Jake!
01-10-2008, 11:30 AM
What effect will both Bloomberg running under the Unity08 banner and Paul running under on Librarian (and Constitution party?) ticket?
The New York Observer published this today:
Sources: Unity08 to Re-Form as D.C.-Registered Draft-Bloomberg Entity
by Azi Paybarah | January 10, 2008
Liz is reporting that Unity08, the group which advocates a nonpartisan presidential ticket in 2008, will collapse at 2 p.m. today and reconstitute itself as part of movement to draft Michael Bloomberg.
Two sources I spoke with today say there's something to this. One of these sources said Bloomberg had turned down an offer to run under the Unity08 banner, prompting the group to abandon its name and reorganize around Bloomberg’s message of competence, and bipartisanship.
It’s unclear whether this would pave the way for Bloomberg to use the group’s infrastructure to get on the presidential ballot in states around the country.
Unity08 will resurface as DraftBloomberg.com, according to one of these sources.
This new site was registered on February 23rd to a group called Connections Media, located at 428 U Street NW, Washington, District Of Columbia 20009. The company “produces winning interactive media programs for selective political, public affairs, and corporate image campaigns,” it says on the company’s website.
I left a voice mail and am waiting to hear back from Jonah Seiger, the managing partner of Connections Media who is listed as the contact person for DraftBloomberg.com. I also left messages with a Unity08 spokesperson and Kevin Sheekey, Bloomberg’s top political aide. I’ll update when I hear more.
http://www.observer.com/2008/unity-08-bloomberg
NY Daily News is also running the same story:
January 10, 2008
Unity08 To Jump On Bloomberg Bandwagon?
A source familiar with the Bloomberg for president movement says the bipartisan Unity08 effort is poised to shut down its Web site, reconstitute as a Draft Bloomberg site and launch its own 50-state signature-gathering operation on behalf of the supposedly reluctant would-be independent presidential candidate.
This move has been apparently been approved by the Bloomberg people.
I'm told Unity08 has $1.4 million in the bank and about 124,000 people signed up on its site. I have tried - so far unsuccessfully - to reach a spokesperson for the organization.
It's unclear whether this would be some kind of publicity stunt for Unity08, which has been ignored, or even flat-out ridiculed, in some corners, or a real, honest-to-goodness sign that Bloomberg is serious about running for president and not simply trying to maintain relevancy in his lame-duck years.
Despite the fact that Bloomberg has repeatedly insisted he's not a candidate, he has never said - nor really been pressed on - whether he would not heed a call of people trying to draft him into the race.
As University of Oklahoma President David Boren said earlier this week:
"I take the mayor at his word. I don’t really think the mayor wants to run. Does that mean the mayor would never run if the system--if he still views the system as failing? I think he’s a good American, and I don’t think he’d close the door on it if he thought it was his duty."
Of course, Boren also said he doesn't think Bloomberg "has the ambition to run for president."
That comment comes amid reports that Bloomberg has invested part of personal fortune to poll in all 50 states AND as the mayor's pollster, Doug Schoen is suddenly giving a lot of interviews (just as his new book laying out a roadmap for an independent presidential candidacy is scheduled to come out) and saying Bloomberg will decide in March on whether to get in the race.
Confused yet? Join the club.
The New York Observer published this today:
Sources: Unity08 to Re-Form as D.C.-Registered Draft-Bloomberg Entity
by Azi Paybarah | January 10, 2008
Liz is reporting that Unity08, the group which advocates a nonpartisan presidential ticket in 2008, will collapse at 2 p.m. today and reconstitute itself as part of movement to draft Michael Bloomberg.
Two sources I spoke with today say there's something to this. One of these sources said Bloomberg had turned down an offer to run under the Unity08 banner, prompting the group to abandon its name and reorganize around Bloomberg’s message of competence, and bipartisanship.
It’s unclear whether this would pave the way for Bloomberg to use the group’s infrastructure to get on the presidential ballot in states around the country.
Unity08 will resurface as DraftBloomberg.com, according to one of these sources.
This new site was registered on February 23rd to a group called Connections Media, located at 428 U Street NW, Washington, District Of Columbia 20009. The company “produces winning interactive media programs for selective political, public affairs, and corporate image campaigns,” it says on the company’s website.
I left a voice mail and am waiting to hear back from Jonah Seiger, the managing partner of Connections Media who is listed as the contact person for DraftBloomberg.com. I also left messages with a Unity08 spokesperson and Kevin Sheekey, Bloomberg’s top political aide. I’ll update when I hear more.
http://www.observer.com/2008/unity-08-bloomberg
NY Daily News is also running the same story:
January 10, 2008
Unity08 To Jump On Bloomberg Bandwagon?
A source familiar with the Bloomberg for president movement says the bipartisan Unity08 effort is poised to shut down its Web site, reconstitute as a Draft Bloomberg site and launch its own 50-state signature-gathering operation on behalf of the supposedly reluctant would-be independent presidential candidate.
This move has been apparently been approved by the Bloomberg people.
I'm told Unity08 has $1.4 million in the bank and about 124,000 people signed up on its site. I have tried - so far unsuccessfully - to reach a spokesperson for the organization.
It's unclear whether this would be some kind of publicity stunt for Unity08, which has been ignored, or even flat-out ridiculed, in some corners, or a real, honest-to-goodness sign that Bloomberg is serious about running for president and not simply trying to maintain relevancy in his lame-duck years.
Despite the fact that Bloomberg has repeatedly insisted he's not a candidate, he has never said - nor really been pressed on - whether he would not heed a call of people trying to draft him into the race.
As University of Oklahoma President David Boren said earlier this week:
"I take the mayor at his word. I don’t really think the mayor wants to run. Does that mean the mayor would never run if the system--if he still views the system as failing? I think he’s a good American, and I don’t think he’d close the door on it if he thought it was his duty."
Of course, Boren also said he doesn't think Bloomberg "has the ambition to run for president."
That comment comes amid reports that Bloomberg has invested part of personal fortune to poll in all 50 states AND as the mayor's pollster, Doug Schoen is suddenly giving a lot of interviews (just as his new book laying out a roadmap for an independent presidential candidacy is scheduled to come out) and saying Bloomberg will decide in March on whether to get in the race.
Confused yet? Join the club.