I have filed papers with the New York City Board of Elections to change my status as a voter and register as unaffiliated with any political party...Bloomberg was never really a Republican to begin with. He's always held relatively liberal views on social policy and made the switch from Democrat to Republican in 2001 in order to run for Mayor.
As a political independent, I will continue to work with those in all political parties to find common ground, to put partisanship aside and to achieve real solutions to the challenges we face.
That he's dropped his Republican affiliation shouldn't surprise anyone. The party has taken a fascist turn, especially in the years following 9/11; and with the Iraq War in shambles, a Republican president who is extremely unpopular, and a party in shambles going into next year's presidential election, Bloomberg figured the game was over and it was time to remove that "R" from his name.
If he is preparing for an independent run for the presidency, then the Democratic advantage going into 2008 will evaporate rather quickly. A Bloomberg candidacy would hand normally Democratic states to the Republican ticket. At least that's the way I see it from June of 2007.
