From soda to guns: Michael Bloomberg's hubris, and the politics of prohibition

Hizzoner has overreached — big time

Mayor Michael Bloomberg
(Image credit: Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is one of the brightest and most ambitious political leaders in the United States. He has strong and thoughtful views on obesity — which is indeed one of the central threats to the health of Americans, as well as the fiscal health of their country — and gun control — which is a problematic and perplexing issue in major metropolitan areas. Bloomberg also has the resources to get his message out.

Unfortunately, bright people can and often do lack the political instincts needed to sell their ideas beyond the groups of people inclined to support them in the first place.

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Jeb Golinkin is an attorney from Houston, Texas. You can follow him on twitter @jgolinkin.