Mike Bloomberg's announcement that he's leaving the Republican Party to become an independent should be scary news for Democrats.
He's a moderate, he's not shy about his disgust for the Bush administration, and he has (or will have) a very positive, progressive record on issues like education and the environment. It's hard to see this pro-choice, pro-gun control, anti-war ex-Democrat ex-Republican having too much appeal to the GOP dead-enders who've stuck with Bush and the Republicans this far and are looking for a candidate who will continue Bush's hard-right governance and conservative cultural jihad at all costs.
But Bloomberg could pull liberals and independents disappointed with Democratic capitulations on Iraq, trade, and immigration.
He's also likely to get many Democratic-leaning voters who've been disillusioned by years of Democratic betrayals and have become disgusted with partisan politics and so fancy themselves independents even when most of their policy positions line up with the Democrats.
In a three way race, it's easy to envision Bloomberg and the Democrat splitting the anti-Republican vote, and letting another hard right Republican slip back into the White House without majority support.
So what are Democrats to do? The Democratic candidates should enthusiastically invite him to join the Democratic primary contest. The first gutsy candidate off the mark could say something like:
The country and the world can't afford to elect another Republican administration that will continue the failed Bush-Cheney policies. A three way election could put a Republican back in the White House with only minority support, leaving the rest of the country sadly and dangerously disenchanted with our democracy. Mayor Bloomberg clearly shares the Democrats' desire to break with the failures of the past and chart a new course. I invite him to join the Democrats' vigorous debate over how we can put the Bush-Cheney disaster behind us. He will bring valuable experience and perspective to that debate. And if he wins the primary, I know that my fellow Democrats and I will support him wholeheartedly. I hope and believe that he feels strongly enough about the future of this country not to jeopardize electing someone who will perpetuate the Bush-Cheney failures, who will lengthen the war in Iraq, who will continue to imperil America's reputation in the world, and who lacks the vision to solve urgent crises like global warming and health care.
I doubt such a statement would actually convince Bloomberg to run as a Democrat (he knows that Democratic primary voters are hardly in a mood to elect someone who so enthusiastically and generously supported George W. Bush in 2004), but it could shine a harsh light on any decision to run: at least some anti-Bush voters would start asking why they should support a man who professes contempt for the Bush administration and the Republican Party, and yet would be willing to risk the election of a Republican Bush clone for the sake of his own ego.
At the very least, it would show that Democrats aren't afraid of Bloomberg's challenge and his money (even if they really are). And whether they're facing one Republican or one Republican and one ex-Republican, one thing Democrats can't show is fear.
Glenn Hurowitz, who blogs at DemocraticCourage.com, is the author of the forthcoming book Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party.