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“Bloomberg’s strident position on guns could be the most damaging, if the plan is to pick up Republican support. ‘Michael is toast in every Red State because of that one issue,’ (Christopher) Whalen explained. ‘That kills it. Even in states like Maine and New Hampshire, which are arguably Blue States now, he would still lose on that issue. The downstate vote wouldn’t be enough to fix it. Out West, forget about it. He comes across as a New York Jewish guy who hates guns. It’s like, no. They’ll put him together with the pantheon of Democratic politicians and Elizabeth Warren. Imagine Mike Bloomberg and Elizabeth. There’s a ticket for you.’
“He thinks that while Bloomberg ‘fits the mold’ of a very mainstream Democratic politician ‘that we’re screaming for’ and that he would make a good president, to win Bloomberg will have to ‘pull in his horns’ on the issue of gun control. ‘If he wants to win Texas or Ohio, you don’t go in there proposing that we ban guns,’ he said. ‘That’s just not going to fly. Definitely not. You got to tone down the New York bit and do more of the international businessman, I think.'” – Vanity Fair, “I’d vote for Michael in a heartbeat”: Wall Street’s Case for President Bloomberg