Michael Bloomberg, the eighth richest man in the United States and the former three-term mayor of New York City, has given himself until March to decide whether to run as an independent for president. By then, reports say, he’ll be able to get a sense of whether Bernie Sanders has a shot of getting the Democratic nod, and whether Donald Trump or Ted Cruz will nab their party’s nomination. While Bloomberg may not run, the mere mention of his candidacy could have profound political consequences.

This isn’t Bloomberg’s first flirtation with self-funding a presidential campaign — he’s explored the possibility with advisors since 2006. Bloomberg fancies himself the radical centrist, the educated adult in a world where Republicans have become unhinged culture warriors and the Democratic base is warming to economic populism.

Supporters gush that he built one of the world’s most successful companies and ran America’s financial capital for twelve years. That he’s got the know-how to manage, the ability to pick talented people to run departments, and the wisdom to support liberal positions on social issues like gun control and abortion rights. His ideology is sensibility, and with his wealth he literally cannot be bought off.