Michael Bloomberg-Joe Scarborough 2012?

Bloomberg-Scarborough 2012?

Howard Fineman at the Huffing Post reports that the New York mayor and former Panhandle congressman turned MSNBC pundit have talked about making an independent bid at the White House.

From Finemans article:

Well-placed sources tell The Huffington Post that the mayor and the host have talked about running together, with Bloomberg in the top spot. In an interview, Scarborough, a former GOP congressman from Florida, issued a firm yet carefully-worded denial. "We haven't discussed it directly," he said, adding, "Have people discussed it in his sphere and in my sphere? I think so."

One thing that has severely damaged third-party or independent presidential candidates has been a traditionally underwhelming choice for vice presidential spots. While Teddy Kennedy backers did not care for Jimmy Carter, independent John Anderson really did not reach out to them when he selected Pat Lucey as his running mate back in 1980. While Ross Perot picked a true American hero in James Stockdale as his running mate in 1992, Stockdales performance in the vice presidential debate was fodder for comedians for years. Curtis LeMay didnt help George Wallace back in 1968 and Ezola Foster certainly won no votes for Pat Buchanan back in 2000.

If Bloomberg snatches Scarborough for the VP slot, he would certainly do better than any of the candidates mentioned above. Some of the more impressive third-party candidates in American history had strong running mates. When Teddy Roosevelt ran for the White House as the Progressive Party candidate in 1912, he had California Gov. Hiram Johnson as his running mate. When Fighting Bob La Follette took aim at the White House in 1924 on the Progressive Party line, he had Sen. Burton Wheeler of Montana as his vice presidential candidate. Now a strong candidate in the VP slot does not always guarantee success -- look at 1948 when Strom Thurmond had the governor of Mississippi as his Dixiecrat running mate while Henry Wallace had a U.S. senator with him on the Progressive Party line. But -- 1948 aside -- if Bloomberg is serious about an independent bid for the presidency, Scarborough could be an appealing choice.