Bloomberg Officially Rules Out Run For President

In an op-ed published in today’s New York Times, Mayor Mike Bloomberg officially rules out a run for president, writing:

I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president.

He ads some optimism about the remaining candidates and hints at the role he intends to play:

I have watched this campaign unfold, and I am hopeful that the current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly independent leadership. The most productive role that I can serve is to push them forward, by using the means at my disposal to promote a real and honest debate.

He does take a shot at all the presidential candidates in his opening though:

Watching the 2008 presidential campaign, you sometimes get the feeling that the candidates — smart, all of them — must know better. They must know we can’t fix our economy and create jobs by isolating America from global trade. They must know that we can’t fix our immigration problems with border security alone. They must know that we can’t fix our schools without holding teachers, principals and parents accountable for results. They must know that fighting global warming is not a costless challenge. And they must know that we can’t keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals unless we crack down on the black market for them.

The vast majority of Americans know that all of this is true, but — politics being what it is — the candidates seem afraid to level with them.

Ultimately, I think it’s more likely that Bloomberg ends up supporting the Democratic nominee assuming that they make a few adjustments to their campaign. Why? Because, it looks like either Clinton or Obama are more likely to take action on the issues Bloomberg cares about that are consistent with his outlook.