to run.

"I just said, I'm not a candidate -- it couldn't be clearer," he said.=
"Which of the words do you not understand? People have urged me to do =

I'm not a candidate."

Despite his public denials, Bloomberg has been consulting with people =

as Mulford and is conducting a sophisticated analysis of voter data in=

50 states to better understand his chances as a third-party candidate.=

have said he would delay a decision until after the major parties prod=

clear front-runners.

Making a move in Texas is not easy. Ballot access is notoriously diffi=

in the state, according to independent political strategist Dean Barkl=

who managed Kinky Friedman's independent gubernatorial campaign here i=

2006.

"Texas is your biggest problem, and it starts on March 5, so if he's g=

to do it, he's going to have to start fairly soon organizing the effor=

Barkley said.

Friedman's campaign spent six months organizing for their petition dri=

said.

Mulford, who was formerly a partner with the law firm Jones Day, was g=

counsel and campaign manager for Perot's 1992 bid and in 1996 was gene=

counsel to the Reform Party and Perot's campaign.

Earlier in the day, Bloomberg appeared at an Austin hospital to talk h=

care with Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de Fr=

champion cyclist. Armstrong is an emerging political power in Texas, a=

hint that he's supporting Bloomberg would lend credence to the mayor's=
prospective campaign and signature-gathering efforts.

Armstrong was a key figure in the state getting a large cancer-researc=

issue passed and he has dabbled in national politics with his televise=

cancer forums for presidential candidates. He might even make a good r=

mate for Bloomberg; the mayor on Friday suggested Armstrong has what i=

takes to lead.

"He's exactly the kind of person we need," Bloomberg said.

Armstrong spoke just as warmly about the mayor.

"I'm sure there's a lot of questions about whether he's in or not in, =

the end of the day, he's representing an independent agenda and the be=

interests of the people," Armstrong said.

The event at Brackenridge Hospital focused on a national plan to deal =

cancer. Also attending was former surgeon general Richard Carmona, who=

a coalition of health groups trying to get presidential candidates to =

about chronic health issues.

Carmona, who served from 2002 to 2006 under President Bush, also leads=

Surgeons General Collective, an independent body composed of previous =

surgeons general. On Friday, he said the group _ at Armstrong's reques=

will develop a call to action focused on preventing and surviving canc=

"The need and urgency to make cancer prevention and survivorship a nat=

priority should be clear to all of us, but the level of action and pro=

is not nearly what it should be," Carmona said.

Carmona has not said which candidate he favors in the 2008 presidentia=

race. He has said the coalition, The Partnership to Fight Chronic Dise=

also will not make an endorsement.

He did say that Bloomberg is "setting an example, really, for the rest=

the nation."

Bloomberg, a billionaire philanthropist who has donated hundreds of mi=

of dollars to public health causes, said health issues are sadly lacki=

national leadership.

His City Hall administration has focused more on personal behavior as =

approach to public health policy; during his first term he banned smok=

citywide, and recently, the city outlawed trans-fats and created the
official New York City condom to promote safer sexual behavior.

"If we could get people to stop smoking and exercise and to eat health=

would reduce the medical costs in this country quite significantly," h=

said, "and we could have a more intelligent discussion about how we pr=

care, which is fast outstripping our ability to pay for it."

Bloomberg's trip was to continue Saturday in California, where he was =

appear with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at an event on infrastructure.

"Patriot Games' " headline on this item is further proof of his total
ignorance of reality -- which is to be expected of a half-witted
dingbat who lives in a crowded trailer park in Tampa and spends his
time playing bingo at the senior center, when he's not stalking the
elementary school playgrounds trying to sneak a peek up little girls'
skirts.

But enough of his perverted ways.

For well over a decade, more Americans have said they are independents
than have said they are Republicon or Democrat. =EF=BF=BD Thus, the elec=

is split almost three ways -- which is why both parties make such a
fuss over attracting independent voters. =EF=BF=BDThe Republicons have w=

since the "Gingrich Revulsion" by patching together a coalition of
biblthumpers, racists, gunnuts, "militiamen," and other fringe weirdos
along with life-long moderate Republicans. =EF=BF=BDThat coalition is ra=

coming apart because mainstream Republicans are finished with the
control that the wackjobs exercise over the party.

Let's remember the last time there was a serious third party challenge
-- 1992 -- Bush, Clinton, and Perot. Perot pulled about 20 percent of
the vote and he pulled it ALL from Bush, leading to Bush's defeat by
Clinton.

Actually Perot "only" played an obfuscatory role in '92 and '96.
Perot drew as many votes from Clinton 42 as from GHW Bush and Dole.
Clinton would have won by double digits no matter what.

I put "only" in quotes because obfuscating the clear victory and
mandate of Clinton 44 is the only possible reason for Bloomie to run.

If Bloomberg puts together a serious third party, he likely will pull
a lot more votes than Perot for several reasons:
1. =EF=BF=BDPerot was a nutcase, Bloomberg is serious.
2. =EF=BF=BDModerate and liberal Republicans are thoroughly disgusted wi=

right wing of their party and they especially are sick of the control
by the "religious right" -- they'll flock to Bloomberg because he will
represent true moderate Republican values.
3. =EF=BF=BDDitto for a lot of Democrats who will see in Bloomberg --
especially if he pulls a moderate Democrat as his VP -- an opportunity
to pull away from the fringe of the Democratic Party.

Bloomberg's coalition is likely to be:
1. =EF=BF=BDMOST =EF=BF=BDindependents;
2. =EF=BF=BDA LOT of disaffected Republicans;
3. =EF=BF=BDA few disaffected Democrats.

Thus, a Bloomberg candidacy will be another nail in the coffin of the
Republican Party -- no matter what PG tells us.

Then after the Romney goes down by double digits rightards will blame
Bloomberg like they blame Perot for Clinton 42.

"Hillary doesn't have a mandate because that bad Bloomie was a
spoiler" they'll whine.

Hillary will win by 15 points without a "spoiler" and have a clear
mandate.

With Bloomie she'll win by 20 points but Repugs can say, "Hey, if it
weren't for Bloomie, we would have won, so Hillary gets nothing, no
health care, no tax hikes on the rich, no withdrawal from Iraq, etc."

... so Hillary gets nothing, no
health care, no tax hikes on the rich, no withdrawal from Iraq, etc."