Is America ready for another Harvard MBA as president? As the final years of the George W. Bush (MBA ’75) presidency wind down, there seems to be no lack of potential candidates eager to replace him. In the event that the Democrats and Republicans choose candidates from the extremes of their parties, one politician who some experts believe could make a strong run as a centrist alternative is New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (MBA ’66), according to the Associated Press (December 20, 2006).

Bloomberg’s strengths are that he is a Republican, with a reputation as a social moderate and fiscal conservative, who won reelection in a Democratic city by nearly 20 percentage points, the AP article stated. His personal wealth frees him from many of the fundraising obligations, and the time and energy they demand, that occupy other candidates. Although the 65-year-old mayor publicly denies any interest in running, others aren’t buying it. Said one veteran Republican operative of Bloomberg, “He’s a very savvy, smart, strategic politician. He recognizes the hunger for something new. He’s making the preparations in case the dominoes fall the right way.”

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