Michael Bloomberg update
AP has this:
BC-Bloomberg-2008,180 AP Newsbreak: Bloomberg begins nationwide effort to gauge support By SARA KUGLER Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has begun detailed polling and highly sophisticated voter analysis in all 50 states as he considers an independent bid for president, associates said Wednesday.
The exhaustive data collection quietly started months ago, and when the analysis begins shortly, it will provide the data-obsessed billionaire businessman with the information he will use to decide whether to launch a third-party run for the White House.
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The scope of the research, details of which were revealed to The Associated Press, demonstrates how seriously Bloomberg is considering running for president, despite his almost-daily denials that he isn't entering the race. The extensive coast-to-coast research effort shows that Bloomberg is willing to dig deep into his wallet simply to gauge his chances of winning and lining up the proper support network along the way.
"They want a hard-headed sense of their chances," said Doug Schoen, who spearheaded Bloomberg's voter database efforts, known as microtargeting, for his two mayoral campaigns.
Bloomberg's spokesman Stu Loeser declined to comment.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-01-09-08 1802EST