Many Republicans worry that if New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg runs for president in 2012, he will simply siphon votes away from the GOP, guaranteeing re-election for President Barack Obama. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who is considering a 2012 run for the White House himself, definitely shares that sentiment,
The Hill reports.
"I hope Mayor Bloomberg won't even consider that," he told CNN. "But if there were a strong third-party candidate, there's no question in my mind that candidate would draw votes away from the Republican."
Bloomberg himself said Tuesday it’s doubtful an independent candidate could win a presidential race. "Party affiliation is so strong that ... you could get every independent vote, [and] it would still not be a majority," he said, according to Reuters.
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.