Is Bloomberg mulling a run for president?

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg toyed with the idea of running for president as an independent candidate in 2008, but ultimately abandoned that idea. But what about now?

The New York Times reported that the billionaire businessman commissioned a poll last month to test how he would fare in a three-way race with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

We asked Dr. David Birdsell, the dean of public affairs at Baruch College, what the chances are that Bloomberg will run. Birdsell says it would be an uphill battle for Bloomberg on several fronts.  Bloomberg is a liberal on a range of issues, from immigration to abortion rights to gun control, which has been one of his crusades.

In a three-way race against Trump and Clinton, Bloomberg wouldn't be a viable option for many Republicans who have a strong distaste for Trump, Birdsell said. Bloomberg has made himself a pariah among the hunting and fishing groups in this country and the NRA in particular.

There are also the issues of the time needed to make a run for the presidency and name recognition. He is well-known in New York, but not the rest of the country, Birsdsell said, so even with his billions winning the presidency is a difficult task.