The third big winner of New Hampshire primary may well be Michael Bloomberg

(Image credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)

last updated 10 February 2016

On Monday, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg confirmed that he's considering an independent run for president this year, telling the Financial Times that he finds "the level of discourse and discussion distressingly banal and an outrage and an insult to the voters." He'll decide soon, he said, and is "listening to what candidates are saying and what the primary voters appear to be doing." That's widely considered code for Bloomberg waiting to see if Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are likely to win the Republican and Democratic nominations, respectively.

Both Trump and Sanders notched solid victories in New Hampshire on Tuesday night. And a potential Trump-Sanders race is "a dream scenario for those — most notably Bloomberg himself — who dream of a real chance for the former mayor," says Chris Cillizza at The Washington Post. "I wouldn't fall down dead if later this week 'a Bloomberg insider' leaked either polling numbers or some sort of internal memo designed to stoke the fires for the former mayor’s independent bid." Since a Bloomberg run would probably ensure a Republican win in 2016, maybe this should be scored as two wins for Trump.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.