Haley Barbour: I Hope Michael Bloomberg 'Won't Even Consider' Running

Rumblings of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's possible presidential aspirations have outgoing RGA Chairman Haley Barbour quaking in his boots.

"I hope Mayor Bloomberg won't even consider that," Barbour told CNN. "But if there were a strong third party candidate there's no question in my mind, that candidate would draw votes away from the Republican," he continued, adding that a Bloomberg run would be "the best thing that can happen to President Obama."

HuffPost's Howard Fineman reported earlier this week that there had been some talk of an independent ticket possibly coupling a formation of Bloomberg and recently suspended MSNBC host and former Congressman Joe Scarborough. Bloomberg and Scarborough have since denied those rumors.

As for the common belief -- or maybe threat -- by some Tea Party activists that they should be looking to field a third-party candidate of their own who can hold up to their own strict standards of conservatism, Barbour wasn't a fan of that proposal either.

"Those people don't really know what they're talking about," Barbour said, admitting that "if they had run [in 2010] as independents like in the Perot period and divided the conservative vote, divided the anti-Obama vote, now that would have hurt us. But that did not happen."

Barbour has reportedly been looking at the 2012 landscape with an eye on a potential run for himself, but declined to provide any further information to CNN about his plans.

 

 

Comments

[RollingForest]

02:32 PM on 12/21/2010

This is nothing but a brer rabbit trick. Barbour knows that Bloomburg would draw votes from the Democrats. So he pretends to be scared of Bloomburg so that Bloomburg would feel confident enough to jump into the race. The left's vote is divided and the Republicans win. That is Barbour's plan.

[hemorrhage]

02:06 PM on 12/21/2010

Damn it! I hoped to go through life without agreeing with Haley Barbour on anything. And now he comes out against a Bloomberg presidency/emperorship. Now I have to agree with Governor White Citizen's Council. What is this world coming to?

[peterz]

06:14 PM on 11/29/2010

If Barbour is against Bloomberg, then tell me no more - Bloomberg's the man for the job.....

[michael westman]

07:46 PM on 11/25/2010

Bloomberg would blow the doors off of any of the present 'candidates'. He could easily capture the center and could even threaten Obama. Barbour has nothing to offer except his connections and down home Corporate insider smile. Just another snake in the grass....at least Bloomberg is a man who lets you see what you are going to get

[Ann Delacy]

08:59 PM on 11/27/2010

What have you been smoking?

[hemorrhage]

02:12 PM on 12/21/2010

Bloomberg is a dictator waiting to happen. That's how he rules in NYC. He doesn't care about local opinion and he buys off the City Council. I promise you he cannot win his home state, Massachusetts, nor the state he chose to deign with his "enlightened" hypocrisy, New York. He would have a hell of a time even capturing NYC, even with his billions.

[Balzac]

09:37 AM on 11/24/2010

Haley Barbour can't wait to try out some of his home-spun wit and farm animal metaphors.

[moneyman1]

04:34 PM on 11/22/2010

By the way Chris Christie needs to loose some weight so he doesn't become a drag on national health care costs.

[moneyman1]

04:33 PM on 11/22/2010

Just what we need a black man from Chicago followed by a cracker from Mississippi. WOW - Canada's eastern provices are looking better and better.

[ibflyin27]

02:07 PM on 11/22/2010

As a student of political science, I would be really excited to see a strong independent/third party candidate run for the presidency.

[tck29]

11:45 AM on 11/22/2010

Instead of concentrating on what's good and bad for the gop, why don't they consider what's good or bad for America? Can anyone objectively believe that a third party would be bad for the vast majority of Americans?

[Derek Spisak]

11:04 AM on 11/22/2010

I hope that Haley will give back the $500 Million he redirected away from affordable housing in Mississippi after Katrina to spend on a port. (of which only $27 Million has been spent on studies)

[RockyMissouri]

02:00 PM on 12/21/2010

Shameful.....why doesn't any of the press ask him that question????

[zhyma]

10:44 AM on 11/22/2010

Why is that every comment on this blog, is pro Bloomberg, what about the people that do not agree?. You have recently deleted my comments, because you did not like what I had to say.

[enlightenedgirl]

10:19 AM on 11/22/2010

Haley Barbour is against Bloomberg because Bloomberg is not in Barbour's political jurisdiction.  Barbour wants to run for President but can't because of his lobbying ties.  He still thinks he is King to declare the next in line and Bloomberg isn't the Republican puppet he so dreams of.

[hemorrhage]

02:08 PM on 12/21/2010

Bloomberg is a billionaire puppet master. Just ask the NYC (Compliance) Council

[Rastaman1967]

09:57 AM on 11/22/2010

I'm all for Mike Bloomberg...I think he would definitely bring all the pieces together. He certainly is not an Ideologue...the country need someone like Mike who no one can argue that has the credentials. I would definitely support him...not sure about Joe Scarborough

[Blak]

07:51 AM on 11/22/2010

Boss Hog is scared...

[JoeBoy254]

12:01 AM on 11/22/2010

If it meant that a vote for Bloomberg is a vote against a Republican I would vote for him in a heart beat. Bloomberg has some real good ideas and is in line with the policies of Obama for the most part.