Bloomberg for President?

We can only hope. I read an article in the WSJ about how business people across the country, from entrepreneurs to bankers, are all hoping for Bloomberg to run. The economy thus far seems to have taken an unusual backseat in this years election but seems to be emerging as an important issue. An interesting excerpt:

As the economy has emerged as a dominant issue in the 2008 campaign, candidates have struck populist notes, from Republican Mike Huckabee's boast that he is not a "wholly owned subsidiary of Wall Street" to Democrat Barack Obama's visit to Wall Street to chastise finance executives for failing to protect the middle class.
I can see the approach these guys are taking and I'm sure they have really smart campaign strategists. But I really wonder if this type of message of polarizing the "working man" vs. "big business" really resonates with voters anymore? Is the middle-class really that disgruntled with big business and income disparity? Does the average American believe in a zero-sum game and that wealth creation can only happen for them if it shifts down from the upper class? The data just doesn't reflect the reality of that (see my previous posts - Moving on Up and The Poor Get Richer) and I would venture that most Americans feel that way as well.


As an aside, Kamal Nath, the Cabinet Minister for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in India, recently published a book (while still in office ... which is unusual) called India's Century. It's basically about the rise of India in the 20th century and how Asian economies will soon take over as the leaders in the world. That's a profound campaign topic right there. I don't see how pitting the middle class against business helps to address that challenge.

Comments

gnp said…
Do you think any of the candidates would have Bloomberg as their VP?
January 21, 2008 at 9:21 AM
Steven Pal said…
He doesn't seem to be interested in the VP spot and he's an independent anyway. So doubtful. I seriously hope he joins the campaign after the primaries in February. Giuliani, McCain, or Clinton are as close to who I'd vote for from the main parties. But I'd have to do so with major reservations.
January 21, 2008 at 1:48 PM
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