Michael Bloomberg's Independence

"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. Although my plans for the future haven't changed, I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead our City," -- Michael Bloomberg said yesterday...

Don't miss the back story on Bloomberg's independence in Jackie Salit's The Bloomberg Story. Salit ran the Mayor's Independence Party campaign in 2001 and 2005. She says:

The media assumes that if Mike decides to seek the presidency that he will automatically have the support of independents. My view is that nothing is automatic. Even a billionaire has to prove himself to independents. [AND WE MIGHT ADD, EVEN AN INDEPENDENT HAS TO PROVE HIMSELF TO INDEPENDENTS!]
I helped Mike do this in New York City twice, as I ran both of his mayoral campaigns on the Independence Party line. He ran twice as a fusion candidate—on the Republican and Independence Party tickets. In his first run in 2001 independent voters provided his margin of victory—the 59,000 votes on the Independence Party line put him over the top. In his second run, in 2005, he polled 59% of the total vote. Independents and black voters (an astonishing 47% of African American voters broke with the Democratic Party) were key to that landslide.