Draft Bloomberg Web Site Draws Little Support

Given all the reports of America’s desire for a third-party, independent candidate, one would think that the movement to push Mike Bloomberg into the presidential race would have more support.

Launched two weeks ago, the official “Draft Bloomberg” campaign has about 4,700 signatures on its petition begging Bloomberg into the race as of Wednesday night, numbers more suited for a fringe candidacy rather than the two-term mayor of the nation’s largest city.

A recent Gallup Poll finds that, despite the bluster of pundits, voters do not desire the alternative that a Bloomberg candidacy would represent. Eighty-four percent of those polled said they think there is already a candidate running who would make a good president, and that number gives Bloomberg very little room to work with.

Doug Bailey, a co-founder of the “Draft Bloomberg” movement, said he is not yet worried about the low petition numbers on his website, chalking it up to the unpredictable nature of the major party primaries. “I’m not [concerned] now,” said Bailey of the petition numbers. “I would be come next week, when there’s some clarity to the race.”

Bailey said that he is working on new ways to drive traffic to the site, but feels that the best he and other Bloomberg-philes can do is wait for the results of the “Super Tuesday” primaries on February 5. Twenty-four states, including New York, will be up for grabs that day, and only then will the mayor and his supporters know how he matches up against the presidential field, said Bailey.

“Things are very much up in the air, because who knows who will be the opposing candidates. I think it’s very difficult for people, and I’d include the mayor, I assume it’s very difficult for him to make a decision when everything is so topsy-turvy.” said Bailey. “It’s an amazingly fluid race, and everyone is confused.”