…is that Michael Bloomberg is supposedly ready to spend $1 billion to get himself some presidential votes. It’s silly because there’s really no reason to believe it’s true. And it’s silly because the whole idea of a presidential run for him makes no sense. It’s very clear why it would help Bloomberg for people (especially in New York, where he is now in his lame-duck second term as mayor) to think he might run — because it gives him even more standing. But that doesn’t mean he’s actually taking the whole thing so seriously.

Look, there’s a reason Michael Bloomberg is the richest man in New York. It’s because he’s not the type to blow a billion dollars on a fantasy. When he spent $76 million to win the mayoralty and another comparable amount to get reelected, he did so with a very specific and workable game plan for the money. Here he would just be lighting a match to the cash.

When Ross Perot ran in 1992, he had two very specific aims in mind: He wanted to talk about the budget deficit, and he wanted to screw George Bush the Elder, who he had convinced himself had done something to disrupt his daughter’s wedding. He had nothing of moment to say about the budget deficit except that it was bad, and he quit the race when he thought Clinton had it in the bag, only to reenter it when Clinton appeared to stumble a bit in September.

Bloomberg has no such passion driving him. He has very little passion at all, which is why he has been a workmanlike mayor of New York City who has succeeded because he kept in place the policies of his predecessor.

Why can’t Bloomberg win? First, because independents can’t win. Second, because he’s a Jew.Third, because he’s too short. Fourth, becasue he’s way, way, way too rich. Fifth, because, I mean, come on. Sixth, because, I mean, really.