Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City and founder of Bloomberg LP, has officially rejoined the Democratic Party. Bloomberg hasn't been registered to either party since 2007 – when he abandoned his facade as a Republican – but has been for the majority of his life, a Democrat.
Indeed, while he joined the Republican Party to win the mayoral election in 2001, at heart, Bloomberg never left his home on the left. But he did leave, at least on paper, and now he as come home to roost – quite possibly in preparation for a 2020 presidential candidacy.
Bloomberg Ogles the White House
Michael Bloomberg began publicly dropping hints of a 2020 presidential run back in June, and reports were circulating by September that he had officially begun to actively plan his campaign. This isn’t his first rodeo, either, as he considered running as an Independent both in 2008 and 2016. He didn’t, however, and instead supported the Democratic candidate in both elections.
“When I look at the data, it’s clear to me that if I entered the race, I could not win,” Bloomberg announced on his website in 2016. “I believe I could win a number of diverse states – but not enough to win the 270 Electoral College votes necessary to win the presidency.”
Bloomberg Plays the Field
Michael Bloomberg spent most of his adult life as a card-carrying Democrat. He apparently changed sides, however, in 2001 to run for New York City mayor as a Republican after Rudolph Giuliani came up against the term limit. His playing the field paid off, of course, as running as a Republican netted him the office – twice.
In 2007, Bloomberg renounced his allegiance to the GOP and managed to win a third term in 2008 without either of the two dominant parties in American politics – though he did stick close to the presidential candidates of his first love, the Democratic Party.
Wednesday, October 10, Bloomberg announced via Instagram that he was getting back to his roots:
“At key points in U.S. history, one of the two parties has served as a bulwark against those who threaten our Constitution. Two years ago, at the Democratic Convention, I warned of those threats. Today, I have re-registered as a Democrat – I had been a member for most of my life – because we need Democrats to provide the checks and balance our nation so badly needs.”
The idea now, of course, is that Bloomberg will run for president in 2020, and that he’ll do so as a Democrat. But in his heart of hearts – not to mention his wallet – Michael Bloomberg was always a Democrat.
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg Goes – or Rather, Stays – Progressive
Despite his tryst with the Republican Party and his time spent being “independent,” Michael Bloomberg has always belonged in the Democratic Party. While he was touted for spending massive amounts of his own money to curtail public spending, Bloomberg also proudly boasts balancing a $6 billion deficit by raising property taxes in 2005 and increasing the budget of NYC schools from $12 billion to $20 billion in 2010.
And Bloomberg has been a life-long social liberal, supporting – often with millions of dollars – such progressive causes as environmental protection, strict gun control, and abortion as a fundamental human right. Bloomberg’s anti-gun group, Everytown for Gun safety, which has been known to present very misleading information, got its start as Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which he founded before renouncing the Republican Party.
Bloomberg Has Plans
If Michael Bloomberg wins the presidency in 2020, he’ll bring with him to the White House his pro-abortion, anti-gun agenda – not to mention his tendency to raise taxes. And as evinced by the misinformation spread by Everytown, he has no problem with using false “facts” to get his way – a Democrat, through and through, regardless of official party affiliation.
