In a guest column in the New York Times, Mike Bloomberg has now confirmed yet again, but in more detailed terms, that he will not be running for president.

"I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president," Bloomberg writes. "I have watched this campaign unfold, and I am hopeful that the current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly independent leadership. The most productive role that I can serve is to push them forward, by using the means at my disposal to promote a real and honest debate."

Bloomberg left open the possibility that he would endorse one of the current candidates for president, if he saw a candidate who "takes an independent, nonpartisan approach — and embraces practical solutions that challenge party orthodoxy."