Silicon Valley’s next choice for President

You can’t turn on the television or radio without hearing about the race for president. With primary elections in full force, it’s a constant topic of conversation around the water cooler and amidst the cameras of the bustling newsroom. Everybody’s got their choice—and reasons for their choice.

And what about Silicon Valley? As it turns out, they’re rooting for someone who isn’t even running—or, at least not yet. 

Still holding out

Former New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg, initially suggested that he may enter the presidential race in 2016, running as a centrist independent candidate. Soon thereafter, he disappeared. Democrats and Republicans alike forgot about his early interest and moved on with their own campaigns. 

While a Bloomberg presidency seems highly unlikely, the valley is holding out for their hero. 

One of us

So what’s so special about Michael Bloomberg? Basically, he’s one of the valley’s own. He’s a fiscal conservative who is socially liberal, a billionaire, and, as many of them are tweeting, an operator. Bloomberg is also an entrepreneur—the inventor of the SaaS, which rocketed him to billionaire status.  He’s a Silicon Valley insider.

Silicon Valley’s runner up, Kentucky senator, Rand Paul, attempted to win the valley’s support, but dropped out of the race relatively quickly. The technology professionals in the area tend to be fairly anti-government, which make other candidates difficult to swallow. 

Bloomberg’s reasons for a potential run 

Many are wondering why Bloomberg is even interested in running. To put it simply, he’s fed up with the “corrupt gridlock” that exists in Washington, as well as countrywide wage stagnation. Bloomberg believes that current candidates aren’t offering the kinds of solutions that will work, but rather, exploiting current problems. 

While he’s spoken about the race indirectly, he’s careful to avoid insinuating that he’ll run this year—and at this point, many believe him unlikely to be able to garner the electoral votes necessary to secure a presidency. Still others believe he’s still got a chance and, given the number of surprising ups and downs of this political season, perhaps they’re onto something. 

The problem with existing candidates 

Bloomberg makes an easy choice for Silicon Valley professionals, but his absence from the race presents a bit of a problem. The valley opposes Trump’s immigration plan, as well as Cruz and Rubio’s social conservatism. 

Hillary Clinton struggles because she’s so closely associated with Wall Street and, some say, a woman in an industry historically light on powerful females. Sanders frequently denounces millionaires and billionaires, making him an unlikely choice for an area brimming with wealth. 

Overall, Silicon Valley sees a problem with existing candidate’s approach to Internet security. 

Is Silicon Valley a political force to be reckoned with?

The jury’s still out on that one, but there is huge potential. Because the area possesses tremendous wealth, they’re in a great position to help candidates financially. The area employs and houses an incredible number of individuals too—which means there’s major potential for organizing, canvasing, etc. 

If Silicon Valley can organize in support of a particular candidate, there’s a good chance they’ve got the power to influence an election. Whether or not Michael Bloomberg is a part of that remains to be seen.