The last thing we need is another rich white man making a vanity run for an office he has no hope of winning. Like more than half the Democratic candidates, he should follow Eric Swalwell's example and git while the gitting is good.
16
What happened to the Starbucks guy? Was a new yacht more appealing?
8
What a dope. Mr, Steyer, put $100 Million up to defeat Trump. You will be acclaimed a hero of the age. Support a candidate you love -- you will NEVER be the candidate. And if you run as an independent, you assure Trump's return, and you will be as despised as Ralph Nader, who gave us W!
7
As a retired ad man, here are some free ideas for Tom to run TV commercials: An ad showing children being torn from their mothers, an ad showing ICE agents rounding up people, nazi jackboot style, an ad showing all the disgraced, greedy self serving people Trump has hired and who resigned, or were forced out, in disgrace, an ad showing his lies, (that’s a 60 second for sure), an ad showing the women who claim he sexually abused (another 60 second), an ad showing his grovelling to murdering dictators, an ad showing him talking about repealing ACA with a pastiche of victims who have pre-exisiting conditions, an ad showing his useless daughter being embarrassed and ignored by world leaders, and embarrassing the country, an ad showing him playing golf with his words about “I’ll never be playing golf, I’ll be working for YOU!”, and criticizing Obama for occasionally playing golf, an ad showing him attacking the free press (“once the press are muzzled, the government will then have free rein”) an ad showing him musing about being permanent (along with shots of Putin and Kim).
Tom could bankroll a whole slew of such ads and thereby help get rid of Trump; a much more effective way for him to contribute to the cause than running for President.
13
Haha, now you left wing democrats have your progressive trump. He, Steyer, won't draw votes from Biden. So watch out on your left.
Jamelle Bouie, You rock!
10
The person Steyer reminds me of is Bruce Rauner, another rich guy, who bought the governership of Illinois. Ask anyone here how well that went.
4
Oh, let's let everyone with a ton of money squander it on ad buys and yard signs. Surely they can influence poor people.
Steyer is right about impeachment, of course, but the problem we have is money in politics.
We need to get rid of rich people buying into government, whether by running for office or by writing checks to compliant representatives who take bribes for a living.
Mandatory public campaign financing is the answer. Then let every public servant who wants to run for office.
6
I think we should settle the billionaire for President matter the old fashioned way, with a cage match. Put Michael Bloomberg, Tom Steyer, and Howard Schultz in a regulation size WWE cage and let them have at it. The only weapons they are allowed to bring into the ring are wads of cash, of any denomination, to whack each other over the head with. Make it a pay-per-view event, and donate the proceeds to any worthy cause, which by definition excludes their candidacies.
When most Americans are concerned with getting money out of politics, these men are trying to use it to pave their road to the White House.
2
Dear Jamelle Bouie, while welcoming and enjoying your research and writing, consider: the headline “Tom Steyer, We Welcome You With Folded Arms” is not a welcome and re: “ordinary people organizing themselves to fight for a better, more humane society” a truly humane society is not created by fighting.
I would agree with everything Jamelle Bouie wrote except that he forgets American politics is not what he describes any longer and while it would be good to offer help in these arenas Jamelle, he misses a salient point. If Steyer is what his detractors say, he is also the only person with the guts and the money to openly charge the President with what he feels are impeachable and immoral acts. No matter how much money Steyer has, he put himself immediately in the crosshairs of the same types of people out to murder Martin Luther King - He, in fact, took his life in his hands with his consistent television attacks on the President. For this reason, he could very well be the best person to defeat Trump in 2020. He would be fighting Trumps acolytes with as much or perhaps more Trumpian weapons. Styer has "guts" and guts is what wins elections. He also has brains, perhaps not as progressive as some might fancy, but he falls well in line with other past presidents far better than most of the current Democrat viers for power. To insult Styer because he has a big ego, or does not lie as Trump did and does to garner, with fear, support from Republicans when he was never one of them is outrageous. The GOP folded like a rotten tortilla when they saw they had no hope without Trump. Most of all Steyer can help in the areas Mr. Bouie suggests. Perhaps they should consult with each other? None of the frontrunners can amass the billions it will take to defeat President Trump. Styer can.
1
Here's idea: because of Trump's horrendous handling of the collapse of Puerto Rico, hundreds of thousands of American Citizens want to relocate to the Mainland. How about subsidizing their moves to so-called Battle Ground States? $5000 per family for moving to WI/MI/OH/KY?
3
Democrats want to fall in love and republicans just want to win. I want republicans out so I will vote for a bus or a ham sandwich or anyone with a D.
5
Oh, and also Steyer doesn’t have a foreign enemy waging a massive, and unchecked, propaganda campaign aiming to put him into power. That’s another difference between him and trump.
3
What billionaires with so much money ought to do is pool their resources and create a nationwide bi-partisan effort to encourage people to read, be informed and to get off their butts and VOTE.
Can you imagine what a virtual barrage of non-stop 18 month, creative, well thought out - even humorous - 15, 30 and 60 second adds to get our fellow citizens to mobilize around the 2020 elections would / could do?
With just a bit of imagination one can even envision a set of non-partisan town hall meetings chaired by the Gates, Buffets, Kochs of our world focused on the need for citizen involvement in our participatory democracy.
Dialogue engages and engagement brings discussion with at least a modicum of understanding. My bet is that an engaged nation is much more likely to correct the course our nation on which we've been sailing for the past 10~40 years.
3
Mr. Steyer has the right to spend HIS money that HE earned however he chooses. Just like a liberal, excuse me, progressive, to say I know how to spend YOUR money better than you.
Just think about how much more he could accomplish if he put his money and efforts into state anti-gerrymandering initiatives. Too bad his ego and savoir complex, as so often happens, clouded his judgement.
2
Jamelle Bouie suggest Tom Steyer to hep paying fines to restore the right to vote... ¿Why fines? I pondered. Here the answer. (It is great to read something that forces me to do some research, and learning. Reading the NYTimes and readers’ comments is a treat)
New Florida Law Requires Felons To Pay Fines, Fees Before Voting : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2019/07/01/737668646/aclu-sues-over-florida-law-that-requires-felons-to-pay-fees-fines-before-voting
Right on the money. His "campaign" is vanity and striving after wind. There are so many right wing rich nuts buying up state houses--there's where he could be helpful.
2
Mr. Bouie is, if anything, too kind to Tom Steyer. Why should Democrats think that electing a rich white man with no political experience would be the solution to having elected a rich white man with no political experience. Just saying "I'm a Democrat" isn't remotely enough. As with Joe Biden, if for other reasons, the fact that Tom Steyer has announced his candidacy is, all by itself, proof that he doesn't have the good judgment to be president.
4
Doesn’t Tom remember Ralph Nader and Jill Stein? Sheesh!
2
He could invest that $100 million in flipping the senate!
2
I'd say, let the best man or woman win. I'm happy Steyer is running as a Democrat and not as a spoiler independent. If he happens to win the nomination, vote for him! But also vote for Senate and House, they are just as important if not more so, as the presidency!
1
If he truly wants to see trump out of office then he should not be running. God forbid he becomes the next Jill Stein and takes votes away from the top of the ticket. This is nothing more than a vanity project.
We do not need another business man in the White House.
One has been more than enough. We need experience, well-thought out policies, and someone who knows when to compromise and when to hold fast.
Business men all think they only have to answer for themselves. They mostly are little dictators in their respective business and they can be, because they have not been elected by the employees, they are the guys in charge without any need to take their employees well being into consideration. Some do this, but not most.
Tom Steyer already wasted his money on Impeachment advertising. He should save the rest of it to help someone worthy of election.
2
An excellent piece, Jamie. Steyer posted his candidacy on Facebook. Just for fun, I read the comments on FB. They all agree with you that we don’t need yet another candidate and that there are many better ways to spend his money.
2
As others have said, those tiny few that control money in excess of a billion dollars generally have egos the size of their bank books.
All due respect to the author here, people with that much money usually have armies of people that want to tell them how to spend their money. It is their equivalent of getting spam. The very mentality that gets a person to the level of billionaire pretty much precludes taking advice from people that take the subway to work.
Simply put, they believe they are right. This crosses party lines. Trump thinks whatever he decides is right - and so does Bloomberg. The Koch brothers - and Warren Buffet.
Love it or hate it, that's the reality.
1
Im not sure that working to mobilize young voters to register and vote is a fruitful use of the money. The young continue to show that despite 'being the future', they have no concept of how democracy works in the United States and that whining about student loans on social media does NOT count as an actual vote for anybody. But democrats in general only seem to believe in voting for President every 4 years as if that will solve all our problems.
Money is speech. Some people just have more speech than others.
2
Isn't this true of the entire billionaire donor class? That there are better things to do with their fortunes than buying politicians? Tom Steyer is not the villain. Plutocracy is, and unfettered capitalism. Any system which produces billionaires while leaving tens of millions struggling paycheck to paycheck is not working.
2
I hope Steyer reads this column and takes its advice to heart. However, that's a faint hope. Modesty is not a quality commonly found among people who acquire the kind of wealth Steyer has. Their common streak is arrogance, coupled with inordinate personal vanity.
3
Couldn't agree more: "The Democratic Party doesn’t need another presidential candidate. It’s a waste of resources, another example of liberal America’s disastrous preoccupation with executive office at the expense of the rest of our federal system, which spreads power across different institutions, offices and levels of government."
Steyer & Schultz need to stop their self promotion & redirect their "campaigns" to electing Dems at all levels.
An historic Blue Wave that retakes the WH & Congress is our civic & moral responsibility. We must awaken independents, & Dems across the spectrum to vote Blue.
3
Totally agree with this column. Right now we're waiting for at least half of the 2020 lineup to drop out, and now here comes a billionaire jumping in hauling his train load of cash with him.
4
Beto O'Rourke is another candidate who might want to reconsider. Unless his campaign catches fire pretty soon, he should go back to Texas. He could do much more good running for the senate against Cornyn.
6
Pretty easy for JB and the peanut gallery to come up with lots of ideas on how to spend somebody else’s money.
The gist of this article is that Tom Steyers is not welcome in the Democratic Party, except of course, his money is most welcome. So, Tom, just leave your money at the door and go away is the message I gather here.
As a life long Democrat, who has welcomed the varied voices from all who seek to do good, I find this article completely un-Democratic.
Dear Tom: $100m would support a lot of would-be Steyer Scholars and provide a real contribution to society.
But Jamelle, making substantive contributions and taking significant actions as those you suggest, would not sufficiently feed Mr. Steyer's apparently huge ego. We already have a man in office whose ego knows no bounds. One is more than enough.
Jamelle Bouie says with confidence that Tom Steyer will not be the nominee of the Democratic Party. I would have said the same thing about Trump in 2016.
2
He could buy properties in key gerrymandered Republican districts and rent them on the cheap to Democrats in time to flip the districts in 2020.
Thank goodness that simply having money does not guarantee a candidate a place in the next rounds of debates--people matter more. To quote what several online sources have reported:
"The DNC's outline for its September debate — the third of at least a dozen promised matchups during the 2020 nominating contest — decrees that candidates can participate only by reaching 2% in four approved polls released between June 28 and Aug. 28 while also collecting contributions from a minimum of 130,000 unique donors before Aug. 28. That donor list must include a minimum of 400 individuals in at least 20 states."
With any luck Steyer will fail to reach one or more of these criteria. That would enable him to make a real difference for the Democratic Party and the United States.
Perhaps Mr. Steyer will take these excellent suggestions and act on them as his campaign. Imagine being able to use the fact that you just made it possible for some citizens of Florida to be able to do the most American of things, vote, as a way to introduce yourself. If only.........
I see the Times and all the other major media outlets have started the disinformation campaign against Tom Steyer, leaving the Dems with Biden to roadblock Sanders, ironically with the rock solid support of a lot of black people.
What a feeble-minded argument to propagate—I don’t like the guy because he’s billionaire with more money than I have, so he must be bad, while 45, who really is bad, gets offered up as a credible basis of comparison: what a sad, sick, short-sighted analysis.
Not only is Tom a real billionaire but he really is smart. In 1975, he graduated number one in his class at Phillips Exeter Academy.
His smarts are already reflected in his campaign strategy, which in part has come out of the gate focusing on doing what is necessary to save our democracy and that is to massively improve the voting process. His seven-point plan is brilliant.
I am dumbfounded by how twisted we as a people have become, that we are virtually making a hero out of an outright criminal in the White House while demonizing the one person who has dedicated his life to bringing that criminal to justice, which sadly may indeed no longer exist in America, if we aren’t careful.
1
Stayer will go to the "little side history" of millionaires wannabes for the presidency that failed.
Jamelle Bouie is right in his analysis.
I hope Tom Steyer reads this and reconsiders his wrong headed decision to run for president. The most important thing that can be done right now is registering people to vote, making sure voters are not disenfranchised and ensuring our voting systems are secure from hacking and every vote can be counted accurately. We don't need another Howard Schultz character running for president. DOA.
1
It is not about Trump. For Steyer, it is about Steyer. And $100 million is akin to a few hundred dollars for the rest of us.
My guess is that Steyer is running in part because the current roster of candidates seems to weak. Not one front candidate seems to be talking to Middle America.
He can expect the Schultz treatment. If he survives that, he'll get the Biden treatment ("Steyer breathed on my neck once at a reception, and I haven't been the same since...")
1
Run as a Republican and buy a seat in the Senate. Now that would be money worth spending.
Amen. This Steyer campaign is all about the outsize ego of a billionaire. If he really wants Democrats to win, his money can be used in much better ways - like organizing to win state legislature races, where voting districts for the next decade will be drawn - than this aptly labeled vanity campaign.
I don't understand Tom Steyer's rationale here. His impeachment campaign has done well to raise awareness including well-produced political ads. His money should go toward more political messaging to counter the expected onslaught of ring-wing propaganda that will be forthcoming. Running for president is a waste of $100-million. Not just Steyer, but I wonder why others have jumped into a crowded field with little chance of winning the Dem nomination.
Steyer is probably reading this article and might just do some of the things advocated by the author. I would be careful about criticizing a wealthy donor, particularly one who despises Trump. Dems need all the money they can get.
2
"The Democratic Party doesn’t need another presidential candidate. It’s a waste of resources, another example of liberal America’s disastrous preoccupation with executive office at the expense of the rest of our federal system,"
But Jamelle, isn't this why we need Steyer to be the nominee? It can be argued that we need to keep Warren, Sanders, Harris, Klobuchar etc. in the Senate. Giving up those seats would not only be giving up valuable, persuasive Democratic voices, but may even be critical to gaining the majority. Getting legislation passed in the Senate when it's a 50-50 tie with a Democratic VP vs. 49-51 with the Republicans holding a scant majority, is the difference between going to the moon and going to Alpha Centauri.
Understand, I don't make this argument - I support Warren - but it's an eminently reasonable argument.
2
Please, no more wannabe presidents if they have not held an elected office before. It is quite different to run a business where you get to dictate the operations compared to working on a compromise with 100 senators and 435 congress persons representing, in theory, the interests of their constituents. You will NEVER get my vote.
2
"But among registered voters, he’s either virtually tied or ahead of everyone other than the former vice president Joe Biden. The difference is easy to explain. Compared with all adults, and especially nonvoters, registered voters are whiter, wealthier and more likely to have steady employment and a permanent address. They are, in other words, more Republican than the public at large.
If Democrats could close the gap between the two groups — if they could bring more nonvoters or new voters into the process — they would have a better shot at beating Trump in 2020."
Or they could just nominate the guy beating Trump by double digits: Joe Biden.
But liberals just can't do that, can they? They have to have it their way, or they'll throw the election to the other side. We saw it in 2000, we saw it in 2016, and we'll see it again in 2020.
2
I will wager Mr. Bouie that right now Tom Steyer has a bigger constituency than over half the Democratic field of candidates, perhaps combined, or he will so very soon.
Let's be honest here, over half the candidates have either zero or near zero chance of getting the nomination, and we all know it. In fact, most will never poll over 5%, and some will be at less than 1% for their entire campaign. I bet Steyer polls at over 5% fairly soon, and I bet before he exits he will poll at over 10% at some point. The question should be why are we not asking all these other no-hopers to pack it in. Are you listening Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Beto O'Rourke?
3
Could not have expressed it any better. How appropriate is the lead picture? Mouth wide open. Nothing but hot air.
I don’t care how he made his money. He’s free to try to bring down President Trump. It’s America. But one would
think that an educated man would eventually realize he has no following. The money he has wasted could brought
about some positive social change. Sadly, with his latest outburst, wanting to be a presidential candidate, he is now pictured as nothing but a publicity seeker.
1
Steyer as viewed by Bouie needs to take another tack in this crowded election field of Democrats. After reading the excellent article, he makes his point clear and, in addition, adds points that make sense. The field is too crowded and using his money in other ways would do the Democrats a better chance. I don't necessarily agree with the point that Trump was watering the fields for his potential bid earlier than Steyer. Too late to enter, Tom, just continue to use that green where needed.
Way too many Democratic candidates who should just leave the race. There may be good attributes in each of them,but the ridiculous amount of money that is being spent could be spent on supporting candidates running for Congress. Tom Steyer is just another candidate with no chance of being elected. It's a reminder of how big an ego you need to run for President when you know you'll never make it, i.e.all of them but one, and whoever that will be remains a mystery.
2
Another billionaire who’s sure he is always the smartest guy in any room. Just what our country and the world needs.
2
What Mr. Steyer is doing, buying his way into a national political campaign, is perfectly legal. That is the scandal, and that should be the focus of our outrage.
1
A progressive renewal starts from the bottom up. Yes. And it keeps getting stomped on from above by moderate, donation-loving, head-patters; there, there, someday we’ll have....but not now.
If Steyer’s money can do all the suggested actions, imagine what a president could do, advocating, leading, pushing all those actions.
Imagine a Steyers/Warren, Warren/Steyers ticket. A Sanders/Steyers ticket. Or, we can have a Biden candidacy. More pats on the head, and a replay of the last moderate, fore-ordained, uninspiring, race.
At least with Steyers, we know where his money is coming from. You go, guy!
1
"if they (= Democrats) could bring more nonvoters or new voters into the process — they would have a better shot at beating Trump in 2020."
Does the Democratic party have a history of doing this, or least recently? Their urban, elitist bent of late would seem to belie any attempt to bring in floaters or non-voters.
2
“...With $100 million, Ben Mathis-Lilley at Slate magazine estimates Steyer could pay fines and restore voting rights for up to 70,000 Floridians, which would have a real impact on the 2020 race.”
¿ Fines to restore voting rights in the United States? [ In Peru to vote is a right and an imperative duty . Not doing means getting a fine. (Or two, three. Etc.) When a citizen needs to renew her passport, for example, well..she must first pay those fines.
What an instructive essay!
1
I think most of the democrats who mysteriously (to me) have taken it into their heads that they could or should be President of the United States are a selfish bunch who maybe just want to refer to themselves as “presidential candidate” on their resumes. The hubris on display is breathtaking.
Democrats may spend their time more effectively by figuring out a strategy that will make the 2020 election as successful as the midterms. If these doomed campaigns continue, we’ll probably be heading into the next election as a tattered, wounded, and frivolous party.
2
This guy puts his money where his mouth is. His opponents should think twice about under- estimating him. Impeachment and climate are sure to be major considerations during this protracted campaign.
5
Four years ago I heard the same argument after Donald Trump announced that he was running for President. That worked out great didn't it?
1
But wait - all the Democratic candidates have been railing about how money buys influence. If that’s true, then Tom Steyer will be the Democratic nominee.
Could it not be true? Could Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders not be telling the truth on this point? No, no, bite your tongue.....
Wikipedia Entry 2060:
Either: "Tom Steyer, the Johnny Appleseed of voter registration, registered millions of new voters in advance of the 2020 election and put America on a progressive path for a generation. His voter registration drive is thought by many historians to have been instrumental in saving American democracy."
Or: "Tom Steyer was a billionaire who self funded a failed campaign to be the Democratic nominee for President in 2020."
Which will it be, Tom?
2
I have an entirely different take on Tom Steyer’s hat in the ring. Charles Blow is correct, Tom Steyer will never get closer to the Oval Office than a groundskeeper on the front lawn of the White House. He will never get to debate the embarrassment who lives there. BUT…
I would LOVE to hear him dismantle Trump on a Democratic stage with national exposure, far beyond the air space he purchases for his impeachment message. As a platform for his message about a dangerous, criminal and incompetent president, there would be only one better.
I would have loved more to see him take Trump apart face-to-face on a Republican stage, which would deliver his message to the right audience. Steyer-to-Democrats is preaching to the choir. On a Republican stage, he would have no reason to walk away from ongoing jabs at Trump. He can afford to stay and couldn’t care less about polls.
As to Charles Blow’s position that Styer could do more for the country by spending his $100 million on correcting injustices, Steyer could easily do that in addition to his political choices. In fact, it would be in his best political interest to pay attention to almost everything on Blow’s list, not only for the changes we need, but for the connection with voters that HE needs.
I can’t wait to watch and hear him as he amps up.
3
Agree. We don't need Steyer in the race. I'd much rather see him use his money in ANY of the ways Bouie is suggesting. What a waste of resources! A carnival in the making.
Granted, the term "politician" is now a dirty word. And granted, too, that Trump's grab of the presidency in 2016 has planted the idea that anyone with opinions about how social and economic problems might be solved can be an effective president. But, Trump's actual experience as president should reinforce the opposing idea that a person who seeks to occupy the highest office in the nation ought to have some sort of experience in elective office first. People like Tom Steyer and Andy Wang are good people and they have good ideas, but they really ought to try getting elected and serving in some public office: say the local School Committee or Board of Aldermen or City Council, before running for President of the United States of America! Being effective in public office calls for very different skills and strengths than those needed for being a corporate executive, engineer, or successful financier.
@Suzy Groden
You mean, like Trump?
This column is unfair to Mr. Steyer, an outstanding billionaire hedge fund manager who made all his money buying coal mines in Australia. No doubt he regrets his attack on our environment and is now reformed, although not so much as to divest himself of his billions. Who better to lead the Democratic Party to defeat in 2020?
I was terribly disappointed when I heard Tom Steyer was entering an already crowded field of candidates. This excellent opinion piece covers all the ground for why it is a terrible idea. Mr. Steyer could have been a hero. He chose to let his ego get in the way.
It is dishearten that so many candidates are running for President and ignoring other offices that will have a larger impact, I,e. governors, senators, state legislators etc. If Democrats do not win the Senate, all these big ideas will not be taken up in the Senate. Democrats need to be more focus on winning state offices in 2020.
Why can’t he do both? Run for president and show case his feats of investments by doing everything you listed as important priorities? I would vote for him if he said, “Look at what I’m doing. I’m restoring democracy.” He would have plenty of free publicity, but, even if he has to go over his 100 million budget by 30 million, it probably wouldn’t make a dent to his bank account and would leave him running with the same dollar army as his competitors.
2
“If there is going to be a progressive renewal in American politics, it won’t start in the White House. It will start from the bottom up, built from movements centered on identity, injustice and material deprivation — ordinary people organizing themselves to fight for a better, more humane society.”
I agree.
Au contraire, the Democratic Party does need another candidate because the present candidates are demonstrably problematic. Mr. Steyer's late entry is most interesting because it indicates that a late entry is indeed possible. However, Michelle Obama would be far more promising as a late entrant than Steyer. On Steyer's political fate, though, Mr. Boie is obviously correct. Steyer is an elitist who will lose miserably even in a weak field.
3
My biggest fear with Steyer is how he might be tempted to play spoiler, and run third party. We haven't heard much from another arrogant billionaire, Howard Schultz, eager to put his money where he thinks it counts the most, on himself.
The 2016 election was influenced by a lot of factors, but one still rarely discussed are the third-party vanity campaigns of Jill Stein and Johnson/Weld.
In tight elections, where every vote counts and then some, the last thing we need is Steyer siponing off voters who think casting a wasted ballot is worth it to indulge in personal anger.
6
Spot on! Steyer could have a much bigger impact on the future of our country by making strategic political investments in key states and position himself for a leadership position in the next administration. There are lots of ways for beneficent oligarchs to help save our country.
1
No. One man (or woman) shouldn’t have the power to swing elections or buy legislative victories for one political party or another with their pocketbook, even if their intentions are pure.
For every Steyer there is a Koch, so it is misguided for Buie to appeal to the wealthy to influence our politics so dramatically.
Instead, the focus should be on limiting the the outsize power of the rich on our political machinations.
Publicly fund elections.
Expand voting rights.
Improve access to the ballot box.
Open more polling booths.
Make public transportation free on voting day.
Mandate that 18 year olds register to vote, as they have to register for the draft.
Have a national holiday for Voting Day.
Etc, etc. Do a whole host of other things.
But do these things the right way: pass the laws in democratic fashion rather than allow the wealthy to mold our political system in their image, whether they be Steyers or Kochs.
1
He couldn't possibly do more damage than the candidate who thinks forced busing is a winning issue.
9
If he runs, one of two things will happen. He'll get so few votes that he'll disappear under water. Or he'll draw enough votes that he'll guarantee a win for Trump. I prefer the former.
4
The money would be well spent in Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina or any state to gain a majority in the Senate. The Republican dominated State Houses need to be eliminated as well, play by the Koch brother's book.
11
@rhdelp
Yes, please tell him to come to SC to help defeat Lindsay Graham. That would give him a lasting legacy if he could just remove our Trump sycophant.
1
One way Steyer could make a big difference is by heavily funding the All On The Line campaign headed by Eric Holder and Barack Obama to stop the practice of gerrymandering in order to have fair elections. Even when voters are registered and vote their votes are futile in gerrymandered districts where instead of the voters choosing the candidates in effect the candidates choose their voters. The Republicans have many more seats in the House than they should because of gerrymandering and they also have many seats they don't deserve in state legislatures. By now it is plainly obvious that to hang on to white power despite shifts in demographics the Republican Party is attempting to systematically rig elections so that a minority can obtain permanent control over a majority. The Democrats need to put as much effort into stopping this right wing takeover of the electoral system as the Republicans are putting in to achieve their goal, and unfortunately a lot of money is needed by the Democrats to have a good chance of succeeding.
6
The statistic that Trump beats most but Biden with registered voters is getting some attention.
But Hillary got more votes than Trump.
And 2018 saw that some Republicans voted for House Democrats.
So shouldn't the Democrats number be even higher than Hillary's in 2020?
Is this just a poll that is too early because so many voters don't know so many of the Democrats and Biden is the most recognizable name?
1
Maybe after he goes nowhere in the Democratic primaries, his ego will carry him to an independent candidacy. There he can lock arms with Ralph Nader, Jill Stein and the Bernie Bros and ruin another chance at winning. Thanks, Tom.
4
@g. harlan
My, how quickly you forget that if it wasn't for an egotistical businessman running as an independent, Bill Clinton would never have become president.
The fines are the 21st century equivalent of the poll taxes and other black voter suppression measures that existed across the South from the late 19th century until the mid-1960s. In Florida, voter felon laws were on the books since 1838. When a 2018 ballot initiative restored felons' voting rights the Republican legislature responded by imposing these fines.
How can anyone like this Slate blogger you cite, be so naive as to recommend that a presidential candidate acquiesce to the demands of extortionists when we just witnessed state legislators creating new obstacles for the same purpose?
For many voters, Steyer was the most prominent early advocate of impeachment so why would progressives object to another pro-impeachment candidate entering the race? The cynic in me says that progressives are worried that Bernie will fail to win the nomination again so their best chance is to offend as many other Democrats as possible in order to discourage them from voting in the primaries and then take the calculated risk of winning them back in the general.
2
I agree but I give the guy credit for spending his money on the Need to Impeach campaign.
What he needs to do now is use that money to back other candidates.
9
All excellent suggestions for what Tom Steyers could do with his $100 million, Mr. Bouie. He could make a real difference, but as you say, not as a presidential candidate.
But the ego wants what the ego wants. (See Trump.)
4
I felt Steyer's "Need to Impeach" campaign was presented as a public service. Unlike the Koch brothers, there appeared to be no self-interest. Now, Steyer has erased that image; his previous effort can be interpreted as creating a platform for a Presidential run.
So, not only has he started a quixotic campaign, he has sullied the intent of his previous work.
The two liberal billionaires who toy with Presidential runs should use their resources to better effect: Howard Schultz can marshal his Stabucks marketing muscle to register voters and Steyer can transfer his equity in "Need to Impeach," into a "Need to Vote" get-out-the-vote campaign.
6
@Jeff Atlas
The intent of his previous work was to catapult himself in the public eye.
If he was all that altruistic, he could have used that $100 million to make a dent in the typhoid fever infested camps of homeless people in LA. But building housing for the homeless is not something that serves his ego.
I suppose that we should be grateful that unlike Ed Buck, young men aren't dying of drug overdoses at his wild parties.
Nobody wants Steyer, but everyone wants his money. What about getting big money out of politics? Isn't that what candidates are always preaching?
10
Never underestimate what a pile of money can do to increase a candidate’s chances. In Florida, that’s how Rick Scott won the governorship, and then a Senate seat.
4
Yeah, Tom, they don't want you. They just want your money.
8
Who is 'we'?
4
It continues to boggle my mind, the hubris of some people who think they would make a better president than a man or woman with years of public and experience in government.
9
Steyer give me $100 and I'll vote for you. I promise.
3
@bob
Make that $1,000; take the money, and then vote for someone else. (If you are going to be dishonest, why not "do it right"?)
Tom Steyer... Another rich guy with a vanity campaign... Although the alternative is money-chasing, groveling, poll-navigating, name-brand politicians with their own vanity campaigns. Really... 330 million people in USA, and we have the choices we see? For a job like US President? Seriously...
2
Kudos to Jamelle Bouie. I've disagreed with the majority of his columns, but his suggestions for Tom Steyer are far more valuable than Steyer's candidacy.
8
God save us from the egos of aging white men. This is not a moment that calls out for a billionaire with no government experience.
16
As Forrest Gump's mama used to say, "Privileged is as Privileged does."
2
Just what the Democrats need is a billionaire. I'm sure he understands the middle class. Just like Joe Biden sitting in his 5 bedroom, 9 bath, 12k square foot home.
3
The DNC rigged the primary in 2016. They certainly don't want Tom Steyer in this time around. If Ms. Pelosi would have followed her constitutional mandate, he wouldn't be jumping in. The DNC should be freaking out. Talking about reparations and busing, watching the circular firing squad ripping up the front runners, is going to achieve what the Dem's always do best: grab defeat from the jaws of victory. Jump on in Tom and shake the mess up.
6
I think you and many commenters are being rather sanctimonious. All of you are also revealing your titillation about the large sums of money he has earned and is willing to spend against trumpism. But you just want to spend his money in your own way.
Typical Democtratic self destruction. You have quite a platform Jamie Bouie. Why would you expend one word on this attack against an ally instead of using your platform to fight the real threat, smartly?
This kind of factional fighting just want they want to see. JB should know better.
9
Ya, Steyers is a ho-hum announcement... doesn't even deserve this columns coverage... the headline is right -- way better things to do with his money than waste in on a futile campaign. Nothing but ego to see with Steyers... I'm all for the Dems, but Steyers is a distraction at best.
2
Tom, please read the article and follow it's suggestions!
6
Only Tom and Joe are reasonable people. All the rest
"Progressives" are promising the moon with no way to
pay for it. They are like grunting pigs at the trough
with nothing to say that makes sense.
1
@Tomr
They are not promising "the moon." The moon was promised and delivered to the 1% and fewer when Trump and enablers in passed those tax cuts. Start taxing the rich at levels we saw when America was indeed great, and there will be plenty of funding.
11
No thanks, Tom Steyer.
3
Steyer should pour funds into Democratic Senate races to get Mc Connel and his corrupt ilk out of Washington. Then we might have a chance at breaking up the Mc Connel impasse and perhaps get something positive done--such as Federal judgeships and Supreme Court nominees.
5
Please run 3rd party.
1
What would Mike Bloomberg do, Mr. Steyer?
1
Steyer should focus on the senate
4
Yes. 1000% yes.
Actually, Jamelle - it's not quite that dire for Tom...
The 37 other people in this country beside me who are socially liberal and economically conservative are quite interested in hearing what Tom has to say...
Said more succinctly, I'd take a ruthless capitalist over a ruthless socialist any day...
While he's not Michael Bloomberg – he's somewhere midway between hizzoner and our current Big Guy...
That's a very intriguing centrism...
And – yes – he hung out with a lot of coal producers, back in the day...
Now that we cleared that up – why not give him a foot or so of op-ed space...
He’d be more than OK with that – even knowing that you all hope he hangs himself with it...
6
@W in the Middle Why give him op ed space at all? He can afford all the full pages he wants anywhere.
And "socially liberal" isn't going to cut it any more. My entire adult life has been lived under a form of "ruthless capitalism" regardless of which party was in power.
I'll vote for anyone other than Trump.
But I'm not going to be paying attention to platitudes about equality or justice from anyone who wants to perpetuate an economic system where the majority barely ekes out a living while guys like this rake it in, pay no taxes and tell the rest of us how wonderfully liberal they are on social issues.
Put your socially liberal principles to work to make capitalism less ruthless. Or get another 4 years of the current imbecile. I'll vote, but there are lots of democratic/left voters who are not going to turn out to vote for more of the same from either party. And I don't see us voting for another rich dude with no experience running something other than a hedge fund.
1
@W in the Middle
Pay this guy no mind. All of Wall Street and Silicon Valley are "economically conservative and socially liberal," and they're all scared to death that the Democratic party will actually nominate a Democrat, the worst in their eyes being Elizabeth Warren who is going to put an end to their little game. They like it when public monies are used to pay for their mistakes, and none of them want to be held responsible for the damage they do (see: Wells Fargo). Nah, this guy is a shill. He's not "in the middle." He's with the party of the 1% and he knows it.
1
Steyer can have the BIGGEST impact NOT by running for president (up til now he was about impeaching the traitor, NOT by replacing him with himself!).
Here's how: SUPPORT AMY MCGRATH IN KY! She's running against, quite arguably, the single biggest impediment/obstacle/enemy of democracy in this country:
McConnell.
Help HER, Steyer, NOT yourself!
17
Speak for yourself Jamelle.
2
That's what he does. He's in the 'Opinion section' of the Times.
If we need more young people voting as Bouie says, then we need fewer entitled older white men, like Steyer and Biden, in the running.
Message: Women voters who’ve never missed an Election Day and who are literally traumatized by the current administration, won’t stand for less than an actual progressive agenda. Tom and Joe aren’t bringin it.
Agreed, Jamelle Bouie, that Tom Steyer will not be the Democratic nominee for our presidency in 2020. Then again, how many Americans laughed at Trump and said he'd never be the Republican nominee in 2016? Trump endorsed Romney in 2012. Romney said "having his endorsement is a delight." Some delight!
Sad, but true, a Tom Steyer's candidacy will waste enormous quantities of his money that he could spend in far wiser ways. Already, there are too many Democratic candidates for 2020, and we're waiting for maybe ten of them to drop ou, leaving 10 contenders standing. The Democratic Party doesn't need Tom Steyer to run, but does need him to supply the sinews of war, money well-spent in the resistence to president Trump's 2020 candidacy.
1
I believe Mr Steyers should do more TV...not ads but a 90 minute documentary about the reality of trump. His bankruptcies, affairs, dirty business dealings all the bits of garbage trump has left behind him like a trail of moldy breadcrumbs. If he hired some great Hollywood documentary talent and hyped it big time with ads leading up to it in prime-time. It would likely attract even some trump supporters to watch if for no other reason than morbid curiosity. The reason trump lost big in NY is because New Yorker's knew who & what he is, Mr Steyers could let the rest of America know without taking sides in any campaign. Just a thought!
5
I completely agree with Jamelle Bouie. Tom Steyer can do so much more good to helping us take back our country by using his money and influence to turn the Senate and the White House. I hope he comes to his senses and foregoes the ego before he throws away 100 million.
1
Virtue signaling run amok wrapped in hypocrisy. Mr. Bouie implicitly condemns Steyers’ money but he’s more than willing to take it to use as he judges best to elevate failed politicians who are already part of the problem. Mr. Bouie sounds more like a politician than a journalist.
2
@Once From Rome He's a political journalist. As if they two could be separated. Nothing to see here.
2
People who think they are great Democratic candidates should run for Senate. This preoccupation with the presidency is killing any opportunity to save our democracy.
5
Tom Steyer has no business trying to run in the Democratic primary for president.
Period....full stop.
And his ad hoc media campaigns against Trump are a distraction in the run-up to the 2020 election cycle.
I'd have a lot more respect for Tom if he used his wealth to assist the underprivileged.. rather then spending it on his own need to a public voice to feed his ego.
Go home Tom.... and please be quiet until after the 2020 elections.
Bouie may be right, but Steyer's got a point of view and it's his money. Perhaps Bouie should run for office so he can tell people what he wants to do with their money.
3
This could be the Democratic Party version of Donald J. Trump.
2
Hillary could throw her hat in the ring. Steyer could be her running man. That way, they can hire an IT company that knows how to do servers.
1
Tom Steyer sounds to me like the poster boy Democrat progressive Liberal.
Selfish, convinced of his own righteousness, educated, affluent, stubbornly stuck to his own beliefs, and willing to risk the election just to prove he is more right than others.
That’s all this guy is.
His money could have been used for all those social programs he proclaims to support. He’s the d-list celebrity who donates $500 to a charity ball, and shows up wearing a $3000 Armani suit.
It also shows how far out of control the left has become, that is so willing to block themselves in an effort to show they are more right than then rest.
The result is simple, he will not win. But he will suck out enough oxygen from others who now have to fend him off instead of running for the big show.
At the end the tired, broke, bruised winner of this musical chair spectacle from the left, will go against a solid red wall that is all but ready to celebrate a reelection win. Good luck to him/her/it.
2
Jamelle, hard to argue with your, especially the down ticket, points. When an opinion does his homework the production speaks for itself. The only thing I 'd add is I hope Tom reads your article.
2
I watched Tom Steyer this morning on CBS this morning. I came away from watching that interview thinking the same things you just published in this opinion piece. Thank you Mr. Bouie for writing this column. Giving a voice to common sense on this matter. Steyer is going to lose probably badly. But he is very rich and I suppose he can afford to simply flush 100 million dollars down a drain.By the way is it too much to hope that one day soon a rich guy with money like this to just throw away will decide that ending homelessness is a worthy and necessary "vanity project"?
3
Steyer attended Phillips Exeter Academy; my daughter also graduated from that school, whose motto is "Non sibi", meaning "not for self, but country". I guess that lesson didn't take.
Well said, Mr. Bouie! With the recent departure of Ross Perot, you remind us we don't need another one.
Mr. Steyer has a lot of experience and wisdom to offer, and would make a terrific member of the the Warren/Mayor Pete cabinet, or head of the EPA.
1
The only hope the Dems have of beating Trump is having a nominee who has unlimited funds. There political system in the US is money driven and being at a financial disadvantage will increase the likelihood of a candidate losing, regardless of the "issues".
2
The most thoughtful and thought provoking column I have read in a long time. I hope Tom Steyer has the same reaction.
5
I hope Steyer reads this column and takes it to heart. One thing not mentioned in the writer’s common-sense observations is the current bipartisan voter distaste for the ultra-rich in American life.
6
I have nothing to add to Jamelle Bouie's brilliant assessment of what Tom Steyer can REALLY do to affect change, rather than his vanity "campaign". I'm sure he'll capture hundreds, if not thousands across the nation.....
5
Just whats needed, another Democrat runnnning for Pres. Steyers should help others beat Trump. There are too many running. Split the party, Trump wins. Time after time after time I have said 15 drop out now. Help the front runners come up with plans that people want. When are you going to wake up and realize you all can’t win. Below 10 percent in the polls drop out. Do the country a favor please.
3
Tom Steyer didn't inherit 295 streams of income from his New York City real estate baron daddy.
Tom Steyer had no involvement nor culpability for the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01 nor hacking and meddling in the 2016 campaign and election.
Steyer had nothing to do with the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Steyer had nothing to do with black mass incarceration nor black mass welfare deformation.
Steyer had nothing to do with the absence of universal health care nor income inequality.
Standing and waiting with folded arms earned this desolate Pyrrhic victory.
Bill Clinton and Barry Obama were not only well to the partisan political right of FDR and LBJ as expected. Both were also well to the partisan political right of Ike and Nixon as well. Clinton and Obama governed like Reagan Democrats.
4
As someone who has interviewed Tom Steyer and met him multiple times, I cannot agree more with the Jamelle's comments here. Steyer in person is arrogant, self-important, and prickly. His career is full of contradictions--for instance, despite being an avowed environmentalist, he made a lot of money off the coal industry in Australia as a hedge fund manager. He has a habit of lecturing his listeners and struggles to forge an emotional connection with anyone who doesn't already know him. In short, he is not the kind of person who will endear himself to the Democratic voter base. He may even harm the Democrats' brand by sucking up airtime and giving Trump a convenient punching bag for the out-of-touch liberals who threaten to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in this presidential race. My hope is that he doesn't make it to the first debate and decides to invest his money elsewhere, as Jamelle wisely suggests.
274
@George
Thank you for this information, George. It is vital to know what you have revealed. Unfortunately, Steyer won't have to worry about earning money to make the debates.
3
@George
That is a very, very helpful post.
3
@George Your description of Steyer is exactly what I would have thought he was like. And it makes it clear why none of the suggestions by Jamelle would appeal to Steyer -- they would not satisfy his ego and need to be in the spotlight.
5
Run, Tom, run. You’ve got less of a chance than I do of becoming President. But it’ll sure be a hoot watching you crash and burn through that $100 mil.
4
Why pick on Mr. Steyer when you have a full house of know-nothings you could be attacking?
4
One more clown in the car. Too little to late.
Ego over ergo...
1
Then why are you writing about him?
Run Tom Run!
4
Perhaps Mr. Steyer will do more than just spend his money on campaigning for president. Perhaps he will also spend his money to register new voters and requalify blocked voters. But even more important, he could target the Cage-Children Party with ads to remind voters that Democrats have a long documented history of fighting for people's rights, familys and standard of living: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, labor protections, a living wage, healthcare for the uninsured and people with preexisting conditions, voter registration and on and on.
On the other hand the Cage-Children Party has a long history of undermining democracy and American values. Their priority is to serve the wealthy. Their strategy is to replace democracy with fascism. Their values are summed up by their policy of tearing babies from the arms of their mothers and caging them.
Mr. Steyer should use his presidential campaign to remind Americans that the hearts and souls of Republicans are dedicated to caging babies and deporting their parents.
4
Totally agree! I love Tom Steyer for his environmental leadership and support. Throwing $100 million at a doomed presidential bid is such a waste when there are so many other more effective uses - including those suggested in this column. Tom - please reconsider!!
3
There used to be a time when public service meant going out and working for the public good. Now all these candidates want the gold ring of the presidency. Frankly, there's too much ego among all these candidates. Anyone remember that our founding president actually didn't want the job and was happy to go back to his farm when it was done?
Please take your money and energy and do some work that might not be so glamorous. Bouie is right--there are plenty of opportunities in the House, Senate, Governorships, etc. Most of us work hard and help without the expectation that we would become celebrities. You're really not helping if it's mostly about you.
2
Here, here. Jamelle Bouie - your opinion is a valuable beacon! And Elizabeth Warren has seized the same message.
Tom Steyer would do well to heed the advice from Bouie & Warren.
To Mr. Steyer - I comment here because I signed your petition to impeach. I do not support your run for President. Please do not waste $100M on yet another aggravating, narcissistic exercise.
Instead
You can accelerate REAL solutions to the climate crisis to cut emissions as per the IPCC.
You can right the system on healthcare (Canada started 40 years ago, you can jump start the USA).
Indeed, wealth shifted to the 0.01% of highest 'earners' since Reagan is needed to authentically right our economy.
Adding to Bloomberg, you can lead the way.
3
The last three paragraphs sums up what Democrats have not bothered (or thought) to do in 3-4 decades: Satisfied with obtaining the Presidency, rich liberals never invested in growing the party. Investing like billionaire Republicans and conservatives at the bottom end of politics, the judiciary; think-tanks devoted solely to a Liberal view of the world. Right or wrong, the views most spoken and seen are the ones people ultimately gravitate to: Truly the message must proceed first and often.
1
Tom Steyer should spend his money on supporting democrats in state legislatures and elsewhere. Billionaires are not going to be elected President this time around.
1
What is it with men and their vanity campaigns? It's absolutely correct that Steyer's millions could go far toward influencing state and local races--Republicans were highly strategic a decade ago sinking relatively minimal funds into state races to "buy" the legislatures that controlled redistricting. Yet 20+ Democratic candidates are not only ignoring state races but Congressional races too! I'm disgusted by the blowhards who have gotten into this race for their own egos.
190
@cjsigmon Are you saying women don't have vanity campaign's? Not a Steyer fan, but didn't get carried away and look around.
7
Men? Obama is a man. I'm a man, at least technically, and I'm not engaged in a vanity campaign. Neither are any of my male friends. I don't think it's accurate to frame this as a male thing.
4
@cjsigmon: What is it with women falling over the type of men who run vanity campaigns? Male vanity of all stripes is mostly about attracting women, and men keep doing it because it works.
Fortunately, these types of men and the women who fawn over them are a minority. Most people of both sexes know better.
3
Rather than running for President, take that 100 million and buy up all the air time on all media (social and broadcast) from now until after Nov 2020, so the Dems actually have a chance against the coming Republican media armageddon.
5
Let the voters decide. The opinion columnists should keep their opinions to themselves.
3
Tom is terrific. If you have followed him over the years as I have he has extremely intelligent and insightful policy positions. He’s committed. He is successful. Any one of the Democratic candidates is fine for me. We are so fortunate to have such a great selection. I hope we can all unite behind whoever we choose.
3
The absolute last thing we need is another millionaire or billionaire in the oval office (or Congress for that matter). We need someone who has at least a passing familiarity with having to choose between the milk and the eggs and has ridden the bus to and from work. I seriously doubt that anyone currently running, aside from Harris, has a clue.
This isn't your best move, Mr. Steyer. Keep funding worthy
causes and you'll be counted among those who made a difference with the appreciation of those who need your help.
@me
Thank you. I stand corrected.
BM
Jamelle, you predicted Trump had zero hope of being the Republican nominee.
See your Article of August 11, 2015 captioned "Trumped Up Fears-Why the Republican Party Shouldn't Worry About The Donald".
Here is the thing about writers. They write-they frankly don't predict nor do they tell us what to do. Food for thought does not equal reality.
Given the fluid situation in the Democratic Party, of course this guy might win.
2
No way that a hedge fund billionaire is going to be the Democratic nominee.
There's no way this guy can tell me anything about the environment. I'm not going to listen. I hang my wash. I walk to work. I live without air conditioning. I've chosen not to have children because I don't want them growing up in a dystopia. And I'm supposed to listen to Steyer's campaign on the environment? Does he have a private jet? Where are his hedge investments, oil and gas and coal? My ears are closed.
I'm tired of these folks who get filthy rich off of other people's labor, who don't pay their workers a decent wage, who trash the environment in the name of profit, who speculate on Wall Street etc. try to redeem themselves by donations. It would be better if they led ethical lives and earned ethical livelihoods in the first place.
This must be an ego trip for this guy. What a waste of 100 million dollars.
7
The two biggest factors that will be motivating voters are “dump Trump” and “economic security”. Tom Steyer could be #1 on these items.
That suggestion that Steyer pay fines and restore voting rights to 70,000 Floridians is a great idea. If only some rich person would focus on things like this which would turn out the vote for Democrats in 2020.
Too bad this guy Steyer is such a narcissist he isn't looking for a way to defeat Trump. Regardless of what Steyer says, he wants to be president. Defeating Trump is just a side order to Steyer's ambition.
These rich guys like Steyer and Howard Schultz are way way too impressed with themselves and their $$$.
The rest of us not so much. We're thinking "Please go away."
And please don't clog up the debate stage. Bad enough we have to see precious time wasted on Marianne Williamson.
3
". . . I also have a few ideas for how Steyer could spend his cash in more constructive ways."
Yes, but let's face it, none as satisfying to the ego as the attention generated by a presidential run.
4
My objection to Steyer's candidacy is the same as my objection to Marianne Williamson's and to Donald Trump's. Why do these people think they deserve to start a political career at the top? Is it beneath them to run for a Congress, or a more local seat first, and learn the finer points of governing?
Michael Bloomberg -- who was not so ego driven that he couldn't imagine a race without him in it -- serves as a much better example of an ultra-wealthy individual with political aspirations. After serving three terms as Mayor of NYC and then assessing that he could do more as a private citizen than as a presidential candidate, he leads efforts to combat climate change (most recently attempting to retire many of the nation's most polluting coal plants), strategically funds the campaigns of candidates in key races, works on gun control initiatives, and supports women's reproductive choice.
The last thing the Democrats need in 2020 is another name in the race. As Mr. Bouie says, Tom Steyer could serve a much greater good in other ways. There's no shortage of options for him to choose from.
17
D Price,
What makes these lifetime politicians so special? I question how much work a Senator or Congressman really does.
The President is an executive position. Meaning they are responsible for executing policies through a large organization.
I think a real business or NGO owner or military officer (not flim fam finance & real estate) guys or scions would have a set of skills that could be very effective in a Mayor, Governor our presidency.
Mathematicians, Scientists and Doctors would also make great executives because of the scientific method approach to thinking.
These lawyers and public advocates in congress are the least qualified. They have no accountability and just pontificate all day.
2
I agree with you, except for your use of Michael Bloomberg as an example. The only reason Bloomberg hasn't run for President is his internal polling told him he'd never win. Bloomberg, remember, completely disregarded NYC voters' wishes when he and the NYC city council disregarded the approved proposition limiting mayors and legislators to 2 terms.
1
@D Price
One thing Bloomberg did recently is donate $1.8 billion to Johns Hopkins University, in addition to the other $6 billion he's donated since leaving office.
The guy's a hero in my book.
Imagine if Steyer donated $100 million to a struggling inner city high school with poor facilities and worn out old computers - if they have computers at all?
3
Maybe he is contributing to society with his environmental and other causes currently. But how exactly did he get so rich? Hedge funds? I don't understand exactly how someone can get that rich. What were the hedge funds in? Oil and gas and coal and cheap labor?
2
@Jude I looked it up: among other things Steyer invested in coal mines and private prisons and migrant detention centers, according to a recent LA Times article.
3
Tom Steyers could certainly put his money to better use but his ego appears to be on a par with Trump's. You'd hope it wouldn't lead him to do a Ross Perot if he fails to get the nomination. That would ensure the election of the man he wants to impeach.
2
That's all we need; another billionaire hedge funder contemplating public office. We've got enough multi-millionaires in Congress as it is. Keep creating those jobs, wherever they may be, Mr. Steyer, which will surely be a bi-partisan favorite in our global economy with elitists everywhere.
Scan those investment holdings carefully, Mr. Steyer, & weed out the unsavory ones like the fossil fuel stuff. You can't be too careful running for president.
People sure do seem to like telling others what to do with their money.
Repeat: THEIR money!!
2
@Boneisha He made his money off of other people's pain and labor and destroying the natural world: private prisons, migrant detention centers and coal mines.
5
@Boneisha
This is an opinion piece. Nobody is telling anyone what to do and certainly he can’t be forced to take anyone’s suggestions. Why are you so upset about people stating their opinions?
1
What's a rich guy to do with his $$$$$$?
The career pols are only interested in perpetuating their hold on power. And are willing to go to any length to preserve it. Just look at Nancy Pelosi - she knows she is much more important if Trump is President rather than say Elizabeth Warren or God forbid Kamala Harris a woman of color. So she is dragging her feet on impeaching Trump - move that would greatly increase the chances of a Democratic President come 2021.
So Mr Steyer has no options left - other than run for President using the $$$$$ he could otherwise have used to support Warren or Harris.
Nancy is very happy. She will still be the most important Democrat in DC come 2021; maybe.
Well, the whole Billionaire Administration looks so lucrative with all it's name recognition and profits, why are you surprised another is running? It worked great for Trump and Bloomberg who made billions from his name publicity as Mayor.
I'm reminded of the Mel Brooks classic comedy; "Blazing Saddles" in which the new Sheriff duped the townspeople and kiddingly quipped; "They so dumb".
I agree!
1
If President Trump is so dumb as Times readers believe, then how could he have the smarts to plan the "years of political cultivation and an astute strategy" that was required to win??
President Trump won because of the division and chaos sewed by the Obama/Biden administration. There isn't anyone running today (including Mr. Steyer) that can beat him in 2020.
If the election was tomorrow, Trump as an incumbent with a good economy would lose to a Biden, Sanders, or Warren. Being smart is not everything, there is integrity, honesty, and many other qualities he is lacking.
1
here's another suggestion for Mr. Steyer: you are willing to spend a lot of your own money and have a lot of money to spend. you want to get rid of Trump more thnan you actually want to be president. grow up and act like the kind of rich guy Trump respects and responds tobby threatening him with additional exposures and simultaneously offering him a cash bribe. if you can arrange to get him off the legal hook (or out of legal jurisdiction), I bet he will take a bribe if it's big enough - and it doesn't even have to all come from you personally. it's the kind of thing Trump himself would do. maybe you could get some help from Michael Cohen.
Is it me or does Steyer look like an older Mark Zuckerberg
1
Steyer may be less qualified for president than Marianne Williamson and Andrew Yang. Yes, Trump did have a close connection to the white supremacist grassroots base of the Republican Party which was evident when he went all in with birther movement. That lit up a lot of brain cells wherever hate is located in the brain of many people. Democrats are all for fighting climate change but the brain doesn't seem to have any hot button emotional neurons for that issue. It is more rational based on where graphs lead if extended into the future. The Keeling curve is headed into the land of catastrophe.
1
Come out against asylum and you will start with a big chunk of the vote, even from the Democrats.
1
I was totally on board with this column until the final paragraph.
Identity politics is NOT the answer to what ails this country. Identity-focused movements have proved to be absolute poison to our civic culture, fomenting a climate of grievance and distrust that leaves progressive politicians and activists at each other’s throats (look no further than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s scandalous insinuation that Nancy Pelosi harbors racial animus toward the freshman congresswomen who feel entitled to set the party’s legislative agenda).
The Democratic Party will never be a viable national party if its leaders continue to double down on grievance politics.
4
nail on head !
will steyer have the good sense to follow your advice ?
2
The real reason he is running is because his arrest is imminent. He is about to be charged with treason for being an asset of the Chinese Government. That is where is wealth comes from. China fanned the flames of his insecurities and used his propensity to hate others to their advantage, and he idiotically picked fights with people who were intellectually well above his weight class.
He thinks running a presidential campaign on behalf of the Chinese government will make him untouchable and save him from prosecution. However, despite the increased embarassment he is bringing to his professed party, he will not save himself from prosecution, the evidence is simply too vast to ignore.
Democrats should shame him wherever they can. He is a worse man than Donald Trump and a disgrace to everything he is associated with.
@nickgregor Could you please provide evidence for your assertions. I have not been able to find anything on the internet to substantiate your claims about Steyer.
1
It’s not like Styre is the only rich Democrat in the nation Plenty of others are around to donate to all the causes you mention
I think he may be a better candidate than you think since most of the others are bent on giving away free stuff
2
Steyer is not suitable as a candidate due to no government experience. We already have one of those people in the WH now and he is a major irritant to most people in this country mostly due to his raging, twitter aided incompetence.
1
Just what we need, another wealthy narcissist who thinks he knows how to be President.
3
What is it about men with a lot of money that makes them think they are immune from reality????
4
I love you, Mr. Bouie.
2
These men and their egos, my god.
1
And then there's 2024 . . .
Given the fact that spending $100 million on a presidential campaign truly is quite unlikely to result in actually winning the presidency next year the writer is correct that their are many ways Mr. Steyer could spend the same amount that would be far more effective in producing the political changes he wants to see happen. As for the "vanity campaign" aspect of it, the spending could easily be done in such a way that would not only boost Mr. Steyer's name recognition but also make him into a hero in the eyes of many. The idea of paying to re-enfranchise 70,000 (likely Democratic) voters in Florida is brilliant and would make Mr. Steyer into a star.
1
If he really means what he says he believes in, Steyer can spend the money helping Democrats win the Senate.
1
The only thing worse than this would be Hillary running again. Trump doesn't have to get re-elected. He can just stand there and watch the liberals self destruct for the second time in a row.
Oh no, oh no, oh no! Are we now going to have masses of revision from writers about 'what Trump did right?'
Trump is STILL a nightmare. His "campaign" was still a mess of sling it against the wall and see if it sticks. He still paraded around for decades, doing his empty wide world of wrestling performance while decent folks sat stunned and appalled. He was elected by hate, bitterness and anger, abetted by a nation-wide lack of education and the few remaining bits of decent decorum.
I quit reading soon after I encountered: "Donald Trump forged an emotion connection with Republican voters..."
Steyer may be on the wrong track but spare me the Trump panegyrics. He was elected. He has proved to be as foul as feared by reasonable people. Leave off with the 'what Trump did right.'
1
He could do plenty but giving money to the thousands who need to pay fines down in Florida so they can vote again. One thing we know about Tom. He likes to be on TV.
1
Tom should run. When we have candidates espousing radical change, it helps to make sure more voices beyond that are heard.
2
I like Tom! But he could do us a much bigger favor by running as a Republican.
124
@Randall Pouwels
Exactly. We need someone to run a real independent campaign against Trump to pull enough independent voters away from him so that he will not be re-elected.
9
@Randall Pouwels This. A well-thought out chop-busting of Trump on the Republic side could bear excellent results. As a Democrat, Steyer is pointless and shouldn't be in the debates.
21
Now you’re talking. If his ego commands him to spend his fortune on a no-win-possible run for president, his brain should be telling him to put that fortune where it actually can be effective: in a Republican primary. C’mon Tom, help us here!
6
We do not need another narcissist. While all who run for the presidency have an ego the size of (pick your large thing), someone with Steyer's money could do a lot more for the country than run for president. Jamelle has a good list to start from. It astonishes me when people who purport to want to lead can't see that. Bloomberg also needs to funnel some of his money to helping Democrats win legislative seats and install policies that will change things, i.e. gun control, climate, education, etc.
2
@Tom Steyer
As I have said many times in my comments in this newspaper and in the Washington Post: I will vote for whoever the Democratic Party nominates for President and Vice President. I will vote for only Democrats in the primaries. I will NOT vote for 3rd Party candidates.
You, Tom Steyer, are likely to be a 3rd Party candidate therefore you will NOT get my vote.
Further, I will vote for Democratic candidates from the top of the ballot through and including the bottom of the ballot.
As far as impeaching the president is concerned, I believe in and trust Nancy Pelosi. When Nancy Pelosi says it is time to impeach -- and not before -- I will stand up to support her. I hope you will do the same.
You have been generous with your money. Jamelle Bouie -- and a few commenters here -- offer some suggestions for some things that your money could accomplish while also enabling a Democratic victory in 2020.
Please give serious thought to NOT being another candidate for President. There is so much else you and your money could do that would really make a difference.
1
Tom Steyer is looking for a cost-effective platform for his views and he is entitled to run for president. I wouldn't want him to split the vote as Ralph Nader did or even as Ross Perot did but I welcome his comments. Once he has had his fill of proselytizing, I hope he will consider putting his resouces behind the candidate most likely to remove the current occupant of our White House and Speaker McConnell who I also detest.
1
Bouie all but completely overlooks the focus of Steyer's campaign, our climate crisis. In case Bouie hasn't noticed, there is an every growing international constituency for climate action now, even if the NYT doesn't cover it. No other issue connects to every person, society, and organization to this extent, because we all depend on a livable climate.
By ignoring the catastrophic consequences of our collective ignorance and inaction, we are facing one catastrophe after another. Tom Steyer stands for facing this crisis head on, something that Mr. Bouie by blatant omission must feel is insignificant compared to the obvious fact that he is a rich white guy.
I'm not saying I support Mr. Steyer's candidacy, but his strong voice on the climate crisis is sorely needed now. Other candidates such as Jay Inslee, Marianne Williamson and Bernie Sanders have also taken strong positions, but the more voices in the Democratic party making a stand are needed at this crucial time, when science has recently firmly established the dangers of the status quo.
Go back to disgraceful identity politics Mr Bouie while the rest of us try to focus on the overarching social, political and economic issue of our time. But don't judge Mr. Steyer until you have considered the victims of the crisis - including masses of refugees coming to our borders, along with displaced poor people of color throughout the entire planet.
4
Steyer doesn't have the cred to run even a small country. A business billionaire who's used to having things done his way ... who else does that sound like?
We have branches of government. The president of the US is not supposed to be a despot.
2
Steyer is already abusing the power his money gives him by the incessant ads. While I agree with his points, it offends me his money puts him center stage. No! Tom, I will not support you; you are a one-trick pony.
1
If Steyers wants to make a huge contribution to America, one that will be as significant if not more so than defeating trump, he could use his resources to help defeat Mitch McConnell, the most evil man in government.
3
So billionaire is an identity like race or gender? I don't think it is in the interest of our future to reject someone because he made a lot if money, much which he gave away. we need effective with a Democratic agenda. That's why I sent KH money after the debate, and to PS yesterday. Let him debate. Let's hear him. KH came out with a reparations housing plan the day after the debate. We are losing our country, the rule if law has been eroded, the planet is dying. I hear PS talk to this. Priorities. Urgency. Common sense is appealing.
2
Tom Steyer can really fix Trump and his cult.
Great fear of government officials... job loss.
Don't forget to focus on the officials who have been fired for standing up to The Con Man in Chief.
No one is protecting the whistle blowers or the officials who have spent a lifetime in serving this country like McCabe who opened a case against the criminal residing in our White House.
Tom Steyer and Bloomberg and other like minded millionaires should establish an organization to provide monetary assistance for the whistleblowers and others who would standup /report Trump illegal activities throughout our government.
Right now officials are simply fired or drum out of their job by Trump and his cult.... people are afraid to speak up because they have to provide for their families(no job, no pay, no food , no house , no car , no health insurance). It is extremely hard to fight against a criminal enterprise led by Trump, McConnell and Barr.
National media must evaluate this dilemma and realize we are definitely sliding towards a dictatorship when Barr is investigating the CIA and FBI per the instructions of the Criminal in Chief .
2
@libel
Tom Steyer and Bloomberg and other like minded millionaires should establish an organization to provide monetary assistance for the whistleblowers and others who would standup /report Trump illegal activities throughout our government.
1
I wonder if Trump and Pence would resign if Steyer offered them $100 million to do so?
1
you left out his 14 year prime time tv starring role
+ decade long self promotion as a business genius
This is a very well thought out piece, thank you.
I reacted similarly to Steyer's announcement.
Steyer and Schultz both come across as clueless rich men who make the classic mistake of thinking our country needs them.
What we need them to do is shut up and go away. And spend their money constructively, as Mr. Bouie suggests.
If either one goes the independent route and robs the Dem nominee, I'll be really angry.
2
Yes there are other things he could do with his money but suppose he (and many scientists) are right about the severity and immediacy of environmental degradation and global warming. What would you say then about how he spends his money as we are all trying to escape the 120F heat and find food after serious crop failures?
1
"Tom Steyer, We Welcome You With Folded Arms."
First, who constitutes "we" here, Mr. Bouie? Are they the journalists? Are they the democrats? Are they those running for the White House? Whoever those are, I am skeptical if they have ever given you the mandate of representing them or acting as their spokesman, Mr. Bouie.
Second, when having a "constituency" did become a necessary condition to run for the White House? Is it in the US constitution? Is it in the laws governing US elections? Is it a law of in the city of Washington or in the District of Columbia?
I doubt if Mr. Steyer candidacy could alter the result of the current race among the democrats. However, his presence in the race can highlight those issues that he has been advocating; in particular, impeachment of Donald Trump and takeover of the US government by multinational corporations. These are key issues facing the country and I, for one, do not see any harm in having them discussed in up-coming debates.
Mr. Steyer happens to be an eloquent debater, capable of focusing public's attention on the reality that the US democracy is under attack today. Also, the fact that he is an outsider could attract many who have lost confidence in Washington's well-entrenched politicians.
3
If he "runs", and gives his own campaign a $100 million, would he then be about to "drop out" and roll over his full campaign account to another candidate of his choice, circumventing the usual campaign maximum donation threshold? Hmm...
It's become fashionable of late for political scientists to discover that members of Congress are somehow unaware of what voters, constituents, lobbyists, etc., want by using blunt force surveys that show members completely out of touch with their constituents. These scholars are shocked, shocked, that there might be a disconnect, but the reality is more nuanced. For starters, most of these political scientists use terms like "constituent" and "voters" interchangeably when the two are very different. In addition, they tend to embrace the notion that members of Congress should be mere delegates of their districts, while implying that members who don't know the level of district interest in an issue are bought and paid for by lobbyists. In fact, members of Congress pay attention to different constituencies within their districts on different issues at different points in time. Instead of actually spending time in Washington trying to figure out the reality, these analyses grind through data and experiments looking for fragments of insight. They are wasting their considerable talents while dragging us all down into black and white portraits of nuanced understanding. It's a sign that political science continues to drift from deep analysis to the kind of work that leads to quick, but thin publications for tenure-track reviews. This is a waste of time when such talented scholars could actually find fresh insights. But would they get tenure with nuance? It's not at all clear.
1
clearly you have not been following steyer for the last few years. he sends daily/weekly emails with detailed information on how to contribute politically (sending an email, calling your representative, etc. ). he is driven. he cares. he has fire and stamina. and he has money. while i think biden has a good reputation and perhaps the best chance to beat trump, i dont know if he has the drive or stamina. steyer brings this to the table and clearly, stamina and determination is going to be needed to TRY to beat trump. i think steyer is an excellent candidate and hopefully will rise above the other candidates. its interesting that today is the first day i have seen a news article (opinion) about steyer despite him declaring to run 2 days ago. no bias against him clearly...
3
Rich men who believe, that by virtue of their fortune, they should run for president are a trend that jumped the shark a long time ago. Too bad his ego got the best of him. Imagine all the good he could to if he focused on protecting voting rights and GOTV drives in crucial EC states....
4
I disagree with the writer when he writes '" His advocacy campaigns on impeachment and the environment have not been enough to build a connection with ordinary Democratic voters." Certainly, impeachment and the environment are two issues that are priorities for Democrats. My question is will Steyer propose a platform that will attract working class independent voters and disenchanted Republicans in the key swing states, several of which are "rust belt" states. He has said that corporations have too much control over politicians and have too much say over the lives of working people. I think he needs to expand that message. I have no idea how he stands on immigration or health care, however. My guess is that he is jumping in now because he is concerned that some candidates may be alienating working people with unrealistic and dramatic proposals for change. He needs to be realistic, plain-spoken and tuned into the concerns of working people.
2
As a life long dem..I could not disagree more with this premise.
We have a very weak bunch of candidates, that for various reasons have no chance at winning this election.
Tom could be a breath of fresh air...an outsider who has a demonstrated commitment to the party, a fighter, and has the funds needed to compete against a well funded gop.
I for one urge all to keep an open mind and welcome him to the debate stage...let's see what he has to offer!
3
It's taken all the years since Reagan fro mainstream thought to accept the possibility that trickle-down economics is a plutocratic scam that does the opposite of what it promises. Now it remains for business people to realize that running a government requires different and often mutually exclusive skills from running a business. The priorities are simply different. While I admire Mr. Steyer's political positions, I think he has fallen victim to the CEO disease: I'm rich, so I know best.
A little humility will go a long way in this race.
3
Brilliant article. It should be required reading for all the Democratic candidates for the presidency.
1
I confess I am torn about Steyer's candidacy: on the one hand, I don't think politics should be the rich man's game but on the other, I don't believe there should be a political class with no room for a fresh face.
Steyer has a good progressive agenda and I would vote for him before I'd vote for Cory Booker or Peter Buttigieg who court big donors or Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren who are enabling the capture of Israel by its right wing.
Maybe Steyer would be like Teddy Roosevelt -- a wealthy, versatile gadfly with deep passions and a commitment to progressive change on the domestic front.
2
@CFB
What's your problem with Bernie Sanders?
Too much integrity? Courage?
Both his domestic and foreign policy are the direction that the US needs to head if the US and the world are to thrive.
1
@CFB - so rather than support public servants who court big donors, go straight to the big donor? Where's the benefit in that, again?
I'm not specifically endorsing any of the current Dems, I'm an independent who simply wants the party to accomplish two key goals and I'm not sure a billionaire is what the party needs at the top of the ticket. But I don't vote in the primaries.
The two goals are the White House and a Senate tie or majority.
If rhymes will help - the way to Make America Great Again is to Dump Trump and Ditch Mitch.
If Steyer could make that happen, so be it, but again, not sure a hedge fund billionaire is who would win over working class voters who went from Obama to Trump.
" It took years of political cultivation and an astute strategy for our sitting president to win a major party nomination as a wealthy outsider."
Actually, it took a plethora of sub-par Republican candidates (recall who ran second in the Republican primary), a gullible, jingoistic base of support and an electoral college fluke to elevate the Great Pretender, Donald J. Trump, to the White House. I contend that this column credits Trump with abilities and insight that this demonstrated simpleton does not possess.
4
Another well-connected egotists--this one connected to money. When will these people ever learn to put the public good first and their own ambitions in last place...
1
Taking himself too seriously.
A few dozen TV ads excoriating Trump, however appropriate they may be, is hardly a qualifier for becoming president.
I would never vote for this guy.
4
Jamelle, if good sense was the definition of the Democratic Party candidates, then you would be advocating - stop talking about democratic socialism, stop talking about Medicare for all, stop talking about social programs that simply create unaffordable burdens on future generations, stop talking about reparations. But of course, your observation is not about winning but simply removing a potential thorn in the side of existing candidates
5
Mr. Steyer for the good of the country spend your money to flip the Senate, running for the Democratic nomination will only harm the eventual candidate, (hint: it won't be you).
16
@Christopher I don't know him at all but I just don't feel anyone should tell him how he spends his money.
No more NY-born rich guys for President for a while, please. And no rich spoiler who helps the current guy stay in office for another term, please.
Mr. Steyer, buy all the coal mines and pay to retrain the employees after you shut the mines down. That would be a useful project for you and your money over the next 8 years or so.
286
"Mr. Steyer, buy all the coal mines and pay to retrain the employees after you shut the mines down. That would be a useful project for you and your money over the next 8 years or so."
On that, at least, I can firmly agree. We've got a planet and a humanity to save.
34
@b fagan I really don't see why people can tell others how they should use their money.
2
@b fagan The idea of buying all the coal mines and shutting them down is just the other side of the coin from Trump's saying he "digs coal." Ironically for Republicans, free market forces are what are closing coal mines. No outside billionaires are needed.
11
Assuming his wife supports him, he has a lock on two votes and a loyal constituency.
3
@james haynes
Actually, I read that he and his wife have separated.
1
@Bulldog
Uh oh, then it won't be a landslide.
Great article. Dead on.
8
Great column.
I heard this guy on TV this morning. He alone can fix it. Yes sirree, he's another businessman used to top-down hierarchy. If he says it, it will happen.
This time lets try and get a President who knows how our government works, eh?
19
@David F, he should run as a Republican. He chose the wrong party.
2
Great insightful advice from Jemele Bouie based on incisive informative analysis. The only thing missing is advising Steyer what to do with his ego. He could use a few suggestions.
4
I hope Tom and his campaign team read this article.
3
I very much like the bit about oaying fines and restoring voting rights in Florida.
Of course, is that nearly as important as one more zillionaire white guy with a business background and zippo by way of political experience stroke his, ah, ego with a run for the Presidency?
I think not.
3
It's an ego trip man. Hard to say no to that, more so if he can afford it.
5
Tom Steyer is about Tom Steyer just like Individual 1 is only about Individual 1. The only candidates that truly care about individual voters are Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigege.
The best idea in these comments is advising Steyers to spend his money investing in alternate television and radio studios to challenge Fox and Sinclair. That would have impact.
Running on impeaching trump is counterproductive; it would put pence in charge. Trump is on a criminal mission to transfer as much money as possible from the lower economic 90% to the top economic 10%.
Pence is on a mission from his god to create a theocracy. Pence is much, much more dangerous to what remains of our democratic republic.
1
All the Democratic candidates running for president (with the exception of Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders) are self-absorbed opportunistic pols. So it should come as no surprise that billionaire “Impeach Trump” Tom Steyer is now throwing his hat in the ring. I predict he will go the way of the Starbucks billionaire Howard Schultz who dropped out of the race shortly after he entered. Money can’t buy you love (at least not from smart/sensible voters).
9
If Mr. Steyer would like to help, back a Republican running against Trump. Or better yet, an independent like Justin Amash from Michigan to syphon votes away from Trump. Or spend $25 million in Kentucky to defeat Mitch McConnell. Or spend $50 million to register voters in swing states. Or help fund Eric Holder's efforts to stop gerrymandering by both parties. You can't possibly win the nomination, so why not use your vast wealth in ways that will benefit the country and build a lasting legacy for yourself?
32
It would be nice to see Mike Bloomberg enter the race. He has the resources to fund his own campaign and he has had extensive public experience running NY City for 3 terms. Along with Guiliani he restored NY to its former glory and handed over the world's greatest city to the current mayor. He is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. He would defeat everyone else in the democratic primary and defeat Trump. Too bad he decided to sit this one out.
1
@Toni I really hoped Bloomberg would run too.
Yeah but, Tom Steyers is steadfast on impeaching Trump while the Democratic establishment is against impeachment although most Democratic voters as well as substantial number of elected Democrats in the House demand impeachment. Tom could use his bully pulpit (money power) to force impeachment of Trump. There is a reason why the Founders gave the House of Representatives the power and responsibility to impeach a president while giving the Senate to vote on convicting the president. The Founders did not intend impeachment subject to Senate's vote. The House is derelict in not doing its duty. Trump will not gain any extra support if the Senate votes against his impeachment. On the other hand, the impeachment proceedings will inform and educate the citizens about the misdeeds and violations of the Constitution and thus make the Republican Senators look derelict and hyper partisan. This could result in the defeat of Trump and the republicans thus giving all three branches of the government to the Democrats, especially the Progressives.
6
Anybody remember what happened last time a guy with zero government experience became president? Let’s not do that again.
27
Spoiler alert. He is nothing but a spoiler to keep the wall st. Billionaire status quo. Vote for me I'll vote for me and my wall st pals..
Meet the new boss same as the old boss.
Wall st. Has to go. EAT THE RICH.
11
It’s always easy to find ways to spend somebody else’s money.
We Democrats have already shown our death wish by allowing 24–or is it 23 or 25–candidates to flood the TV debate stages. Adding Mr. Steyer to a crowd that includes moonbeam candidate Marianne Williamson or the mayor of the 301st largest city in the US will hardly be noticed—or make any difference.
Right now the Dem candidates are competing to see who can be furthest left/progressive/socialist, promising goodies like: Medicare for all, including illegal immigrants. Free college tuition. College loan forgiveness. Reparations for blacks and gays. Guaranteed basic income. Federal job guarantees. Free child care. Federally mandated school busing to achieve integration. Open borders.
All of the fabulously wealthy US individuals and corporations together do not have enough money to pay for these goodies year after year, and even Bernie Sanders has admitted that taxes would have to be raised on the middle class just to pay for Medicare for all, not even including illegal immigrants.
As Margaret Thatcher aptly noted, the problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.
If all or even a few of these give-aways are planks in the 2020 Democratic platform, we are doomed to four more years of Trump as President.
8
By all means, raise taxes on the middle class. After decades hearing about tax cuts for the middle class, it's astounding we pay any tax at all. Of course the rich need to pay much more, but the middle class can stand to pay some as well.
1
@Mon Ray
Spend other people's money by the government? Whose money is it? Taxes paid are not charity but Dues paid by members of the Republic to run the country and for the benefits received from law and order and infrastructure and other subsidies received by all although mostly by the rich and powerful. Thatcher and Reagan almost destroyed their nations economies. Taxes paid for Medicare for all are not additional burden but actually reduced insurance premiums for health care. In effect, the middle classes will retain more of their income by paying less for their health care which is like refund of excess taxes paid (previously as health insurance premiums and co-payments).
8
@Mon Ray, sorry, gotta call you out on the "even Bernie Sanders" bit. Under the system we have now, we pay twice as much as most other industrialized countries for worse health outcomes.
The calculations I've read show that we will at worst break even, and more likely even save money by getting rid of premiums, deductibles, and copays and paying thru our tax dollars for public membership in a new, improved version of Medicare. How could it not be less expensive to cut out the profiteering, advertising, and other absurd overhead we pay private insurers?
Short version: OF COURSE we 'll pay more in taxes. But the increase won't be as much as we spend now subsidizing the private, for-profit insurance vultures.
5
Perfectly stated. That $100 million could fund hundreds of strong efforts as opposed to being flushed down the toilet on what amounts to a vanity project.
How can someone with $100 million to throw around connect with your average Democrat? Or average anyone, for that matter? All he will do is further splinter the party. We can't afford that at any price.
14
Really, Mr. Bouie? Do you understand that our current president was mostly elected at the behest of one not even completely American couple, for about $100 million, the same amount Mr. Steyer expects to spend?
And do you know what that couple (and the rest of us) got for that $100 million? That couple got it's own foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East. And we got the same foreign policy. That couple got hundreds of millions in tax breaks. The rest of us foot the bill, one way or another, for those same tax breaks. That couple got a Presidential Medal of Freedom for "patriotically" getting their own foreign policy and huge tax breaks. We share the shame of that medal's award.
So if some guy like Mr. Steyer wants to spend $100 million of his own money on undoing the damage some other rich people have done with their $100 million, I strongly suspect that Mr. Steyer has a substantial constituency: Every one who doesn't support Trump and the Republicans.
I'd suggest you go back and your homework on how to identify a constituency, Mr. Bouie.
11
Please, wealthy Democrats with political ambitions, run for the Senate.
2
But Jamelle, this is WAR. Trump is at war, with the USA!
Perhaps Tom Steyers can generate more interest in the war.
Maybe, after the Democratic Convention, losing candidates
will fan out to campaign across the US, to support the nominee.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can we give Tom Steyers credit for boldness on impeachment?
Can we save this democracy from ruin, by fighting Trump, now?
See: "Democracy" song by Leonard Cohen (1992).
"Democracy is coming to the USA"
7
I don't know. If Biden were to falter, I think a lot of Biden supporters would give Tom Steyer a look.
Most of us think that Sanders and warren are unelectable, as much as we might respect them.
A lot of us liked Harris- I did- but her busing attck was totally hypocritical since she opposes it herself, at least when she is not in front of a "...progressive..." audience. KH burned some bridges there.
It will not be Mayor Pete as he still has ZERO minority support and a lot of us Biden Supporters are strongly influenced by what the Civil Rights generation of black leaders think. I know that I am. In fact, if Biden falters and those guys go for Harris, then I would be good with her.
The only other remotely serious candidate iof Booker- but he cannot get any traction at all. maybe he would move up if Biden faltered.
Anyway, the rest of the candidates may get more than they bargained for if they knock out Biden. They may, in fact, get Tom Steyer.
3
@Lefthalfbach, any time I see the phrase "most of us think," I know I'm about to read a half-baked opinion from someone who doesn't know any more than anyone else.
1
All interesting and likely true & salient observations by Mr. Bouie. But he misses the point: Anyone with the means and passion to run for public office should be able to.
2
Great insightful advice from Jemele Bouie based on incisive, informative analysis. The only thing missing is advising Steyer what to do with his ego. He could use a few suggestions.
1
For Tom Steyer:
Instead of wasting your money tilting at windmills and running a vanity candidacy, spend it on buying up mainstream media outlets to provide competition to Sinclair Broadcasting and Rupert Murdoch.
17
"There are plenty of better things for you to do with your money."
Very true. But this exposure is likely to enhance his altruistic push. So stay until Iowa Caucus, to drop out just before.
23
I hope Tom Steyer reads your excellent commentary, Mr. Bouie. It would be wonderful if he and many of those who are now running would start finding other ways to beat trump/mitchell. We need heroes now more than we need presidential candidates.
17
Steyer seems to have an ego to match his bank account. Bouie offers a number of more consequential ways for Steyer to spend his money. The last thing we need is another Democratic candidate, especially one who is self funded. Sanders and Warren are both relying on small dollar donations, and this is way we should fund campaigns. The wealthy, no matter how well intended, should not have more say on how we run the country than any other citizen.
8
I'm not sure. Steyer's views are closer to many voters than most of the current candidates, and he's not tainted by political associations. He could conceivably be a formidable candidate.
2
Tom Steyer is a billionaire hedge-fund investor. As such, his economic self-interest is clearly aligned with Trump and the Republican Party. Instead, he has cast his lot with the Democrats, who would tax his investment income at much higher rates and who have embraced unions and minorities - neither constituency connected with Mr. Steyer.
So, instead of criticizing tom Steyer for how he chooses to donate $100 M to our political cause, we should be thankful that he is among the few capitalist A-list players to embrace the 18th Century idea of civitas upon which nascent democracy in the US was founded.
Who amongst the presidential candidates of both parties could NOT be called an opportunist, or accused of seeking glory? Let's face it, everyone who has ever run a serious campaign for the Presidency, even Abe Lincoln, has had overweening ambition.
All that notwithstanding, your suggestions about how $100M might better be spent at the grassroots level are spot on. The question is, since the $100M is Mr. Steyer's, would he be willing to adopt someone else's strategy, or would he prefer to choose his own? I think the latter is a very acceptable deal.
2
When I heard Steyer announce his run for President, I cringed for exactly the reasons you outline in this piece. His 100 million dollars would go much further toward his goal of getting Trump out of office if used in the ways you outline, instead of spending it on his own campaign run. I also worry that he won't bow out if he doesn't win in the primaries and will be a third party spoiler a la Ross Perot in 1992.
347
@Melisande Smith; Don't forget our darling, Ralph Nader, in 2000.
59
@San Ta I was thinking the same thing, although I didn't see any "third party" mentioned in this, or other Steyer stories.
Support Amy McGrath against traitor McConnell!
31
@Slann I just did. It is unthinkable that Steyer would run as a third party candidate.
2
Frankly, I think no one should be donating outside one’s own state except for federal races. I don’t like MD’s governor (thankfully in his last term), but that’s up to me and my fellow citizens of MD, not to rich guys in CA or elsewhere.
@Lawyermom So true but that genie is never going back into the lamp. So to only have the Koch brothers funding candidates all over the country it isn't really fair.
We do not need another business man, successful or not, as president.The experiment with the "thing"in the WH has been a resounding failure.Why not back someone you think is worthy or have a run at the senate?
5
With respect to Mr. Bouie, it is not his prerogative on how to tell people how they should spend their money. That Mr. Steyer may have little to no chance did not dissuade is no different in the equation which drove any number of candidates with little chance of winning the nomination, let alone beat Trump, the sole goal for this election.
Of the many candidates' running in the low single digits, for example, Michael Bennet, Julian Castro, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand, John Hickenlooper, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, etc.. All of these candidates are taking money from American's, are you suggesting that these voters and contributors to these respective campaigns should be spending their money more wisely? Also, by definition, anyone who runs for President has a large and perhaps overly large sense of self!
This is where your premise falls apart.
2
@Bruce " All of these candidates are taking money from American's, are you suggesting that these voters and contributors to these respective campaigns should be spending their money more wisely?" Yes, I absolutely believe that they are wasting their money. All the candidates you just listed will lose the nomination.
3
@Bruce But it is his prerogative to suggest (which is what he is doing) a better way for someone who has made himself a public figure to use his vast amount of money. He is an opinion columnist. It is what he is paid to do.
1
Excellent column. Thank you.
Steyer can enter the Democratic scrum to obtain some recognition. However, that will lead to more blood on the field and give the Trumpers more fodder for their campaign. Or, he can run as an independent in 2020 and keep more votes away from the Dems. In either case, he loses, and we lose with him.
I fear that either one of those options will be a death blow to our democratic form of government.
What is wrong with our society?
Why not sit down with the Dems and plan to work together for the common goal that they share?
3
A humble suggestion. Mr Steyer should endow a "Blue Senate Initiative" with his $100m, contingent on Ms Pelosi beginning formal Trump impeachment proceedings.
Both Pelosi and Steyer are Democratic heroes. Mr Steyer's generous contribution to our country could be much more significant perhaps than even eight years of his presidency.
9
@Texas
Good idea!
1
I agree entirely with the op-Ed and with those who agreed. I would add that I fear he would divide the dems and hand the WH back to trump, clearly not an objective steyers should even want.
2
Thank you, Mr. Bouie, for this impeccable argument. I hope Steyer is enough of a mensch to take your sage advice.
6
I don't know what this man has to offer our country. What is his vision for America? What are his plans on creating jobs? Repairing our infrastructure? Solving our out-of-control healthcare/medical expenses? You cannot run on "I'm going to impeach Donald Trump" and think anyone is going to vote for you. You're just a very expensive empty suit on the debate stage.
1
Got it in two sentences. There are candidates, who, merely by running show they do not have the judgement to be POTUS.
1
But this is a free country, especially if you are rich, and Tom Steyer has a right to run for President. Just as the citizens who would never vote for Hillary because she was a Democrat, or she wasn’t Bernie, or Bill was such a bad guy, and let’s not forget the large segment of voters who couldn’t tell the difference between a racist real estate developer(who had to be taken to court to rent to people of color) and a woman who started her early public life working to combat racism had a right not to vote for the Hillary in 2016!
4
Dear Tom Steyer,
Please spend your $100 million to help restore democracy to American with a massive voter registration drive, not a vanity campaign.
We'll create a Secretary Of Voting Rights position for you to honor your efforts AFTER a 2020 Democratic landslide.
Thanks,
America
217
I really like the idea of Steyer and other wealthy Democrats paying the fines of disenfranchised Floridians. Not only is it an easy and effective way for big money to help turn Florida blue, it is a beautiful poke in the eye to all the people whose claim to govern rests on disenfranchising people. Do it, Tom!
36
A vanity project for a Silicon Valley plutocrat ... which party is the party of the one percent?
1
We hope that whatever Mr. Steyer decides to do on this Presidential course that he in his generous wisdom makes sure that NO Dem candidate for US Senate 2020 goes underfunded.
3
I went to high school with Tom Steyer. I like him a lot. He is smart, thoughtful, and committed. But we have a surfeit of candidates with those characteristics. For me, we need someone with experience with communities of color, someone with experience working within the system, someone with intimate knowledge of foreign affairs. I will support Tom if he is the Democratic nominee, but I agree he could use his talents and money elsewhere.
16
Spot on, Mr. Bouie. Passionate, informed, constructive criticism of the sort we need much more of to get back control of our future. I love it that you are speaking hard truths to Steyer at the same time you give him his due for all the positive things he's done and continues to do. We need teamwork to take back the country.
4
When you start with "billionaire," there is nothing left to say. Anyone with that much money has any clue what the world is like for those of us who don't. It's just a fact.
13
It is a sign of what is wrong with the country that billionaires can be influential in policy and politics with a constituency of one.
When people are skilled in one area, we give too much credence to them in others. And, if that skill (and advantage) allows them to accumulate a large pile of cash, the Supreme Court's equating of money and speech gives them a bullhorn to promote their ideas.
11
Steyers will not be welcomed on that debate stage...if he qualifies. Does anyone know why he's so intent on impeachment of Trump? It appears to be a personal vendetta...and I wonder why. Steyers has no appeal, either policy-wise or personality-wise. I agree with Bouie...he could do a lot constructively with his money.
1
@J. G. Smith
I don't think it's a personal vendetta; I think it's because Steyer believes (based on overwhelming public evidence, I might add) that Trump has committed several impeachable offenses. I happen to agree, and he's done them in plain sight. The problem is that with today's Republican party, there is zero chance of conviction in the Senate, even with the smoking guns that are already visible.
Be that as it may, it is not the stuff of which presidential campaigns are made. I agree fully with Mr. Bouie; this is a personal ego trip for Steyer. The best we can hope for is that his shenanigans do not further jeopardize next year's election.
Great wealth does not necessarily indicate great smarts. (Consider Exhibit # 1). Great wealth does not make one likable or electable. Great wealth does seem to make the ego expand enormously, with the obvious exceptions of people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.
But is there a cure for that ego trap?
Indeed.
Just another entitled ultra-rich man running a vanity campaign.
I have commented repeatedly that he should be spending all that money on Amy McGrath's campaign to unseat McConnell.
Like, ALL that money.
62
Jamelle Bouie is spot on with this column--on all counts.
Any progressive with $100 million to burn would be advised to burn it on increasing registration and turnout, and working on the down ballot races to boot. There's not only a lot more bang for the buck that way, but, as someone who advocates here constantly for the public funding of elections and the elimination of corporate/organizational funding of individual candidates (and for a very low per campaign limit on personal donations), working on registration and voting rights concerns is the only legitimately moral use of such large sums of money in the political realm.
I don't have any qualms with Steyer; I tend to agree with him on a number of issue points. But there are plenty--too many--candidates in the race already, and his entry into it doesn't add anything. On the other hand, the uses of his money that are mentioned in Jamelle's column would add A LOT.
34
Although I am skeptical of Mr. Steyer's chances of prevailing in the Presidential primary, he could be running -- like several other candidates -- simply to give a voice to a particular political message. Furthermore. Mr. Steyer has paid his dues in his support of progressive causes -- he has already spent many millions in past elections funding the very types of progressive projects you suggest for him. He may rightfully believe that the best way to leverage his wealth to the benefit of all is to try to make his own country more just for those without wealth and more kind to the environment. So, in my view, the man deserves a little praise whether he is a viable candidate or not-- he has, at minimum, demonstrated that he is about something other than his own accumulation of wealth.
8
@Peter I am happy to have people like Inslee promoting single issues on the merits of their ideas and arguments.
Someone influencing the discourse mostly thanks to their pile of money is not good for democracy -- even when I agree with most of those ideas.
4
Besides those reasons given in Bouie's excellent analysis, there is another reason that Steyer cannot win the Democratic nomination. He comes across as too much driven by ego, and in that respect, a liberal mirror image of Trump. The two also share a lack of experience in government and we've learned where that leads.
13
The presidency should be the culmination of a life of public service, not just another prize for the privileged, no matter how noble their intention. Unfortunately, thanks to the Supreme Court and Citizens United, it in unlikely that anyone without access to great wealth will ever be elected again.
434
@From Where I Sit
Sandburg? You’re kidding, right?
She was at the cry of much of Facebook’s secrecy, hiding of its connections to Russia, and putting members’ privacy at risk.
10
@aaron: Yeah, tell us about Obama's "life of public service." And don't blame his candidacy on the SCOTUS - he said things Americans wanted to hear, just like The Donald.
2
@From Where I Sit Maybe you don’t know, but Ms Sanburg is #2 at perhaps the most distrusted and hated corporation in the United States. What she’s ‘accomplised’ is nothing to be proud of.
13
Thank you for this well-considered and thoughtful piece that not only rejects Steyer’s candidacy but offers practical and sensible alternatives to put his funding to good use for the country. At best he will be known as 2020’s version of Jill Stein. More likely that he will be forgotten quickly while denying himself the opportunity to create meaningful change.
474
@Josh
Yes, "meaningful change" is most needed by investing in the people at the ground level, not more TV time.
Some significant numbers of lives are waiting for someone to meet and greet them on the street, inviting them to join with their citizens and vote for arriving (finally) at the New World.
14
@Josh Enough of the Jill Stein criticism already. There are more than two parties in the USA and you can't blame them for running their own candidates in elections. This is a democracy, after all. Jill Stein ran on a solid Green platform eschewed by the two major parties. Good for her for garnering the support that she did. If the Democrats want Greens to vote for them then it is on the Democrats to modify their platform to be more inclusive of Green issues. This is for Democrats to resolve, full stop. Jill Stein and the Green Party enhance American democracy.
6
@CP
Our winner-take all voting system makes it illogical for more than 2 parties to exist, which is why they are not sustainable. Countries with more parties have coalition-style governments and other voting methodologies like ranked preference.
As long as we have this voting framework, third parties/independents are spoilers. With today's anti-democratic and anti-American Republican party in the mix, it is irresponsible for them to be in the game.
50
Just what the US needs, another billionaire.
Hasn't rule by the rich been enough of a disaster?
15
@Plennie Wingo. Really? What disaster are you talking about?
1
As a life-long liberal voter I am dismayed by the number of swollen egos crowding the Democratic field. It's a traveling circus and it's going to help get Trump re-elected.
50
@larry bennett We can thank Obama and the DNC for convincing Biden not to run in 2016 since it was "Hillary's turn". Now he's too old.
Vanity campaigns are a likely route for Trump to continue using our highest office in vain.
6
I fear your great suggestions will have no effect on Mr Steyer. I’ve had my mouth in appalled mode for a few months over how big Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders’s egos must be to convince them they should be presidents in their 80s. How big to not simply be satisfied being mentors, after their long careers? Both Steyer and Schultz fit into that same mold. Using their money in important ways behind the scenes won’t get their faces overexposed in the media. And they need the attention.
20
...so gerrymandering and census citizen questions are affronts to democracy, but spending millions to target unregistered or nonvoting blacks and other minorities is democracy in action?
3
@OldSchool Yes, you are absolutely right! Getting people to vote is democracy in action. Preventing them from voting and deliberately making their votes meaningless are affronts to democracy.
14
@John Magee
ya, actually expecting them to register to vote on their own, then mailing in the ballot or making the effort to show up at the voting precinct with a valid id is an egregious violation of their civil rights.
1
@OldSchool
That's correct. While I realize that you believe all "blacks" and "minorities" should be encouraged to be "non-voting," your attempt at sarcasm hits the nail on the head. The Constitution of the United States is not legitimized simply because it is a constitution (no matter what you may have heard from your right-wing friends). It's legitimacy rests on the participation of (in its great opening words) "We the People..." So Republican attempts to suppress turnout, suppress voter registration, discourage "blacks" and "minorities" from voting or to gerrymander their influence out of existence, are profoundly anti-democratic and undermine the authority of the Constitution. I guess even a broken clock is right twice a day.
8
Yes Tom, please waste $100 million of your own money. You have entirely too much cash to play with at the moment.
Anyone who thinks that Steyer has even a remote chance of getting the nomination is fooling themselves. He may be pro-impeachment, but as long as Pelosi is in charge of the House, that will not happen. There are over 20 other people running; what does Steyer bring to the table other than the fact that he is a billionaire, which is something that many democrats find innately untrustworthy. He's just an out of touch rich guy with too much time on his hands and too few people on his staff honest enough to tell him he is going to eat dirt in this race. Of course, his staff would never tell him that- not while he's still signing their paychecks.
7
Of the billionaires, by the billionaires, for the billionaires.
12
Most middle-aged Men just get a fast Car, and “ girlfriends “ when they are bored and at loose ends. But not the ultra wealthy, apparently they must go BIG. Sir, you could do so much for some deserving Charities. How do you wish to be remembered once you leave this life ? As a philanthropist, or as a failed Politician. Choose wisely. Yes, it’s your Money, but that doesn’t mean you get a free pass at useless Vanity. See: Howard Schultz. Good luck.
15
You nailed it with the idea of registering non-voters, which, of course, doesn't mean they would vote, but maybe enough to defeat The Donald. The other idea that's really germane to all of this is getting the 18 yr. olds registered. That would also have the magical effect of tossing DT back to Manhattan. Unfortunately, Steyer obviously has some grand ego to appease, or else he would do any of these things, indeed he has done some of this with his money, but what a difference if he pledged that kind of support to any one of these ideas. I guess, even at his age and (hopefully) maturity, he hasn't gotten the word that naked ambition is ruining everything it touches.
3
@Stephen Holland
Please don't "toss DT back to Manhattan"; an overwhelmingly majority of us despise him and would much prefer that he's locked up - and for a very long time. My fervent hope is that he and his sons & his son-in-law share a prison cell.
I'm just tired of rich folks' assumption that because they made a whole lotta dough they somehow deserve to lead. The impulse to help is noble; the impulse to be king is not. I have been waiting or Steyer's entitlement to show.
7
Excellent column - we don’t need another egotistical billionaire telling us what to do - as was stated use your money elsewhere - Mr. Steyer - if I had ever had a chance to shake your hand the first thing I’d ask for now would be that handshake back. Smell the coffee Mr. Steyer!
1
Thank you Mr. Bouie! This was exactly what I was talking about with my son when I was visiting him in Salt Lake City this past weekend. If only Tom Steyers spent his money on getting out the vote he might replicate the success of what my son was a part of as he knocked on doors this past fall: turning Utah's 4th congressional district from Red to Blue.
18
@Greg. I don’t consider that success.
The point of this piece seems to say 'don't run, throw your money into an established candidate because you'll lose.' Why bother urging Steyer not run when you predict he won't win? So he can spend money on other candidates? He will anyway.
Pointless piece.
4
Amen to JB's suggestions about what Steyer could do, with much more impact than a silly, doomed prez primary campaign.
Here ya go, Tom: in my purple, small population, cheap media state, we are sure to be drowned in 2020 (like we always are) in far right ballot initiatives and in out-of-state, right-wing $ trying to buy state Supreme Court seats.
It's incredibly cheap to buy an election here; your $ can do plenty of good, competing with and balancing out the right-wing plutocrats' "investments."
12
He's wasting 100 million running for POTUS. Steyer could make a huge impact funding D voter turnout initiatives around the country. As well as vigorously supporting Amy McGrath's KY senate race against Mitch McConnell in 2020.
22
Who didn’t see this coming?
How many mirrors did this billionaire look into to make this decision? Democrats (and Republicans) have had enough of obscenely wealthy jerks who think that gathering wealth is anything other than a mix of determination and luck.
Tom Steyer will get the same reaction as Howard Schultz at whom one brave soul yelled something like “get out of here you (something) billionaire (something). In this case, it will be a choir of voices.
Billionaires ain’t fooling anyone anymore. From the Trumps (not billionaires actually) to the Sacklers (criminals) to the Koch brothers (buyers of democracy) and the WalMart Waltons (lazy and entitled) Americans have had enough of this Gilded Age redux.
Oh and how much you wanna bet this campaign began the day Elizabeth Warren suggested taxing his wealth? But instead of taxing it maybe we should confiscate it. Climate change is coming and will require trillions in spending.
These guys are like Scrooge McDuck sitting in his vault on top of his wealth, doing nothing with it. Just sitting there looking at it.
Again we call it “obscene wealth” for a reason.
15
@RodA. Amen. Imagine a Trump versus Steyer general election, our democracy down to choosing which billionaire (or "billionaire") the little people should follow. I know, I should give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he will turn out to be progressive on economic issues as well.
Tom Steyer should use his resources to work towards eliminating the electoral college.
15
So Citizens United is bad..... unless used for liberal causes which are "good"? Mr. Steyer shouldn't run because he has no agenda (other than impeaching Trump) as well as no natural constituency. Then again, the same was said for Mr. Trump (even though Mr. Bouie using 20/20 reverse vision saw a Trump victory where almost no one else had).
3
Tom Steyer is not 'playacting'. He is serious about dealing with important issues such as climate change. You seem to be fixated on all of the good he might do (as a billionaire) as a better option for him. There are many billionaires and I don't see them doing the things you suggest. Are we supposed to hold it against him that he is wealthy?
You are comparing Steyer to Trump, which is ridiculous. He is doing something meaningful with this money. He also donated to Democratic during the mid-term election. Right now the democrats are having a free-for-all. The press has been empathizing whoever is the flavor of the week. This is much like a horse race. The early leaders tend to fail on the backstretch, as many horse favorites are wont to do. There is plenty of time, and I suggest that Steyer is a welcome addition to the race.
5
Steyer should go away and spend his money on whatever philanthropic causes that move him.
He has no idea how to build a political consensus in governance.
Quite frankly, most people I know in the Bay Area think he is a complete and waste of time.
3
Why do American billionaires always seem to think they are the "best and the brightest"? History shows us otherwise as the current President personifies. Steyer should put his 100 million into generic anti-GOP ads to run nationally. Electing a democratic President is only half the battle. A GOP Senate will just mean another first Obama term with GOP obstruction gumming up the works. Stand down Mr. Steyer and put your money to better use than feeding your ego.
3
Mr. Bouie:
Please read elsewhere on today's New York Times op-ed page. Two political scientists report that now-serving legislators, for the most part, don't know or care what voters want.
In contrast, Tom Steyer seems to be listening to exactly what voters want, at least on a couple of issues they prioritize. 8.2 million people have given Steyer their contact information at his Need to Impeach website. Can't we safely assume that close to 8.2 million people think we should impeach the sitting president?
So, how do you assert that Mr. Steyer has no constituency? He certainly seems to be listening to people. Perhaps you need to do more listening yourself, Mr. Bouie.
3
Bravo, and a great playbook for any wealthy progressive who wants to stop the radical right, and help democracy regain its footing. The two biggest threats to solving climate change are gerrymandering and a Republican Senate.
4
If Tom Steyer is a billionaire, then spending $100M to run for president AND spending $100M behind the scenes to register voters, etc are not mutually exclusive. If my math is correct, he will still have $800M on election day 2020.
There is an argument to be made against billionaires running for president crowding out other voices. But the argument made in this article doesn't add up.
2
The only difference between Steyer and the other candidates is wealth. The rest are as ego-driven, and based upon the lack of experience among most of the Democratic candidates, at best most could be described as play-acting, leveraging their own versions of identity politics.
We could say similar things to most of the other candidates, as well: stay in your current jobs, grow your influence, expand the power of the opposition liberal party at the local and state levels. Of course, Steyer is a rich white guy so, he's being self-interested and power hungry.
1
@MassBear
Ego?
every member of Congress thinks they have what it takes to be President and many think they know better than you what to do with your money.
2
Thank you Jamelle Bouie for a well stated and thoughtful argument on both Steyer's Presidential candidacy and misplaced priorities. There are so many better uses for his passion, resources, and commitment to a progressive agenda. Let us hope that he reads your column and gives careful consideration to entering the 2020 election as a Presidential candidate. We already have enough qualified candidates for the Democratic nomination for President. In fact, there are a number already in the race who should have directed their energies at other state and federal elective office positions.
21
Steyer has previously seemed like a rich guy spending a lot of money to try to rally people to impeach Trump. His ads weren’t the slickest but they seemed principled and smart enough.
But why on earth become a candidate? Just to make the same pitch from the debate stage? Surely not because there are no smart, principled people already in the race. I would say that Sanders, Warren, Booker, Buttigieg, Inslee, Castro all fit that description. (Not altogether sure about Harris.)
There’s something about being a billionaire that so distorts people’s experience they just can’t make good decisions.
I support Steyer’s run. Should he win the nomination, nothing would epitomize America more perfectly than two billionaires running for President. Hopefully Schultz would run as an Independent too.
1
Why is the title "we" welcome you? Does the author presume to speak for anyone other than himself? I don't expect Steyer to end up as the candidate but I welcome him into the race. I don't think he is doing this to get attention but because he cares about the issues. And if vanity is a disqualifying characteristic then they should all drop out.
6
@Bulldog It isn't just his vanity, which they all share, it's also his extraordinary wealth which he could deploy in the meaningful ways listed. None of the rest of them have that. He could do much much more than run.
4
Steyer’s entry into the race may seem to be motivated by vanity, but Hickenlooper and O’Rourke’s focus on their presidential ambitions rather than the 2020 Colorado and Texas Senate races might be worse because Mitch McConnell will impede Democrat legislations and judicial nominees even if Democrats win the White House and retain the House. Given that Hickenlooper would be likely to win in Colorado and Beto (or Julian Castro) might pull off an upset in Texas, their presidential aspirations are arguably more misguided than Mr. Steyer’s. Nevertheless, Mr.Bouie’s point that Steyer’s money could be put to better use is well-taken given that the Democrats need to focus on developing innovative, well-funded strategies to defeat Senate Republicans.
95
@Utahn Nonsense. Beto cannot win Tx. He lost to Cruz, Cornyn is more popular, and Trump 2020 bumps GOP turnout. Beto ran the numbers and knew he would lose Tx senate race in 2020. To suggest he should try again (and inevitably lose again) is based either on ignorance of Texas politics or just a passive/aggressive way to say he should "drop out".
2
Tom Steyer is one of the smartest, most intelligent people I have ever met. (I had a chance to observe him years ago when we overlapped in high school.) Compared to many of the declared Democrats, Steyer is a hugely impressive and serious contender.
Jamelle Bouie asserts that "Steyer has no constituency other than himself." I disagree. His potential constituency includes every citizen who is tired of politics as usual who yearns for someone who believes in justice, someone who is simultaneously immensely competent but not the product of our immensely corrupt political system.
Should Steyer win? It's way too early to say. Is his voice one that will elevate the substance of the Democratic primary process? Absolutely.
Do we want a (real) billionaire running for the Democratic nomination? That's a fair question to ask. But I actually worry a lot more about the fact that Joe Biden (the "front runner") earned $15 million since leaving the vice presidency two and a half years ago. I'd much rather have a man like Steyer (or Mike Bloomberg) who became rich outside the political system taking charge of the post-Trump restoration. (See the piece in the current New Yorker about Joe Biden's son Hunter.)
"The Democratic Party doesn’t need another presidential candidate." Yes, that's probably true. But we sure need some better presidential candidates. Steyer has the potential to be the better candidate that the party and the country need.
Why not let the people decide, Mr. Bouie?
34
@Laocoön I am happy to have him enter the race, raise money from citizens -- ideally following Warren's example of refusing to hobnob with the wealthy -- and run on the strength of his ideas.
Having him enter the race with a pile of cash is not democratic (small d).
13
It’s telling me that one of the very few supportive voices in these comments is someone who knows him personally. That is not enough!
4
@Laocoön, If you're basing your opinion of Steyer on high school, which was decades ago, that's a pretty slim basis to support him.
9
All excellent ideas if Steyer is, indeed, interested in the restoration of democracy. He might also give a million or so to the admirable Democrats running against Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham, and Susan Collins. Hard to say which would be better: no more Trump or no more McConnell.
123
@akrupat - Don't federal campaign laws limit contributions? Oh, I forgot. The Koch brothers get around that all the time.
5
@akrupat
I think mcconnell wins hands down. If we win the presidency but don't get rid of mcconnell no policies will pass. Vote Dem down the whole ticket. it's the only way we'll save our country.
5
@akrupat
Without McConnell to cover for him, Trump would not be able to do anything. McConnell is the kingpin.
7
100% accurate and extremely well-said. And, we'fe already seen who well the rich, inexperience candidate governs. Bloomberg was the exception - I fear Trump and those like him are the rule.
10
Tom Steyer is far from the only Democratic candidate whose campaign for the presidency is a vanity project. He's just the richest. At least since Howard Schultz suspended his campaign (or quit, or took the summer off, ... it's hard to remember)
Perhaps after Mr. Steyer ($1.6B net worth) enjoys a short burst of media attention followed by the inevitable electoral irrelevancy, he and Mr. Schultz ($4.5B) can combine "forces" (two big piles of money) to get pro democracy Americans to the polls and help defeat Trump AND the sycophantic GOP.
Better hurry too, before Barr suggests to Trump a "legal path" (just ignore the courts) to criminalize voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives and a reelected Trump decides the Twenty Second Amendment was just a suggestion.
25
...to say nothing of the Thirteenth, or First.
He better hope he maintains the Fifth though. With any luck, we'll have him pleading it.
2
Here's what Bouie, Goldberg, and Bruni et al. don't get. Americans do not want Ta Nehisi Coates or Judith Butler to be our President. Most of us want a reasonable moderate.
The Democrats haven't provided us with many options. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are free-spending lunatics with no ideas under $1 trillion. No one knows what Harris actually stands for, and many of the other candidates are weirdos or extremists.
Then you have Biden, who is still leading, but he's the default, and he's not inspiring. I oppose ageism, but there is a real, objective risk for cognitive functioning of a man who would enter his 80s in his first term.
So what is missing from the multitudes of candidates is a good moderate. Maybe that will be Harris or Booker, or Klobuchar, but as of right now, no one has established themselves as a clear moderate choice.
And that's what we want.
Steyer is right to be interested.
49
@MA I know very few people who even know who Steyer is. Of the people who do know him, precisely zero want him to be president.
And you're wrong about most Americans wanting a moderate for president. If they did, Clinton would be in office right now. Trump has a 90% approval rating among Republicans, which is certainly not an indicator of moderation. On the left, Sanders and Warren are beating everyone but Biden, but his only appeal is the cynical idea that he is the best poised to beat Trump- his actual ideology, moderate or not, is not relevant. It's an indicator of pragmatism, not actual centrist ideology.
59
@Greg "And you're wrong about most Americans wanting a moderate for president. If they did, Clinton would be in office right now. "
That is simply wrong. Clinton received 5 million more votes than Trump, but did a poor job campaigning in key swing states (some of whom she ignored completely). There is no basis for believing that she lost because she was moderate (or, that some extremist would have done better).
24
OP is correct. And Clinton isn’t president because she was a terrible candidate, not because of her policy ideas. Chances are if you’re reading/posting everyday on NYT your perception what the average person thinks about politics is way off base. The overwhelming majority of people I run into do not live and breathe politics. Most of my conservative friends do not like Trump, but they abhor the progressive left and its woke agenda. Most people live somewhere in the center left/right politically, not on the fringes.
26
Please listen and follow this advice Mr Steyer. We will respect you for it.
Please use your money to back the other candidates who should also leave the race and should be running for Senate where we need them.
122
This article presents a startling statistic that seems to have been ignored by most of the media.
A recent Washington Post survey showed Trump essentially tied with or ahead of every Democratic candidate, except Biden, among registered voters.
This fact, not his lack of support among the public at large, may well determine the result of the 2020 election.
How the media have generally ignored this is difficult to understand.
136
@Chasseur Americain I see that statistic all the time, including in this publication, so I don't know what media you have been looking at.
12
Mr. Steyer's "campaign" is no more an exercise in vanity than Joe Biden's. What was Obama's campaign if not vanity? Not like he had much of a resume - although most of us didn't expect him to be an empty suit. At least Steyer doesn't have Biden's entitlement complex and sneering condescension. One might think Mr. Bouie would be a little reluctant to hang his hat on the same polling that showed HRC winning handedly - even picking up Georgia and Arizona. Things have a way of changing - and at this rate, Biden will wind up dropping out long before he can prove today's polls wrong.
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Obama’s campaign a vanity? Where were you during the last 10 years? I can’t believe there is a place on this planet where you would not have at least basic information about past and current presidents. You must have been quite isolated.
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@UB Well I wasn't in Singapore. But seriously, what says "vanity" more than Barack Obama accepting a Nobel prize after a scant 9 months in office for doing, well, nothing. It's not like the man has much, if any, meaningful legacy - unless you consider losing both houses of congress and 1,000 state legislators while in office and paving the way for Donald Trump.
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Let us not be so quick to write off the value of Tom Steyer or his campaign.
First, I agree that he is not going to get the nomination and I would truly be disappointed if he thought that he would be the most likely selected candidate. The battle for the White House will take place in the swing states and there is no polling data as of yet that has Steyer leading Trump here.
However, Steyer does ad an important message many Democratic players in the race have to be careful to tiptoe around. Steyer is ALL ABOUT IMPEACHING TRUMP for among other things, "High Crimes and Misdemeanors".
He brings to the debate stage a willingness to paint Trump for what he is, a grifter.
This will take the burden of spending air-time on this one issue off other candidates - permitting them to present policy - while at the same time shining a bright light on Trump's wrongdoings.
And let us not think that a smart business person isn't smart. He knows he can spend his own money to present a message and in all fairness, he has done that. But by entering the race, he is going to get media time to forward his message that even his money could not buy.
As a business person, I fully understand his decision to enter the race. From a bang-for-the-buck standpoint, he is going to get far more. And considering how much he has already invested in actually making America great again, I don't fault him for wanting to make the most out of his willing to spend the most.
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@It Is Time! "As a business person, I fully understand his decision to enter the race. From a bang-for-the-buck standpoint, he is going to get far more." Probably not the point you were making, but yes, cutting out the middlemen (the politicians) is a logical decision for someone with his wealth. After Trump, is there any more need to maintain the polite fiction that we aren't living in an oligarchy?
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Except his announcement has dropped the impeachment message entirely.
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@It Is Time! - Did anybody see Steyer's interview today on CBS This Morning? I think he did quite well.
Let the primary process unfold! Pundits shouldn't preclude anything!
On another note, what does Bouie think the odds are of a brokered convention, given the rules change for super-delegates? Hmmm.
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Excellent, well reasoned piece.
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Democrats need another presidential candidate as much as Trump needs a new excuse for his census question. The need for such actions have long been stripped of reason, strategy or victory, laying bare the true motivation behind the facade, it's all about ego.
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@Rick Gage
Well, even if we get rid of Trump, if McConnell is left as majority leader in the Senate nothing will get better.
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I see his entry into the race as help for Trump. Whenever the president comes from business he is almost never s successful president. People who say they want government run like a business don’t understand the differences. If government were a business, for example, much of what it does shouldn’t be done because it generates no profit.
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@Mal Stone
If government is run like a business, it will see itself as competing with the rest of the economy, and try to grow its share of the economy. It will also manage all information it controls, both about itself and about the country, to advance its interests and in particular its chief interest -- growth. The military-industrial complex runs itself like a business and is quite successful. It is not good at winning wars or at avoiding wars it cannot win at a reasonable price, but it is excellent at maintaining its own existence and often manages to grow even with no or tiny wars.
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I agree Trump is a lousy President-but offhand, I cannot think of another President who “came from business”. I doubt that Mal can either. Can we at least try to keep our fantasies out of our politics?
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@Mal Stone
Steyer is planning on running as a Democrat. How does this help trump unless Steyer wins the primary?
Well, at least he has his own money and needn't rush about "borrowing" it for in almost every case a doomed and quixotic campaign. Actually, his entry, assuming he spends as he promises, will help the top four or five candidates and likely doom the twenty or so others.
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I don't see the need for a Steyer 2020 campaign, but I would not count him out altogether. He has spent a lot of time urging that President Trump be impeached, while Nancy Pelosi and a majority of House Democrats refuse to allow impeachment hearings. Plus, I would not rule out the possibility that the current group of frontrunners for the Democratic nomination will all fail to excite voters, who may at this point be willing to consider an outsider.
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I'm happy for him to join the race in the Democratic primary. So long as he doesn't run as an independent and complicate things.
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