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Michael Bloomberg has a frank admission: he didn’t run for president last year because he didn’t think voters would embrace his neither-right-nor-left politics.

“For the Republicans, I’m pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-immigration. That’s a good start there. You’ll never get their nomination,” he told CBS News’ “60 Minutes.”

“On the Democratic side,” he added, “I believe in teacher evaluation. The big banks, we need to help them rather than just keep tryin​g ​to tear them down. Those are not particularly things that will help you get the nomination.”

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The ex-New York City mayor briefly considered a presidential run, but soon dropped his effort, endorsing Hillary Clinton and delivering a speech at the Democratic National Convention. He referred to then-candidate Donald Trump as a “con.”

Bloomberg fashions himself as a politician who transcends partisan lines, with his strong commitment to social liberalism and backing of the financial sector clashing with traditional party orthodoxies. He ran for mayor of New York as a Republican, but prior to that was a Democrat. While in office, he declared himself an independent.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

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