According to The New York Times yesterday, Michael Bloomberg is considering running for president.
Following on last week’s news of a leak that he commissioned a secret poll to determine the feasibility of such a presidential bid, he has now requested that advisers create plans for an independent campaign.
It may be the first time since the founding of our nation that an independent candidate could have the opportunity to carry the vote into the Presidency.
The political parties are in shambles and more divided than at any other time in our nation’s history.
This void could create an opportunity for someone to part the seas and walk through the center. Bloomberg has a track record of action and results, is not beholden to any party, can fund his own campaign and grassroots movement and is pragmatic on most issues, uniquely positioning him in a polarizing election year.
Why Should You as a Tech Leader Care?
If there’s one sector in particular that should rally around Bloomberg and that stands to benefit from him at the helm — it’s the tech industry.
Bloomberg has long been a booster of the technology industry in New York City and has voiced his support for Uber in NYC and its ability to break the hold of the taxi industry. in the city
In fact, he is also a key investor in Andreessen Horowitz, one of the main backers of Lyft. Bloomberg literally backs the disruptors.
None of the other candidates really understand technology and its power for global impact. Some of the candidates don’t know how to use a Blackberry and others think that a giant wall will protect our economy. The reality is that we are globalized through the means of communication. A smart phone eliminates all borders and social media carries the good word, amplifying the soap boxes of one onto the global theater. We want a President, who not just understands tech, he lives, he breathes it, he is it and will use it for the benefit of our nation.
Furthermore, he is an entrepreneur. At the end of the day, the tech industry is about entrepreneurship. And unless you’ve done it yourself, it’s very difficult to understand the trials, tribulations, challenges and hurdles that come in our way as we create, disrupt and transform.
As a successful entrepreneur, Bloomberg understands the issues of entrepreneurship and venture capital better than any candidate in the election. He bootstrapped a multi-billion dollar startup, which happens now to be the largest tech company based in NYC, a global business with 15,000 employees.
He also has a track record of applying his own experience to public policy to find ways to make it easier for others to start and grow their own businesses.
As Bloomberg stated, “The media and tech sectors are engines of job creation, and attract new business and new investment… Growing tech sectors also help us harness data that innovative governments and businesses can use to make communities better places to live and work…”
From 2007-2012, jobs in NYC’s tech sector grew by about 74%, making the city second only to Silicon Valley in venture capital funding for tech startups. It was Bloomberg who moved the agenda forward and helped the city build its community.
As Mayor, he generated a record level of job placements in the midst of a major national economic recession. He is also pro-immigration and will likely help us import much-needed engineering talent.
We want someone who believes innovation is the engine for growth in the globalized world. Talent is the driver of innovation, and talent comes through education and opportunity. He will be able to ensure that our country is the epicenter of global technology by focusing on education and training from the ground up.
“In the ultra-competitive global economy, the U.S. is facing a terrible mismatch between high-skill jobs and our labor pool,” Bloomberg has said. “Nothing is more important to our nation’s future – and to spreading equality and opportunity – than improving public education.”
Realizing this, a group of concerned citizens have banded together to create a grassroots movement to support Bloomberg.
We believe that the tech industry is uniquely positioned to help Bloomberg ride the waves of modern communication into office. The tech industry is the driving force of innovation and will bring our country into its next era of sustainable growth.
By backing Bloomberg, we could be helping to ensure we have the support, intelligence and track record to make sure the technology industry’s agenda is heard not just nationally, but globally.