Is Michael Bloomberg Fickle?

First, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg changed his lifelong political party affiliation from Democrat to Republican for his first political campaign.  Now, he’s switching again.  This time, his status changed to unaffiliated.  Naturally, rumors are flying that this is Michael Bloomberg’s first step in declaring his Independent candidacy for the 2008 presidential election.  

It’s been said that running on the Independent ticket is the equivalent to asking to be left out of the major presidential debates.  In fact, I heard Ron Paul state that fact in an interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show a few weeks ago.  Apparently, the only people who can be taken seriously running on the Independent ticket are individuals like Ross Perot who have the money to pay their way.  Michael Bloomberg is worth an estimated $5 billion, which should cover the expenses easily.  He spent in excess of $155 million on his two New York City mayoral campaigns, so he’s clearly willing to spend his money to attain his political aspirations.

The question is not only can he do his job, but will people be turned off by his everchanging brand image.  His loyalties appear to change to suit his personal goals.  Will this hurt him in a national election?  One of the most important aspects of creating a brand is consistency in your brand’s image, message and strategies.  Without consistency, the brand loses its strength.  Michael Bloomberg will need to invest a significant sum into public relations efforts to rebuild his brand as a newly “unaffiliated” politician.

Read what other bloggers are saying about Michael Bloomberg’s party swap:

Bloomberg Drops Republican Affiliation (CNN Political Ticker)

Bloomberg Leaves Republican Party (New York Times City Room)