Should anti-gun advocate and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg join the presidential race, he would get support from independents but would be crushed by Democrat Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, who would win in a three-way race, according to a new poll.
In its latest poll, Morning Consult found that in a three way-race, with Bloomberg as an independent, he would get 13 percent, Clinton 36 percent and Trump 37 percent.
It echoed a 2015 Rasmussen poll that found Bloomberg losing to Clinton in a Democratic fight. “The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that in a hypothetical matchup of the two, Clinton earns 69 percent support among Likely Democratic Voters,” said the survey.
Republicans could cheer the entrance of Bloomberg, suggested Morning Consult.
“In a two-way race, Clinton edges out Trump by a 44 to 42 percent margin, with 14 percent of voters saying they are undecided. In a match-up including Bloomberg, however, Clinton’s support declines by 8 points, to 36 percent, and Trump’s support declines by 5 points, to 37 percent. With Bloomberg in the race, Clinton’s support would decline the most among independents (36 to 24 percent) and adults under 30 years old (52 to 41 percent),” said the analysis.
But they found that Bloomberg’s approval is higher than his disapproval, and he is not well known, something the billionaire owner of Bloomberg News could change with advertising.
His hints at a race surprises few in the gun community. The National Rifle Association, for example, has been mocking a potential run for months.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
