12 NOVEMBER 14, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Bloomberg’s bid, and moderation
The Democratic presidential primary
got a shakeup last week
when former Mayor Michael
Bloomberg began taking steps toward
formally entering the race.
After the word got out that he
fi led paperwork to enter next year’s
Alabama Primary, the news spread
quickly, as did the reaction to his potential
late entry into the crowded fi eld
of candidates.
Most of the reaction was mixed,
to say the least, with some suggesting
his late bid would upset the
Democrats’ apple cart in their bid to
defeat President Trump. Pundits also
pointed to Bloomberg’s rather moderate
position — with some believing it
a strength, and others seeing it as a
liability.
The former three-term mayor
wouldn’t be the fi rst presidential candidate
to jump into his party’s primary
within a year or less from the actual
presidential election. History shows
the results have been mixed.
The late Senator Robert F. Kennedy
joined the race in March 1968, shortly
aft er the New Hampshire Primary,
EDITORIAL
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg is primed to enter the presidential election. Courtesy of Michael Bloomberg
and was seemingly on his way to the
nomination when tragedy struck. Retired
General Wesley Clark also joined
a wide-open Democratic fi eld in 2003
aft er a public draft movement, but his
campaign fi zzled out within weeks.
How will former Mayor Bloomberg
perform? That’s up to him — and, more
importantly, the voters.
His three terms as mayor of the nation’s
largest city were largely successful,
as he helped lead the rebuilding
eff ort following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist
attacks. Bloomberg also spurred
further development across the fi ve
boroughs and helped diversify its
economy by attracting businesses in a
wider variety of fi elds from healthcare
to technology.
Bloomberg’s record certainly qualifi
es him to be part of the presidential
conversation.
As for moderation and moderate
candidates, we don’t believe either
should be eschewed by the voters.
Even before Bloomberg’s entry into
the race, candidates like former Vice
President Joe Biden and South Bend,
Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg were
getting a raw deal because they’re not
as far to the left as others.
But moderation is a strength because
polarization leads to dysfunction, as
we have seen during the current administration.
We believe most American
voters want someone who will tilt
left or right, but stay grounded toward
the center and put the country — not
the party — fi rst.
We’ll fi nd out in time if that candidate
is Bloomberg or someone else
from the Democratic fi eld. Either way,
the Democrats need to get it right — as
another four years of Donald Trump
would be disastrous for the country.
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Co-Publishers
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Reporters
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