Is Bloomberg Eyeing Hillary as VP Pick?

The campaign of billionaire Michael Bloomberg is playing a little “damage control” in trying to quell rumors that he has been considering failed presidential candidate and GOP lightening rod, Hillary Clinton for his running mate in the 2020 election.

The question of “will we see a Mike Bloomberg-Hillary Clinton ticket in 2020,” has been bandied about in many parts of the media since the Drudge Report, the conservative media outlet, published “exclusive” reporting over the weekend that former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg is considering asking the 2016 Democratic nominee to be his running mate, should he win the nomination.

Drudge cited “sources close to Bloomberg’s campaign.” He also tweeted that Bloomberg was considering moving his permanent residence to one of his homes in Colorado or Florida “since the electoral college makes it hard for a POTUS and VPOTUS to be from the same state.”

However, the Bloomberg campaign is vehemently denying the rumors, releasing a statement on Monday saying that, “We are focused on the primary and the debate, not VP speculation.”

However, perhaps the most credible source of the rumors is the power-mad former First Lady herself. According to Fox News, an unidentified source close to HRC said that she “wants back in” following her loss to Trump during the 2016 election. While Clinton has not yet commented on the report, it’s not impossible that the former first lady would be eyeing a way back into politics following her defeat almost four years ago.

In fact, many believe that it speaks volumes to Bloomberg’s rising chances to garner the nomination that the opportunistic Hillary Clinton is already trying to grab a piece of the action.

But, let me set one thing straight. As they say in Bloomberg’s NYC – “Fuhgeddaboudit!” It is never going to happen. I have little doubt that Hillary wants back in, and her lackeys are likely feeding the rumor mills. I also have no doubt that it is many of Bloomberg’s hundreds of staffers who used to work on Hillary’s campaign that is pushing the idea to him internally.

But, I also have no doubt that Mike Bloomberg is smart enough to never go for such a whacky idea. First of all, Bloomberg is a long way from leading, let alone winning, the race for the Democratic nomination. There’s been no real indication that he would ask Clinton to be on his ticket, and no compelling reason why she would accept – even if he did.

But more importantly, Hillary on the ticket would destroy any chance that Bloomberg might have of defeating Trump. And he is smart enough to know that. The “woke” progressives that went home crying when Sanders lost the nomination and stayed away from Clinton in droves, assuring her defeat, will NEVER rally to her, especially if they perceive Bloomberg and the DNC of robbing Sanders of the nomination again.

Secondly, if Bloomberg wants to attract the needed younger voters, at 78, he will not do so with a running mate who is also in her 70s.

And, finally, Hillary Clinton is as toxic now, and as much of an ethical nightmare to the bottom of a ticket in 2020, as she was to the top in 2016.

I think Bloomberg is smart enough to recognize these liabilities — but if he gets the nod, and does not, and puts HRC on the ballot, that’s fine with me – because it will all but assure another 4 years for Donald J. Trump.