Michael Bloomberg again eyeing 2020 presidential bid: sources

New York Post – by Julia Marsh and Carl Campanile

Disappointed with the leading Democratic candidates in the 2020 pack, Mike Bloomberg is once again considering a run for president, sources tell The Post.

“He thinks Biden is weak and [Bernie] Sanders and Warren can’t win,” said a source familiar with Bloomberg’s apparent about-face, which comes just months after the three-term New York City mayor took his name out of consideration. 

To leave his options open, Bloomberg has dispatched aides to Alabama to start gathering signatures there, a source confirmed, even though it is not an early primary state. That’s because Alabama’s deadline for filing to be on the ballot is Friday.

“Mike will be making a decision quickly,” said another source close to the media mogul as other sources said the decision to jump into the crowded Democratic field could come within the next few days.

Bloomberg believes the dynamics of the race have changed on the Democratic Party side, with moderate frontrunner Joe Biden stumbling and anti-corporate candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) gaining steam.

“Trump will get re-elected if Elizabeth Warren is the nominee. That’s not something any Democrat would want,” a Bloomberg insider said. “[Therefore] Mike was encouraged to take another look and reassess the race.”

Sources agreed that the billionaire has the resources and the wallet to make a splash this late into the campaign season — with Democrats voting for their nominee in the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3.

“Mike has the infrastructure and the team waiting on ice, which he can quickly mobilize. There are indications that he’s preparing to make a run,” one source added, calling the re-evaluation of a White House bid “very serious.”

“People are just waiting for him to give the sign. Indications are that he’s considering a run after turning the page a few months ago,” the insider added.

The 77-year-old Bloomberg would also be joining a septuagenarian-heavy field that includes 76-year-old Biden, 70-year-old Warren and 78-year-old Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders vying to oust the 73-year-old Trump from teh White House.

Still, pals of Bloomberg — even TV “Judge Judy” Sheindlin — have urged him to jump into the race.

Last month, Bloomberg hinted he would take a fresh look at the race, but there was no indication that his network of aides had been activated.

But the flurry of activity in Bloomberg’s political world changed on Thursday, sources said.

Shortly after The Post broke news of the Bloomberg interest in running, the former mayor’s political adviser Howard Wolfson confirmed that his boss has reopened the door to potentially jumping into the race.

“Mike believes that Donald Trump represents an unprecedented threat to our nation. In 2016, he spoke out at the Democratic Convention, warning against a Trump presidency,” Wolfson said in a tweet.

“We now need to finish the job and ensure that Trump is defeated — but Mike is increasingly concerned that the current field of candidates is not well positioned to do that,” Wolfson said.

“If Mike runs he would offer a new choice to Democrats built on a unique record running America’s biggest city, building a business from scratch and taking on some of America’s toughest challenges as a high-impact philanthropist.

“Based on his record of accomplishment, leadership and his ability to bring people together to drive change, Mike would be able to take the fight to Trump and win.”

https://nypost.com/2019/11/07/michael-bloomberg-again-eyeing-2020-presidential-bid-sources/