'New York -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg may have what it takes to run a strong third-party presidential bid, the subject of growing talk, but the odds of winning are practically nil, experts say. While Bloomberg has the money, name recognition and experience, the experts said political conditions would have to be just right for him to get elected in November 2008. Republican and Democratic voters would both have to be hugely dissatisfied, and he would have to wage an extensive campaign to get on the ballot in each state, they note.
"Bloomberg, who says he is not running for president, announced on Tuesday he was changing his political status to independent from Republican. 'Although my plans for the future haven't changed, I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead our city,' Bloomberg said in a statement.
'A longtime Democrat, he became a Republican to run in a less-crowded field when he made his first foray into politics and was elected mayor in 2001. He was re-elected in 2005. Since a stable two-party system has governed U.S. presidential elections for more than a century, American voters have never elected a third-party candidate to the nation's top job."
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