As a third party Presidential hopeful, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg earns from 13% to 23% of the vote in a Rasmussen Reports poll of New Jersey Likely Voters.

Bloomberg does best in a match-up where Democrats nominate former North Carolina Senator John Edwards and the Republicans nominate former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. In that hypothetical election, it’s Edwards 44% Bloomberg 23% and Romney 20%.

If the two major parties nominate their frontrunners, Bloomberg’s support falls to 13%. That’s partly because the frontrunners are also New Yorkers—Senator Hillary Clinton and Bloomberg’s predecessor Rudy Giuliani. In that match-up, Bloomberg’s biggest impact may be putting a solidly “Blue State” in play. It’s Clinton 42% Giuliani 39% and Bloomberg 13%.

One other match-up tested showed Democrat Barack Obama with 43% of the vote in New Jersey, Republican Fred Thompson with 27% and Bloomberg with 19%.

In each match-up, Bloomberg does better among men than women.

A survey conducted earlier in the year showed the current Mayor of New York City draining votes from Republican candidates on the national level. However, it is impossible to measure the actual impact of a Bloomberg candidacy at this time. If he were to spend a billion dollars and find a compelling theme that resonated with voters, the poll data might shift dramatically. That is especially true if Bloomberg were to pull ahead of major party candidates in particular states.

Rasmussen Reports national tracking data has shown a sharp decline in the number of people identifying themselves as Republicans. There has been a corresponding increase in the number of people refusing to affiliate with either major party.

Bloomberg has publicly denied that he is interested in the White House, but reports have circulated that he is discussing the matter in private. Some reports suggest that he may spend up to a billion dollars from his personal wealth if he were to mount a campaign. Thirty-three percent (33%) of New Jersey voters believe it is possible for him to win the White House if he spends that much money. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say it is not possible while 28% are not sure.

A plurality of Republican and Democratic voters say that Bloomberg could not win. However, by a 40% to 29% margin, those not affiliated with the major parties think a Bloomberg victory is possible.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of New Jersey voters favor an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Another 17% favor a firm timetable for withdrawal. Just 17% believe the U.S. should stay and complete the mission. National surveys show that most Americans believe history will judge the U.S. mission in Iraq as a failure.

Rasmussen Reports regularly tracks public attitudes towards Congress, the War on Terror, and other topics. Rasmussen Reports also continuously updates favorability ratings and general election match-ups for all Democratic and Republican Presidential candidates along with ratings for Members of Congress, Other Political Figures, and Journalists. The President’s Job Approval ratings are updated daily.

Rasmussen Reports conducts ongoing surveys measuring the attitudes of Americans on the news of the day. Recent surveys have asked about immigration, the Pope’s comments on pro-choice politicians, the DC Madam, gun control, and the Supreme Court decision on partial-birth abortion. The latest updates can be found on the Rasmussen Reports home page.

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