On the heels of Joe Biden's decision not to run for president in 2016 and the recent exit of several other contenders, the presidential field has finally shown signs of settling.
Barring an unlikely entry by a party heavyweight such as former Vice President Al Gore or former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, it can be safely assumed that the next leader of the free world can be found within the current crop of Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls. That is unless a credible independent candidate, with name recognition and the resources to compete, enters the fray.
Although this scenario may seem equally unlikely given the steep uphill battle any presidential candidate would face without the backing of a major political party, the drumbeats have never been louder for an outsider to run on a platform of ending partisan gridlock and getting Washington working again. After all, both political parties have reached new depths of unpopularity, even among their own members.
Michael Bloomberg, the perennial fantasy candidate of choice for those seeking an independent alternative, has said he wont run despite reports of Wall Street heavyweights calling for him to reconsider. According to the New York Times, Bloomberg would need to make a decision by March 2016 in order to meet the various ballot access requirements of an independent campaign.
So is there ANYTHING that can be done for the next five months to get Bloomberg to run? At Crowdpac, we are innovating the future of political crowdfunding by allowing citizens to pledge money to candidates even before they enter the race. Best of all, users aren't charged unless the candidate actually gets in the race.
The mission is twofold - to provide a platform for candidates who receive popular support to run for office and to encourage more small-dollar donors to invest in democracy, diluting the power of big money and special interests.
Why crowdfund for a billionaire? When Donald Trump entered the race, many questioned the political viability of a billionaire seeking election to the presidency. However, the phenomenon of his candidacy has shown that even the richest candidate can win over hearts and minds with the right message. According to the most recent FEC filings, Trump has received the second-highest percentage of small dollar donations of any candidate (second only to Ben Carson) without any solicitation!
Should he decide to enter the race, the well-heeled Bloomberg will need more than his billions to generate populist appeal. He'll need to show broad-based support from an electorate clamoring for an alternative to the two-party system.
So next time you find yourself screaming at the television during one of the presidential primary debates, consider clicking over to Crowdpac, where you can crowdfund your independent choice for president. The change starts with you.