Bloomberg would have uphill battle, poll suggests

WASHINGTON – Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is flirting with the idea of becoming the second Manhattan-based billionaire to jump into the presidential race, would have a long, tough road ahead, a new poll suggests.

Morning Consult, the polling and media firm, had a survey in the field last week when the New York Times floated the Bloomberg trial balloon. As with any poll that purports to say how voters would react nine months in the future, the results need a very large dose of salt. But they do provide some valid information about where the potential candidate would start .

In a three-way race with Donald Trump as the GOP nominee and either Hillary Clinton or Sen. Bernie Sanders as the Democratic choice, Bloomberg would start with about 12 percent of the vote, according to the survey. His share of the vote would be about the same if either Sen. Ted Cruz or Sen. Marco Rubio was the GOP nominee, the poll found.

Bloomberg’s vast fortune – he’s considerably wealthier than Trump – could certainly increase his name recognition and, perhaps, boost his support. On the other hand, third-party candidates almost always lose altitude toward the end of a campaign as voters decide not to cast a vote for someone who seems unlikely to win.

As for those now in the race, the poll projects a close contest, with Sanders and Clinton running close to a tie with Trump but doing better against either Cruz or Rubio.