It’s time for America to go to a parliamentary system. Here is a list of potential parties:
1. Party of Trump. This would include all those people who wished they could be Trump. Born with silver spoon, avoid draft with burn spurs, cheat on multiple wives, brag and lie without consequence.
2. Moderate, principled, conservative. Bloomberg would fit here.
3. Moderate, principled, liberals. Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, and Barrack Obama would fit here.
4. Scandavian style socialiasts. These people will pay more in taxes to increase safety net for all.
5. Socialists who want others to pay for social safety net. Elizabeth Warren fits nicely here.
6. Communists. Mao, Lenin, Stalin, and Chavez fit here. Looked how successful they were for their countries.
6. Evangelicals.
7. Gun lovers.
8. Racists. There will be many parties here. Racists only see the world through their own race. White racists we all know about and happily condemn here. What about Asian racists and Black racists. Charles Blow, for example, can lead a party in this category.
18
Charles M. Blow - You must never tell me who I should or should not vote for.
54
Charles Blow - NYC has lost tons of money from farebeaters. We need to correct this. These farebeaters are cheating the city. I am gay liberal- a liberal with less common sense.
9
Forgetting whos President eh Charles? The only people we can afford to dismiss are those that have been pussy-footing about whether Trump should be impeached and similar cowards like them. If Bloomberg can swallow his alleged racism and be a decent President I'd take him over Trump in an instant.
20
Blow should have provided his position and reasons without his hysterical conclusion. Overall the op ed is a real disappointment and easy to ignore because of it. Bloomberg obviously is not not perfect - who is? But there are quite a few things that he has done right, in my opinion, and is a basically honest person. How much money you have or don't have should not be and is not a yardstick for political office. How anyone got their money IS a valid criteria, and there is NO evidence that Bloomberg cheated or shorted others. However, that is not true for the current TRAMP in the White House.
19
You must never read a column by Charles Blow again. How does that read as a headline? I disagree with the Blow's views here and so I command you never to read his column again. Doesn't sound right does it? Yet, here we see the cancel culture at its worst. Obama was right. When your only point is to cancel someone else's you really aren't contributing.
61
I agree that 'stop and frisk' is awful and you set out the case well. But please, Mr Blow, take words like "nonnegotiable" out of your vocabulary until this election season is over. Explain to me with data how a Bloomberg candidacy could never get sufficient black people out to the voting booth and you may persuade me. But this reeks of a purity test.
18
Just more of the negativism taking over our lives. Instead of telling us who we shouldn't vote for, how about, you know, who we should? Who Mr. Blow, do you endorse so far before the election?
6
More a deal maker for me.
2
Japanese internment camps come to mind. That was FDR, wasn't it?
11
Bow says that minorities should never consider voting for Bloomberg. Ditto for white voters.
8
You must never tell me what I must never do.
18
POC here (really pathetic the identity politics that have brought me to having to qualify my opinion this way, I'd rather just be an educated American), 100% in support of Bloomberg and stop and frisk-
Blow framed stop and frisk incorrectly. It's a deterrent more than an actual attempt to collect weapons and contraband, i.e people are far less prone to carry contraband with them when they think there is a high chance of them being stopped and frisked. Do better, Blow(hard).
24
I only hope you are referring to the primary.
Yes we should vote for him, and in droves, if it comes down to Bloomberg vs Trump.
I seem to remember Obama's pastor and the fact that he showed up at the million man march - led by an African American Nazi.
I understand the real world consequences were minimal, but as a matter of principal it really wasn't OK.
Regardless, there I was front, center to vote when it came down to Obama or McCain.
This article is a bit irresponsible considering what's at stake.
No???
19
Bloomberg is a republican but he is running as a democrat...So what is he? A cowardly demagogue.
6
To all the commenters out there...if you have not or do not live in NYC or the NY metro area...swallow your "well meaning" outrage. You have absolutely zero idea of what you are talking about. It's like most do nowadays, everyone has an opinion of which they have no real life experience to back it up. What you should probably do is read the comments from those who live in the NY metro area and then by golly...do I dare say...reflect on it.
14
"If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!"
How refreshing to read your comments Mr. Blow. Thank you for sharing your honest position and for shedding light on the necessity to either find something to stand for or run the risk of falling for anything. Polite resistance---especially when the fate of your civil liberties is on the line---can so easily be ignored.
7
And another thing I would like to say to this so called “columnist”: this “racist stop-and-frisk program” was not devised to target African-Americans or Latinos in particular. It was put In place to target high crime level neighborhoods and drugs infected silos. And if by some reason these areas happen to be African-American or Latin-American turfs, then maybe you should take it up with community leaders and ask them why is that. The program was a failure and should’ve never been conceived. But there is a much larger unanswered question. So don’t go bashing Bloomberg for what you “community voices” should take an answer for.
27
Mr. Blow I understand your concern as a man of color in NYC. Unfortunately for all of us who read this piece you get a bully pulpit from which to preach this dribble. How can you call stop and frisk a deal breaker? That is the least of our rights and privileges that have been given to the government under the guise of protection. If we are being honest, stop and frisk while likely unconstitutional, lowered the number of shootings and gun crimes throughout New York City. We are back to open warfare in the streets because the very young men of color you speak of are shooting each other with little fear of the repercussions. I am Hispanic and everyone in every neighborhood deserves to feel and be safe. Mayor Bloomberg reduced crime, kept a budget surplus, fixed the school construction authority, never had his wife make off with 750 million of our dollars, nor did he violate campaign finance laws regularly or abandon our city. He is a man of integrity that does what he says he is going to do. I don't like his stance on gun control and a few other minor things but look at his record. Please don't taint the pool. Blacks and Hispanics are tired of being told what candidate works for them. In the end they all work for themselves. Their only goal being reelection. Granted, Mayor Bloomberg made the city council maneuver for an extra term but this city is much better off for his efforts in office. You must vote Bloomberg if you care about results.
19
As long as Russian spy Tulsi Gabbard doesn't get the nomination, I'm fine with someone other than Bloomberg.
5
On Charles arguments we'd have to reject Lincoln.
11
MIchael Bloomberg is a smart, short, billionaire, and sexist/racist, elitist who rationalizes his prejudices away by projecting them upon those who oppose him.
5
I enjoy Charles Blows articles but this is way off. People would vote for a rag doll in preference for Trump. So we watch the Dems chew each other to pieces and DT storms through.
12
It's hardly a coincidence that Michael Bloomberg has decided to run for president just as the Wall Street crowd and his fellow billionaires start to panic at the thought of a Warren presidency. You would think that Elizabeth Warren was threatening to confiscate all their money and send them out into the mean streets naked.
Mr. Blow talks about the idiocy and racism of the stop and frisk stance of Mr. Bloomberg which became a horror story for minorities. I will take it one step further. We have been experiencing more and more shootings of black men for what appears to be happening for no other reason than they are black. What happens if Bloomberg should become president? The bad cops, many of whom are racists even towards their own, will figure they have license to go on their merry way.
4
Alright, already! I won't!
3
Obviously, the statistics Charles M. Blow has gathered in his editorial show that Michael Bloomberg is an implicit racist, as contrasted with the blatant, overt, flagrant racism of Trump and his base.
That so many commenters would even consider voting for Bloomberg makes me wonder, would they support Beelzebub to defeat President Trump?
Many commenters have lost sight of the ethical principle that the ends can never justify unethical means.
3
He is the lackey of trumpists and the Alt-Right.
1
Say what you want, Mr. Blow, but thank God we've got a rich, white, straight man ready to run for president. I was worried that we were going to have to talk about policy for once.
4
Mr. Blow’s article reads of a typical “moderate” left approach of if you’re not with me you’re against me. Mr. Blow picked the stop and frisk issue and decided that because of it he “will have nothing...nothing!” To do with anyone voting for Mr. Bloomberg.
In parallel, Mr. Blow repeatedly writes about the need to get Trump out of office... so Mr. Blow, I present you with a scenario where Bloomberg is the Democratic nominee vs Trump: who will you vote for?!
Every one of these politicians including Obama, George W Bush, Bill Clinton literally all of them have at least a few terrible skeletons in their closets (Obama=drones and aggressive immigration detention, George W=where to begin and Clinton= supporting jail time for minor drug crimes). Would you have voted for Hillary although she supported the horrible decision to invade Iraq?!
We need to be less emotional and more practical, if every issue people disagree with makes a person unelectable, and you not wanting anything to do with them then let’s start planning for Trump in 2020.
Less emotion and more pragmatism is required here...
9
You don't need to worry about me, Mr. Blow. I will not vote for Bloomberg. Stop and Frisk is one reason, breaking up Occupy Wall Street is another. If I lived in NY instead of MN, I would probably be able to add to the list of reasons. Plus the last thing we need is yet another billionaire trying to buy public office.
1
Better Trump than Bloomberg?
4
So I just took a look at the NYPD records on stop and frisk. Yes, 90% of these incidents of police harassment resulted in nothing—innocent Americans stopped, questioned, and searched just because they "looked suspicious" to the cops, mostly just because they were black or latino. The 10% that turned up something? A few were serious, like illegal possession of a weapon (more common among the few whites stopped and frisked, actually). The vast majority of the 10%, however, were things like (I kid you not) riding a bicycle on the sidewalk.
Really? White people are defending this racist harassment of black and latino people? Bloomberg still does—as recently as two months ago?
No, I'm with Blow. This needs to stop.
4
I'm packing it in man. I am so disheartened. Every policy is a race issue. Police are the criminals. I'm just turning off the news for the next year, because the future is already written in stone. Its going to be Trump for 4 more years, and you know what? It will probably be one of the imbecile sons for another 8 after that.
I swear - the Democratic party is so fractured right now, it has no clue what it is looking for.
If Jesus Christ came down off the cross tomorrow, and entered this race, SOMEONE would cast the first stone.
So don't NEGOTIATE. Your quest for Moral Certitude will only ensure Trump's Moral Turpitude.
17
Don't vote for an old white bigoted Neo-liberal billionaire from New York who is completely out of touch with any person who doesn't make at least six figures a year at a minimum much less understand another ethnic group other than his own which as far as I can tell is rich white people of Jewish decent. Not going to be a problem Charles. I left the democratic party years ago over the fact that the democrats have repeatedly put forward candidates like Bloomberg and then tell me that I actually have a choice. In fact, I am not voting for any Neo-Liberal democrat even if it means that Trump gets four more years. I don't vote republican even if it is democratic republican-light.
1
I am truly amazed at the chutzpah of these geriatric men, rich or not, who just cannot realize that their day in the sun, however amazing, is now over. It is high time for a new generation of political leaders to step in and step up to the real challenges for the first half of the 21st century.
5
Yes, true. Bloomberg instigated the very racist “stop and frisk” law. AND he’s way too old to be president! This is not about our Nation, his wanting to run for POTUS is about....EGO!
PLEASE register to vote!
2
Stop and Frisk, and yet another straight old rich white man: we’re done, it’s past time for a change.
2
Charles, whom I generally agree with, is wrong in this case, and majorly so. A man should not be judged on a single (likely misguided) policy, but on the totality of his beliefs and accomplishments.
Beyond that, however, our absolute top priority needs be depriving Donald Trump of a second term. We currently have four frontrunners on the Democratic side (and I'm a fan and financial supporter of Mayor Pete) -- but each, for disparate reasons, would loose to Trump. We can't let that happen.
So, I would take your statement "You Must Never Vote for Bloomberg" and fix it by removing a single word.
3
If Bloomberg is in the WI primary, I will vote for him.
7
Mr. Bloomberg's stop and frisk program was a mistake. However,
the government statistics on gun related murders have consistently shown that African Americans and Hispanics have higher gun related deaths than Whites, including in the state of New York. Many liberal voters and politicians thought that longer prison sentences were a solution to crime increases years ago, and later that idea was rejected. Unfortunately, gun related crimes and deaths of blacks and Hispanics are still higher than whites in all states. Personally I would be more concerned about that problem than Mr. Bloomberg's role in stop and frisk.
It is ok with me if Mr. Blow wants nothing to do with anyone who would vote for Mr. Bloomberg. However, his kind of purist test and other far-left ideology tests, remind me more of the Chinese Cultural Revolution thinking than tolerant liberal ideals of the USA Democrats. Was nice knowing you Charles. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
14
This quote shows MB's character to be similar to the current president:
“I think we disproportionately stop whites too much and minorities too little.”
if the statistics are this:
“About 5 million stops have been made during the past decade. Eighty-seven percent of those stopped in the last two years were black or Hispanic.”
The last line in the article may have been directed at another opinion columnist here who cheered MB on some days ago.
I would never support Bloomberg because despite the fact that I and many others voted to limit a Mayor to two terms, he sweet talked Christine Quinn, then president of the City Council, to round up the votes he needed to serve a third term. And she did. After three terms, when Quinn ran for the Mayor's nomination in the primary, Bloomberg got lost.
As someone born in the Bronx and raised in Queens, who fled the city because the streets had become so unsafe, I can remember how ineffective city government was. Whether it was Lindsay, Koch, or Dinkins nothing seemed to be done to combat the crime wave.
Only when Rudy Giuliani (not the same Giuliani we see today) came in did we see the beginning of a restoration of peace in New York. With Bloomberg we saw a continuation of the policing policies of Giuliani. We also saw with Mike Bloomberg a restoration of sane budgets, a substantial growth in the New York economy and the lowest crime rates of any large city in the U.S.
Mr. Blow does not want to recognize that it is the job of parents not government to see to it that the next generation is put on the right track. If there are no parents at home government cannot substitute for them. Haven't we, as a society, learned that yet?
12
Mr. Bloomberg would be a fine president.
What Democratic Party values does Mr. Bloomberg espouse other than the election losers of gun control and global warming?
None.
2
Didn’t know that. Thank you for sharing.
Many years ago I was stopped and frisked by two plainclothes LAPD gumshoes. They suddenly zoomed up out of nowhere in an unmarked car, screeched to a stop at the curbside, leapt out in unison — a kind of gumshoe ballet, that’s how well-synchronized they were — and detained me; just like that. My criminal activity at the time? Walking while white, age 52, passing through my old neighborhood for nostalgia’s sake, seeing the place where I grew up one last time. Walking on an empty sidewalk around noon, alone; the quintessential definition of suspicious activity. After all, it’s like that old song says, “nobody walks in LA”.
They said nothing. They merely confronted me, stopped me in mid-stride, frisked me for hidden contraband or weapons. After finding nothing because there was nothing to find they just as quickly turned and left, went on their merry way.
The suddenness stunned me at first. Then, I slowly became infuriated. British soldiers did that to New Yorkers back in ‘75.
1775.
Of course, they could have just as easily found something, as I’m sure they’re very well-equipped to do, and thrown me into what passes for The System (of “justice”) in Los Angeles. Just think, with their found “evidence” and perjured testimony I might be getting out of state prison right now.
I see little hope of defeating Trump next year with the current cast of Democratic hopefuls. But my support for Bloomberg’s nascent candidacy is withdrawn.
3
I'll vote for the Democratic nominee, whoever it is, Bloomberg included. I don't take his candidacy seriously though; he just isn't what most Democratic primary voters are looking for.
Most of us are looking for a candidate with substantial experience, who appeals to both moderates and progressives, and who has demonstrated the ability to win general elections in a competitive state. The only candidate in the race who fits this bill is Amy Klobuchar. (And to the Sanders/Warren fans who say she's "not progressive", please do one thing: look at her website and read the list of what she proposes to do in the first 100 days.)
6
During bloombergs tenure new yorks middle class homeowners were clobbered with a savage jump in real estate taxes, water and sewer taxes, etc. all required to fund items like a waterfall under the brooklyn bridge,etc not to mention sweetheart deals for his real estate buddies, in an effort to ,turn manhattan into the rich kids playground.Mission accomplished. Or should we forget he and Ms. Quinn, decided the two term limit, should not apply to him.Bloomberg is a variation of the same poison known as Trump
2
Recently I heard someone say, 'I would vote for a tree stump before I'd vote for Donald Trump'. Bloomberg has is flaws and has made mistakes, but if he ends up being the nominee, he has my vote. An imperfect person vs. a threat to democracy itself? No contest.
9
With all due respect to Mr. Blow who I respect, if it is a choice between Trump and Bloomberg, there is no way I will vote for Trump. It is not a question of a lesser of two evils. It is a question of defeating evil and anyone who has a chance of preventing Trump from getting a second term will get my vote.
7
So should Bloomberg be the Democrat's nominee I should vote for Trump? Look, I'm voting next November and I'm voting for the Democrat irrespective of the party's candidate.
9
Democrats must move on from this strident and inflexible brand of politics. In the name of stopping this horrifying circus, they must put forward someone who can beat Trump. Winning won’t be based on ideas or policies, past or present. Sadly, electability is about how voters feel, not what they know or think.
4
You're generally thoughful, Charles, but this piece evokes the tired maxim that Democrats must Fall in LOVE (with their candidate) while Republicans must only Fall in LINE (with their party).
And that, as we well know, will be the path to victory for Trump.
8
I wouldn’t worry, Charles. Please relax. This potential Bloomberg candidacy was a mere trial balloon that has already collapsed. Who would be in his electoral constituency, the owners of Park Avenue penthouses? Nothing more here than a vanity project by a very frustrated, aged, multi-billionaire who never managed to grasp the one thing that he hungered after for years. I remember the outsized Bloomberg arrogance on full display when he publicly committed to only serving two terms as mayor, and then later reversed himself in spectacular hypocritical fashion.
2
Thanks for sharing this information. I had no clue this kind of thing was going on in NYC -- that by itself is a deal breaker for me for this candidate
2
Judging by these posts in support of Mr. Bloomberg, the Democratic Party is now the party of millionaires and billionaires. Who knew?
1
It is bad news and good news in post Bloomberg New York. First the bad news: Shootings are up. The good news: None of those shooters, regardless of race or color, were stopped and frisked.
11
Unfortunately the alternative is 4 more years of Trump. I don't see any of the likely candidates able to beat Trump. The ones who might beat him will not be nominated, so choose your poison.
2
Such a short sighted columns. If Bloomberg is the best bet to get Trump out, he will have my vote. Period.
9
You're a one trick pony, Chuck.
"They surged during Bloomberg’s tenure to a peak of 685,724 stops in 2011, near the end of his third term. Nearly 90 percent of the people who were stopped and frisked were innocent of any wrongdoing."
So 10%+ were guilty of wrongdoing. That would be nearly 70,000 wrongdoers. Seems worthwhile to me.
15
I wonder what Charles Blow would do to stop crime in high crime areas? They were trying anything and everything to bring crime down- even going to the unconstitutional extremes of stop and frisk. Aside from the racist angle, it was not even effective and lead to more racism not less. Realistically stopping crime in high crime areas would entail actually, education, jobs, education, civilization, material consumption, money, and lots of planning and money, and did I mention education and civilization. If Democrats don't look passed the color of their skin, we are going to lose to Trump. Personally,I don't think Bloomberg should be in the race, there are already too many. Bernie Sanders is the real deal; he was handcuffed and lead off to jail for civil rights. HE is the person we need now. He has a REAL record a mile long of being decent honest and smart enough to rethink his position if wrong. The DNC stole the last election from him. Don't do this again, or we will live under this 1984 regime a long long time, and we ( you and I Charlie ) can't afford this.
74
Photographing someone in a public place and reading a license plate are not seizures within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. Stop and frisk is and under Mapp v Ohio requires at least a reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. It was a no brainer for the federal judge. Beyond that, it was clearly applied in a racist manner. But although compelling, Bloomberg’s support for this unconstitutional policy is not the only reason for a Democrat to oppose him. He’s not a Democrat; he’s a Rockefeller Republican. Win or lose, we will do so with a real Democrat as our nominee.
86
@Robert
Yes, Bloomberg is indeed a Rockefeller Republican, but, then again so were Clinton and Obama.
"We need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion. This isn't a matter of political correctness. It's a matter of understanding what makes us strong. The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith." Barack Obama
6
From a neighbour to the North:
Up here, we're definitely worried about Trump gaining a second term, and so we're worried about the circular firing squad on the Left. But surely the antidote to this is to come to an agreement on certain things in the primary season.
For example: I think we can agree that in a post-Trump era, a defining feature of that era would be that the president will not promote racist policies in the name of security.
I'm not saying Bloomberg and Trump are the same and neither is Charles or the surprising few who've defended Charles in the comments. Basically, there's a difference between being racist and promoting racist policies, and it seems to me that Bloomberg has only done the latter, whereas he is otherwise a relatively benevolent person.
But the risk of Trump – which I feel up here in my own way, even if it doesn't affect me quite as immediately – doesn't mean there should be no criteria imposed on the Democratic nominee, as "anything but Trump" will ring pretty hollow as a rallying cry if that 'anything' doesn't include full respect for the constitutional rights of all citizens.
As an undecided Democrat: my head is spinning. I will never know enough about these numerous and disparate candidates to make a considered and confident decision. The debates are so scattered and lacking in depth as to be useless. And now perhaps Deval Patrick may get into the race. I’ve boomeranged from Biden to Warren to Yang and even Gabbard. None of them is perfect, but is clarity too much to ask?
1
I think we need a third party, a people’s party. The Republicans in both current main parties could choose between Bloomberg-Klobuchar and Trump-Haley. The rest of us could vote for positive change for the 99%.
2
I'm shocked after reading many comments that no one mentioned the reality that Bloomberg would splinter the votes of "moderate" Democrats, independents, and never-Trump Republicans and thereby deliver to Trump a second term. A critically important number of voters would refuse to vote for Sanders or Warren. I agree that Bloomberg's policies were controversial at best and abhorrent at worst but this is just not the most most serious problem we would have if Bloomberg were to enter the race. Period.
1
Having had little faith in the electability of the current crop of Democratic presidential candidates, I initially looked at the speculation of a Bloomberg run with optimism. After all, I thought, isn't the whole point here to defeat Trump and get the nation back on a compassionate course?
However, I had completely forgotten about Bloomberg's stop and frisk posture and policies, mostly because I have been living in South Florida for many years, including those the former mayor reigned.
Yet, as a Brooklyn native who lived in the city for 30 years, I did absolutely find the practice completely reprehensible and saw it as not only a civil rights violation, but a clearly-defined violation of civil liberties as well.
It was, therefore, extremely difficult to read Mr. Blow’s column and continue to support the notion of a Bloomberg campaign – not in good conscience.
I’m afraid we Dems will have to find another way to win next year. Frankly, just allowing the current sociopathic occupant of the Oval Office to self-destruct (which he is doing a phenomenal job of) still seems like the most viable option. It also might help if the current candidates stop destroying one another in the process, so someone might emerge from the field looking much stronger and ultimately win.
2
There are many issues that are important to me when voting for a candidate- the environment, taxes, foreign policy, etc. However, as a Latino, I cannot honestly say that stop and frisk ranks high on my list. I have been pulled over twice while not breaking any laws, just driving on local roads late at night. However, other than being inconvenienced and delayed a few minutes, the outcome was nothing to sleep over. Traffic jams inconvenience me a hundred times more than stop and frisk. While I don't agree with stop and frisk, it seems like a minor issue to base an entire vote on.
9
There is nothing more destructive to our country than the re-election of Trump. Whoever the nominee is whether its a progressive or former Republican (Bloomberg), all of us must hold their noses and VOTE! No reason is more important than keeping Trump out of office.
9
Stop & Frisk is only ONE of the many compelling reasons we should not support Bloomberg for president. He’s also a billionaire (period) and under him NYC became a playground for the rich gentrifiers and real estate moguls while becoming unaffordable for most citizens. He’s also the mayor who stole a third term, something we should rightfully worry about with Trump, but that has already been practiced by Bloomberg. He’s in the race to stymy the steady advance of the progressive democratic movement embodied by Bernie and Warren - people who DO deserve our support.
8
There is no living American as well qualified to hold the office of the presidency than Michael Bloomberg. period. If the use of "Stop and frisk" to effectively control the out-of-control crime rate in NYC long ago is the issue that most occupies some people's notion of who best would rule our troubled land, sobeit. I encourage them to vote for someone else. But Michael Bloomberg is our very best chance to recover from the darkness of the present day.
And he has no blessedly free of any scheme to rebuilt our land according to a fantasized centrally operated bureaucracy that would serve the best interests of no one at all, as would some of our noisiest candidates.
Though if Mr. Bloomberg decides the task of saving us from the lunacy that now rules is too immense to undertake at this point in his life - I hope Deval Patrick will step into the fray.
9
Sorry, but Bloomberg's cred as a sharp entrepreneur, an imperfect but still excellent mayor, an advocate for both green living and sensible gun control - these are compelling.
I am white but live with my black family, and yes they are more critical of mayor Mike than me. But they also know DJT all too well, and would vote for Mike over the Don in a minute.
I would just love to see a showdown between a genuine businessman and a fake one.
As for Duval Patrick, that's another story ....
7
If Bloomberg runs, I will vote for him because equal treatment under the law should require equal behavior.
2
I’m not particularly excited by a Bloomberg presidency, but I am very excited about the prospect of him beating Trump. For that reason alone, as a registered Democrat, I may very well vite for him in the primaries.
6
In 2018, the firearm arrest population was Black (69.0%), followed by Hispanic (23.9%). White arrestees account for (5.3%), and Asian/Pacific Islanders account for (1.6%) of the
total firearm arrest population.
6
Bloomberg is not running to win. He is running to split the Democratic voters and create such a bitter race that no Democrat who wins the primary will be able to beat President Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
6
I have visited New York two or three times a year since 1973. All I can say is that under Blumberg I felt safer walking the streets. I used to see muggings and I would be anxious to go out.
7
@Fritz We walked close to midnight through Central Park with many other people and it was safe and beautiful.
2
Thank you for this article! It's amazing how much more viscerally affected I am by these numbers than many of the commentators (at least the top few). Stop and frisk, which he continues to defend, is a dual system of justice that I simply cannot gloss over. For the record, Mr Blow wrote about not voting for him IN THE PRIMARY. Obviously, if somehow he managed to become the Democratic nominee, then of course, it'd be like I'd be held hostage.
I'm annoyed by all this talk about, "he's the best chance we have to beat Trump", etc. I think the best candidate is one that is fully vetted in the primary for all his/her good or evil. It has nothing to do with being a purist. If the Republicans had chosen the "best candidate to beat Clinton", they would have chosen Jeb Bush and we would have a President Clinton in the office today.
7
Lots of people complaining that Mr. Blow is encouraging not voting or voting for Trump over Bloomberg. It states at the beginning of the article that he is talking about the primaries. He wants to avoid the problem of having to choose the lesser of 2 evils, therefore don't vote for Bloomberg in the primaries. It's a rational and valid stance for those who were appalled by the stop and frisk policy. For many people there are actions taken by politicians that forever disqualify them from holding public office in the future. I felt the same way about Gov. Rhodes in Ohio after he ordered live ammunition used at Kent State University. His last few sentences are definitely emotional, but the rest of the article supports his plea not to vote for Bloomberg in the primaries.
4
@Amy Meyer Except the piece is titled "You Must Never Vote for Bloomberg", not "please don't vote for him in the primary". Some people will only see that headline, not read the entire piece and conclude that Blow is saying vote for Trump over Bloomberg if it comes to that.
4
@Paul Unfortunately not everybody has time to read everything, the title of this article is unequivocal.
2
Charles, as a socialist I can’t buy what you are saying here. I believe the first priority of government is to guarantee the safety and well being of working people. This is why I support both Medicare for all and Stop-and-frisk. People need medical care without any determination of whether they can pay for it, even it raises overall taxes. People also need to avoid getting beat up and robbed in the kind of street crimes now increasing under the weak leadership of DiBlasio. I did not like much about Bloomberg but he was correct in believing that police harassment, yes I said harassment, of young men has a good preventative effect. An orderly society, and yes socialism is founded on order, requires that young would be street criminals have a healthy of the police, just as business thieves need to have a healthy fear of government prosecutors.
Now as to the racial element in stop-and-frisk, as long as non whites tend not to share equally in the benefits of capitalist production, more street crime will originate in that population. Naturally, police harassment will weigh more heavily on them. Rich white college boys will be victims of poor unemployed or minimum wage black boys until stark class differences are erased. The fact that many of the rich boys will become much bigger criminals engaged in bank fraud or money laundering is a separate issue to be dealt with through the prosecutors office. They will be stopped and frisked, ideally, in another way.
4
Sorry to read that, Charles, because I've been a dedicated follower of your column for years. My sense is that Bloomberg supported Stop&Frisk because he thought it was the most direct way to stem the tide of gun violence. Labeling him a raging racist is hyperbolic. At this moment, because he would attract independents and center-right Republicans, I see Bloomberg as the best candidate to beat Trump.
16
Mr. Blow. You are a distinguished journalist and I respect your opinions whether or not I agree with them.
The dangerous COUP that will continue to change our beloved US, is a much worse situation than Bloomberg's past negative history of profiling men of color. What is NOW happening is no frisking, but simply murdering innocent people of color, often in the back.
The Democrats are in shambles. Many of the candidates need to accept the truth and bow out. Most of us will probably vote for whoever the Democratic candidate is. The only mantra you and other journalists should be promoting is to vote for ANYONE who is the candidate.
Bloomberg, despite his mislead attempt at controlling crime, is a good man. I lived in NYC during his tenure and saw him on the subway which he took daily. At the moment he is bankrolling a lot of the needs of the Democratic party. He is a consummate philanthropic activist. He skewered Trump at the Democratic convention. Bloomberg of all people knows better than most that Trump is a criminal.
Democrats MUST unite and fight to make sure Trump is thrown out of office. This, and only this, is the reason to vote no matter the Democratic candidate. The COUP is winning.
12
Just what we need - another rich, old, white male coming in to save us and continue the patriarcal hold on power. Come on Biden, Sanders, and Bloomberg get out. It is time for women to lead
Regarding those who defend Bloomberg, it is all well and good to say “he had good intentions but made a mistake” if you were not one of the victims of stop and frisk. As is often said in social justice work, it is not about intention, it is about impact.
6
@Marilyn Gillis
"Victims of stop and frisk" ? Please give me a break. When will you people start worrying about the victims of crime, which this policy have obviously helped to significantly reduce ?
7
Trump will win if people continue to have a lack of respect for themselves and others. No decent person voted for Trump the majority of them held their nose and voted for him. There was not one policy of his that truly benefited any american except for the bigoted and the wealthy. Every Trump voter is in the same economic situation they were in 3 years ago. That so called tax cut was joke. In defense of Bloomberg, did his economic policies benefit all NYers, not really, but I bet to wage his morality and decency far exceeds Trumps. Our environment will be protected, better paying jobs will be created, innovation will flourish, the US will be respected again under a Bloomberg Administration. I can say with pride and patriotism I voted for the best person for the job. No one without laughing can say that about Trump, because they voted for hatred and anger.
2
Sorry Charlie the Man did a lot of good for this city and we could use him in the White House Infrastructure just to name one. The aggressive policing was mainly Commissioner Kelly coming about in a city that did not own it's own streets most of it was just stop not frisk getting guns off the street is more important then just stopping someone now the guns are back and innocent people are killed in the gun play.
1
For those of us who lived in NYC during the Bloomberg years there are additional reasons to say no to Bloomberg.
1. The out of control police state that we lived through during the the 2004 Republican Convention. Hundreds of law abiding New Yorkers were locked up in a truck Garage for days without due process.
Bloomberg failed the test of our Constitution & all of those arrests were thrown out of court and the city had many lawsuits to settle.
2.Bloomberg raised teacher's pay. That was good but the Joel Klein years as chancellor were a disaster, very demoralizing for teachers. And then Cathie Black...
3.The disastrous computer fiasco that cost millions & couldn't be fixed. One would think if he could do something right this was it , but he couldn't.
4. Taxes; Our real estate taxes doubled during the Bloomberg years.
But the real estate developers loved him and he loved them and so does the NY Times.
7
I'd vote for Bloomberg in a NY minute if I thought he had the best chance of defeating Trump.
10
Another reason not to vote for Bloomberg: As the Times as reported, the deterioration of public housing under his administration was unconscionable.
6
Mr. Blow,
I was 15 when Mr. Bloomberg became mayor. Before this time in the Bronx, by Lebanon hospital, everyone knew certain blocks you wouldnt go to. the Grand concourse was a constant threat and if you strayed from your path at a certain hour, you were on your own.
During his tenure, the Bronx as I knew it got better. The joke was, there are trees in my block. a squad of Auxiliaries would patrol blocks KNOWN for being hot. the only people that were annoyed were the people that lost their "Spots". My brother was stopped in the subway. He checked out and went on his merry way. If you knew him and know how he looked, you'd be suspicious too and he jokes about this.
Ever since he left, the wrong people got comfortable again. not in the same way as I remember back in my youth, but definitely more than they should be. Halloween was something I saw return to my block during his tenure.
As a latino, I will vote for him for 3 reasons IF he chooses to run:
1. To spite all these politicians that promise and barked (looking at you De Blasio)
2. He got the results he aimed for, good or bad
3. NYC wont see a better Mayor than him - Yet.
He's not perfect. Neither am I. He will get my vote if he runs for president.
16
I don't care for litmus tests.
Try looking at the gestalt.
6
For the record I am not now nor ever will be a Trump supporter. I have not decided who I will vote for in the democrat primary.
Although I don't think he will be, but leaping forward, lets say Mike is the nominee. Who are you going to vote for? Based on past columns that will certainly not be Trump. I guess you will sit out the presidential vote? Thanks, Trump wins.
5
So many of the responses I've read are terribly disappointing, reminding me of "I'm no racist, some of my best friends are . . ." While I am not arguing that the racist we have would be better than the racist we do not yet have, stop and frisk was patently racist and only white people who did not live in affected neighborhoods and could not see it in practice could think otherwise.
Beliefs without evidence are merely uninformed opinions -- which are what elected Trump.
7
Here's the thing about the racial statistics of stop and frisk. The police were not employing this method on people just because they were black or hispanic. The police were simply using this tactic, proven to reduce crime, in neighborhoods with the most crime. One more time: the police sought to reduce crime in the neighborhoods with the most crime. There happens to be a correlation between the neighborhoods with the most crime also having the largest percentage of black and hispanic residents. Hence the majority of those who were subjected to stop and frisk are black and hispanic. Here's the other thing. When crime is reduced in those neighborhoods, who benefits the most? The black and hispanic residents. Sure the law-abiding residents who just want to live in safety will be happier when pro-active policing reduces the crime around them. You can point to the stat that the majority of those stopped are black/hispanic and you can deduce that this must mean that the police are racist and that the policy is unconstitutional... OR you can understand the real reason that the majority are black and hispanic and then understand that they are the ones who most benefit from the practice. It's not that difficult really. BLOOMBERG 2020
9
I would pick the need for a new administration as taking precedence over any concerns about the right or wrong of the stop-and-frisk policy. Sorry Charles.
2
Does anyone really not want to deal with what was the impetus for stop and frisk or the 1994 Omnibus Crime Bill. The crime bill prohibited felons from living in public housing. Some young black man convicted of marijuana possession could not go home. Could not get a job and had no place to live.
Today in New York there are, right now less than 300, murders. These are all, without exception horrible.
In 1989, there were 2200 murders.
4
I wish to be on the record here. I would never even consider voting for this man. For one thing I don't know this guy from Adam. I have no problem with NYC, I've been there, had a great time one afternoon. I subscribe to this paper and I love it. I do not live anywhere near your town. If this guy thinks he can saunter in at the last minute, well no he can't. I got some, let's call 'em "Mid Western Sensibilities". Trump needs to go Mike, help us with that.
2
So Mr. Blow who do plan casting your vote for? Every democrat knows that Warren and Sanders have caused a rift within the Democratic Party. The rest of the candidates appear promising but barely. So exactly what are you advocating? Another four years of the present government who are against all people of color, anyone from another country of origin, against the literate and absolutely against the middle class. Beggars, Mr. Blow can’t be choosers. And yes what Bloomberg advocated was a racist policy. I need to desperately believe he has changed and is the better choice for all of us. So let me throw back at you the reverse of your last line.
Interesting argument and yet doesn't Mr. Blow realize that his contention may be at least one reason why people would support Mr. Bloomberg.
The perception was that New York City was safer because of stop and frisk and perception for many people is reality. Speaking at the NYPD graduation ceremony in 2013, Mayor Bloomberg said, “New York’s crime-fighting strategies have made us America’s safest big city – and one that cities across the globe want to learn from. Twelve years ago, no one thought New York’s crime rate could go any lower. But it did: since 2001, crime has gone down by 32 percent and in a city of 8.4 million people, there have been fewer than 350 homicides.
Ironically, Mr. Blow has probably given people who wouldn't have considered Mr. Bloomberg before because he was Mayor of a liberal city may now give him another look.
3
Then you have to shout this loud and clear in every public venue you can and get him in public. Go on CNN. Most non-New Yorkers don't know anything about this and memories are short.
2
I welcome Mr. Bloomberg to the fold, he would get my vote quicker than the other candidates who can't wait to out-liberal each other. But what about stop and frisk? Well, what about it? How are the other candidates handling the mass incarceration they supported, or the busing of school children, or the fact that they are avowed Socialists! (Sorry, been around way to long to be fooled into voting for a socialist.) Or that they have not the experience to run a country.
Mr. Blow. There are numerous candidates to choose. If it comes down to Bloomberg and Trump, who would you choose? I can assume it won't be Trump. Then again you should never assume should you?
If people vote for Bloomberg are they racist? Asking for a friend.
1
Bloomberg is a white billionaire opportunist who knows if Trump is not removed from office, Trump will suffer one of the worst electoral defeats in U.S. history (I believe Regan over Dukakis was the biggest electoral college wipeout).
Whomever the Democrats nominate will be POTUS.
While stop and frisk had clear problems, I’d like you to consider another alternative.
Try living in my city, Seattle, which generally has only minimal police presence on city streets. The sidewalks are full of panhandlers, drug dealers and drunks. One of the most beautiful city parks near the Pike Place Market is full of intoxicated bums.
I would vote for Bloomberg because he made NYC a safe and fabulous place to visit, something I fear will never happen in Seattle again.
4
I get it, Charles. But do you recall the phrase, the lesser of two evils? Who's more racist, Donald or Mike? Who would you rather see in charge of the country? A mindless destructive buffoon or the billionaire? The Democratic presidential field is a muddled mess, with various candidates with a variety of backgrounds and philosophies that may or may not play out in middle America, and those critical Electoral College state. Michael Bloomberg may be many things, but he's certainly more enlightened, intelligent, and moral than POTUS. You're just firing more bullets into the usual Democratic presidential circular firing squad. Let me ask, with all due respect, who do you think can beat Trump in 2020? And P.S. Charles, I lived in NYC from 1974 to 1991, and there were some tough and terrible times in the city then...sometimes it took tough measures to deal with those difficult times.
3
Get a clue. And this makes him worse than Trump? I'm not crazy about any billionaire oligarch claiming he/she is going to save me. But he's so much better than Trump... His time, money and effort to end gun violence and enact gun control, no good? Please adopt a more mature evaluation of a potential candidate. No candidate is perfect, just because he steps on your key issue, he's unsuitable? That's an adult version of a temper tantrum. The problem is you have a big microphone.
3
Thanks, Charles. I won't vote for Bloomberg, I'll vote for Trump.
6
I am so discouraged with the NY Times. Bloomberg was probably the best mayor we had in a very long time. He's made stupid mistakes, like stop-and-frisk, but he does everything with a heart. There's no "hate". The motivation behind it was to remove guns from the streets. He said, when asked, "We focused on keeping kids from going through the correctional system ... kids who walked around looking like they might have a gun, remove the gun from their pockets and stop it,"
Let's face it, no candidate is perfect but one candidate is horrible. That is Trump. There is only one objective in 2020 - removing him. To do so the Democrats need a moderate not a radical. Bloomberg will appeal to moderate Republicans and Independents who hate Trump but are worried about swinging far left.
So, I'll say, if you attack Bloomberg and other moderates - the ones that have a chance of winning, because of singular, well intended actions that turned out bad, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!
5
To say this is overstated is to dramatically understate. I am not sure columnists should be telling us whom to support.
6
There isn't a Democrat that is running that would stop me for voting against Trump. Well, maybe not Marianne Wiiliamson. Actually, on further reflection, I'd even vote for her if it would rid us of our Putin wannabe.
4
So, I’ve seen a certain strain of comments and narrative here and in the press and media lately, especially after Warren started to climb in the polls.
Democrats in the center or other folks seem to have adopted a really unusually bitter tone it seems towards Warren especially.
The main word and narrative one seems to notice is “purist.” You see it everywhere it seems, even in many of the comments here. Anybody who dares criticize the so called “centrist” candidates is demonized as “purists.” By “centrist” many of these folks believe they’re really “in the center” and therefore “reasonable,” or “balanced,” or “in the middle.” It doesn’t matter whether they’re really in the “center” or really being reasonable.
The strange thing is the way these people seem to attack Warren and others, it seems they themselves are “purists” I think.3
They say anybody against a “centrist” is a “purist,” yet, they seem just as purist for their “centrist” candidate.
It seems more semantics than substance to me. If they’re not purist, then, how come they’re not willing to give Warren a chance, too?! And why are people like Warren or Bernie purist, when they sat last time and watched these “centrists” “puristically” cook the nomination for Hillary?! It seems like a case of one finger pointing at Warren people, while the other three are pointing at these “non-purist” people themselves.
3
Even without this issue, there is no reason for ANYONE to vote for Bloomberg. What problems does our society have for which an old, white billionaire who is beholden to Wall Street is the solution?
3
'If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!' I am not commenting as a Bloomberg supporter (Mr. Blow, you may continue...). Why do you not want to attempt to understand such supporters? To get a larger picture of their lives? To give yourself a chance to convert them? To show them a bit of respect? These choices are all to your advantage, as much as theirs'.
1
Should every issue be defined by race?
4
This article sums up what is ailing the democratic party. The last line of this article should be modified to read - "It doesn't matter to me at all if Trump comes back for his second term. If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!". Ah- the high priests of moral purity!
5
Bravo! Bloomberg's transformation of NYC into a racist, classicist police-state is presented extremely well by Mr. Blow. The fact that Bloomberg is so unashamed of his viciousness is simply an expression of last gasp neoliberalism. He should run in his own party, the Republican.
4
Bloomberg's gross. He does not need to enter this already bloated field. Do billionaires really have this much trouble figuring out what to do with their money????
3
Mr. Blow I was more in shock than anything else with this article. I'm a 16 year old white male, so I can not ever come close to understanding the hardships that others have to overcome. HOWEVER, I also don't understand how a single policy issue can be a sufficient enough argument to say with such absolutism that someone does not deserve my vote. I would understand if you were able to put together a pros and cons list and there are several cons that are separate from each-other, but to say that one decision that is more than a half a decade old is worth completely dismissing a person's qualifications is a poor reflection on ones ability to see the bigger picture. Pointing out my bias towards my favorite candidate as of now, I plead with you and your followers to look at a man with a 77 year history that has one mark on it. Twenty thousand mistakes were not enough in 2016 for people to not vote for Mr. Trump. My reasons for supporting Mr. Bloomberg are far too vast to mention in this limited comment. Tell your audience to vote for other democrats, tell your audience that Bloomberg is not the best democrat, but don't dismiss. We are still early in the process, put his record up against the trillion other candidates that are left, IF he makes it through that, I beg you to look at these two men and see how much of a better president he can be.
8
That was then.... this is now, i would would vote for someone that can come with a plan that actually merge the core entrepreneurial fabric of this country with a much needed relevant and humane social backbone and one that can be sustainable in a democratic system, meaning elections and who gets to govern in a given time.
Coming up wit half baked plans could be just disruptive and a very dangerous game to play.
1
If he makes it through the Democratic Party demagoguery I won’t.
2
Thank you Mr Blow. I am telling the rest of you ignore this column at your peril. If he is the candidate, HE WILL NOT WIN.
2
Every day in the USA more women are harmed and or killed by their male partner or x-partner, or x-boyfriend, or raped by a male who they had previously believed to be a friend. That is women of all colors, all ages, all social statuses, all economic strati.
The entire world recognizes that it is often young or youthful men who are inclined towards violence, and that has nothing to do with skin color but everything to do with power-grabbing.
I really don't care who you vote for but I would bet my last dime you, Mr. Blow, would never vote for a female whose skin is lighter than yours or who is of a different ethnicity. Yet here you are, once again, whining that these stops, which were ruled as unconstitutional, where 88% were declared not guilty.
As for being on a watch list? Have your flown? You are on a watch list. Most of us are. Those who aren't documented have births which have never been filed, haven't ever shopped in any store within the last 20 years, don't have any form of ID, never went to school, and certainly don't pay taxes. You are lying to yourself if you think for a moment you have a grain of privacy.
But you never have a thing to say about how males treat females. Granted not all men do, but enough do that our deaths out number black male death and that includes women who also share African American heritage. IF their murderer goes to prison would it be for as long if the female had killed him? NOPE.
6
I'm curious, Mr. Blow. What if you have to choose on election day: Trump or Bloomberg. What would you do?
2
One more thing....IF Bloomberg is the Democratic nominee I will vote for Bloomberg over Trump any day!!!
4
I used to respect Charles Blow. His passion, his intelligence, his willingness from the very beginning to recognize what a loathsome person and destructive president Trump is. But to adopt the cancel culture's MO and completely dismiss an otherwise pretty good candidate because of a failed (and, yes, cruel) policy is exactly the kind of stubborn mindset that's going to get Trump re-elected. Bloomberg has a lot of good things going for him -- smart, pragmatic, philanthropic, and generally progressive. To come out with this kind of vitriol directed against Bloomberg (similar to the vitriol he directs against Trump) is misplaced and a sign that Mr. Blow has lost his bearings. I can understand his rage, as a black man, toward the stop and frisk policy. But does he really prefer Trump to Bloomberg -- because that's what this is all about. Mr. Blow, you really need to step back from the cancel culture and see the big picture here.
11
The unwonted presumptuousness and arrogance of the column's title and its last 2 sentences is breathtaking. Easily exceeds anything I've ever seen before in empty-headed bloviating.
11
Many great points here.
However, on election day, vote for the Democrat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5
Nothing to worry about, Mr. Blow. Bloomberg's trial balloon has already burst. He won't be running.
3
1. The best mayor we ever had in NYC. Rational, practical, highly intelligent & competent. He'd be the sorely needed adult in the WH.
2. Regarding the federal judge who ruled stop-and-frisk was unconstitutional, the Circuit Court of Appeals immediately stayed her ruling and, in an extraordinary move, removed her from the case because of her blatant bias. She subsequently resigned from the bench. DeBlasio threw in the towel after he took office, however, rather than pursue the City's meritorious appeal.
3. Mr. Blow's playing the race card might work in the pages of the NYT, but I wonder how it plays in the streets. I remember that a few years ago, after a spate of horrible shootings in East New York, a black minister in the neighborhood called for the return of stop and frisk.
7
Charles, please continue your Champaign for ideological purity and Trump reelection.
5
Another week, another Blow column about identity politics.
If Mr. Blow wants to sow irreparable division on the left and guarantee that Trump wins a second term no matter who wins the Democratic primary, he is doing a great job.
11
Finally clear and reasonable words. Thank you Charles Blow.
3
We can only Hope...(he does not run and comes to his senses)
We beat Trump together...or not at all, and at this point there is plenty of talent available. People should be angry IMOP he's entered at this point. - Outside NY he is nobody.
He could not win without a huge stinking pile of suspicious corrupt, well-financed political machination. And we already have a billionaire for President that stinks of corruption.
I truly expect Bloomberg is just in the race to support the GOP win as opposed to Warren or Sanders.
3
I encourage people to read Bloomberg's 2013 Washington Post op-ed defending "stop and frisk". Can be viewed w/o pay wall at p43 of
https://schoolhousetest2018.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/unit-4-all-student-materials.pdf
Stop and frisk has saved countless lives. Mr Blow's piece is shockingly distorted. Any fair minded person should read Bloomberg's piece for his side of the story, and to get a true perspective of who Mike Bloomberg is. Mr Blow lives in a different universe.
6
@Michael
All I can say is, I wish there'd been "stop and frisk" (or any police presence whatsoever) in my city before I was violently attacked by two youths at a transit station.
2
Mr. Blow, There is a new Black Voices for Trump initiative if you need an additional outlet for this opinion, since the the net result of your extreme myopia is a gain for Trump.
7
Stop it, Charles. You want Trump again or could your lofty principles allow you to stomach Bloomberg?
7
This country need a Voters United Against Trump party. In that party, whomever the Democrats nominate gets the general election vote.
While I agree that Stop-and;Frisk is a terrible policy, pitting any Democrat in the race against the white nationalist, sexist, racist, anti-climate change, liar Donald J. Trump by contrast is the difference between a chest cold and AIDS.
If he is the nominee I'll be voting for him. You can stay home and bite your nose to spite your face.
8
So if its Trump vs. Bloomberg...I'm to vote for the real Devil?
Uh no...better a minion then the Devil himself...
1
If both mr. Blow and mr. Bloomberg (and anyone else in the US) would just stop using skin color in an argument, period, you’d be so much happier..
3
At its zenith Stop And Frisk criminalized EVERY Black male between the ages of 13 and 35 in the 5.5 square miles that constitute Bklyn’s 75th Precinct! As a consequence—from the time he entered middle-school until he went off to University—my grandson, who is now an optical engineer, was thrown against the wall and humiliated countless times!
This despite ever since his mother first recognized his preternatural aptitude for math she not only used the most creative subterfuge to get him in gifted programs somewhere way out on City’s fruited plains but, to my great chagrin, she also raised him to both dress and act like Urkel!
But those kinds of discriminating tells had no place whatsoever in the Gestapo attitude Bloomberg STILL fully embraces as a component of acceptable of police procedure!
4
What a racist column, as well as sexist. I support any measures that reduce the number of violent males on the streets victimizing children, women and the elderly.
Raise better sons. There's your non-racist, non-sexist fix...that the procreators of criminal male offspring rarely road test.
8
“If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing”
Charles, Just curious. After reading Bret Stephens’ does opinion piece promoting Bloomberg, do you even make eye contact him and like minded folk in the halls of the NYT or is this opinion piece just hot air?
8
It is unfortunate that street crime in the United States is basically a black and brown problem. So called black leaders like Mr. Blow who write about it never seem to deal with it. Why is street crime not a problem in white communities Mr. Blow?
9
@Bored
What's worse is that the few leaders who try to address it are vilified! Meanwhile, white Americans like me who have been victims of black street crime are left angry and with hardened hearts.
3
"You Must Never Vote for . . ."
Mr. Blow,
Are you telling black voters how to vote?
In your position as a NYTimes columnist, that's worse than a reverend telling them how to vote.
8
did this guy learn nothing from 2016 !? - keep looking for the perfect human being to beat Trump, and you will end up with Trump again.
Fool you once, shame on Trump.
Fool you again, shame on some fool columnist
8
This is where blow loses me completely.
7
It's not just the pain he caused during his administration. Together with Mayor Rudy, he effectively mis-trained a generation of police officers w/r to working with minorities.
Still, I hope he runs. He will be an excellent prop for Sanders and Warren to use in debates and elsewhere to show exactly what has ruined this country. And he will siphon votes away from Biden/Buttagieg while not getting enough for himself to have any traction.
I'm a huge fan of Charles Blow, and love his wisdom and insight and fairness. But there is no surer way to alienate swing voters making up their minds than to lecture them "You must never vote for......." Bernie Sanders supporters' often insulting 'my way or the highway' responses to other candidates' supporters are doing Bernie no favors at all. Charles is an adult, a gentleman and more than capable of more persuasive ways of making his point than to scold voters, even if you agree with his valid points here.
4
Viewed from afar, the Democratic Party in the USA is beginning to sound more and more like the disastrous party system in Brazil, where there are over 30 registered political parties, almost all of which are offshoots of the two "official" parties that survived the military dictatorship.
The offshoots happened because a few people looked at their fellow party members and said "I want nothing to do with you. Never!" And they formed new parties which never won much of anything.
Brazil currently suffers under a president who has emulated Trump, and commandeered a political party, although he disagrees with most of its traditional principles. But even that party is now splitting, and the Bolsonarites will form another party, telling their erstwhile partisans "I want nothing to do with you. Never!"
1
I would vote for Bloomberg over tRump without a question. But he's not a great candidate and he'll never win the Democratic nomination precisely because of what Mr. Blow describes. He's also too old- With over 300 million people in this country, we ought to be able to find someone under the age of 70 for this job. I'd rather see him spend $5 Billion of his fortune on one of the Democratic moderates as they are the only ones with a chance to win in November 2020. Nominate Sanders or Warren and tRump is guaranteed 4 more years.
2
I agree with you wholeheartedly Mr. Blow. From the moment Bloomberg announced he was considering a run last week, I've been vocal about my long held repugnance for the man and his policies. I'm surprised that others commenting here believe he was some sort of great mayor. He was far from it on a variety of levels, and many of his policies were/are testimony to that. You named but a few. He's got a billion other ways to make a difference. Apparently a million bucks will buy an Ambassadorship. Never Trump. Never Bloomberg.
3
@Donna Bertaccini Donna, may I ask, if Bloomberg were nominated, could you bring yourself to vote for him as the lesser of 2 evils? Yes, I know the lesser is still an evil, but this is life and death now. I sincerely doubt that Bloomberg would do the level of damage to the Constitution and the Republic that Trump is now doing. He is also sane and realistic, however repugnant you find his policies.
2
Didn't Bloomberg want to build a football stadium somewhere like at the Javits center? Well we got a bunch of malls called 'Hudson Yards' which is almost as bad.
2
Bloomberg also has a problem in being a multi-billionaire. The Democrats ie Bernie Sanders, think they shouldn't exist. Bloomberg's record on race, if this article is true, is another big problem. Also, he's in his late 70s. Trump is looking harder and harder to beat.
I have heard so often that people want nothing to do with someone supports Trump. Now it is Bloomberg’s turn? Well, US gotta be divided quite clearly if Bloomberg gets the job.
As an old white lady, I agree completely with this column. My usually equally liberal sister-in-law doesn't see stop-and-frisk as a problem because--she says--it lowered crime. I've explained that frisking and taking away the civil rights of thousands of innocent minority men didn't make a dent in the crime statistic. My hope is that this column will. Thank you.
4
@JanerMP
Increasing the number of police, i.e. saturating black and other high crime neighborhoods with more cops, is a primary factor in crime reduction. A secondary factor is when more cops is combined with stop, question and frisk, particularly where there is probable cause.
Use your Google machine or...
https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/07/17/does-stop-and-frisk-reduce-crime/stop-and-frisk-has-lowered-crime-in-other-cities
1
@JanerMP Crime DID drop with S/F.
The establishment candidate is clearly Bloomberg, with the backing not only of Wall Streeters, now filled with anxiety over the possibility of a socialist take over, who cornl not only the financial world, but much of the media networkx, including social media and high tech. Rumors have it that Bloomber was urged to run by Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder and head of Amazon, considered by many as a real world shakers, often referred to as the second wealthiest person in the world. owner of the Washington Post, one of the central voices of US liberals, and an avowed enemy of President Trump.
It’s a good bet that Bill Gates will not be far behind, who also recently displayed anxieties about the left’s threat to the rich. If he backs Bloomberg, nearly all of Silicon Valley is likely to follow. Call it far more than blowback from those most threatened by the lefts’ attacks against the rich. There’s hardly any question that the establishment has found its white knight as savior of the capitalist system. and the establishment usually gets what it wants, at least so far as the Democratic nomination is concerned.
1
Some of us just want to replace Donald Trump. I doubt Bloomberg will be running on a "stop and frisk" platform. This ideological purity needs to STOP. This is how we got Trump. Politics is a game of strange bedfellows and compromise. Picture Trump with the evangelicals and you may get the idea more clearly. Get real Charles or the future for the constituencies you and I support is bleak indeed.
16
Charles: You are exactly right. The development and promulgation of certain policies are so egregiously wrong as to be an automatic disqualification for the Presidency. "Stop and Frisk" tops that list. Those who have had family members or close friends subjected to this unconstitutional and outrageous behavior will surely agree. If Bloomberg is the nominee, many good people will simply sit out the next election and let the chips fall where they may. I'm sure that Bloomberg would agree if only he had personal experience with a law enforcement officer who is 12 inches taller and 100 pounds heavier grabbed him and slammed him into a wall as he stepped out of his limousine, rifled through his pockets without consent, and entered his name into a law enforcement database. I would have supported "Stop and Frisk" if the police had also implemented that policy at the Wall Street Station of the 2/3 NYC Subway line. I'll bet they would've caught a lot of Finance guys (and gals) with more in their pockets than pictures of their kids.
3
@Mike Gera
It's all fun and games until your own favorite Constitutional right is under attack.
1
As long as you can guarantee me that the handful of undecided voters in Mi, Wi, Pa and Oh will vote for whomever else Dems put up. And if the Dems nominate Warren or Bernie, they will not, and we hand Trump another 4 years which he will take as a mandate.
Don’t get me wrong- I love the idea of universal health care for all but I wanted a pony and a little red wagon when I was a kid and didn’t get those either.
Ok stop & frisk was bad... but worse than another 4 years of Trump? Nope.
12
If Trump wins another term, that will mark the de facto end of Democracy in the USA.
Then people will really feel the pain.
7
I'll put it at the top of the list of reasons not to vote for him.
2
Allies? New York city politics--and politics as a whole--have proven that allegiances are strategic. People will vote for their own interests and consider the interests of those in their coalition as long as the situation warrants it. New Yorkers of whatever stripe might vote for Bloomberg notwithstanding stop and frisk, and for any number of reasons. They might have liked any number of policies he supported while he was mayor, or for whatever it is they like and admire about him.
London counted the cost in dead black youths the end of stop n frisk. It’s an effective crime policy that saves lives. Is it racist that black n coloured take a disproportionate number of prison cells or is it social demographic ie poor people are more likely to go to jail. It’s a lose lose choice as I can understand how people of colour feel and indeed are targeted. So crime vs saving lives is the choice.
5
Jeremy,
The most effective method was stopping people for nuisance crimes like turnstile jumping for example. When the cop stops a turnstile jumper, they find the perp would have other criminal history, sometimes even an outstanding arrest warrant. It is more effective to arrest someone who is already guilty of a crime, than to stop thousands of innocent black and brown minorities. The article states a percentage under two percent. So, stop and frisk is not the way to go. Black and brown men should be able to enjoy walking the streets of any town in the US without fear.
1
I'll vote for whomever I want, Mr. Blow.
But no, you won't get my write in vote for the same reasons that you won't vote for Bloomberg!
11
Hear, hear!
And this is how the fool Trump wins again.
Wait for purity, Mr. Blow.
Call me when you find it.
Meanwhile, the fool Trump wins again.
22
Bloomberg is a gift to Democrats who so far are dead bent to blow it... (no pun intended :)) Maybe it takes a billionaire and a businessman to beat a billionaire and businessman.
Unfortunately democrats are not a rational or practical bunch anymore... :)) And Bloomberg luckily is not a adherent of any ideology other than common sense...
So, please Dems get your head out of dark and wet places and see reality... he'd be a great president and assured for two terms... I and many many more who have not voted Dem and not liked Trump will carry him if you do... I understand your ideological dilemma but as a small consolation... think of your 401K and retirement that will take a huge hit in unlikely event that Warren or Sanders or any other from circus of 20 gets elected... I know self destruction is Dem MO... and yet give success a chance... :))
4
@Jack You are seriously delusional if you think Rust Belt Independents--the voters who will decide the outcome of the election will vote for a NYC, Wall Street billionaire over Donald Trump. Bloomberg is not a gift to the Democrats, he's a gift to Donald Trump. Apparently, you learned nothing from the 2016 election, which saw Rust Belt voters shift allegiance from Bernie Sanders to Donald Trump, when the former lost the primary. Outside of your bubble, the electorate has zero appetite for a Wall Street billionaire.
3
Bloomberg wasn't racist, he is a numbers guy and the numbers show blacks and browns commit more crimes than whites. It's not racist if it's true. Some times the true hurts.
“There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps... then turn around and see somebody white and feel relieved.”
― Jesse Jackson
16
Bloomberg is the best choice at this time. If election was held today, I would vote for him without hesitation. Charles Blow is typical second-rater, race-obsessed, left-wing ideologue; if he and his ilk consider me an enemy - I can live with that. Have so far.
11
@zhen Yes, because voters in Michigan, Wisconsin, and other Rust Belts states are really going to vote for a Wall Street billionaire from NYC. Get a grip.
1
Why is so much space given to Charles Blow's various opinions? I understand that he is an award-winning graphic artist, but that's an entirely different area of expertise.
10
Sorry you feel this way, Charles, but if you want nothing to do with me, I want nothing to do with you, either.
19
Enjoy your 4 more years of Trump, Charles
19
Do you prefer Trump?
11
No black person should have supported Clarence Thomas. And yet so many did that Bush laughed as he snookered progressives.
5
The last line in this piece is disgusting! And bigoted!
Not surprising, however, coming from fact-twisting, fact-ignoring, race-baiting, "one issue is the ONLY issue" (race) Charles Blow, the master user of the "woke" playbook -- believe everything I do or you are dead to me. Even President Obama spoke out against this type of thinking.
Shame on you, Mr. Blow!
I hope every Democrat ignores this and understands that no candidate will meet everyone's expectations. ALL that matters now is voting for the person you think has the best chance of beating Trump. THAT is the ONLY issue right now.
16
Good riddance! I don't make my decisions based off of a paid columnist's lecture here on NYT. Bloomberg 2020!
14
But Charles Blow is okay with Elizabeth Warren taking a spot at Harvard that should have gone to a minority by lying about her race? And she "failed to express any regret..."
9
@Johnd As it turned out, she does have some Native American in her DNA. Nobody was happy about that either.
Charles. White old guy here. Read your intro and that’s all you need to know not to vote for him. He is every bit as racist as Trump except more dangerous because he hides it well
4
Kind of weird that NYT shut down comments on the climate change article because readers were coming to the support of science, but a lot of today’s commenters are wildly ignorant racists with an ‘I’m not racist, but...’ disposition and no grasp on the false science of race, and the bile just keeps flowing.
3
Wake up, woke man. it's not all about you and your opinions. Hear Obama's recent words?
2
Mr. Blow,
I usually find your column's thoughts assertive and spot-on and although I dislike what I perceive in you as an arrogant writer, I thank you for enlighten me on today's opinion.
2
The NYTIMES states that all comments are monitored for "civility."
Then, the Times should have censored Blow's last words:
If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!
"If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!"
So much for civil discourse from a writer for the Times.
Teach him something about civility before he publishes further.
N. Szajnberg, MD
14
I need explanations and examinations and elucidations from columnists. I like to weigh their recommendations.
But I don't take orders from Charles M. Blow or any other columnist. Further, the Times shirked its duty by refusing to print this fiat.
9
No more racist Billionaires in the Whitehouse, period.
2
I hope it's safe to assume Charles Blow feels just as strongly about Kamala Harris, given her record of enthusiastically ramping up mass incarceration. And that he renounced Obama during his first term, over his ramping up of assassinations by drone strike all over the world, and his policy of family detention at the border. And that Biden is anathema to him because of his complicity in all of Obama's sins. And...well, actually, there's no one pure enough to vote for, so maybe we should all just stay home and try again in 2024. Maybe God will descend from heaven and run as a Democrat that year.
4
Shame on you, NY Times. How on earth do you print such an op-ed? Wow. This is looney. I'm in serious disbelief that this made it past your op-ed goalies. The standard has officially been lowered. What a joke...
14
"If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!"
Whaat?
PLEASE folks, Mr. Blow will do just fine without you and vice versa,
hold your nose and vote anybody, anybody, a-ny-bo-dy, Bloomberg included, who can beat Trump. Period!
Do yourselves and the rest of the world a favor. Thanks!
6
You went over board Mr Blow
11
Charles seems to be getting a bit hysterical these days and a bit dictatorial as well. Did Bloomberg screw some things up. Yes. Do they all including Charles screw some things up especially where race is concerned. Yes. So I guess Charles and I will never star in the Defiant ones together.
4
Michael Bloomberg says he wants to make a change in our nation's politics. Good! In fact, Excellent!
Mr. Bloomberg, our democracy is rooted in the most basic franchise: a most simple concept which embraces:
a) one person, one vote;
b) register everyone who permitted to vote;
c) allow all who can vote, unfettered access to cast ballots;
d) tally the votes as they were cast and protect the count;
e) promptly report the count and protect the outcome.
The mass fortune you have amassed has occurred in a society that provided the resources and fundamental government structure that enabled you to marshal those resources to your benefit. The best path forward for you to give back in the most meaningful way is to provide the financial resources to REGISTER ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS, and MAKE IT EASY FOR ALL REGISTERED VOTERS TO VOTE.
Simple. Powerful. Forcefully directed to support our nation.
Be a leader, Mr. Bloomberg. NOW.
1
After listening to last week’s Daily podcast about Trumps re-electability in crucial swing states, my terror of a second term is renewed. Let’s be clear, having Donald Trump as our president for another four years is the worst possible scenario not only for our nation but also for the planet. I am so committed to removing the current occupant of the White House that I will vote for ANY democratic nominee.
13
If it came down to Bloomberg vs Trump.....I will run to the polling place, camp outside the polling place like it’s Best Buy on Black Friday and pull that lever for Bloomberg.
Enough with purity tests. Those tests got us what we have now.
The only focus is getting Trump votes out. Who cares about moral victories. That won’t help the environment, income or justice one bit.
24
@Practical Thoughts But there is no reason for Democrats to nominate Bloomberg. There are better candidates on both sides of the spectrum.
6
@Sandy
You may be right about better candidates. However, the narrative Mr. Blow was advocating is about purity tests. Every Democrat, rich or poor; capitalist or socialist needs to prepare themselves now for not getting the candidate they want. Go ahead and go through the grieving process now so you can get over it by next year.
The bottom line is that Democrats don’t have the luxury of picking the best candidate THIS ELECTION. That luxury was ceded when 70k people in 3 states couldn’t bother to vote in 2016 and then had a protest about it the next day.
Now, we take what will get us over the finish line.
1
@Sandy Bloomberg is pretty much state of the art on climate, big cities, immigration and education. He repaired a city from Giuliani's failed efforts (Giuliani was not all bad, but bad enough).
Obviously it's your choice on who to support, we all have thoughts and favorite(s). But I think it is a mistake to overlook Bloomberg's accomplishments and abilities. They are proven. And as to proven, I would postulate that only Biden of the Democratic candidates can be said to play in the same league.
1
I would never vote for Bloomberg in the primaries, but you better believe I'll vote for him if it comes down to Bloomberg v. Trump.
I really don't see that happening. I just hope we can find a candidate who can defeat the worst president the US has ever had.
18
Michael Bloomberg would be a reasonable choice and who both Republicans and Democrats could support. Which is why he could never get the nomination it’s makes to much sense.
11
@Fred C Dobbs With Bloomberg (or Biden) we end up with the same corporate controlled policies that benefit the economically elite and that gave rise to Trump in the first place.
@Fred C Dobbs
I guess you skipped the article which laid out in specific detail billionaire Bloomberg's white racist approach to law enforcement.
Right now he is the closest thing the Democratic Party has to a left of center Moderate with experience and reasonable policy far far more likely to draw in Independents and moderate Republicans than any other candidate currently running including Mr. Biden. His history is not perfect, but if you are looking for that, I recommend science fiction.
15
@NYer Nonsense. Neither Bloomberg nor Biden are anywhere near "left of centre". Bloomberg especially, is a proven Republican.
2
@Sandy
Bloomberg is not left of center if you're home base is that of the extreme Left eg AOC, but if you are an independent or a moderate Republican which is EXACTLY what the Dems need to attract, he absolutely is left of center.
1
Never say never. If Bloomberg is the democratic candidate against trump, OF COURSE you would vote for him.
9
Why is it that Democrats will refuse to vote for any great candidate if they've done one thing they dislike, but Republicans will vote for any awful candidate as long as they've done one thing they like?
18
Bloomberg has given $5 BILLION to charity. Everyone's wealth should be that obscene.
12
Charity giving by the ruling class is, in most cases, a scam to really benefit themselves.
1
Bloomberg is a NYC Wall Street billionaire. He is not electable in the Rust Belt. Nominate him and you hand the election to Trump. Coastal Elites need to get a grip on themselves. Vote for Bloomberg and you might as well vote for Jill Stein. He is a spoiler candidate.
5
@AB
Bloomy can talk an Eskimo to buy snowballs in the winter... So, give him a chance to get all the Rusties, and Hickies on the bandwagon... :)) he sells a machine to trade stocks for $5K++ to those who don't need it by gazillions and then sells them info from that machine on top of it... made $Billions not from stocks but from business acumen...
@AB So AB who would you propose. Trump is, at least in his own mind a NYC Wall Street billionaire and he won the rust belt. Thus what is you point?
2
@AB
Actually, he's not a Wall St. Billionaire. He made his money in technology.
He left Salomon Brothers (got fired) and started a tech firm.
What do you call Donald? He's a Real Estate "billionaire." Why did the Rust Belt say yes to a criminal?
Add this odious practice to the long list of reasons Democrats should not even consider Bloomberg as their candidate. If he ran as a Republican and he would probably get more votes. His center right views do not align with the current Democratic base.
And God knows we definitely do not need another old, white billionaire man to be our "savior".
5
@Margo Wendorf So Margo what is the current "Democratic base".
@Cassiopeia
The energy, enthusiasm and excitement appears to be on the left - evident by the Warren surge, as well as the strong showing Bernie gets as well. The young, minorities and women - especially black women - see Bloomberg as just the "same old, same old".
1
Sorry Mr. Blow, Michael Bloomberg has my vote, the stop-and-frisk program is not a good enough reason not to vote for him. And you're suggestion for who we should vote for? I know it's not Trump.
13
@Steven Gordon The point is, Democrats don't have to nominate Bloomberg as their candidate. There are better candidates on both sides of the spectrum.
1
Was Stop and Frisk inherently racist? Was it Mr. Bloomberg's intent to harass people of color, or was it to reduce the risk of crime? I think Mr. Blow should have pretty convincing evidence before condemning the Mr. Bloomberg. Could it not be that it was just bad policy with unintended consequences?
13
Mr. Blow, if you lived/voted in a battleground state and Bloomberg were the Dem nominee, who will you vote for? By voting not at all or writing in a candidate, you'd undoubtedly be voting for Trump (and his radical judge appointments!). Besides that, with your choice of not wanting to have anything to do with anyone who voted for Bloomberg, you'd have to divorce yourself from the masses of moderate and pragmatic Americans. You might just want to rethink this one.
I almost always like your op eds, and am adamantly against the stop and frisk laws, but this is over the top high drama. Just make a donation to the ACLU and they will keep Bloomberg in check.
8
@Win But why the assumption that Democrats will nominate Bloomberg?? There are better candidates on both sides of the spectrum.
Don't vote for Bloomberg in the primaries. Problem solved. You still get to vote anybody but Trump.
Sorry, but no.
New York City's crime rate plummeted under his mayorship, and it became one if the safest cities in the world. Other policies to control crime to that point failed.
Is it racist to want lower crime? Is it racist to support policies that work?
I like Mike.
19
I find it offensive that Mr. Blow is telling people who to vote or not vote for based on the voter's race. I'm an European-American. Who is your approved candidate that I must vote for?
16
In the last three years we have forgiven far worse. Have you forgotten children in cages, perpetual mendacity, rampant emolument, encouragement of the Alt Right movement, voter suppression, management chaos, disrespect to women and minorities, draconian immigration policies, appointment of Supreme Justices aimed at restricting our liberties and making rich people richer at the expense of the social safety net?
An old grudge just not justify your position. Four more years of this and your column could be censored.
6
The racist old man who threw acid on the Hispanic man epitomizes the hatred stirred up by Trump and his millions of white supremacists and enablers whose moral gas tank is running on fumes.
Throwing acid is at another human being because of the color of his skin is a new low in this country in the 21st Century.
Stop and Frisk was a crafty code word to declare war on people, mostly with black and brown skin. It was engineered to terrorize, intimidate, threaten, abuse and harass.
On Veterans Day, it should also be noted that Stop and Frisk was being done while Americans of color served and died in the Middle East and other places. And, many of their relatives and ancestors also served and died in many of America's wars.
Blow is correct. This was NYC-sanctioned-sponsored terror with few speaking out against it. Then-Mayor Bloomberg and some at Fox News, including Laura Ingraham, adamantly defended this wholesale terror.
In 2009, Blow wrote that there were more than 580,000 stop-and-frisks, a record at the time. Of those stopped, 55 percent were black, 32 percent Hispanic and only 10 percent white.
The small mix of white, I would venture to say, mostly poor were thrown into the mix by NYPD to justify Stop and Frisk ruled unconstitutional by a federal court.
Would this happen, under Trump-Republican Supreme Court? NYPD would be given the judicial greenlight.
Bloomberg is a three-piece-suit, closet bigot. Minorities should never vote for a new-and-improved version of Trump.
4
Bloomberg's Stop and Frisk fear mongering matches Trump's Central Park Five ad and statements. No surprises here.
3
@wbj
Except that those 5 young black males were guilty of other proved crimes that night of Central Park wilding, just not the near beating to death of that young white female jogger. The friends of the CP5 have said several of those young males confessed to them to raping and beating a female in the park that night. So, too, victims of other Central Park assaults that night identified several of them as their attackers.
Stop-and-frisk was only the tip of Bloomberg's nasty autocratic antics...
How about blatantly circumventing the NYC law on term limits, via blandishments to the City Council, etc., to get HIMSELF an illegal third term? (Even Guiliani backed away from that profoundly anti-democracy idea after floating in in 2001!)
Or Bloomberg effectively thumbing his nose at NYC teachers and even cops and firefighters by refusing to give them pay raises.
Or appointing utterly unqualified people like Joel Klein (now a Fox grandee) and Cathi Black to do real damage to the NYC public schools system--while Klein cut back-room deals with the likes of Eva Moskowitz take spaces and resources from PUBLIC schools for FOR-PROFIT charters run by Moskowitz?
During Bloomberg's 12 long years in office, the rich got richer but the so-called "middle class," the "blue-collar working class," and the working poor all became WORSE off Essentially the same as they have in Trump's time in office!
Bloomberg has long evinced the SAME disdain for all the "losers" and "complainers as Trump! He's another autocrat with disdain for "the little people" and for democracy itself!
Our nation doesn't need another autocrat! We need someone who believes in democracy and democratic process and cares about those outside the .1%
9
Between Bloomberg's stop and frisk, Biden's opposition to busing, and Hillary's 'superpredators,' I begin to wonder whether the term 'moderate' doesn't mean only a little racist.
Not Donald Trump racist, but also not Bernie Sanders anti-racist either. Just enough racist to make suburban voters comfortable.
3
Really Charles this is where you draw the line, on a progressive moderate that is pro gay marriage and very strong on gun control, someone who treated everyone fairly and honestly, really Charles, this is who you save one of your hardest stands against? Setting aside the fact that you are just plain wrong about stop and frisk, it was the right policy at the right time and was effective, and that we could use it again dont you think, and I am sorry did not do untold damage to males of color - yes setting all that aside, you would discount Bloomberg of all the other people in the race for all of their prior peccadillos - Hmmm at the most basic you really do not understand New York or what the majority favor, how do you support that? And while you are at it please we still have not heard the patented Charles Blow cure all for black on black violence that still still still is killing hundreds of men of color without stop and frisk, how do you answer that Charles please, real New Yorkers want to know.
12
What a perfectly isolated perspective to be shared in this newspaper. Another race-related and focussed writing which whips up the frenzy of a race-based identity. This tends to lead to the vilification of the racial population targeted in the narrative as if they are unable to make up their own minds and need other "educated" members to preach to them.
Might be better on "Fox and Friends"
11
But what will you do if it's Bloomberg vs. Trump?
2
I suspect the people upset with this column are white. Bloomberg is the worst of all of 2020 candidates for black males including Trump.
Are we forgetting that he claimed that "95%" of US murderers are male, minority, and 15 to 25 years old? That is an outright lie given that whites commit 31% of US murder and black males average 51% of US murder perpetration documented in the last 20 annual FBI reports.
Employment differentials and income differentials worsened for black men in NY during his tenure as did incarceration ratios by race. These comments here are patronizing and in fact no black male with any sense or pride would vote for Bloomberg over even Trump with all his faults.
Trump is arguably giving black males jobs while Bloomberg jailed them.
3
Stop and frisk works. It’s a proven fact.
9
I am for Biden or Klobuchar. But Come November:
I Will Vote Blue No Matter Who . And So Should You.
10
His organization "Every Town for Gun Safety" addresses gun violence which disproportionately affects African American and Latino neighborhoods.
3
Stop and frisk, as applied under Bloomberg, was ruled unconstitutional as a form of racial profiling, in Floyd v. City of New York. To make matters worse, Bloomberg is a NYC Wall Street billionaire and therefore unelectable in the Rust Belt states, which will decide the 2020 election. The primary candidates offer an excellent menu of options. There is simply no need to vote for Bloomberg. If Bloomberg runs as a third party candidate, we should infer that he's a closet Trump supporter since the inevitable result of his candidacy will be four more years of Trump.
1
I disagree with the writer. Bloomberg has done some wonderful things.
14
@MS Yea, Bloomberg made himself insanely rich.
1
The writer didn’t say he hasn’t done any good things. He points out one very bad thing he thinks he did.
1
My favourite writers enlighten, educate and guide me without being strident - that's what make them great. When you insist on binary choices you only Foxify the topic.
13
One thing matters, only one thing. Who can defeat Donald Trump in 2020. Nothing else matters. Sad but true. Single issue election.
12
@Liz Nope, not so. I am not at all voting based solely on defeating Trump. I am also voting based on whether I support the direction of the Democratic party. I'm done voting against Republicans only to have the Democrats serve the rich interests over my own.
Besides, whoever nominates a candidate they don't support just because they think other people will vote for him are in for a rude awakening when they find out other people don't support the candidate either. Such a person deserves to lose to Trump.
I'm an old white guy and I'm with you Charles. I don't want to reward any more politicians who implement overtly racist policies (that are only more evidently racist because of their lack of effectiveness) while still promoting a self-image of liberal open-mindedness. In the same vein, I don't want to vote for any more billionaires who claim to be liberal champions of the public interest.
5
To be slightly punny, this is black and white. Yo would never vote for Bloomberg? How about in a race against Trump? The choice would be clear. Whether Bloomberg can get the nomination is another issue, but should he get the opportunity to go against Trump, there is no doubt he is the better candidate, despite the flaws you discuss.
8
Oh yeah, we can agree about that I think, for the most part, at least.
Bloomberg was the best mayor of New York City in my lifetime. Whining about stop and frisk is great but it did bring down murders and shootings a great deal. It might not be the only way but it did work. I take it Blow does not care what the murder rate would be without stop and frisk.
14
I always find as an older, white, Jewish born in NYC grandmother, I am stopped and searched and have my hands wiped for explosives in the airport. Yet it is the discomfort I agree to to be able to get that one real terrorist.
Do I like stop and frisk, no, but if it stops one child from dying. Pat away.
17
That’s the airport. Everybody gets swiped on occasion the airport. The issue concerns the streets of NYC. Apple and bananas. Were you stopped and searched on the streets of NYC?
@Freak Yes in NYC many years ago!
@Freak I want to add I am stopped EVERYWHERE in the world because I satisfy a quota.To prove they do not racially profile. In your homeland I was stopped twice in two weeks. Not my husband. Me.
Hum... very strange but okay if no one is hurt. Not apples and bananas but a reality of terror in the streets and in the air. As I said before during a demonstration in NYC I was stooped and patted down. So come to NYC and fly to NYC and know you were safe with Bloomberg. I will vote for him in a heartbeat.
Mr. Blow, I never thought you were a one issue voter. Try and overlook this. If Bloomberg beats Trump all is forgiven as far as I'm concerned.
8
All the candidates have warts, some worse than others. I agree that stop and frisk was dreadful and discriminatory. But why aren't you telling voters not to vote for Bernie Sanders when he has embraced anti-semitic "leaders" who actively support terrorists? Does discrimination only count when it's against Blacks and Latinos? This is a major problem for the left and yet, our thought leaders are silent on anti-semitism in the Democratic left ranks. Shameful.
7
its unlikely he will be the nominee but without black and Latino support it’s likely Trump would win the election if he is still president. I still don’t see Bloomberg as a serious candidate unless Biden Quits and Bernie snd Warren continue to split the far left wing of the party. Not impossible scenario but improbable
1
Mr. Blow, Mayor Bloomberg's stop and frisk policy may have had a disproportionate effect on black and brown men, but was a well intentioned effort to reduce crime. It wasn't malicious towards anyone, or pandering. Trump's policies on the other hand, are not well intentioned, but instead are malicious and pandering.
8
Here is another example as to why Trump is likely headed to another term.
I am not weighing in here on stop and frisk. On its face it is totally unconstitutional. Regardless of your race, it is illegal. All citizens are entitled to protection from unreasonable search and seizure. They are also protected from unequal treatment in the eyes of the law.
What I am saying here is that ever since the last presidential race when Clinton and the people running the Democratic Party stacked the deck against Sanders and the Sanders voters sat out the election opening the way for Trump's minority win, everyone who is against Trump seems bent on first blowing up each other over (fill in the blanks here.)
This is not some sideways endorsement of Bloomberg, either.
I sat at our family dunner table in October 2016 on one of those very rare times when we were all back together in one place and I told my wife and three grown kids that Trump was going to win because of the destructive "discourse" the Democrats were mired in over the Sanders/Clinton disgrace. Two of my three kids said they were sitting out the election in protest over that and the fact they couldn't stomach either candidate. Trump wins.
It's happening again, only in myriad new ways. Every flaw is seized on. Every finger is pointed. Every label is applied. Every micro tribe is declared.
Mr. Blow's palpable anger is justified. It also underscores why the racist Trump will likely win again and he knows it.
370
@John Harrington The point is, there are better candidates than Bloomberg.
37
@Robert J. Bailey Exactly. Even if you are a centrist, there is no reason for the Democrats to choose Bloomberg.
23
@Sandy The point I'm making is different than whether one chooses Bloomberg or any other candidate.
My point is - when anyone's candidate is eliminated, will every single Democratic voter line up behind whomever is the nominee and get out and vote for that person?
As it appears in the current climate, the answer is no.
This wedging of the Democrats is the great hope the GOP harbors to get their massively flawed incumbent in for another term.
That's my point and I put it out there for all to ponder.
Keep breaking yourselves into sub groups that could never support someone - anyone - you don't like and you might as well go out and vote Trump because that's how he got in last time.
In other words, unite on a single idea - Beat Trump.
Once that is accomplished then get after shaping policy and pushing your pet priorities.
Or, he wins again. Whether you want to hear that or not. It's simply the reality of this day and age.
68
I oppose Bloomberg primarily because he subverted democracy by persuading NYC Council to extend the two term limit on running for NYC mayor in order to run for a third term. Ronald Lauder, who campaigned for a two term limit and spent four million of his own money in doing so, reversed course and side with Bloomberg in Bloomberg's running for a third term and agreed to stay out of any future legal issues. In return, he was promised a position on a important city board by Bloomberg. The stop and frisk issue is icing on the cake.
2
The stop-and-frisk program violated the existing standards for an arrest on probable cause or a brief investigatory stop allowed under Terry v. Ohio. Any well-counseled mayor would have been told this if he had asked counsel, which he apparently didn't, or else ignored the advice of its prima facie unconstitutionality.
2
I love the way he took on the gun industry but he offers little to nothing to an already crowded field of mostly good candidates for the Democratic party nomination. No thanks. Also, how about an age limit for this job?
2
I was never going to vote for Trump, Warren, or Sanders, and until reading this piece my vote was a toss up between Marianne and Bloomberg. But today, thanks to your column, I've made up my mind and decided to vote for Bloomberg.
The clincher was, "I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!" So, ok, it's a deal.
18
are you saying that out of the 600k stop and frisks conducted in 2011 there were 60,000 people who did something wrong? and that's a bad thing?
18
@Ron
Some of those people were schoolchildren with rulers.
Try again.
1
Why stick it to Bloomberg, he’s the only viable candidate to take on Trump. He is a successful businessman, and a proven politician who governed the city for three terms, not a simple feat.
11
@Vin Right, the Rust Belt independents who will decide the 2020 election are going to vote for a NYC Wall Street billionaire. The idea that Bloomberg is electable, let alone the most electable candidate is delusional. You may have forgotten that CA and NYC don't decide presidential elections.
5
@AB I'm one of those Rust Belt independents and I'm voting for, hopefully, Bloomberg.
4
@Nightwood You are not the only Rust Belt voter. Nor is MI the only rust belt state. Are you even an independent?
I will not vote for Bloomberg in the primaries but will in the general to beat trump which is a serious, immediate problem. Unfortunately, our biggest problem after trump and the GOP is that we are an oligarchy and a plutocracy. Bloomberg solves a serious, immediate problem but does not protect us from the problem that caused the problem in the first place: the outsize influence of money and billionaires on our information, elections, and government.
4
Assuming Trump is the GOP nominee, and if ZBloomberg were to be the Dem nominee, I will of course vote for Bloomberg.
9
Trump vs Bloomberg. You really want us to vote for Trump? (Or not vote, which is almost as much a vote for Trump as well as an abnegation of civic duty). Really???
12
@guavkynyt
Please explain why Black people should vote for Bloomberg, who supports stop-and-frisk, and refuses to hire Black folks, over Trump, who also supports stop-and-frisk, and refuses to hire Black folks.
So this happened back in the Obama Era...having a Hard Time remembering him ever really speaking out about this Deal Breaker....as a Independent Voter I am really getting endless education in one of the Rights favorite sayings.." The Liberals Eat their Own"! ...which as a American I see our Congressional branch of Government doing to OUR Executive branch!
1
If the alternatives are Trump, Pence or Haley, of course I'll vote for him. Otherwise, the amount of vile that comes with this guy may outnumber what's sublime about him.
1
I am familiar with the "Stop and Frisk" program and it is anti-American and racist and an embarassingly bad idea. I am not familiar with how it came to be about.
Is it actually Bloomberg's program... alone? Is it entirely his responsibility and should he take the entire blame? Were there no other elected officials involved?
I suspect so. Every bad action has its enablers and stupid is not a one party franchise, which is more American than we like to admit.
2
They still do stop & frisk in nyc...just not as much...16,000 times in 2016...I’ve witnessed a few incidents, depressing
@Stephen George
S&F has been used successfully in NYC and many American cities.
I always love to read your columns and admire your clarity and positions. However I find your last 2 columns have taken very personal views and not the birds eye view we can get behind nationally. I hear where you are coming from. But there are other considerations that must be taken into account.
10
You are right Barb, Blow is increasingly angry
3
Virtue in a vacuum has no specific gravity. And no thoughtful person would write "If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!" Not in an era when Mr. Blow's presumptive enemy has a solid base in the Confederacy of 1860.
7
Tulsi Gabbard worked actively and relatively recently against equal rights for gay folks, yet I see no shrieking opinion pieces here on that score.
6
Cause she’s going nowhere thankfully. It speaks to the fact that she’s not seen as a realistic candidate for the nomination.
@Blair
Were people who worked for Tulsi driving up to gay people on the street, cursing them out, arresting them without cause and performing cavity searches on them while threatening to kill them if they breathed the wrong way? Is Tulsi still defending such a policy even after the courts forced her to stop?
Because if not then I'm going to have to say your analogy is beyond ridiculous.
1
Plutocrats are the enemies of the poor not friennds.
Bloomberg's policy of continual violence against the poor should make him anathema to Democrats.
Please look at the rising crime rates in New York. This newspaper had quite a coverage in the NYC section today. Please also take a look at what happens daily in the subway. Do account for all of the data around you that you ignore to consider and perhaps perhaps... Bloomberg wasn’t so bad.
14
Yes, stop and frisk was an abomination, and your outrage is justified. But outrage leaves no room for nuance. I refer you to the article in today's NYT about Virginia governor Ralph Northam who was widely condemned when it emerged that he'd appeared in blackface while in medical school. And yet now "Mr. Northam is...aiming to enact strong gun restrictions and L.G.B.T.Q. protections and clear the way to take down Confederate statues..."
To paraphrase one of your fellow NYT columnists, I'd vote for a tree stump before I'd vote for Trump. Which means I'd vote for Bloomberg is he wins the nomination
4
Oh great, a journalist with a voice, telling others who they should or shouldn't vote for. No thanks!!!!! I'll make up my own mind.
15
I must inject some reality here. I previously worked with the public, dealt with law enforcement & security on a daily basis.
Approx 75% of all our shoplifters & scam artists were non-white. I'm not talking necessities, I'm talking about electronics, jewelry, etc.
Not only individuals either. Organized groups would team up to distract us & steal items to sold on the black market or returned to our other locations.
One notable event was a soft spoken African-American guy who came in one slow weekday, asked to see the 1ct diamond we had on promotion. He says please put this one on hold so I personally locked the exact diamond he selected in the safe myself.
On a very busy Sat he comes back in & without missing a beat he says we switched it on him and transforms into a loud angry yet crying man, shouting black man this & that. He insists we sell him a flawless diamond which was 4x the cost @ the same price. With 50+ people nearby we remained calm but explained to him why we can't do that.
A few days later we get a call from a local TV consumer hero, we tell them the truth but to no avail. The story runs on air with promises of a follow up report. The owner panicked & told us to just sell it to him for less then our own cost!
When good honest people experience these things over & over it becomes clear that identity politics is a reality denying scam. When people of any race exhibit behaviors that put them in contact with law enforcement, it's mostly the behavior.
14
@John Carlo ... Mr Carlo, sir, a note of caution might be appropriate. Excessive voicing of " Politically Incorrect " opinion could result in detention at a re - eduction camp for intense indoctrination of prevailing Politically Correct principles. Cautious speech is the order of the day.
5
@John Carlo
"When people of any race exhibit behaviors that put them in contact with law enforcement, it's mostly the behavior."
Tell that lie to Botham Jean or Tamir Rice.
My question to Mr. Blow, did the crime rates get better or worse?
9
You end your column with this threat: “If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing” So you’re not just opposed to a candidate. You “want nothing to do with” anyone who does. In other words, you’re the poster boy for cancel culture. And proud of it, no doubt. Sad.
25
It is sad to see a columnist who not long ago was a calm voice for his views become something else. The internet is filled with persons speaking in capitalized, italicized screaming. Hyperbolic denunciations.
I expect better from the Gray Lady and even from those columnists who with their affinity for identity politics and marked left of center views, differ from centrists like this reader. Mr. Blow was once interesting if sometimes annoying for me.
One of the reasons I have avoided the rants of the hard right , and learn of their fever swamp theories second hand is I can't bear to read their constant victim hood narrative and hyperbole. If the choice on next election day is (unlikely but who knows?) Trump and Bloomberg you can stay home and sulk in your perfectionism and rage. I'll vote without enthusiasm but for country for Bloomberg as I will do without enthusiasm should it be Sen. Warren.
10
We are loosing our Democracy because some crazy halfwit from New York got elected President. The last thing America needs is another person from New York who does not believe
in Democracy and individual rights and it's trying to buy a nomination for President. I mean, how low can you go? Let the uprising among Democrats begin! I'm with you Charles!
3
For a change I actually agree with Mr. Blow.
2
No thanks Charles.
8
Bloomberg is not the way forward for Black Americans in any narrative from his contempt for our ‘due process’ to his MIA legacy in NYC on Black economic and educational issues
BLM
4
@Thrasher
There's a reason NYC and DC crime was high enough for both cities to be considered no-go war zones. Every city with the moniker "murder capital" has one thing in common: high percentage, even majority, black populations that raise violent sons generation after generation. Baltimore is that, Atlanta is that, New Orleams, Newark, Detroit and on and on. Enough.
ALM...especially the lives of innocent victims of violent repeat offender sociopath degenerates.
Is this the columnist version of the Cancel Culture? To me, this absolutism shows a closed mind that doesn't reflect well on a NYT columnist.
Anger at a policy is understandable, but "cancelling" a potential Democratic candidate who could win against Trump is irrational.
499
@Andrew Candor
Where is the evidence outside of Bloomberg's fever dreams that he could win the Democratic nomination let alone beat Trump?
19
@Andrew Candor Who wants a democratic president who intends to do this to his constituents?
19
@Andrew Candor A bit hysterical, I think. The author writes an OPINION column. This is his opinion. You are free to disagree. But there is no "cancelling" of a candidate.
Hysterical exaggeration on either side just makes reasonable dialogue impossible.
29
Since more statistics have revealed stop-and-frisk to be discriminatory and useless, I suggest TSA's crude and invasive screening practices be scrutinized next. Yes again. The insane amount of money spent on this security theater that routinely fails simulated security tests, and employs personnel with chips on their shoulders and free reign grope passengers with next to no legal consequences, must be stopped.
3
Only someone who lives in NYC, Boston, or SF could believe that Bloomberg is electable in the current climate. Moderate Democrats need to give up the fantasy that they can elect a Democrat in the mold of Bill Clinton. Nominate Bloomberg and you can expect to lose the Rust Belt states and hand the election to Trump.
6
I will vote for anyone who takes climate change seriously and is willing to take serious action to combat it. Is that Bloomberg? I don't know, but what I do know is that it is not Trump. First things first. If humans do not survive climate change, nothing else matters. Climate change will produce calamities that will make you forget all about stop-and-frisk.
9
I will vote for a box of rocks, if they're the Democratic nominee. The stakes are too high to make a protest vote in 2020.
9
I fully get it that this kind of policy (which we have in some areas of my city as well) is contentious and has strong racial bias.
I think, however, that your final line "If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!" is frightening. It verifies that politics nowadays are nothing about policies but all about emotions, and thus potential alienation for life.
8
I think the point here really is policy rather than politics. I believe that Bloomberg is well qualified for the role of president but I really don’t like his stop and frisk policy. Having said that, if the choice comes down to Trump or Bloomberg, I would have to vote against Trump.
2
Love your column, and agree with you every time ... but if it's Trump or Bloomberg, then Bloomberg will get my vote. Trump must be stopped as priority Number One.
10
I wouldn't vote for Bloomberg in the primary but if he gets the nomination he has my vote.
I just want tRump out, period.
13
As shown in this comments section, Charles, Bloomberg has done much to benefit black and hispanic males. Therer is a lot more to be concerned with in this critical Presidential election than a previous program which was ended. Bloomberg is the only real chance the Democrats have of defeating Trump. If you want to keep dreaming that Warren, Sanders, or Buttigieg will do so, that's an option. None of them--or ANY--of the current Democratic field can beat Trump, unless he completely self-destructs. And that's no way to go into an election cycle.
9
@dajoebabe
Most of the people who have identified here as Black are opposed to Bloomberg. So they don't appear to think that Bloomberg has done much to help them.
Where is your evidence that Bloomberg is the only real chance the Democrats can beat Trump?
That's your opinion perhaps but there's no data to back it up.
A thin skinned megalomaniac who will NOT get the Black vote and will spur the white right-wing 2nd amendment contingent to the polls on election day is going to beat Trump?
Seriously???
His record on public education is similarly regrettable. Trained as an engineer, he got lost in the data and forgot the lives the flesh and blood children of the NYC public schools were living.
4
Bloomberg meddles in school board elections in Louisiana. He promotes candidates with little or no experience in public education. Keira Orange is a beneficiary of his propaganda campaign for privately run charter schools in the state. Instead of supporting public education Bloomberg choses to undermine it. He just isn’t any good for Americans who believe All children deserve the best education. He and other billionaires should just pay their just taxes and let the education experts with adequate funding do the work. Teaching is a challenging profession. Proper funding and reduced class sizes would alleviate many of the issues facing public education nationwide.
7
I lived in NYC during Bloomberg and have plenty of reservations about him, including the fact that I couldn’t afford to live there with my dual income family by the time he was done. Stop and frisk was awful, unconstitutional and indicative of a calculating mindset and lack of empathy. Bloomberg will have to answer for all this and more if he enters the race so why use this column to try to dissuade people from even listening to him at all? As a democrat, I'm still willing to at least hear him make a case for beating Trump. I'm concerned about our growing tendency on the left to shut down anyone we don't like. It's alienating the swing voters we need the most.
15
Neither the author of this piece nor "Jeffrey Fagan" seem to have any clue about how to use statistics to make an argument. Frankly, just take one example. The author says the contraband was found almost 2 percent of the time when cars were stopped. Then he claims without any evidence that this is what you would "normally" expect to find if you stopped cars at random. No evidence and a statement that defies common sense. Two percent of the population are not carrying illegal drugs, stolen goods and illegal guns in their cars. Take another example. If there is high crime in a black neighborhood we expect that there will be many more stop/frisks in that neighborhood. Since each crime reported will result in several, it's easy to see that it's a multiplication problem, not racism. One could go on and on but this article really demonstrates how people without any math need to be careful about statistical arguments.
12
Stop and frisk has nothing to do with cars. Stop and frisk refers to pedestrians who are stopped, identified and searched by the police. “One could go on and on...” but I won’t.
1
@Bill Doesn't really matter whether you are stopping pedestrians or cars, does it? If you stop and frisk and find 2 percent of the people carrying guns/drugs, etc that's a terrible situation for the law abiding citizens of any neighborhood.
I believe it’s you who’s using the stats wrongly. Not sure what type of maths you do. His point is clear, the numbers they got from stop and frisk were about the same as their normal numbers without the policy. So, why have the policy if it’s not showing any difference in terms of the numbers?!
Not sure why this is challenging to mathematically or statistically comprehend on your part.
Don't worry, I have no intention of voting for a billionaire for president. Any billionaire. Ever.
8
@Nikki Bloomberg Real News and a BUSINESS man, He can run the country.
Trump Fake news and a sham businessman who won’t release his taxes, a liar, a thief.
Jim from Georgia, well stated and accurate.
Mr. Blow, your column is divisive and dangerous. Divisive in your final sentence because you are choosing to separate the electorate on "one issue." Dangerous, in that we need a candidate who is powerful and can beat Trump. Ruling out Bloomberg on "one issue" is shortsighted and fear mongering to an important part of the electorate whose support we need to do so.
Mr. Bloomberg has done much good for the Democratic Party, giving millions of dollars in support of states local candidates of all ethnitcities and color in getting them elected. He is a major supporter of climate change, writing a book, and again giving millions in support of this planet. He is also a strong supporter of gun control.
Telling men of color not to vote for Bloomberg sounds like Trump to his base. In doing so, should Bloomberg become the candidate, you may end up with this administration which is will be worse.
19
@Redman
How is Trump worse for Black men than Bloomberg?
They both appear to have the same racist contempt for Black people. Both have avoided hiring Black people. Bloomberg has actually gone further than Trump into making policy based on that contempt.
Really? How sure are you he’s “powerful” and can “beat Trump?!” If as you contend he’s powerful and can beat Trump, then, I guess he doesn’t need the minority voters he liked profiling for the election, so he should be good without them, right?!
And what’s dangerous is to claim that he’s the only one who can beat Trump?!
Really?! Are we now in a banana republic where we can’t exist without one man!!? Just cause he has money doesn’t mean he’s better than the current candidates!!!! I hope he joins the race!! I think warren will beat him hands down!!!!
What the author means is that he'd rather elect Donald Trump than an otherwise reasonable democrat who isn't 100% perfect according to his own idealogical purity yardstick. That's not realistic and probably why Trump will win in 2020.
24
Still don’t get why anybody who opposes these “centrist” candidates is called a “purist!” Isn’t it possible that those centrists who oppose the other candidates are “centrist purists,” too?! Seems to me like centrists are just as “hillier than though” too.
Three or four points, among others, this raises to me:
1- politically, the mayor’s campaign seems to be going up in tatters even before it has started.
2- politically, this is a good question to ask the mayor, at the very least because republicans, too, would raise it if he were nominated.
And, without the support of minorities who were not just hurt by this policy, but essentially targeted, his campaign is a waste of time!
3- the mayor’s judgement. This policy, most disturbingly to me raises concerns about the mayor’s judgement, and even moral character to insist on defending this racist policy even after it was defeated in court. What does this say about the mayor?
If this is how he’s willing to treat minorities, what would he be like if he were to become president?! And it’s not just minorities, it shows arguably a willingness to throw any other group or section under the bus, if one may, for the sake of the mayor’s goals or “progress” as he sees it. Is this the type of leader or nominee democrats want?
2
I’ll take Charles Blow’s word for it.
It’s a “No” for me.
It’s important that all elected officials be judged for their official judgment.
And, yes, I felt the same about the Clintons and their “crime bill.”
Increasing the authority of the authorities was once frowned upon by both the Left and the Right. And with good reason.
Those politicians who seek shortcuts ultimately are prone to panic and make more bad decisions in higher office.
1
As long as Bloomberg disavows that policy, I would vote for him with a clear conscience versus Trump. The alternative is an authoritarian, de facto one-party state and the end of our Republic with all that that implies for everyone's rights -- most of all, the civil rights of people of color.
5
Yes, Mr. Blow. Let's look for total purity in the Democratic Candidate, be utterly unforgiving of mistakes or misguided policies, and let's march with our self-righteousness intact into yet another four years with a guaranteed racist in the White House. But we'll feel so good about our uncompromising idealism.
The current crop of candidates don't stand a chance of capturing a wide enough vote to beat Trump. We're in 1972 and 1984 territory.
How about taking a page out of the Evangelical voters' book from 2016 - they voted with disgust for a candidate who promised them the Supreme Court, but they got what they wanted. Now it's our job to reverse the damage.
So how about asking Bloomberg to reflect on his past policies, to commit to an administration that doesn't commit such errors in the future, and we might get a candidate who hasn't gone off the deep end promising pipe dreams that will never be tested because they'll never be elected.
In the face of Trump Season 2, self-righteousness looks a little narcissistic. Sorry.
23
The compellingly expressed, convincingly articulated Opinion by Charles M. Blow serves to both enlighten and inform the American electorate of the perniciously established and aggressively prosecuted racial profiling campaign orchestrated by Michael Bloomberg. The pretextual contention underlying promoting law and order to protect citizens from commission of rampant, unchecked inimical criminal activities conveniently serve as an elaborate subterfuge to rationally justify racially predicated profiling. Pure and simple. In fact, this very sinister ploy is the type of vehicle the Vietnam War draft dodger loudly exhorts to his MAWA minions at rallies. Another page from the Richard M. Nixon "law and order" 1968 playbook, accompanied with the "Southern Strategy" ploy.
The draft dodger should be emboldened by Bloomberg's entry into the Democratic primaries. he can readily identify with the law and order, get tough on crime platform. Since he refuses to acknowledge the exoneration of the Central park Five, why not?
Race matters!
3
Charles M. Blow rightfully puts the onus on former mayor Bloomberg for his support of New York's notorious stop-and-frisk policy. But it is illogical for him to assert "Anyone who would support Bloomberg is complicit in his terror campaign." A voter in the present cannot now be complicit in his policy that was over and done with in the past. It may console Mr. Blow that no New York mayor has ever attained the presidency.
2
I'm with Charles on this one.
Michelle Alexander's excellent The New Jim Crow recounts the impact of the criminalization of (predominately) young, African-American men, a criminalization that came hard upon the heels of a so-called drug war and the export of jobs that had, since World War II, been available to both white and black men who lacked college degrees. The consequences of monetarism and neo-liberalism have been destructive for nearly all Americans, but especially for minorities. Not, however, for Mr. Bloomberg.
Our Constitution explicitly recognizes a presumption of innocence which should have precluded Bloomberg's "stop and frisk" policy. The idea that this fascist practice "stopped crime" in NYC is fallacious: see the report from the Brennan Center, and elsewhere.
Of course, this is all beside the point. Bloomberg has no chance whatsoever of winning the nomination; there are excellent Democrats already in the field if only we "leftists" would calm down about Trump, pick someone with whom you (mostly) agree, and support him or her.
And Seth: I hear you. Like you I can never assent to the candidacy of the lesser of two evils. Maybe if the Democrats keep losing whoever runs the party will wake up and nominate someone who actually stands up for average Americans.
3
I don't see how Bloomberg could unify the democrats and gain the progressive and youth vote. I have the same visceral reaction as Blow. Everyone seems to be worrying about moderates, but If the democrats can't turn out their base that is a much bigger problem.
3
Jim
Don’t talk of youth camps and “trains running on time”. The mayor is lucky the lawsuit was not personal
The next time the ACLU conducts legal action make certain those who were damaged are reward full indemnity (families, pain and suffering, loss of income, children loss of fathers and wives loss of husbands etc)
Wow, look at where we have gotten in this country where people dismiss the consequences of "stop and frisk" as trade offs to, and let's face it, a minority of people doing financially well under Bloomberg. Another billionaire with eyes on the prize, the White House. Nothing new here!
2
Compared to Bloomberg's tenure, NYC is an island of lawlessness, the NYPD looks the other way on too many things. Definitely felt safer before. Why have laws at all if they are to never be enforced, because we think we're doing minorities a favor? Under DeBlahsio laws seem to only apply if you're not a minority.
6
Mr. Blow, and people like him, are part of the reason that some basically good people get angry and vote for Donald Trump.
16
Sure, there is nothing but evil associated with some of the offenses committed by bigoted cops against black civilians, especially drivers. But if the cop who is carrying out the policy of stop and frisk does it without personal bigotry, it is not evil.
After all, even in your own statistics, "almost 90% of those stopped were innocent of any wrongdoing." That means MORE THAN 10% of those stopped were guilty of wrongdoing.
Any policy that catches otherwise undetected criminals one out of 10 times sounds worthwhile to me. And since most crime by blacks is committed against other blacks, why shouldn't innocent blacks support this endeavor, or at least not be outraged by it. Bloomberg made NY safer for everyone, not just whites.
9
@Charley Darwin
If the cops start at one end of a neighborhood and kick down ten doors they will probably find something untoward in one of those ten homes. Maybe it's some foul stuff on the computer. Maybe someone is stealing cable. Maybe there's some domestic violence. Maybe someone is using or selling drugs. Maybe someone is cheating on their taxes.
However in our system (apparently you don't think Black people deserve these) there are constitutional protections against police searches without warrant or cause.
Saying that most crime by Blacks is committed against other Blacks is like saying that most crime by Whites is committed against other whites. That does not justify the agents of the state violating laws, rules, and constitutional amendments against unreasonable search and seizure.
You are evidently just fine with a police state--as long as it's Blacks being impacted. Well no thank you to that. I don't want to live in a police state where Bloomberg's stormtroopers can search me any time because of the color of my skin.
Charles Blow's fury over Bloomberg's stop-and-frisk policy is understandable.There should be no question that it is abhorrent if used indiscriminately (or discriminately toward people of color). However, telling African-Americans not to support a Bloomberg candidacy under any circumstances is not just stupid, it's wrong. The Democrats will need a massive African-American turnout in 2020 against Trump, whose defeat should be the primary goal. Moreover, perhaps Blow should consider that it diminishes African-Americans to view them monolithically, rather than as millions of individuals who are capable of making up their own minds. If he runs, Bloomberg should - and will - face hard questions about that stop-and-frisk. But this intemperate column gets things off to a very bad start.
4
@Charles Michener
The kind of sub-moronic Black people who would cheer stop-and-frisk are generally already in the Republican party, which is where Bloomberg should be.
Black Democrats are simply not going to vote for Bloomberg or anyone who supports stop-and-frisk.
There is nothing wrong with being intemperate against those who would either violate our constitutional rights or have no problem sacrificing them for some greater good. Neither type of person is a friend to Black people.
This comment section is wild. Amazing how many white people are totally comfortable saying, "Yes, stop-and-frisk was a horrific policy of racial terror, but honestly it doesn't really bother me."
Have white people always been so brazen in their disregard for people of color? Or has Trump's white identity politics begun to spread to the NYTimes comment section?
3
I would vote for the Socialist Party candidate over Bloomberg; hopefully Democrats are not stupid enough to make this oligarch their nominee.
2
Unsurprising stance for NYT’s resident specialist in racial victimization. No thought for the people who actually have to put up with gang violence, just one more excuse to claim victim status. Even if I would not have known anything about Mr. Bloomberg, this article would have made me want to vote for him.
8
George Wallace the racist was shot and left paralyzed. Years later he quietly went to a black church where he asked forgiveness for his sins. He went on to be elected again governor of Alabama.His daughter supported Obama. Wallace was redeemed. Bloomberg can apologize for his law enforcement policy of stop and frisk. He can appoint a blue ribbon panel that will advise him on policing issues. Bloomberg can most definitely earn every American's vote.
What percentage of people on here are vehemently agreeing with this "never vote for Bloomberg" because they are actually undercover Donald Trump supporters or Russian trolls? I also wonder how Mr. Blow would feel if he helped to get Trump re-elected because of this article?
4
The last thing the Democratic presidential field needs is one more old white man. Bernie and Joe are too old and so is Bloomberg!
2
I know Mike. I hired Mike. I know his private charity, his decency and his personal insecurities. And I happen to like the man. I liked him June 16, 1966 when he turned down Goldman and Bob Mnuchin for us. Salomon Bros was Mike’s kind of firm. We traded bonds.
Mike had no money. Goldman Sachs offered 50% more. He came to Solly to report to me. I was learning. The guy favored integrity. Still does.
One of our five sons loved Aminah Ricks. She loved him and spoke at his service. He died saving another in Ecuador. At 26. He loved Ecuadorians. Our lives have involved a rainbow. We get it. So does Mike.
Violence on the South Side of Chicago started with white violence in 1950. Hyde Park was unsafe. I carried. Owned a dog. Feared whites.
Today it’s black on black.
Mike responded to his police. Is he a racist? Not a chance. Would he have a different approach in Chicago? I doubt it.
If he runs, if the circular shooting squad staffed by the usual finds Mike a batter bet, if an honest convention debate propels Mike Bloomberg, he will get my vote.
Charles Blow might ask Mike for lunch. They might learn from each other. Charles, do you want Trump?
Can we educate this nation of racists?
When did lynching stop? I remember.
Mike is not evil. He can learn. He may be our best chance.
10
Mr Blow
You are either a masochist ...or dreadfully incapacitated.
Mr. Bloomberg may be the only chance we have of beating Mr Trump.
Admittedly he isn't ideal ....but he can and knows how to deal with the Presidents rhetoric.
There is no room for idealism here. It's survival mode now.
The others will lose.
9
Bloomberg can never be trusted around power. Remember how he called the NYPD his own private army? Remember how he disappeared people during the GrOPer Convention in NYC? Remember how he used the NYPD to attack the peaceful protesters at Occupy Wall St?
Add that on top of the racist, totalitarian, stop and frisk, and you can see what a monster the man is when he has power.
2
@Bob Using the NYPD to clear out the Occupy Wall Street protestors was absolutely the right call, made by a leader who's not afraid to make a tough decision. What did OWS stand for? I don't know to this day. Despite months of protest, they refused to adopt an official set of goals or make specific demands. Instead, they turned lower Manhattan into a foul-smelling open-air squatters' camp for no discernable reason other than they wanted to vaguely "protest" something or other.
2
A major reason Hillary Clinton lost is that there was a disproportionately low number of blacks voting. So Mr. Snow need not worry.
3
The greater problem is that Bloomberg splits the Democratic party ala Republicans before Trump showed up. Part of the Democratic Party is populist and the other part are wealthy elites and professionals who are socially liberal but cautious about radically redesigning the economy. The problem is that they don't have a "Trump". In the variety of comments on Blow's column and the reaction by Bernie it's obvious that this split is more than a "family issue" and is going to lead to another Trump or Pence victory. Bloomberg is not a Trump but he is very disruptive to the fragile Democratic party. This has to be resolved quickly.
While I usually agree with the author’s POV, on this instance I must disagree. Bloomberg was good for NYC. He brought financial stability to the City. He did a lot of things which turned out to be good in the long run. He brought an awareness about the ill effects of smoking and oversized sugary drinks. He has been front and center on the fight against guns and the NRA. He understands climate change and is an environmental activist.
With respect to the stop and frisk policy, I have had my bags checked on more than one occasion while boarding or getting off subways. I always thought it had to do with finding and stopping terrorism. The search has made me miss trains sometimes and have lead to delays. It was always an irritant but I knew it was for the common good and have cooperated. The cops were doing their job. I am brown skinned and could have taken offense that I was being unnecessarily targeted. I have no way of determining whether I was, but I didn’t care. I felt that as a citizen I had a responsibility to ensure our collective safety. Opening my bag for a quick search was the least I could do. I am not sure what would have happened if I had instead protested or made nasty comments or had not willingly cooperated with the cops and facilitated the search.
6
I'm sorry. If the choice is between the three year old and Bloomberg I'm going with Bloomberg. Someone who wont let the EPA put pollution first. Someone who will rebuild our infrastructure and put people to work with alternative energy.
9
I found Bloomberg's stop and frisk policy reprehensible. But it should not be Bloomberg's complete legacy. i do not believe Bloomberg is a racist though I completely understand Blow's outrage. Bloomberg is a highly competent executive with an impressive track record. If he wins the nomination and the presidency I believe he will never repeat any policy resembling stop and frisk. And if he's the nominee, Trump won't be able to brand him a socialist, something I think would be a tipping point against Warren or Sanders. The objective is to unseat Trump, and Bloomberg would stand an excellent chance of doing so. And contrary to Trump's selection of cabinet members who swelled the swamp, Bloomberg will pick the best, brightest, and highly ethical cabinet members and aides and utilize their expertise, not make unilateral decisions on whims and impulse.
4
Thank you, Mr. Blow, for restoring my faith in The New York Times' op-ed section with this piece.
The op-ed yesterday by Bret Stephens which cheered on Mr. Bloomberg for president was quite dispiriting as he ignored many of the issues you have mentioned.
As someone who believes a citizen has the right to walk down the street and not be harassed by police due to the color of their skin, I could never vote for Bloomberg. I know many other Americans who feel the same way.
3
Thank you for this important history lesson. I am grateful.
1
Anyone who tells me what to do is immediately suspect in my book. The word "you" itself is suspect. Best to lay out the information, pepper it with phrases like "I believe," or "I think," etc., if need be, and give me the space to make up my own mind. If you tell me what to do, there's a good chance I'll do the opposite of what you decree, especially if I'm undecided.
12
No to Bloomberg in the primary.
Yes if he is the Democratic candidate against Trump.
I'm voting for Bill Weld in the primary, a very reasonable person with a successful record as Governor of Massachusetts. He provides the added benefit of a satisfying way to vote Republican against the incumbent.
3
If the choice is Bloomberg or Trump, we must vote for Bloomberg. If Bloomberg is the only Democrat who can beat Trump, then we must vote for Bloomberg in the primaries.
12
Agreed. the good news is he's going no where. We're done with these billionaire 70-somethings who know nothing about the every day lives and struggles of normal people. He's not normal. Trump isn't normal. We need to get back to normal...or at least a "new" normal that reflects a positive future.
Trump has to go. Bloomberg is going no where. It's time for the boomers to get out of the way. It really is.
1
@eeny44 All of us must be vote cohesively to remover the plague that is in the office
3
I need to see more polls, but at this point, I think Bloomberg might the Democrats best shot at beating Trump. Bloomberg is a easy choice for me then.
1011
@skinny and happy
Bloomberg has a far worse record than the media or Democrats want to remember at the moment.
How many times to you want to hear about the size of soda for the next 5 years?
Who remembers that Bloomberg took a well run city payroll system and turned it into a corrupt disaster. Will Trump remind them?
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/nyregion/contractor-in-citytime-payroll-scandal-to-pay-record-500-million.html
Who remembers Bloomberg attacking public education? Will all of the politically active teachers around the country think Bloomberg is better?
I know Blow and many others remember that Bloomberg had hundreds of thousands black and brown people stopped and searched for no good reason, who have now grown up into young voters who remember being stopped and frisked, around the country. This wouldn't be a problem if he ran as a Republican, but a Democrat?
We don't need a polite Trump.
This media firestorm over Bloomberg is being manufactured because he is a billionaire. Bloomberg was mayor. De Blasio is mayor. De Blasio wasn't given days of coverage.
Remember when Trump was brought on to major news shows to discuss Obama's birth certificate. He was able to do that because he was a billionaire.
Billionaire owned corporate media lies to us about billionaires. Follow the money and read between the lines.
44
@skinny and happy And do we need yet another rich person running the country?
11
@skinny and happy Umm, hardly. He is running at 4% right now, and has an almost comically bad chance of getting the nomination. He is showing you can spell hubris with a B. The other Bs, Biden and Buttigieg, are your centrist hopes, if that is where your margarine is buttered, and all Bloomberg does by running is damage their chances.
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/10/michael-bloomberg-2020-poll-068484
11
Thanks so much for this spot-on piece. I will NEVER vote for Stop and Frisk Bloomberg.
1
So what would you do Charles if Bloomberg were the Democratic nominee against Trump?
Not vote? Vote third party? In either case you have lost my respect.
9
I would even vote for the ghost of Richard Nixon if he were running against Trump.
6
Sorry Charley...Love you but you are wrong on this one.
"I like Mike" would look good on campaign buttons.
6
Bloomberg along with our other billionaires seem to think that Elizabeth Warren will be the ruination of our country. However the distribution of wealth and making corporations people and money free speech is much more likely our ruination.
Our country's founders found such wealth abhorrent, especially when the first born male inherited everything. That's why they created inheritance taxes--such fabulously wealthy people are a danger to our republic.
I won't vote for any billionaire--none are a bargain.
2
Mr. Blow - seriously? I look at NYC under de Blasio and cringe. Bloomberg was a much better mayor and stop and frisk had some very positive outcomes. While progressives hated it, the replaced theory - let people do what they want on the streets and in the subways - is worse. I'd vote for Bloomberg in a heartbeat.
9
Bloomberg should come clean on stop and frisk and admit he was wrong. I'm not saying this will make it all ok but he needs to clearly articulate why and be sincere in his apology.
if he clings to the claim that it worked, he is lowering himself to others (led by Trump) that double down on whatever falsehoods to appear strong while they are really showing their foolishness and foolishness of others to still supporting them.
Democrats tolerated a Democratic governor even after a blackface scandal....I thought (and still think) that was unconscionable.
We find ourselves in this sad state of democrats not being able to field credible candidates. They all live in their la la land of ideals with little to do with reality or a concrete plan to get us there. I believe in single payer healthcare but I don't believe our country is ready for it today, next year or next 10-20 years.
Bloomberg is supposedly a pragmatist who wants to solve problems. He should also come out with a clear platform on major policy areas. He needs to earn people's trust beyond the "electability" mirage that many of us are focused on.
Part of me is still torn on Bloomberg and that's ok.
We need better candidates and a better platform. Time is running out.
1
For New Yorkers it matters not who runs. Unless the sky falls any Democrat will win the state but Bloomberg is Trump light. He’s the neo-liberals delight. He hollowed out city agencies, wouldn’t re-negotiate city worker contracts, not even those of the cops he relied on to keep minorities in line, wouldn’t replace those who retired or quit. On his watch, Riker’s spiraled out of control as prisoners were maltreated and officers were forced to work double and triple shifts. He imposed useless and punishing criteria on public schools, teachers and students. As homelessness increased he refused federal housing funds saying that the homeless purposely made themselves homeless so as to take advantage of New York’s wonderful homeless services. To quote Dickens “Are there no workhouses, are there no prisons?”
4
"Stop and Frisk" was a terrible policy and should have never happened. I suspect Bloomberg, ever the data head, was sold a bill of goods by NYPD number-crunchers, who may have also been racist. There are other things I dislike about Bloomberg, too, such as his ideas about education, which we worked mightily to counteract in our efforts to get our children a good, public education in NYC. HOWEVER. There is only one goal in 2020 and that is defeating our current president. There is nothing to suggest that Bloomberg would be anywhere near the total disaster with which we are now confronted. So, sure, avoid Bloomberg in the primary. Vote with your heart, be it with Biden, Warren, Sanders or Buttigieg. But if by some strange circumstance, the choice in November 2020 comes down to Bloomberg vs. Trump, well, there will be no choice whatsoever. Any other idea is sheer grandstanding!
4
Disqualifier: 2008. Term limits already in place. A billionaire named Michael Bloomberg essentially buys a third term. His toadies on City Council go along. Sound familiar? Did not allow a public referendum. We don't need a "good" billionaire.
3
"Stop and frisk" is an obvious and clear violation of the 4th amendment's constitutional prohibition agains unreasonable searches. Period. Doesn't matter if it reduced crime, caught criminals, made mothers feel safer. Sometimes democracy is harder than autocracy in the short term. In the long term our democracy will not survive if we allow our constitution to be so baldly corrupted.
2
But if the alternative is Donald Trump, I will have to vote for Bloomberg without hesitation.
5
I will not vote for Mr Bloomberg. He is a more efficient buracratic who end justifys the means attitude will allow him to implement Trump type policies with self effacing dignity.
He also changed the NYC charter so he could stay in office for a 3rd term.
What makes you think he won’t try it again.
1
There is no place in today's USA for racist policies like the notorious 'stop and frisk' program. Here in the midwest where there are fewer pedestrians and more drivers the same thing is known as 'driving while black'. And it still exists, although I don't think data are collected to demonstrate it. I do know that men of color among my son's friends will still ask him to drive when they go somewhere together, even if their own vehicle is being used. It's disgusting and indefensible. By the same reasoning there is no place for sexist policies or any distinction made by ethnic, gender or sexual identity. The candidate who the Democrats put against Trump must stand for equality and commit to eliminating the bad old days. This should be one of the crystal clear distinctions between the Democrats and the sadly devolved Republicans.
2
Make no mistake; Bloomberg comes in with baggage.
If forced to make a choice, I'll take Bloomberg's Louis Vuotton luggage, over Trump's custom-made steamer trunks (likely made in a sweatshop) any day.
2
To me “stop and frisk” seems to be a perfectly reasonably way to prevent crime before it happens. What’s wrong with that? Nothing as far as I am concerned. If an individual is behaving themselves, not concealing an illegal weapon, or in the possession of illegal substances, then they should have nothing to worry about. But if they are up to some sort of mischief, then they needed to be found so that they do not endanger society. Under Bloomberg, as many have commented, New York City seemed to be a safe place and I imagine much of that had to do with “stop and frisk.” Under his successor, New York City seems to have declined in terms of safety, cleanliness, and hygiene. That’s the difference between a government based on common sense and one based on liberalism. A government based on common sense values law and order, cleanliness, hygiene, and personal responsibility. A government based on liberalism values disorder, dirtiness, sepsis, and personal irresponsibility. Since I support a government based on common sense, I would vote for Bloomberg, but my problem with Bloomberg is that he is a pseudo-liberal, supporting gun control and abortion. Therefore he would not have my vote. Instead my vote goes to non-other than Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States of America. Thank you.
1
@Southern Boy "Stop crime before it happens." Let's take that apart, Southern Boy. Guilty until proven innocent, for starters? Suspension of due process? That okay with you, Southern Boy? How about if every white Southern Boy were stopped by police to check their papers? Make sure their guns were registered? That okay with you Southern Boy?
2
Let's not forget that this writer was on the front lines of advocating for Hillary Clinton and disparaging Bernie Sanders because Sanders didn't measure up to his personal standards. We know how that worked out. Now he doesn't like one of Bloomberg's policies so we're all told we can't vote for him. Trump, if he could read, would be thrilled to hear the latest missive from Charles Blow.
4
@ZHR,
I consider your comment a racist attack upon Charles Blow. A I, like Voltaire, may disagree with him, but I will defend his right to say it!
If the choice is Trump or Bloomberg, I'll write in my cats.
@Froon Then you will be voting for trump.
I'm a reader and a fan of Mr. Blow, particularly for his unsparing critiques of Trump. But I found this column irresponsible.
Mr. Blow, when you write, "Just the idea of Bloomberg in the race is odious to me. And support for his candidacy incenses me. Anyone who would support Bloomberg is complicit in his terror campaign against those young black and Hispanic men — and dismissive of their pain," are you trying to encourage black and Hispanic people to vote for Trump if Bloomberg gets the nomination? Because really, how could they (or any of your readers) do otherwise after a rant like that?
Buried deep in the column you say you mean no one should vote for Bloomberg in the primary. But that is not the takeaway from your language of total vilification. Agreed Bloomberg's policing policies were bad. But gun control, public health, and climate change - he's all in on those issues which disproportionately affect minorities. Do you really want to discourage people from voting for Bloomberg so that a racist, climate-change denying, NRA-purchased, pathological narcissist gets 4 more years? That's what it sounds like.
Please think twice, Mr. Blow. Bernie Sanders so vilified Hillary Clinton that many of his supporters didn't vote for her in the general. Don't follow his playbook. Criticize Bloomberg's policies, call him the weakest in the field, but don't make him out to be the anti-Christ. That designation belongs solely to Trump, whom your words may help re-elect.
8
If its Bloomberg vs. Trump, I will vote for a Democrat......for the first time in 40 years.....as long as it looks like the Republicans will keep the Senate.
Or am I missing something here?
Bloomberg did the same with Marriage Equality - sicced city lawyers on the case against that idea - all the while telling the gay community how he was their friend and they would thank him eventually.
This arrogant, conceited man has a history of repressing anyone in the way of himself. One has only to remember how New Yorkers of all ages, were arrested and held for days, without due process until the Republican convention in New York City was over, to feel a deep repugnance at the idea of ever voting for this awful man again.
1
If Bloomberg ends up the Democratic nominee, we must vote for him. Left-leaning Democrats demand a purity of progressive ideology from their candidates that no single person can satisfy. If Blow himself was running, some Progressives would fault him for some past columns that weren’t progressive enough for them. Enough. Okay, Bloomberg instituted stop-and-frisk and it was a bad policy. But that doesn’t make him the devil. We need to remember the lunacy and corruption that currently occupy the Oval Office. Anyone who opposes Trump has my vote. It’s like you’re being rescued off the Titanic—are you going to start questioning the boba fixes of the rescue boat captain? Is he good enough for you? Do you prefer the country to sink with you in it?
1
Charles, I totally agree with you that “stop and frisk” was unconscionable. It was a low down nasty despicable political trick done on the backs of terrified minorities. But IF (and that’s a huge if) it came down to Bloomberg vs. Trump (such a nightmare match-up) I’d have to vote for the former as sickening as that might be. I will vote for just about anybody to get rid of Trump. Hope you would too.
2
The moral purity crowd is at it again. Was stop and frisk wrong and racist? Yes. Period. But if our choice is an unelectable candidate, and I would put Warren and Sanders squarely in that category, or Bloomberg with his own set of issues but certainly electable vis a vis Trump, then Bloomberg gets my vote all day long.
To be clear I will support a rock if that is the Dem nominee, because what matters is not score settling from something Bloomberg did as mayor, but rather the survival of this country. Four more years of Trump and we may as well order our brown shirts now. Blow's complaint is valid. His solution most definitely is not.
1
Mr Blow --
Retired and working class Blacks have been driven out of their neighborhoods in NYC by developers.
Same in DC
It's like urban renewal redux.
I'm not a fan of "SnF" on civil liberties (not race) reasons.
But, in my opinion, that's a lot less pernicious than the wholesale removal of Blacks, no?
Also, Biden, Warren and Sanders are almost certain losers vs Trump. And, Bloomberg can win.
Get serious.
You wanna re-elect Trump?
2
No more billionaires for president. But come election day if it's between Bloomberg and the worst person in America, who happens to be occupying the White House right now, I'll be voting for Bloomberg.
3
I do support the entry of Michael Bloomberg into the Democratic race and would vote for him if he wins. The search and seize action was wrong, but something had to be done about violence in our cities. Harm by concealed guns has continued out of control.
I am a white male and possibly not the individual to whom Charles was writing. In spite of the ending statement of not wanting any thing to do with a person who would vote for Bloomberg, I will continue to read his opinion because he is one of my NYT favorites.
Sorry Charles, but we have to vote for whomever the democratic candidate is. I'd vote for anyone on the democratic ticket against Trump, even a corpse.
2
What Mr. Blow says is the honest truth. Those who claim other wise are just plain wrong, or mistaken or a liar. Mayor Mike was a disingenuous politician that used his money to buy his way around New York city. Mayor de Blasio put an end to Stop n Frisk. We now have the lowest murder rate in over 50 years. Mayor Mike, the billionaire bully, not only lies about his policing accomplishments but has a major problem with sexual harassment. It seems he doesn’t like women either. Anybody want to deny those facts.
Maybe this article is less about what is right and more about Charles and his identity. Less about what is best for everyone and more about what generates the most attention and clicks on this article. The entire argument is sandwiched in click bait. “You must never vote for Bloomberg” and “if you vote for Bloomberg I want nothing to do with you, nothing!”
This style reminds me of a politician also remarkably able to appeal to anger and division and control news cycles.
4
So, Charles, when it comes down to Trump vs Bloomberg next November, you're just going to stay home? Or vote for Trump because you have already eliminated Bloomberg as one of your choices. "Never" is a word rational people should never use when it comes to politics.
2
that policy had its place, and perhaps would be a real good idea in Baltimore city.
Bloomberg did a great job in nyc, he would be a great president.
What is it about liberals and the litmus tests.
You all will insure another 4 years of Trump
1
Charles, you have to step out of the circular firing squad. If Bloomberg buys Fox News and somehow gets the nomination you will have no choice but to vote for him. We all will have to vote for him.
2
Can we hear from some African Americans who live in crime-ridden areas to learn about their point of view? If 5 teenagers are hanging out by a car at 2AM, is a stop and frisk reasonable?
Was there a "Fergusan Effect" when Stop and Frisk was halted (criminals started carrying their guns more frequently and were inclined to use it).
Until innocent homeowners are safe in the homes and neighborhoods, policing should prioritize patroling the actual high crime areas. Stop in Frisk in downtown Manhatten is stupid and may be race-based biases playing out. But in a high crime neighborhood, even giving an incentive for drug dealers to leave their guns at home (hence "innocent" in the stops) is still a good thing.
1
I will vote for Bloomberg over DJT any time!
2
Is this any less abhorrent than Trump saying all Jews should vote for him. There is often a trade off between inconvenience and less crime and many opinions on where to end up between the two but I don't think anybody appointed Blow as a spokesman for their monolithic group.
2
Stop and frisk is about as unconstitutional as stopping and smelling the roses.
3
Mr. Blow,
As a Journalist your trade tools are words.
This is a free Country and while you are entitled to your opinion and you have the right to express it through any media you choose, you should be careful on your choice of words.
It would be fine for you to say that you would never vote for Mike Bloomberg based on this, that or your particular litmus issue. But telling people that the MUST NOT vote for a particular candidate is offensive.
I think I just read your column for the last time.
4
Mr.Bloomberg has my vote!
Got it! But from the female perspective, so is Biden’s treatment of Anita Hill!
4
With all these crime facts on emperor Mike that Mr. Blow has so stated, it’s no wonder that whites are unfavorable to de Blasio while of black and latinos favor de Blasio. Bloomberg doused the white population with fear like Trump does to gain power. Now he is at it again: perverting the primaries process, leap frogging the black voters in early states and attempting to buy his way in. The proof is there to be seen. As for Mayor MIke I never voted for that republican when he was here in NYC and I’ll never vote for him now. Bloomberg is a creep. Just like the republican in the Whitehouse.
....until the general election, at which point even Satan would seem the lesser of two evils, and Mr. Blow’s prohibition seem like the same kind of absolutist stupidity that lead the Bernie Or Busters to light our present dumpster fire.
2
"If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!"
Great idea, let's stop talking to people who disagree with us...
5
Name appropriate’Mr.Blow’. Ever hear of the Willie Sutton story” why do you rob banks ,mr Sutton”. “ Because that’s where the money is” he answers. Why the stats Re stop and frisk? Answer that yourself. It’s not about color it’s about stats on street crime,shootings of kids,and innocent bystanders( forget the gangs).How many of those are in Westchester, Park Slope , or Red Hook. So give it a rest. When I walk down any street in New York, I feel a lot safer for the presence of NYPD men and women of all shades. A few generations of stop and frisk and the street crime with fatal consequences will drop.Message will be received. Put your ‘chip’ to better use than maligning a politician who attempted to keep New York’s streets safe. Remember which communities become safer with fewer guns on the street. What are the stats on Black murders of Blacks? Put your stats where your writing pen is.
1
You Must Never Vote for Trump beats You Must Never Vote for Bloomberg every time.
1
Guess what?
Blacks will still vote for Bloomberg no matter what because blacks vote Democrat.
With the exception of Candace Owens, Kanye West and a few other mainstream free-thinking blacks, you will never hear about black support for a Republican candidate.
Ah, yes, of course! Fact-twisting, fact-ignoring (I've looked into several of his false claims), race-baiting, one-issue is the ONLY issue (race) Charles Blow, the master user of the "woke" playbook -- believe everything I do or you are dead to me.
Even President Obama spoke out against this type of thinking.
Shame on you, Mr. Blow.
I hope every Democrat ignores this and understands that no candidate will meet everyone's expectations. ALL that matters now is voting for the person you think has the best chance of beating Trump. THAT is the ONLY issue right now.
5
Trump must love this opinion piece....
Good ol' Democrat circular firing line
3
This white guy thinks that Bloomberg is disqualified on S&F...and on overseeing the billionaire boom in NYC, appointing incompetents, being utterly and ungraciously allergic to criticism (we have more than enough of that in the WH right now)...
...and on assuming he is qualified to be president. I know you ran NYC, "the second hardest job in the world." But if you want to be pres, run for congress and do a few terms in DC to see how things work. Except, then there's the above.
So, only white people have to give up their guns? Got it.
Charles Blow's parallel between Trump and Bloomberg is reprehensible and his dismissal of his sympathizers as cold gentrifiers condescending at best. No Mr. Blow, Mike Bloomberg is not some kind of closet white supremacist and he was elected three times as the mayor of New York; twice with big margins. No offense, but I would vote Bloomberg every day over a Warren or a Sanders. If you don't want to have anything to do with us feel free to write your columns somewhere else.
5
Yes, why should we have our first Jewish President when by cherry-picking a fault from his WHOLE record of success, we can get another four years of the most vain, ignorant, and racist President ever seen?
USA! USA!
3
Headline of the day
Charles, the white people here are telling you to vote for the guy who implemented a racist policy of harassment of black people because the only other choice you'll get is a racist bloviator like Trump. It's the same choice they gave you in the past: pick Jim Crow because it's so much better than slavery.
1
This is unhinged.
2
Not terribly different from how Sheriff Joe Arpaio kept getting reelected in Arizona: Lots of white voters (in his case, many also older) among whom he successfully stoked fear of the other, and who didn't think too much about the abuses that took place on his watch as long as they themselves thought he was keeping them "safe".
As a Canadian, I was mostly unaware of Bloomberg's "Stop and Frisk" initiative. I think, however, that the last thing we need are billionaires buying elections.
If Bloomberg is so darn certain of his appeal, he can run as an independent and syphon votes from the reasonable/rational arm of the GOP or whatever remains of it.
Bloomberg knows he can't win. The long game is Bloomberg is going to take a wrecking ball to Trump. with a billion dollars or more to spend. he can force Trump to spend a lot more money on defending his lousy record. Trump will be unable to fight a battle on multiple fronts. He can let it rip in a way the other candidates can't. This will be good for Biden which is what I think this is all about.
If this man wins the nomination after parachuting into the process, he will lose to Uncle Donald. (Give the people the choice between a Republican and a Republican, and they will choose a Republican every time.) Should his efforts come to naught, he will run as a third-party candidate (self-financed) and throw the election--electoral college or not--to Trump.
A bad deal all around.
It may surprise New Yorkers that there is an entire country with 49 other states, and only two of them (NJ, CT) might marginally care about who Bloomberg was as a NYC mayor. To the rest of us, he's a billionaire who promoted stop-and-frisk policing and who previously held political office as a Republican. Good luck winning the Presidency with most young, Black, and Latino voters staying home with that Democratic nominee.
3
I already have nothing to do with you Mr. Blow. Don't worry.
10
@Frank OK troll. But you read the piece and then spent time commenting on it.
No more racist billionaires in the White House!
1
Moderates don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell. Trump will win a second term, and that, my liberal colleagues, is our own fault.
4
I've often said that I would vote for a paper plate with a face drawn on it before I'd vote for Trump. The chances I'd vote for Bloomberg in the primary are nil, but if by some long-shot chance he's the Democratic candidate come next November, you bet your nether-end he will get my vote even if my stomach churns while I do it. This is no time to be encouraging anyone to stay home from the polls in any scenario. It's going to take all of us to get the monster out of the White House.
4
Blow plays the race card at every opportunity.
13
And America’s love affair with billionaires continue. Failed domestic policies, reckless and disastrous foreign policies, self-dealing and doubling the deficit be damned. He’s another billionaire so let’s go!
1
2020 is a year for Democrats to be pragmatic, not idealistic. Is Bloomberg the ideal candidate? No. Can he beat Trump in 2020? Probably. If he is the most likely of all Democratic candidates to beat Trump, then it's time to suck it up and vote for him, principles or no...beating Trump has to be priority #1!! Idealism (IMHO) helped elect Trump (I'm thinking about you, Bernie supporters). We cannot let this happen again!
2
Charles Blow is the embodiment of the saying “When your only tool is a hammer everything looks like a nail”.
10
Blow
I agree that no one should vote for this guy. being a billonaire shouldn't guarantee one the office of the Presidency. i personally don't like BB social tactics.
1
Enjoy four more years of Trump, Charles.
6
What a stunningly myopic column. I’ve liked your columns in the past, but this one makes me think you are just not “serious people.” Hard pass!
6
"88% were innocent!"you state. So basically 1 in 10 held an illegal firearm? And was arrested? Where the cops told to stop black and Hispanic men or were they told to stop people who looked like gang members? I would vote for Bloomberg any day of the week because under his mayoral leadership the city thrived. This coming from a Hispanic man living in the ghetto in nyc!
7
Don't hold back, Charles.
3
Can't the NY Times do better than Charles Blow? His "I won't have anything to do with you" attitude is about as intelligent and insightful as immature adolescent "cancel culture" .
People rob banks because that's where the money is. Perhaps police stop young black and hispanic males because that's where the crime is. The Wire, after all, wasn't about a bunch of white kids killing each other on street corners in Baltimore. I would argue that people who dismisses my comments out of hand as racist have been made blind by ideology and, therefore, have revealed themselves as unworthy of participating in the debate at the grown-ups table.
15
@Tiva Diva
Oh boy, imagine watching The Wire and the lesson you got out of it was, "people of color are dangerous drug dealers who deserve to be stopped by the police." Talk about ideology...
@Andrew Blinkinsop Looks like it's the childrens' table for you!
YOU must never vote for TRUMP! Charles: Have you ever heard of forgiveness? Are you so perfect a human being?
2
More hate, sad and pathetic...
6
"If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!"
This is a new low for the NYT.
19
As opposed to the former real estate developer who with his father refused to rent apartments to blacks.
3
Hear Hear Mr. Charles Blow. This is you at your finest!
1
Please sign Mr. Blow up for four more years of Donald Trump.
8
Mr. Blow, you're really overdoing this. You want nothing to do with people who disagree with you? I guess since you're so opinionated, you do belong in the "Opinion" section. I'm all for a variety of opinions. Hopefully you'll grow to be that way.
7
Hey Charles ... Trump vs. Bloomberg ... who you voting for?
3
Bloomberg's programs in NYC were not racist. Many might consider your op-ed to verge on racist.
6
60% of hate crimes in NYC are committed against Jews. How about some condemnation of that? It's amazing how quick you are to complain when some demographics are subject to abuse while you remain silent when others are. That feels exceedingly racist to me.
10
We got it Blow:
Don't vote for anti-Big Gulp man, but it's OK to support for the black face wearing Governor of now blue blue Virginia.
1
Well here is where we part ways, Charles. I support Bloomburg over Trump, and I'd support Bloomburg's necktie over Trump. In fact, I'd support your toilet over trump, Charles. So I guess you have nothing to do with me now.
5
Mr. Blow, thanks for another divisive column. Now I know.
6
@JR I hope that, with time, you'll be able to weather this terrible blow against your sense of decorum.
1
I shy away at times from Charles Blow;s obsession like Don Lemon on CNN with racism in America. Neither of these guys ever acknowledge the overwhelming number of us white people (as we're called) who don't support Trump or any other racists. I know Don Lemon comes from a good family not Black Trash but I was appalled by his claim and that of W. Kamul Bell on CNN that one way to achieve racial equality for African American men is to impregnate their seed with white women. Even Obama stated that "...any fool can make a baby."
Having said that, I caution voters that they should watch what they wish for. Look what's happen to America with Trump. Apart from the racist claim from Mr. Blow, voting for Bloomberg may end up with someone just as bad, if not worse, than Trump.
@Gert
Gert: I'm not racist
Also Gert: Don Lemon's a good black, not black trash.
1
A stupid argument for too many reasons gto specify. Blow, get thee to a shrink.
9
Just another racist with power, isn't he? Not wearing a white hood but completely, morally okay with making life horrible for young black and Hispanic men.
These men were guilty until proven innocent under Bloomberg. Harassed without cause. Made to feel like 'less than,' the white man. Endured having a racist policeman run his hands all over his body while pushed up against a wall or a cop car. Treated like trash. Treated like a criminal.
No, Bloomberg. Go home, Bloomberg. Go home to your mansion and just sit there in your racist stew of self-righteousness, violence, and arrogance. Hold tight in your mind that it's okay to hurt young black men physically and emotionally.
Just keep your door shut. And keep your mouth shut. Go play with your money.
I don't want any of your kind in public office.
Thank you so much for writing this, Charles, and for backing up your point with statistics.
I didn't know this about Bloomberg.
He's out, in my mind. Utterly, completely out.
4
Overwhelming number of black crime victims, in overwhelmingly black communities reporting victimization, at the hands of all black perpetrators. Black people demand protection (police action). Whom should police investigate?
White people, oriental people?
Police over reaction? yes. But certainly not worth the race card, Brother Blow.
demand protection from
2
Sadly, you have a closed mind, not worthy of the paper of record.
7
Mr. Blow, if you insist on being so intolerant of those whose views differ from yours, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!
6
"If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!" I find it amazing that a journalist wrote these words, and a little disappointing. It reminds me of a local journalist in my hometown who was calling for a boycott of L.L.Bean. Why? Because a member of its board was a Trump supporter. Any, absolutely any, connection between a company and trump should result in an immediate boycott, went this journalist's argument. When an attempt was made to point out that Trumps ally David Pecker, of National Enquirer fame, was on the board of the company that owned the journalist's own newspaper, he ducked the issue by writing, "Get a life" and blocking all further comment. I found the I-won't-have-anything-to-do-with-you position out of sync with professional journalism then and I find it equally jarring here.
5
Stop and frisk worked, and I am a black man who is against its ending. Blow just plays a race card to attempt to portray himself as some defender of our rights and crusader against injustice for attention only. Most so-called black writers, leaders, etc. all have nothing but old cards they reshuffle over and over. I don't know anyone who reads Blow or even know him. He is perhaps only in print because of editors seeking diversity. Ask in my neighborhood and most were very happy with stop and frisk - it got a lot of trouble off the streets we live on. I pay for the Times and dislike columnists like Blow, who are condescending and live in old times.
8
The ‘big national picture’ is lost in this column
3
with headlines like this, I’m questioning your loyalty to the democratic party, Mr. Blow! Are you trying to get Trump elected a second term??? My goodness.
4
Hispanic here, and will gladly vote for Bloomberg. This city has gone into the drain under DeBlasio. Stop race baiting Mr. Blow.
10
Sadly, the NYT has let you make a career out of race-baiting. We get it--you despise success and love crime-infested neighborhoods because that pays the bills.
7
Wow Mr Blow. Applying the racist label to any white person you see fit seems to be your move. Touché. Knocking down a potential viable candidate (whom I believe many do not see as racist) ...great strategy. After reading many of your ill advised articles I am seeing who the true racist is here.
6
@DSO It doesn't matter that "many do not see" Bloomberg as racist--in fact, it doesn't even matter whether he is or is not. Bloomberg instituted and defended a policy that caused great damage and deep distrust. It also happened to affect only people who aren't white, which is an inconvenient truth that should give pause, even to you.
I Must Never Read Read Charles Blow
4
Hi NYT
I love the NYT, almost all the time. And opinion/editorials are my favorite part. But Charles Blow has been off the deep end for some time. His opinions are so fixed, so obvious, and therefore boring, that he needs a long vacation from the paper to clear his mind. The NYT should never be guilty of dullnes.
Sincerely, Paul Rosenberg, Sunnyvale.
11
Never vote for him? He was re-elected twice in a city with the majority population of minorities - kinda hard to paint him as a Nazi.
Your articles aren’t even juvenile - that would insult all the teenagers in this country.
6
Where there is great wealth there is great crime. I was right about the Trump criminal enterprise, abetted by the Republicans and I believe I’m right about a Bloomberg candidacy. A Trump/Bloomberg presidential race would be a lesser of two evils like never before, a lose-lose situation for sure.
Your reaction to Bloomberg sounds hysterical and one-dimensional. And you have totally missed the overriding issue in the coming election: to stop Trump so as "to save America, and to save the world" - just like John Kelly and Rex Tillerson were trying to do. Nikki Haley is trying to sound holier than thou about Kelly and Tillerson because she was not up to the this particular challenge.
4
Although I never closely examined it, I could never understand how it could pass legal muster. The Constitution requires a police officer to have an articulable suspicion in order to make a stop. How can that be reconciled with a stop and frisk without suspicion that can be put in words?
Yes, this is wrong but it is only one issue. And yes, he must be considered in light of who else is running. Bloomberg seems to be a very balanced man, liberal on social issues and responsible on fiscal matters. He knows how to run a company and a city and I would vote for him. I think he would be a legitimate leader who would responsibly lead. Trump has to go and the other democratic candidates, other than Biden, are too far to the left of the American public.
However you feel about SAF, Bloomberg was an excellent mayor, appointing qualified people, running the city professionally and with compassion. We would be fortunate to have him as president. He is the real deal versus the fraud we currently have.
3
Well I guess he's not getting your vote, huh?
Such moral clarity seems to require the donning of blinders. Ah, if only the world were really so simple.
On the other hand, weighing in the balance of positions Mr. Bloomberg holds I say he's a heck of a lot better than the guy currently sitting in the Oval Office.
You remember that guy, Charles, don't you? The one who called for the execution of the Central Park rapists. Except of course we then found out they weren't after they were locked up for years.
Trump is the alternative, Charles, to your "Never Mike" diatribe.....
1
Mr. Blow -
You are a writer... Couldn’t you have expressed your views in less militaristic terms? What makes you think that readers of the NYT need your orders? I guess I shouldn’t speak for anyone else, but I read the opinion page to gain perspective that I can use to make better decisions. Do you have so little faith in your readers’ intelligence that you feel they must be told who to “never” vote for? I think your approach - that verges on contempt - may have the opposite effect than that intended. It may raise Bloomberg in their estimation. Respectfully, D
4
I love when Charles Blow tells me what I must not do. How effective.
4
Sorry, Charles, but I don't agree on this one. If it takes a good Billionaire to stop a bad (and bogus) one, that is what I will vote for. I love Elizabeth Warren, but I am starting to conclude that she would rather promote her Medicare-in-the-Sky plan than be President, and that's just not acceptable. Bernie's now out of the running, in my mind, both for his views and for health reasons (I don't want to kill him, and if his heart can't take the strain of running, being President will finish him off -- look what it did to a much younger Obama). Biden is not looking good; Kamala Harris still thinks she's in California, talking about "dudes" all the time; I don't have a comb to give Sen. Klobuchar (a lot of being a good President boils down to temperament, not smarts), and I would vote for Buttigieg, but he is pretty young. So -- if Bloomberg can slay the dragon, I will vote for him. Plain & Simple.
2
A few facts you left out of your Op-Ed Charles, per NYPD with Bill de Blasio as mayor:
Murder/Manslaughter-87% of people arrested were black/hispanic
Rapes-86% of people arrested were black/hispanic
Other felony sex crimes-84% of people arrested were black/hispanic
Robberies-91% of people arrested were black/hispanic
Felonious assault-85% of people arrested were black/hispanic
Where you totally miss the point, is most of the victims are people of color. Where's your compassion for them?? People of color are most helped by these police tactics....not becoming victims of crime.
We are better off because of people like Rudy Giuliani (not the current Rudy) and Mike Bloomberg making the city safer and more prosperous. They also saved thousands of lives of people of color with their policing. Do you want to go back to 2,000 murders a year (most of whom were people of color)?
8
Sometimes that high horse you are always riding, Charles, gets you nowhere. I will vote for anyone who can defeat Trump. Disqualifying Bloomberg based on one issue, especially if he ends up having the best chance of defeating Trump, would be just plain stupid.
1
And NYC is much safer due to stop and frisk. And it was racist for sure. But don't worry no one is voting for little Mike for anything. His day has come and gone, long gone. But vote Biden to beat Trump, the two socialists will lose to that troll. And Mike will remain a billionaire non-president.
So, Mr. Blow, if Bloomberg wins the Democratic nomination and runs against Trump, who are you going to vote for? I think you should have opened your column with this statement: "If Bloomberg wins the Democratic primary, I will vote for ______ in the general election."
Otherwise your column is self-serving and has no credibility.
3
It has to also be added that Bloomberg removed affordable housing, didn't deal wiht the needs and concerns of the poor and that homelessness rose enormously, with him no municpal union received a contract (probably because Bloomberg is incapable of admitting compromise) in 12 years--and many people worked with expired contracts.
He is not a man of the people, because his definition of people is limited to those he likes. The result is a form of patrician-ism and intolerance of others. If you think his stop and frisk policy was bad for non-white people, imagine what he will think of a nation filled with drug addicted working-class people who need a break?
Bloomberg broke what was NY--a fast effervescence of humanity--and create a playground for the rich. The public schools initiatives he supported have mostly ended in under-performing schools, because they didn't meet the needs of real kids--only those kids that can be imagined in an office in City Hall.
The Subways didn't get fixed, the poor lost the homes, and lots more terrible stuff. I don't understand the fantasies that people are having about him as a great mayor. He wasn't. He gave up the city to the rich.
The only thing that has brought crime down, and made the city a great and mostly safe place, has been the hard work of people and communities determined to never live through the 70's again. Bloomberg gave them the shaft, and private/public partnerships that made it illegal to sell hot dogs in the parks..
2
Alternate title for this column: How Donald Trump Won the 2020 Election (exhibit A)
3
Charles says:
“If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!”
Is this a threat to NYTimes Readers? Or a promise?
5
@BB
A promise, hopefully.
Stop and frisk saved many black lives in the city. Don't they matter?
3
Stop and Frisk. Chicago is in desperate need of Stop and Frisk right now and the application of the broken windows theory. Decades of Democrat Party rule in the Windy City have left murder and mayhem virtually unreportable by the MSM. It will work with better training and oversight with federal monitors. Got a better plan, Charles?
2
Never say never say never. Four years ago the majority of voters said never and look what we got; racist uneducated bully Trump
Christopher Slevin
1
Then you are looking at 4 more years of Trump / Pence. Get real.
2
Charles: You must never tell your readers what they must or must not do.
6
I was never particularly fond of Bloomberg when he was mayor, primarily because of his "Stop & Frisk" policy. (His "nanny" attitude toward citizens was less important, of course, but also irritating.) But as a Hispanic male who was stopped and frisked twice by the cops, I still recognized that he was doing a lot of positive things for the city. Would he be my favorite candidate today? No. But if he were the nominee, would I vote for him over the idiot currently in the WH? Yes! I think Mr. Blow, whose opinions I generally agree with, would be best to think of the fate of the country as a whole rather than his own anger and resentment, however justified it may be. And I guess I'll just have to live, difficult though it surely will be, with Mr. Blow having "Nothing!" to do with me.
2
An old, white guy from the Left Coast: Never Bloomberg.
2
This may be the first time that President Trump and Charles M. Blow have agreed on anything.
3
Mr. Blow, - You should be ashamed of yourself.
If you're to be believed, Mayor Bloomberg enacted 'stop & frisk' laws purely out of racial hatred and animosity. Your hateful screed, based on data gathered during the 'stop & frisk' experiment drips with superiority backstopped by 20-20 hindsight.
Bloomberg tried a new approach, it didn't work, he cancelled it. End of story.
4
Thank You.
Here I am, a black woman. Where do I sign up to volunteer? I am so excited about his candidacy.
Charles, you are so off base with this op ed. I know you really don’t believe what you wrote.
6
Like the other leftists, Blow rails against police overreach while neglecting to provide any solution to the violent crime in our cities. Most studies have shown that "Stop and Frisk" lowers the rate of violent crime. Would Blow sacrifice more black and Hispanic deaths just to be politically correct?
3
This column is an unbelievably huge gift to Mr Trump
3
You are exactly right, Mr. Blow.
1
Mr. Blow,
You go too far when you tell me and other readers of this paper what they must and must not do. You charge many people and policies with racism -- too many in my opinion to take what you say seriously. Please stop being a race bully. (And no, I am not White).
5
Expect more thought-out columns than this on NYT op-ed page. Stop and frisk wasn't a good thing, sure, but come on: Do you really thing Bloomberg is a bigger racist than Trump?
Go ahead, vote for Warren or Sanders in the primary. You'll be doing Trump a favor.
3
It cut crime. Against black people too.
It is a deal maker for me.
4
As a veteran, I am disgusted at the number of commenters who still think Stop & Frisk is ok.
It isn't. It's a direct violation of the constitutional rights of these CITIZENS. Whether you like it or not, these people are citizens. With the same rights you have.
If you're ok with being randomly stopped and searched yourself, you're a fool. If you think it is ok to make 88% of your stops black and Hispanic/LatinX, you're a bigot.
2
Shocking to see all the Bloomberg defenders here!! Are you people all getting paid?!!
2
You must never listen to Charles Blow's advice.
He's an opinionated angry man who is not aware of what is good or bad for you, he simply wants his views to rule the world.
Bloomberg changed NYC, we had a real good run with him in charge.
Then cam Liberal super hero DeBlasio and we have a mess, we are back down to the 80's level drug and homeless epidemic.
Do not listen to Angry Carlos, he's just mad all the time.
5
Charles Blow reminds us of a painful period in recent city history and his critique of former Mayor Bloomberg deserves careful consideration and reflection. However, his final two sentences ("If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!") is a silly, sophomoric invocation of "cancel culture" that undermines both the seriousness of his argument and the usually dignity of the Times' Op-Ed pages.
7
Typical.
Refusing to have dialogue with anyone - Anyone! - who might support Bloomberg is a mistake. We need to keep conversing with people we don't agree with, even if we strongly dislike their past actions or political views. Hysteria and divisiveness will be what destroys Democrats.
Of course, what Charles does here is what he always does: portray someone's actions as making them directly equivalent to Nazis. And should we speak to Nazis? No!!!- he valiantly declares.
Pretty soon, Blow will only be able to talk to 10% of the populace. Everyone's action - even his own - can be construed as being racist with the right lens...
3
why would he stop and frisk white people on the upper east side ?
Shy would he seek to disarm the denizens of the upper wet side ?
where is the highest density of crime ?
take a wild guess..what group has the actual history of having the most illegal guns and commits the most violent crimes ?
face facts...not your sentiment or wishes.....
the reality is what it is.....deal with it honestly
when things are out of control, seek the ,most obvious solutions .
sorry if you do to like the facts that emerge
2
What a ridiculous conclusion!
It is hard to believe this columnist would prefer Trump to Bloomberg.
This election is going to be won by securing the middle, not by catering to the Progressives. Under no circumstances should Trump get a second term to continue the havoc and destruction of our country.
Blow, you blew it with the ridiculous suggestion in your column.
5
I’m sorry. Totally appreciate the sentiment, but not your logic. You are either clueless, a pawn of the Trump Campaign, or both.
3
For those who say they would rather choose Bloomberg over Trump, I say, wake up! Bloomberg may appear to be the lesser evil, but he will never rally enough support to beat 45. Better back a stronger non-Trump candidate, whether it's Warren or Biden, than split the votes and let the Idiot-in-Chief continue his reign of unholy terror.
Without Stop-and-Frisk, murders are up 30% in the City.
https://nypost.com/2019/03/09/murders-up-30-percent-in-new-york-city-this-year/
4
If millions of innocent White people had been similarly stopped and searched, Bloomberg wouldn't have a chance in Hades. But when it's Black and Latino people, they're expected to simply say "Hey, no harm, no foul."
This is the new face of American racism.
Giuliani? ... Trump?.... Clinton?.... Schumer?...
Now Bloomberg?
No Thanks NY. Get over your insistence on cramming your loudmouths down the rest of the country’s throat.
2
I assume that Mr. Blow wrote a similar column telling us not to vote for Kamala Harris.
4
The high stakes of 2020 call for a dispassionate debate. Did Mr Blow ask himself for a second what another Trump term would mean? His last sentence 'I want nothing to do with you' disqualifies him as an oped opinion writer...Sad
2
Democrats continue to eat their own.
4
Charles Blow makes the mistake of seeing Bloomberg as the evil of two lessers instead of the lesser of two evils.
1
So, vote for trump?
1
You may have a problem with stop and frisk, Mr. Blow. I do not.
Under Bloomberg, innocent men, women and children were able to navigate the city's streets and subways without being preyed upon by petty criminals and worse. If some innocent people were stopped and searched, so what? A very small price to pay for ensuring the greater good of the society. But your screed is simply a ham-handed attack on a decent guy. Shame on you.
4
This is an example of the divide in the country. If you have ever supported a policy I don't like you are not just wrong. You are evil, racist, sexist and deplorable. I will not engage in any discussion with you as you have no worth. Have we passed the breaking point as a country when the two main political parties espouse this kind of thinking.
1
No, Charles. It’s not a deal-breaker. Not all of us look through the same myopic lense you do where everything is a vast white wing conspiracy. You ought not mislead the rest of the non-New York world. It brought down crime. Period. Full stop.
4
If the general election came down to Bloomberg or Trump, I'm writing in Bozo The Clown.
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/pdf/analysis_and_planning/year-end-2018-enforcement-report.pdf
Charles should have a read through of this report. Are policies racists or are they targeting those committing the crimes? You decide
2
In California, many low level crimes have been decriminalized, which has led to a surge of robbery and theft. Crime is up in CA because arrests and prosecution are down.
While stop & frisk might be odious,and racist, I have yet to hear a solution to minority crime from a minority critic.
What would you do to stop crime in the Black & Hispanic community Mr Blow??
3
Anyone. ANYONE.
Anyone anyone anyone anyone anyone anyone.... should be voted for to get trump out in 2020.
Ease off Bloomberg, Blow.
2
no POC should vote for Bloomberg and no white people (me) that care about POC. Mass incarceration is just another name for slavery, jim crow, yada yada. Will it ever end?
Guilliano started Stop & Frisk. There was an extremely high crime rate in NYC at the time. Today Jews are being beaten in the streets of Brooklyn & Charles Blow doesn’t give a darn. He’s chosen to focus on a period of time when crime was out of control & an existing practice to stop perpetrators was being used. What’s being done now to stop those who are terrorizing Jews on the streets of Brooklyn. Blow is using this as a low blow against the best candidate.
4
"If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!" A rather intolerant statement there, Mr. Blow. Somewhat surprising. Maybe you prefer Trump.
3
His possible entry enrages me as well. Another arrogant jerk who thinks money can buy anything. And he’s not even a democrat.
We have great candidates - don’t need or want Bloomberg. This is repulsive.
I lived, worked, and raised three children from 1963 until 2018 in an urban renewable area that eventually was designated a “historic district”. I lived under incompetent, more competent and almost good mayors. Bloomberg may not have been the most competent but he was far from incompetent, and the wealth that Blow rails against at least made him less susceptible to corrupt influences.
I object strongly to Charles Blow’s venomous, vitriolic column and accuse him of not so latent anti-White racism. He owes the New York Times readers an apology for using his column for such animosity.
5
Another awful article from Charles Blow. Absolutely finished with his opinion columns. He gets it wrong every single time. Can't wait for these super woke liberals to hand Trump another four years. News flash NYTimes, Elizabeth Warren is NOT electable beyond NY and CA!
3
Amen Mr Blow - such hideous racist policies, old white man billionaire arrogance that only “he” can save us adds up to a GIANT NO. He needs to not run. His narcissism knows no bounds. We no longer need narcissistic old white men in the race and I include Biden and Bernie in that group. The torch is passed - time to elect real progressives that will work towards real equality for all and stop racism and wealth inequality and climate change.
Your headline rubs me the wrong way. You are only writing your opinion, not instructions.
2
Of course a lot of that police activity was like police stare or as Abraham Ribicoff said Gestapo tactics. That creasing being said shootings in NY seem to be increasing even if deaths not. But point well taken Bloom shows you can be liberal and a bad guy. Bad in a certain sense of illiberality ironically.
Agreed. Bloomberg should spend his money on reparations for the black and brown people of New York that S&F damaged.
If it's between Trump and Bloomberg?????? Then what, Charles?
2
Thank you, Charles, for another sterling contribution to the "eat our own" strategy of Democrats, who excel in trashing each other to the greater good of cretins like Trump. So, Bloomberg's no good; Biden's no good (Anita Hill); Mayor Pete's no good; Beto, I guess from your previous screeds, is good but gone; Yang is passable. So who? Who meets the Blow standard of excellence? And don't say Sen. Harris unless you check her record of prosecutions as San Francisco DA and CA Atty. General.
2
This may be the first time that Donald Trump and Charles Blow have agreed on something.
2
Where you been? NYC has been a police state since Mayor Giuliani. Now your outraged?
Mr. Blow is becoming increasingly strident and shrill in his reverse racism. His last column called-out the racist trope that African Americans as a group are more homophobic than whites, even though the statistics that he cited supported that so-called racist trope. Now he demands that we not vote for Bloomberg because Bloomberg tried to protect crime-ridden black neighborhoods with an aggressive stop and frisk policy. Even if the policy was misguided, I believe it was well intentioned and perhaps effective. I don't believe there is good reason to believe that it was racially motivated. I have as much reason to believe that Mr. Blow is anti-Semitic as he has to believe that Michael Bloomberg is racist. My point is that identity politics and tests of purity are a recipe for disaster for Democrats.
2
Mr Blow believes "stop and frisk" was a policy designed to target young black and brown men.
He implies that the purpose of such design was / is to humiliate people of color and funnel them into the jail system. Why? Because they are people of color; whites who are stopped constituted ~10% of people, so the program must be racist.
Accordingly, Mr Bloomberg who championed the "stop and frisk" policy is a racist and anyone who supports Mr Bloomberg is a racist himself.
Mr Blow is becoming more and more like Sean Hannity or Donald Trump every day in his belief in conspiracy theories and alternative facts.
Per the 2010 census, the white population declined from 43% of NYC residents in 1990 to 33% in 2010; blacks 29% to 26% over the same time, and Hispanics grew from 21% to 26%. Nearly all concentrated in census tracks wherein each ethnic group tended to be >50% of the track pop. The white group tracks had the highest income and education.
Per the 2017 NYPD report on crime in NYC, for each category of murder, rape, robbery and felonious assault, young black men committed 55% of murder, 61% of robbery, 48% of rapes and 53% of felonious assaults. Nobody else is close to the murder and assault rates. That includes both intra and inter racial victims.
Whites committed 7% of murders, 8% of rapes, 5% of robberies, and 8% of assaults.
Mr Blow is entitled to his conspiracy theories. Like Donald Trump, he embraces them even when logic says otherwise.
1
I don’t know Charles. We have a social justice warrior State attorney in Chicago (Kim Foxx) and soft policies on weapon and drug checks. Gangs of people kill each other every day here and nothing ever changes.
How can you stop the daily killing if checking black people for illegal weapons is automatically racism?
1
Can someone please write a column about a little thing called nuance? It’s pretty much everywhere. All the time. Requires some thinking though. Can’t contract it out to those whose only (blunt) tool is generalization and stereotyping, a la Charles Blow.
1
Bravo!
1
Note for Charles Blow:
Take your meds and get a good night's sleep, and then ask yourself whether you would be better served by 5 more years of Donald Trump, or by tolerating a competent public manager who is generally a social liberal, despite what you view as an egregious policy mistake. Bloomberg did not institute stop and frisk with deliberate malice toward innocent African Americans. Donald Trump has a lifetime record of very ingrained bigotry and disregard for the marginalized. Every institution of the American government and body politic is being eroded by the day under Trump. And you would lend a hand to Trump's continuance in office because you feel offended by stop and frisk? Better reconsider that.
It's part of what Tim Egan referred to as the "insufferable woke" culture that your opinion is cast in stone upon the mountaintop and everyone else is a blithering idiot. When that person is also a person of color speaking about race relations, that's exponentially true.
But........
I'm not sure where Charles was during the crack years in the Bronx, upper Manhattan, most of Brooklyn (read Bed Stuy) and southern and eastern Queens. It was brutal. You'd never know driving through those areas now of the fear, gangs, crime and general devastation that pervaded them during that time. And Charles- buddy- those weren't where the white folks lived.
The crimes weren't being committed by folks you could reason with or who were the slightest bit interested in cooperating with the authorities. The criminals had, literally, taken over the streets. They not only were winning, they had won.
Many of those areas have undergone a complete rejuvenation. They're safe to walk through and work in, and folks actually want to move into them.
It's an inconvenient truth that the reason those areas are now safe is because of "stop and frisk".
I know that will get me a couple dozen angry responses, and that I'll be tagged a racist and an idiot and a know nothing. But I'm no racist. And neither is Mike Bloomberg. He made those areas safe for their (mostly black and hispanic) residents using unpopular methods that he knew would draw a lot of heat.
That's what real leaders do.
1
Not to worry. The rich, Jewish gun-control guy from NYC isn't going to go over well in places like Idaho and Montana.
Was it really necessary to end this opinion piece with an exclamation mark? That seems childish to me!
2
I guess I won't post what I was going to say, since the author is clearly not willing to entertain any point of view on the subject but his own.
2
“If you support Bloomberg, I want nothing to do with you. Nothing!”
I want nothing to do with a second term Trump presidency!
So get a grip. Charles.
2
Blow lost all moral authority to preach about bigotry in last week’s editorial rationalizing and excusing homophobia. He needs to look in the mirror if he wants a more equitable society. I did not vote for Bloomberg the three times he ran for mayor. I do not need Blow dictating how I vote.
Jim K.
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I am not generally a big fan of Blow's articles, but I agree with him on this one. We don't need another billionaire racial profiler in the White House!
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What if he runs with Kamala as VP and potential future president?What then Mr. Blow?
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That's it Blow. You're a fool and anything you have to say from here on out is worthless blather.
Oh, wait. That's your game.... pick on one wart when the whole person is running for president. Bloomberg is the one candidate among the Democrats who might beat Trump.
Get your priorities straight.
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What a terrible headline.
Thank you, Charles.
Mr. Blow,
You are wrong in this instance.
I will be happy to vote for an orange monkey not named Donald Trump.
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Really? The language in this piece is incredibly strong. He is like Trump? Really?
Let me test your own potential bias: How do you feel about the Clinton’s who directly destroyed the lives of several women. Women who were now known to be telling the truth and who were personally and financially destroyed?
I hope you do not have a double standard....Perhaps I missed your columns about the Clinton’s who eviscerated these women for personal benefit?
Why don’t you mention Ray Kelly? You know, the experienced commissioner Bloomberg worked with and who was regarded as a world class leader?
What do you think about Louis Farrakhan? Oh wait, a quick search found a column where you show deep restraint and only reference others who speak negatively about him (notably a Jewish entity in your 2015 column about the million man march). The best you do in that column is call him a “lightning rod”.
Mr. Blow: I think The NY Times should do a sentiment analysis of your columns and look for deep biases that you may need to analyze.
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Bloomberg, too little, too late. Stalin declares war on Japan, after bomb is dropped on Hiroshima. Fruitless.
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Charles one of your best articles ever. I was flabbergasted when I moved back to NYC in 2009, after 35 years in CA, and saw what Bloomberg had wrought. Totally disgusted. Indefensible. Almost like he wished he could institute Apartheid. The idea of him running for President is almost vomit inducing.
Best idea I have heard recently (apologies to originator)
Get several of these billionaires of like mind to agree to fund a serious run for a third party or Republican candidate.
Think Mitt Romney or similar who appeals to R middle, swing state voters.
They will need a lot of $ to run the candidate all the way through Nov. 2020 vote.
Goal: siphon the votes in swing states.,
This is a good use of $ and doesn't include any objections like the ones raised here.
While I am sympathetic to your reasons for not voting for mr. Bloomberg, I hope you are equally passionate about the fact that if Bloomberg were to win the primary you would have to run to vote for him instead of Trump. the primary is the time when we make these choices and have the discussions such as the one you put in your editorial. when's the primary is over there is no room for discussion. you must vote for the Democratic nominee regardless of your feelings.
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