So happy to see Democratic candidates in the Central Valley, and the large crowds. Fingers crossed that they come out next month, and in November, to defeat the odious Devin Nunes.
1
The “science” of campaigning, and getting elected, or
at least some front row seat for influencing...,
perhaps even with the help of algorithms-
post-modern “rosaries,”-fills the various media.
How much space and time is left for civility?
For mutual trust?
For mutual respect?
For looking and actually seeing?
For listening and actually hearing?
For mutual help, when, and if needed?
For experienced and expressed compassion?
For much needed caring for oneself as well as others?
The Big “C.” Canvassing? Campaigning? Complacencies? Complicities?
CHANGES that can make a sustainable difference of, and for, wellbeing.
At the very least, I hope Tom steyer and several others drop out before this. There are so many people still running who have no chance to win. Let’s start to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Bernie fans were fine with Bloomberg’s money when he said he’d financially support the nominee...funny how their tune changes when it looks like Mike might be a real challenge for the nomination.
1
I'm getting tired of the argument that Bloomberg is buying the election. Buying an election is pandering to voters, for example, $1,000 a month or free tuition at 4-year public universities. Noble goals, but their feasibility is in question.
Bloomberg has the money necessary to counter all the lies that will be coming from the Republicans in the next election. This isn't buying an election. It's being armed to fight fire with fire.
12
Check out Doyle McManus' column in the Los Angeles Times ("How a President Sanders might steer foreign policy", Sunday, January 19, 2020, p. A2)...."Vermont senator sees a less aggressive, but not pacific, role for U.S. ".
Then explain to me why I would vote for billionaire Bloomberg over Sanders.
Bernie has been giving the same message for many, many years. While he says "Medicare for All", he is the "amendment king" of the Senate - so he will make the best possible deal. Same with forgiving college debt, free college, etc. He will get the needle moved as far as it is possible to go.
No more billionaires unless, of course, Bloomberg buys the nomination. Then I will hold my nose and vote for him.
1
The fact that Bloomberg is swooping in & buying this election, after Trump's speech today, it is really hopeless. Hopeless.
3
@PhillyBurbs Bloomberg is not Trump.
1
The Capitalist vs. the Communist. CA will go with the Mayor of South Bend, for whatever he stands for.
1
He was the mayor of my town for 12 years... at the end he was a crank.
If it’s between Trump and Bloomberg, I’ll choose Bloomberg but for now my candidate is Yang!
3
If you were hiring someone to run your business, invest money for you, plan your estate, or just wanted advice, and you distrusted socialists, and the three B's, Biden, Bloomberg, and Buttigieg, applied, who would you hire? Seems an easy answer. It's not as if the US Marshals are going to go on a stop and frisk rampage if Bloomberg was elected.
2
Will California voters notice that the Trump administration shut down the pandemic disease response team in 2018?
LET US COUNT the Ways the Trump Administration Is Underprepared to Tackle the CORONAVIRUS - Leadership vacuum? Check. Expert hospital scarcity? Check.
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2020/01/coronavirus-white-house-public-health-cdc-hospitals/
2
Listen man, listen to that nutjob at the prayer breakfast this morning. Trump must be removed from office.
While I am in concord of mind with Bernie Sanders (particularly about health care), I realize he is unelectable because he will be tarred by Trump as a socialist. But let's say Mr. Sanders wins the presidency. Then there will be a Civil War or worse during a Sanders' administration with Trump's base.
Mr. Bloomberg has not been perfect in his public life. But in a rare admission by a politician, he apologized. In addition, he has some progressive ideas about climate change, etc. Bloomberg can talk to rich people about taxes. In addition he has at least 50X the amount of equity Trump has. He could put his taxes and accounting books on the table and say, "I showed you mine, let's see yours."
Mike Bloomberg got laid off, and then created a digital empire before most people knew what a personal computer was. I believe he can lay the foundation for a new America. After that, we can move on to more progressive Democratic presidents with ideas similar to those of Warren and Yang.
Right now, the Democrats need a ringer to beat Trump. A Bloomberg-Klobucher ticket would be a winner
14
Bloomberg is buying the election. Take heed.
5
Just a it more searching and there are videos of Bloomberg attacking millennials basically calling them fools for wanting a social democracy more like Denmark, Finland etc. His rationalization for this is blaming the education system.
He goes on to attack Bernie supporters as youth who lack the capacity to understand capitalism is the only system and every other system is a failure.
Side note Pete Buttiege hired a Goldman Sachs executive to be policy manager. As many people mentioned earlier that Pete was being dishonest on progressive policy this action seems to rationally support they were correct.
3
I don't watch TV very much, hardly ever in fact, so all this money spent on advertising is wasted on me. I have a very effective ad blocker on my browser, so that money is wasted as well. I have a standing rule for myself saying that I will not vote for any politician who dares to bother me with a phone call and I firmly believe that politicians should be among those targeted by the "do not call" list.
I think that I am intelligent enough to make up my mind who and what to vote for, and what to buy as well, without all this hype. I read newspapers, online and in print, and if I want to buy a widget I know how to evaluate which one is best, and where to find it.
1
Do not support plutocracy. We got Trump and he’s evil
5
Do you really think there is any similarity between Bloomberg and Trump? They are as different politically as they are physically. And considering Trump’s fraudulent claims and actions, they are equally different as businessmen as well.
8
Bloomberg has donated over one billion dollars to Johns Hopkins University.
He has consistently used his fortune to benefit education, the arts, reducing gun violence, etc. etc.
Look up Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Educate yourselves.
And if you refuse to vote for Bloomberg if he wins the nomination, and you call yourself a Democrat, then shame on you.
Your vote will end up giving a criminal 4 more years in office.
17
Fresno by itself should be more influential than Iowa. Both are big agribusiness centers but the faces of Fresno look like what the US will look like in 20 years. Also, at over 500,000 people, the city has actual urban problems like the areas most Americans live in. The Fresno metro area has over a million people yet most Americans probably think it's a small town. Shouldn't it have two senators (or perhaps three based on population) since Wyoming does?
4
Bloomberg/Abrams, Sanders/Abrams, Buttigieg/Abrams, Warren/Sherrod Brown, Klobuchar/ Brown, all singularly glorious sounding. Biden needs to act responsible and step down. The Democratic nominee front looks great without him.
I’d vote for any blue pair. Looking forward to the primaries :-)). Onward, ahead and still trying hard to stay positive.
3
We all need to remember that this is Biden's third attempt to get the nomination.
Each time it is harder for him.
We cannot afford to feed his huge ego, his sense of entitlement that this is his time ( HRC anyone?).
As soon as possible he needs to be shown the door and with many thanks for his years of service sent packing.
Mike is going to get this done.
When he does, we will all breathe a big sigh of relief and think, Why did we not get it? Our goal is to beat Trump. Find someone who can do it. If they are willing to spend their own money to do it, great!
Forget Biden. No need to keep eating leftovers.
We deserve better.
6
Inclination is to go with a candidate that uses a personal fortune rather than beg money off folks who can ill afford to contribute.
3
I think Mike has a better chance of beating Trump than any of the other candidates. I’d love to see him and Stacy Abrams pair up and go for a win in November.
14
I heartily agree.
2
I think Bloomberg/Buttigieg. Bloomberg to get in, clean it up. Buttiegieg after four years can run and serve two terms. Young, fresh and experienced. Multi lingo, military experience, foreign policy savvy, technology skilled millennial.
14
More and more, I like the idea of Bloomberg. How about a Bloomberg/Klobuchar ticket?
11
@Acey
That's my Dream Team. I like Mayor Pete too for Veep, but in today's society, a transgender Nazi has a better chance of getting on the ticket than does another white male.
1
Whoever says They will never ever vote for Mike might as well say they will vote for Trump.
People! Don't you know what is at stake? Stop thinking that we are in anything other than an existential crisis. Donald Trump is president and unleashed and unhinged by a traitorous Senate Majority Leader.
These are critical times and futzing around for months in a small unrepresentative state (no disrespect to Iowa intended) is going to get Trump out of our White House.
I am sick of the press forgetting that the senate 'trial' was never going to end any other way than the way it did. I'm tired of the candidates acting as though it's Romney or McCain running at the top of the R ticket.
Bloomberg gets it. Out of the box is the only way to win this time. Next time, when we've restored our republic, when we've balanced the Congress with actual working congresspeople, THEN we can talk about the best way to provide services to the needy, return our environment to a path of conservation, reign in the evil doers.
But FIRST Donald Trump must be defeated.
Nothing else matters. Absolutely nothing else.
23
I know it's not nearly as cool to say as "I support Sanders". But I really like Mike. He is a practical politician that could do a world of good in this office.
22
@No
I think "I support Bloomberg" sounds great. It's also a great way to communicate that you have at least some grasp of how the world works and put realistic, thoughtful pragmatism over wild fantasies.
6
It's possible there will not be a clear winner by the Convention. A brokered convention I believe would favor Bloomberg. Time will tell. I've been seeing ads on TV by Bloomberg for weeks. I haven't seen or heard a thing about anyone else. I want someone reasonable that can administer government. We see daily what happens when someone who is incompetent is in charge. We need change, but we need change that can get through Congress. Sanders has no track record of getting any of his legislative agenda passed into law. This is something that should be considered.
12
Let's see besides Bloomberg spending close to half billion dollars so far to be the democratic candidate, are we suppose to forget he ran as a republican and endorsed GW Bush at the republican convention. Not to mention the little problem of stop and frisk and he owns a media company. We aren't that desperate .
5
@Mike kelly
How you looked recently at the clown car of candidates running for the Dem nomination? The more popular ones would be fine - if they were running for the Berkeley City Council, but they aren't. So Yes, we are that desperate.
7
I’m desperate
2
Although I was not a big fan of Michael Bloomberg’s policies when he was the mayor of New York city, I’m beginning to believe he may be the only one who can beat Trump. He’s got the money to go up against the Republican machine, but more importantly he understands what it’s going take to defeat Republicans in 2020. I am a proud progressive, but I will bite the bullet to defeat as many spineless, disingenuous, Republicans in the next election. Even if that means voting for Michael Bloomberg in November instead of Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren.
21
Right, but you can and should use your primary vote for the person YOU want to see in the White House.
When you have 2 former Democratic mayors of large cities within their respective states (Los Angeles and Buckhorn from Tampa) endorsing Bloomberg, Democrats should wake up and smell the coffee! This is not the year to experiment with Bernie or Pete. Bloomberg will attract independents and Republican votes and win by a very large margin. I hope he picks Amy as VP. He has my primary vote!
11
Warren is clearly the one to unite the Party. She will make a great President. The noise -makers are drawing all the attention. Bernard and Peter are not ready for the task of leading this Country. Warren is a corruption fighter and has a clear vision on what needs to be done- and she has proved that she can get things done.
4
@Edward Trujillo
Unite which party? Socialist or Communist? She won't get anything done with a Rep Senate, and that is not going to change anytime soon.
1
Bloomberg would lose to Trump in a landslide. He does not have a base, a coherent political ideology, or Obama-esq election-changing charisma. All he has is money, and that is not enough to stop Trump.
5
Buying an election is how the Supreme Court decided these contests should be decided. That horse is out of the barn. Now your only choice is to pick which billionaire (or fake billionaire) that you like.
3
The oil that makes this authoritarian machine run, and allows billionaires versus fake billionaires to win American elections, is the despicable and corrupt decision of the John Robert’s Supreme court ruling over “Citizens United” — which may be the most Immoral decision that the John Roberts Supreme Court ever presided over. But History will remember that President Obama signed
this horrific bill into law. So sad.
1
Anyone who says that Bloomberg is simply buying the nomination is missing a very big picture. With Biden circling the drain, I don't see anyone on the list from Iowa who can beat Trump. One of the weakest fields in memory. If removing Trump is pretty much job #1 for Democratic voters - I think it behooves all of us to regard Bloomberg as someone far more legitimate than just a bored rich guy toying with buying the presidency. Smart, incredibly organized, financed, tech savvy and is already angling to give Trump a stroke - which also works for me. Plus - he's shoveling cash into House and Senate races. I used to regard his candidacy as a sideshow. Not no mo.
23
A Bernie/Bloomberg ticket might get a landslide. Just has to have Bernie on top.
Bloomberg is a good systems thinker whereas Bernie is analytical with superior judgement and integrity. Both are pragmatic and experienced.
Trump's good at breaking up the status quo. A Bernie/Bloomberg team would be a good team to pick up the pieces and remake government for the benefit of the People.
3
@Fourteen14
Not Bernie. I'll vote for anyone but Trump, but I don't think I should have to do it while holding my nose twice in a row.
4
@KJ
Bernie has judgement, integrity, and character, the three qualities a great President needs, and that Trump does not have. Who cares if he is "rumpled." Do you want to win?
1
@Fourteen14
Dude, this isn't a fantasy baseball league. Bloomberg would never serve with Bernie, and vice versa.
7
I certainly didn't vote for Bloomberg when he ran for mayor but, should he be the Democratic nominee, I will vote for him.
26
Mike Bloomberg has three things going for him:
1. He doesn't feel compelled to play by other people's rules.
2. He's an extremely smart and creative guy.
3. And partly for that reason, he has accumulated a ton of money.
So he thought it best to skip the Iowa caucuses. OK, he's not smart enough to have foreseen the meltdown, although part of the reason he skipped Iowa was that he didn't think gaining the handful of delegates was worth the risk of getting lost in the crowd of candidates. Plus as this article reports, this allows him to concentrate on the big ticket primaries.
I love Bernie, but we can't give Trump the beating stick of "Now the Democrats want to impose socialism on you!," and possibly use this to once again peel off the swing voters who enabled his razor-thin win in 2016.
Mike is the only one certain to send Trump back to his tower. But more importantly, he is the most capable of getting our once-great country back to where we need to be in our challenging future. But I've been wondering what he's up to, so when I read this article I leapt out of my chair. I think we're on the road to saving our country, but it won't be easy.
34
@Jerry Schulz
Bloomberg is not an experienced campaigner, he'd not fare well up against the others and also doesn't do as well with the media. So he's smart to avoid all that and change the rules.
I don't believe he's running for President. He just says he is, which allows him to spend his money against Trump. Consider him a strategic reserve, an overwatch ready to even the playing field.
He is doing the Democrats a favor by going negative against Trump so they won't have to look bad and will keep up the ad spending after someone else wins the primary.
What Bloomberg is doing is his civic duty.
3
Bloomberg has exactly one thing going for him: Money. Billions of it.
He already bought the DNC.
The rule change to let him into the debates was a mere $320,000.
Of course everything is for sale in America, but you are supposed to don a fig leaf, not celebrate it. (I think? No?)
The Bloomberg candidacy is grotesque.
Only American liberals can be convinced that a racist stop-and-frisk Republican billionaire is really a champion of progressivism.
3
I find it really interesting that the sudden rush of digital support for Bloomberg shares such identical talking points. No, no I'm not saying they are all shills.
But why is the best argument for Bloomberg that he will beat Trump? That he can go head to head with Trump. That he gets under Trump's skin like no one else.
This election isn't a boxing event or a freestyle rap battle. Elections turning into performances pieces is terrible for our democracy.
Trump can skip the debates and do nothing and his troll farm will continue to campaign for him. Nothing Bloomberg does will eat away at Trump's support.
The centrist democratic presidential losses this century are all very clear. The only one who won was Obama because it was an opportunity for a historical win. Bloomberg, like Hillary, Kerry and Gore, has nothing exciting to offer and no chance to win.
I will say that I do appreciate Bloom doing the dirty work so Sanders can stay focused on getting disenfranchised voters to turn out.
3
@Lawren If getting rid of Trump in November isn’t the number one of issue of Democratic voters in November, 2020 why has the mating call of the Democrats for the last three years, “Vote Blue, No Matter Who?”
1
I’d rather Mike a self made guy be spending his own cash on tv ads then someone promising free everything that has a ZERO chance of passing. This is almost funny but it’s not. I’m convinced most people have no idea how the branches of gov work.
Bernie’s way of buying the election is promising a free for all that he’s said he has “no idea what the cost is and it doesn’t matter”
Unfortunately it does matter Bernie because it won’t pass.
27
Wouldn't a Democrat Presidential candidate with Romney as VP be unbeatable? It would allow those many Republicans who feel that Trump should have been impeached someone to vote for and give Democrat voters some hope of combination that could actually topple Trump.
17
the last thing we need in California or anyplace else in America right now is another billionaire trying to buy his way to the white house. He is nothing but a capitalist, not interested in the lives of most of us, and showed us who he really was as mayor of NYC, my former home, when he approved stop and frisk. Enuf said Michael - go home and count your dollars. you will do less damage that way.
5
@sheila
Bloomberg donates the profits from his corporation to charity. He pays his employees good wages. He’s responsible for turning Times Square from a peep show mecca to a tourist destination for families. His advice to Trump when got elected was to hire people smarter than you and delegate authority. Trump’s response was that there was no one smarter than him. I prefer Sander’s ideals, but Congress isn’t going to play ball.
10
@shelia, Please have another look at his whole record. Nothing wrong with someone that’s self made and doing lots of good with their fortune.
5
Not only was Bloomberg wasteful in many of his ill-considered decisions as mayor, many of those decisions were made autocratically. The people that disagreed with him about his education decisions were fired. He hired first Joel Klein, a children's rights advocate, as school chancellor and followed with Cathie Black. Mayor de Blasio is still trying to fix the mess Bloomberg and these two made of the schools. His touted higher graduation rate is just part of the smoke and mirrors that passes for strides in education. Every teacher who was there before and during the reign of Bloomberg knows the harm his "reforms" inflicted.
4
Sad that at this point in history, when we have become so inundated by and so inured to advertising, an endless onslaught of deliberately vague, gauzy ads by a billionaire can sway people's minds. If I suddenly found myself considering Bloomberg after sitting through a few dozen of these, I'd be ashamed of myself. This is how you pick a toothpaste, not a President.
3
Bloomberg is not a corrupt grifter who wants the presidency as a vanity project to make money for his family. He didn’t do any of that during his 12 years as mayor and he attracted a lot of really talented people to work in his administration that left their huge paying jobs to work for him - he is what Trump promised and never delivered.
Any blue will do but the senate is the bigger prize. Nothing gets done if the senate remains in McConnell’s hands - nothing.
We could survive a second Trump term if Democrats held the senate. I despise Trump but if you gave me a choice between the presidency and the senate it is the senate that truly matters.
17
Best would be a president in his/her prime of life, but Bloomberg seems to be holding his own against Father Time much better than Biden or Sanders. Biden is getting crotchety, and even without his health issues, Sanders won't be doing many 'Bernie Bro' conversions in my area. They think he's a nut. And I've never heard anyone discuss Elizabeth Warren seriously.
Bloomberg or Buttigieg would be my choice. Both would be best of all. They have the brains and talent, they're workaholics, and neither wishes to feed on his fellow human beings.
But people seem to stick with names they know. You can bet that if there happened to be a good-looking, personable Kennedy running, this would all be moot.
14
Mike Bloomberg has given away billions over his lifetime to good and charitable causes that helped real people without taking any bows and there is no Bloomberg University, or Bloomberg Hospital.
In contrast, Trump has not given way one thin dime to help anybody but Trump. But 3 cheers for the students of Trump University, these poor souls certainly learned a lesson and are much wiser now. which it comes to Trump's truthfullness and honesty as the majority of this country in November shall give Trump, an impeached president, his final grade which will be an "F."
I don;t know if Mike Bloomberg is our sole savior but he would be a better president than Bernie Sanders. As between those two I would choose Bloomberg because he would win, but I am 85 and the voters that will be most important other that women, are young people. As to who would be a better president, any Democrat, most of the people that I know: but that is a very low bar.
There are 4 key issues for me: climate change; universal single payer health care for those who want it; rebuild or replace our infrastructure and have broadband universal; and repairing the damage done by Trump and the GOP since
Reagan, including real tax reform and adding 4 new justices to the Supreme Court.
18
@Sheldon Bunin - Yes, even the Trump Foundation was crooked. As the Times reported in December, "President Trump has paid $2 million to eight charities as part of a settlement in which the president admitted he misused funds raised by the Donald J. Trump Foundation to promote his presidential bid and pay off business debts, the New York State attorney general said on Tuesday." Yet his followers continue to support him.
2
I’m not going to vote for Bloomberg.
4
@Zejee But WHY NOT?
1
@zeejee
I will vote for Bloomberg if he gets the nomination. I want Biden/Klobachar but Bloomberg is okay with me.Otherwise it’s a choice between the socialist and the psychopath, period.
1
My family needs Medicare for All.
4
You guys so desperately need a decent voting system... The descriptions in this piece make my head spin. One person, one vote, how hard can it be? Very hard, apparently. Sad.
3
@Mirjam I think the problem is not to have a lot of candidates. Republicans had 18 four years ago.
Problem is their ideas !!!!
Bloomberg has spent years fighting hard for gun control and policies to fight climate change destruction.
These are 2 signature issues for young voters.
Mike Bloomberg can fire up younger voters with his forward thinking policies.
We desperately need a nominee who can appeal to young voters who might otherwise sit this out. Millions of young progressives and Democratic voters did not turn out to vote for Hillary in 2016 or voted for Jill Stein.
Joe Biden opposes the legalization of marijuana - a sure loser among young voters and millions of older voters.
Bloomberg can point us toward the future.
15
@fast/furious. Opposing the legalization of marijuana is to me a right decision by Biden. He has my respect in this.
1
@fast/furious
I don't think Biden is really for the legalization of marijuana. I think he was confused and didn't understand the question. He probably thought the reporter was asking about getting green cards for Maria & Juan.
1
@fast/furious. A future more plastic and inhumaine than what we now have in the US. As @Chris in Berlin wrote, “The Bloomberg candidacy is grotesque.“. Check out what Bloomberg’s hand of steel did to NYC.
What have we come to as a nation? Nothing human left. Very hard and sick society in the wealthiest country in the world.
The comments about Bernie worry me. Campaigning against Amazon as a component of the Green New Deal.
75% of online shoppers use Amazon. To conflate energy and global warming with an anti-Amazon message is breathtakingly foolish and plays right into Trump's little hands.
It lends credence to the idea that the far left is anti-business and anti-common sense.
7
@Texas Duck An anti-Amazon campaign probably won’t get Sanders much good press on WaPo either.
1
I hope Mike Bloomberg has done some research on CA voters, we typically look down on and tend not to vote for multimillionaires and billionaires. Examples include Meg Whitman, Al Checchi, Michael Huffington. The exception is Schwarzenegger.
2
@Gary Valan
Bloomberg is way smarter than that. We may prefer to vote for the newest progressive flavor of the month, but at the end of the day, CA will vote for the D over the R, regardless of who is running. Bloomberg knows this.
2
Isn’t part of Fresno in Devin Nunes district? Bold move!
Message to Democratic candidates- don’t forget us out here in Arizona. Only two of you have set up camp here so far.
5
@JCAZ:
Excellent reminder to the campaigns. AZ is a wildcard in my book. I would love to see the U.S. Senators from AZ wearing "blue." No time like the right time to satrt forging bonds...
1
Bloomberg was the REPUBLICAN Mayor of NYC.
Does that bother any other Democrats?
It bothers me.
He openly declared that he thought of living in this city as a luxury product and all other quotes from him amounted to the same — he told the middle class to get rich, or get out.
He's a good business man all right. He mixed his business freely with politics. When he became Mayor he was worth 5 billion dollars. 13 years later after overturning the term limit laws using an archaic legislative technicality and leaving city hall worth 22 billion, we were all amazed.
Dumfounded.
I mean: what are the chances?
6
@Arthur: simple compounding of well invested money would turn 5 into 22 over 13 good years. Who cares what party he belongs to if he is smart, competent, surrounds himself with great advisors, will fight climate change and advocate for gun control? Why have party labels become so important? The founding fathers knew they were abhorrent.
3
@RE
He made that money by making massive real estate deals in a market flooded with money laundering and dominated by a few developers that he gave the xoming changes they wanted to, as well as helping to gerrymander development funds from the feds away from Harlem and other outer boro projects and throwing them to the billionaires for the Hudson Yards. As Mayor he had the unilateral power to finalize decisions at the landmarks commission deciding what stays and what gets torn down. If you think that extra 17 billion popped up from standard accounting practices, I have a bridge in Brooklyn you might want to buy.
@RE
He made that money by making massive real estate deals in a market flooded with money laundering and dominated by a few developers that he gave the xoming changes they wanted to, as well as helping to gerrymander development funds from the feds away from Harlem and other outer boro projects and throwing them to the billionaires for the Hudson Yards. As Mayor he had the unilateral power to finalize decisions at the landmarks commission deciding what stays and what gets torn down. If you think that extra 17 billion popped up from standard accounting practices, I have a bridge in Brooklyn you might want to buy.
Also he didnt just belonf to the Republican Party, he promoted their policies. He hated the poor just because they were poor. he starved seniors out of buildings by having meal ervice funding cut. He was a petty, petty man and Suits like you who worship him and his money longing to be like him are completely uninformed about the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers Lives he destroyed to create the Singapore-on-Hudson we have now.
Last thing American democracy needs, after all the slings and arrows of misfortune, is a plutocrat buying the Presidency like a pricey piece of art to hang on their wall.
3
It's a remarkable moment in history. In addition to a lawless White House, rampany school and mass shootings, the Senate is Republican controlled and owned by the NRA. And then there is Climate Change. Species are going extinct at a biblical rate. The world must shift from a fossil fuel economy to a sustainable green economy. Time is of the utmost importance. And this at the exact moment American leadership is so crucial, we have a moron climate denier in the office of President.
The democratic contenders are lightweights up against the corruption and power of Trump, his base and the oligarchs who privately fund him.
I believe Bloomberg may be our best hope. He is the one person powerful enough who can take on the NRA (and has) and committed resources to Climate Change (and has) and can stomp on a Donald Trump as if he were a Zika carrying mosquito.
As nice as it would be to elect a woman, a minority or a millennial, this is far too important to be distracted by politics. It's going to take someone unique to beat Trump. Bloomberg is an honest dedicated man who happens to have respect for the nation and it's Constitution. He has a history of bringing in strong competent smart people. Wall street and those who vote based on the economy would support a Bloomberg. Oh and yes he happens to be a $50 Billionaire and not afraid to put his own money to help defeat Trump. I think Bloomberg is the weapon we need.
14
Listen man, listen to that nutjob at the prayer breakfast this morning. Trump must be eliminated from office.
While I am in concord of mind with Bernie Sanders (particularly about health care), I realize he is unelectable because he will be tarred by Trump as a socialist. But let's say Mr. Sanders wins the presidency. Then there will be a Civil War or worse during a Sanders' administration with Trump's base.
Mr. Bloomberg has not been perfect in his public life. But in a rare admission by a politician, he apologized. In addition, he has some progressive ideas about climate change, etc. Bloomberg can talk to rich people about taxes. In addition he has at least 50X the amount of equity Trump has. He could put his taxes and accounting books on the table and say, "I showed you mine, let's see yours."
Mike Bloomberg got laid off, and then created a digital empire before most people knew what a personal computer was. I believe he can lay the foundation for a new America. After that, we can move on to more progressive Democratic presidents with ideas similar to those of Warren and Yang.
Right now, the Democrats need a ringer to beat Trump. A Bloomberg-Klobucher ticket would be a winner
9
Speaking as a progressive who harangued Mike Bloomberg at Gay Pride in 2004 for having the RNC convention in NYC, I’m supporting him for president. Here’s why: I would like to have a Jewish president. The resurgence of anti-Semitism with Trump is scary. The Iowa caucus disaster shows that we need a candidate who knows tech. He has the chops and power to fight Russian disinformation. He ran NYC for three terms. Whoever wins the WH will have to get DC back on track. Moderate Republicans and Wall St. will work with him. They probably won’t go for the other candidates. Trump can’t call him a socialist. He must have a ton of info on Trump pre-WH (he was mayor and ran a news service). Please go negative. He may even have seen Trump’s taxes when he was mayor. He came out swinging with a Super Bowl ad on gun control. He is a successful businessman ($60 billion. I think this is one third the GDP of Russia. not sure). This must drive Trump crazy. He will destroy Trump in any debate on economics. He is not part of the impeachment scenario, which has come to a tragic and frightening end. Mothers afraid their kids will be shot at school will support him.
I didn’t support him when he was mayor for many reasons; but I don’t want more children to die in cages and he will fight to win. He seems to fundamentally care about the U.S. and all of our kids.
20
Ready for my “I like Mike” t-shirt!
15
According to the 2010 Census, Compton was at that time 33% black and 26% white. Why is the audience in the photo almost 100% white? Is it a reasonable sample of the makeup of the audience? I had and still have a lot of trouble with Bloomberg's racist "stop and frisk" policy when he was the NYC mayor. Is that why? Does he think he can win without the black vote or the hispanic vote? It didn't work for HIllary.
The Battle for Fresno,
The votes are not 'Yes/No'.
Who will get the mass vote?
Will his dollars float his boat?
My last rhyme is, "... says No."
1
I don't agree with much of Bloomberg's policies, but he's the only Dem candidate that doesn't sound totally nuts.
He was a good mayor for NYC and donated a lot of his fortune to keep many NY businesses and charities going.
And what does he get for it? A bunch of clueless Democrats that don't like him only because he's rich. That's it. So should the charities give Bloomberg back his money?
At 77 he isn't at an ideal age to start being POTUS. But out of the whole herd of Dem candidates, he's the only one who has a clue on how to run anything. Plus, one of his daughters likes horses, and that's nice. I love horses.
16
To do well in Ca Bloomberg must understand the state and it's different parts. If he thinks he will get one vote from a redneck in the Central Valley he is delusional. Southern California can be understood by binge watching SNL episodes of "The Californians". Northern California can be understood by watching episodes of "Portlandia" with a Burning Man movie thrown in. And if you ever call San Francisco "Frisco" you are toast brother, it's like ordering a Pastrami sandwich and a glass of milk in NYC.
1
Any guy who spends millions of his own money trying to give a stroke to Trump gets my praise, if not my vote.
11
I am not going to vote for Bloomberg
1
California may be a surprise. I remember some years ago when they voted in the Terminator as "Governator". Another foolish move by the masses, but it could happen!
If Bernie will be the Democratic presidential candidate, Donald will eat him alive. It is like carnivore T. rex Donald prey on vegetarian Triceratops Bernie.
6
Bernie’s going to blow Bloomberg and of his other contenders right out the water in California.
Sanders 2020
1
Go Mike go!!!
Progressives need to stop taking cues from folks that haven’t created anything but rather tweet and yell. Both of which are useless aside from creating the illusion that they’re getting things done.
Mike is smart and effective. We’d be lucky to have him.
14
What about BLOOMBERG / BUTTIGIEG 2021 ?
9
I’ve come to think that Bloomberg might be the best choice, because, unlike Trump the fake billionaire, Bloomberg actually has the country’s best interest at heart and worked for almost nothing as Mayor.
Pair him with one of the new young candidates as VP.
He is not without flaws, but his occasional lack of social skills (dog snout handshake) and charisma actually mark him as a non-politician.
Just hope the DNC will recognize this!
11
Sorry everyone, I like Bernie, I really, really do. But in case you haven't noticed, he will be smeared as a socialist and HE WILL LOSE.
Have you watched tRUMP lately? FOX "News?" The SOTU address? The socialist smear campaign is already in full throttle, and the deplorables are eating it up.
Michael Bloomberg is the ONLY candidate who can beat Capt. Bonespurs, period.
18
@Mike Schmidt
Who cares what Trump says? Democrats will be the ones voting for Bernie, not Republicans or Fox News watchers. Democrats prefer socialism to capitalism now by a good margin in polling. So socialism is a feature not a bug. Any Democrat calling himself or herself a capitalist will be trounced.
@Fourteen14 Get real. First you get rid of Trump.
When Trump campaigned in 2016 he held two rallies a day with 5000 at each rally. Trump recently held a rally in Wildwood NJ. People camped out to make sure of getting in to the event the next day. Lots of people seem to care what Trump has to say. And in July 2016 in my state, in two cities in different parts of the state, they waited for hours in the hot sun for a chance to listen to him say it.
Anyone but Trump, anyone but Trump, anyone but Trump.
3
Go Mike, go!
12
Go Bloomberg!
9
Mike’s got the right stuff. I trust he can get the correct people. Do the right thing in case of Yersinia pestis, small pox, or any other agent. Quickly and without reality TV drama, or the Airplane movie tech, employed. I like Mike.
6
Michael “I can buy the Presidency” Bloomberg is madly running Obama ads all over the place. Watch, the anointment is coming.
Hired colonial administrators like Muriel Bowser and Michael Nutter, and no doubt other grifters from what Glenn Ford over at Black Agenda Report calls the “black misleadership class”, are running to serve the billionaire owner of the plantation.
What a sad spectacle.
4
I'm finally excited about a candidate after all of these long months. Mike Bloomberg can beat Donald Trump. Trump is scared of him, and that makes this Democrat profoundly happy and able to have some hope about this process for the first time in a while. Mike's great on climate change, and women's reproductive rights which are the two most important issues to me. If we don't get Trump out of the White House global warming is going to destroy all of us. It's the most important thing to deal with, and I'm supporting the person I think can kick Trump right in the rear end and right out of the oval Office and onto the sidewalk. Also, he seems to have the best plan to put people back to work in the new green economy. The importance of this can't be understated. We need to put people back to work in good jobs. Go Mike!
12
Ah yes..... Didius Bloombergius Julianus. The apogee of the Republic.
2
As someone who votes in California, this is all heartening...
Now, can we now make this a regular thing? California is far more representative of the Democratic demographic and the future of the party than are the current first states. As are New York, Wisconsin, Colorado, ...
Given how little my vote ends up counting in November, when CA will be anything but a swing state, please DNC -- let all of us in on at least a bit of the fun the folks of Iowa have enjoyed.
8
@Michael
You are absolutely correct. The most representative states should all go first.
3
Heard it here first, think about a Bloomberg/Romney ticket wouldn’t that turn the electorate and pundits on their heads. I admire Romney’s conscience and conviction but truly think he calculating something this year or most certainly 2024 until then Bernie has my vote. The DNC may actually prefer Mike over Bernie but not by much given his history and wealth. Sure shaping up to be an interesting year on all counts.
6
@Neil So 2020 is when the American Oligarchs capture the White House, again?
1
@Bill B.
It doesn't matter. They and their corporations already own both parties and the government.
1
I am glad to see California voters' votes count for once. I always feel like we are lost because of our large size but woeful under-representation in the Electoral College. This time we will have a bit of a voice in the process.
10
I haven't found one person in Orange County that can stand Sanders. A good many are hoping for Bloomberg who seems to be the voice of reason and sanity in the wilderness that is American politics. And, unlike Sanders, he does not have to yell to be noticed or listened to.
25
@Mark Shyres Laguna Beach and Newport Beach are not America. (Look at the housing prices and the per capita income). Sanders will tax you. There are problems to be fixed. Read the Bernie Green Plan. You'll see why your tax monies will be spent on problems that have been neglected, instead of providing tax holidays for the rich and subsidies for our petroleum, natural gas, and hedge fund oligarchs.
3
@Mark Shyres
Orange county is about 3 million of California's 40 million people.
The vast majority of America's workforce have suffered thru 48+ years of declining expectations in an economy that has grown 150%. The majority of the gains going to the <1%. With GNP at >$22 trillion, we are talking over $10 trillion flowing to about 5,000 families. A 48 year trend like that is not possible w/out complicity from elites in both parties.
That's given us millions of devastated lives, families, an opioid crisis, protofascism and Trump.
Bloomberg is the best of the bread, but he's still running to keep the gravy train rolling for the <1%.
California has its share of struggling families. Just not in OC.
Make peace with Bernie. After 48 years of declining expectations and being sent to fight in foreign wars, your fellow working class American needs a break.
2
@Mark Shyres Do you know everyone in Orange County? Because my relatives live there and they support him.
Keep in mind too that the reason why OC turned blue recently was the bloc of voters that Sanders draws upon: young, minority, women.
1
People say they want to get the money out of politics but then they go ahead and support a billionaire like Mike Bloomberg.
Bloomberg isn't a bad candidate (surely better than Trump) but I can't see him trying to help the average person. What policies has he supported or will he advance that will support the "little guy"? Climate change and gun control helps everyone but what about economic policies?
Also, if he really wants to help, he would put his billions to work doing things like paying off the fines of former Florida inmates so they can vote.
4
@ms At least it's HIS OWN money, not corporate lobbyist money.
8
Here in California you can't turn on the tv without being bombarded by Bloomberg and Tom Steyer ads. Bloomberg is running a carousel of well-produced spots, but I have yet to see a Bernie Sanders commercial.
Biden is struggling with lukewarm voter response and sparse donations, so Bloomberg could take over the center lane of the party. Many people don't like that he's buying his way in, but in the era of Citizens United you have to fight fire with fire. Sadly, poor candidates need not apply.
14
@Mark, I love your home state for more reasons then I can count. About the tv ads, either way candidates are buying their way.. Mike is just using his own funds.
6
Seems like Mike Bloomberg is approaching primary season the way James Holtzhauer played Jeopardy: go directly for the $1000 questions while everybody else is playing $200 (or much less!) Bloomberg may not be successful here, but he will shake up the system in a way that it needs shaking up.
14
No clear front runner emerged from Iowa. Bernie and Pete represent only about 1/4 of the vote each. I would feel differently if someone had emerged with better support there. To my mind a lot of big money protects Trump. To beat him we need someone with bigger money. Mike Bloomberg knows where that money is and how it works. (And btw it’s his money he’s spending...not dark). His politics also represent the majority of the electorate. His speech at the convention in 2016 was inspiring. Oh, and yes, Donald Trump is terrified of him. I’m all in. #Bloomberg 2020
25
Seriously in a country with overwhelming income inequality, we should be happy a billionaire deigns to save us from ourselves. Bloomberg was a Republican, he has problems with minorities. How is he going to address income disparity, health care, climate change. Tom Steyer gave an excellent town hall last night addressing these issues. Bloomberg is trying to buy the election. Isn't this ultimately the problem? Can he win a puffing contest with Trump? sure but how does that solve the larger problems we face? Can the others beat Trump? Yes. Do they have more solutions and ideas? Yes quite likely as they have been on the ground with voters.
Please, please, not Bloomberg.
5
@DRTmunich
Please do a little bit of research before judging Michael Bloomberg. He donates much of his fortune to combat climate change, end gun violence, let alone giving over one billion dollars to Johns Hopkins University.
He does care about the future of this country and is probably the only candidate that can rid us of Donald.
4
As a Republican voter, it looks as if Bloomberg is the only candidate with the credentials and capability of beating Trump, not only in the debates, but in selling his program and agenda.
His TV ads are VERY impressive and I think he would be the Democrat most acceptable to conservatives voters if he were to win.
16
“Buying the election” would be better applied to the candidates promising free everything rather then the candidate who is spending his own money to run a lot of commercials.
21
Bloomberg swoops in with his billions to try to buy a presidential nominations.... I’ll never vote for Bloomberg. He could’ve used his billions to help defeat Trump, but instead he let his ego drive his decisions.
3
@Misplaced Modifier: What are you taking about? That's exactly what he is using his billions for!
3
One “outlandish” thought for Mr. Bloomberg (Democrats, you don’t have to bulk at this idea, if you want to beat Trump): could you perhaps win over some Republicans, you know, the people who look forward and don’t champion the excesses and trespasses of their party?
As an Independent, Mr. Bloomberg is the only viable solution I see for a victory in the general election. If only enough votes could be won in the California primary!
13
@Marcus Aurelius
Let me educate you on that health issue. Soda consumption is a key driver of obesity, which is a key driver of our healthcare crisis. Sugar meets the definition of a chronic poison.
One can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar. Your body can only carry a total of 4 grams of sugar as blood sugar. That's what a normal person has. Where does all the excess sugar from one can of Coke go?
Your pancreas dumps insulin (a hormone) that drenches every cell and organ causing an overload of insulin everywhere, to get rid of all that excess sugar fast. It goes into fat storage. You have to store it fast or you die; your sugar balance is that important.
Every one of your cells has glucose receptors that get overdosed daily when you drink a can of Coke. (60% of Americans have a can a day)
Those glucose receptors on all your cells adjust to the continual onslaught by shriveling up to mitigate the damage from too much sugar.
Now your normal amounts of insulin cannot work so well to push glucose into cells and more and more is needed and that overloads the pancreas, which becomes dysfunctional as the insulin producing beta cells die. You become an always tired person.
Imagine the effect of all those cans of Coke on you day after day: cancer, diabetes, neurodegeneration, and heart disease.
Sugar addiction is stronger than cocaine and banning soda is no different that banning any destructive addictive substance, except that soda is a drug fed to kids.
2
If Bloomberg achieves the nomination he will gain a lot of independents and swing voters in the general election but will lose the youth vote. If Bernie wins the nomination, in the general election he will receive the youth vote but will lose the support of much of the center and virtually all of the swing vote. Trump can defeat either, but I believe Bloomberg would stand a better chance of beating him, especially with a great choice of running mate behind him.
Additionally, Bernie's most popular and ambitious policies would stand virtually no chance of getting through Congress as they are currently imagined. Even if the Senate were to flip a few seats there are enough fiscally minded Dems that would need to see a significant watering down of his proposals. And of course no Republicans will back him.
11
@Rob D I worry about the "youth vote" since it was not enough to carry Sanders the nomination in 2016. Not enough to prevent the rise of the current #ImPOTUS in critical states. Sadly, we have to plan with the voters who actually vote.
3
@Rob D
He will not lose the youth vote.
Few people have worked harder than Michael Bloomberg to combat climate change and end gun violence, issues that are extremely important to future generations.
3
I like the idea that Bloomberg is funding his own campaign. That way voters and the DNC can focus their efforts on important Senate races. We need a Democratic Senate in 2020 as much as anything. If he wins AND the Senate turns blue, then we win all around. And as my friend pointed out, “at least he’s our oligarch.”
16
Bloomberg is one of the biggest if not the biggest philanthropist in American History. Trumps charity was found to be fraudulent and ordered to pay millions of dollars in fines. Any questions?
25
We can elect a president of impeachable character, who has proven over decades: One, who isn’t corrupt, Two, who is the only one running a campaign without ‘those’ fundraisers, Three, who can never be thrown off-message for the sake of the important work that will raise all boats and Four, who has the interests of every single American at heart. It’s time we not only increase our Democracy and salvage our Constitution, but save our species and Life on earth. Time to unite behind Sanders.
2
The DNC needs someone in charge who knows what’s going on and Tom Perez is not it. I’ve been through over a dozen presidential elections and this is the most important one of my like.
At the moment the normal Democratic candidates are not doing what is necessary to be ready to defeat Trump. I’m not 100% behind Bloomberg but he has the money and the brains to beat Trump.
I find it hard to believe that I hated Nixon but would rather have him as President than the aberration of a human being who now holds the office.
4
I remember Bloomberg's tenure as NYC mayor. He was mocked as a servant of capital by leftists and as a nanny stater by the right. That he's getting any support whatsoever is baffling to me, even if he's throwing billions into the race.
46
@T. Warren
Any of these candidates are far better than the divisive, lying demagogue in the White House. If it was Trump vs. the Croaking Frog in my back yard, I'd vote for the Frog.
🐸 2020!
13
@T. Warren
"a servant of capital by leftists and as a nanny stater by the right."....
And somewhere in the middle lies the truth. In the middle is where we need the President to be.
21
@T. Warren
He is getting the support because he is the only one running who can defeat Trump.
He was the greatest NYC mayor in modern times.
He will be our greatest president.
Count on it.
Mike will get it done.
28
Do you mean the billionaire straw man that the DNC put in late in the game to make Bernie look bad and Mayor Pete look good? We’re not buying into their distraction.
5
Desperation at its best. If California decides the next Democratic candidate then you can bet the farm they won't beat Trump. Bloomberg has been "woke" to all of his successful policies while mayor of NYC. We will have a field day with mini-me trying to tell us how large our soft drinks can be. Never mind his gun policy.
Give it up. Save your money because Trump is going to win again.
2
I love Bernie and Elizabeth and appreciate everything they have done. But I think Mike Bloomberg can win.That is what counts!
14
I have lived in New York my whole life and at 59 have watched many NY politicians come and go.. and....I love Bloomberg! It was during his tenure that New York became "great again". The upper,middle and lower classes all were "better off" at the end of his tenure...He listens...really listens...to ALL his constituents...When was the last time ALL of us could say that?
18
Bloomberg doing his absolute best to "buy" the Democratic nomination in broad daylight is at once antithetical to everything we've ever been taught and told about how American democracy is supposed to work yet (sadly) is totally emblematic of how the Democratic Establishment runs the party today.
If you don't have a problem with this--a MAJOR problem--I don't know what to say to you. Get "woke" to this, you brave men and women of "the resistance."
3
I love Bernie and Elizabeth, but now is not the time to prioritize radical social change. Now is the time to prioritize the elimination of the lying self-serving criminal currently squatting in the White House. I don't love Mayor Bloomberg, but he may have the best chance to achieve what has to be the first priority. We can't afford to lose this one, Folks.
9
Go Bloomberg - he’s the only one that can take trump on and actually win.
9
Ever Notice how all the countries mayors are lining up to endorse Bloomberg and none of the countries senators are lining up to endorse Bernie?
10
It’s high time that candidates spend more time in a variety of regions.
Blue no matter who.
Bernie? Super
Bloomberg? Great
No matter who wins the primary, anyone is better than Trump.
9
If Republicans and conservative Democrats aren’t careful California may leave the Union. We’ve had enough of conservative corruption and criminal behavior.
2
"We don't need another oligarch." But many Democratic politicians have come from a background of wealth or have raised their campaign money from people of wealth, mostly because it has only been recently that there was the ability to raise millions from many small donors. With Trump you have a lying creep who spends his time playing golf, praising dictators and thinking of ways to punish his enemies. Bloomberg actually took on the major headache of running New York City. I would not disqualify him just because he is wealthy.
10
One person one vote. The candidate with the most votes win.
Bring America into the 21st century and abolish the Neanderthal Electoral College. Also overturn Citizens United and gerrymandering.
American's deserve honesty in their elections.
5
Old DC insider vs. Old guy from outside the beltway. Personally, I like Buttigieg, but I will support the Dem nominee, whoever it is.
2
I live in a Calif. county that went for old Bernie in 2016. This time I'm not hearing anyone planning to vote for that hidebound old Vermonter. Elizabeth Warren peaked a few months ago but seems like she's lost support. A lot of people are making positive comments about Mike Bloomberg. Surprisingly I'm hearing a lot of progressives saying they like Amy Klobuchar too because she seems like she could carry states like WI & MI.
7
A vote for Sanders is guaranteed repeat of 1972. A hated Republican vs. a darling of the left. And what was the result? Nixon 520 electoral votes vs. McGovern 17. I wouldn't be surprised if Trump funds Sanders (or a 3rd party candidate) to make sure that happens. In Bloomberg we finally have a candidate with the resources and respect to fight the lying cheating sleazeball currently occupying the White House. Go Mike!
14
If I were a republican I’d fund sanders - he doesn’t stand a chance in the general election. It would be interesting to see the party affiliation of his “grass roots” donors.
Bernie is too divisive, angry and radical. Bloomberg is smart, measured, cannot be bought or sold, and is a proven leader. Let’s all get behind Michael Bloomberg and put an end to the tyranny and autocracy that has Washington and America by the throat. Bloomberg can take on Trump and squash him like an elephant on an ant. Someone out of the ordinary, out of the mainstream, and in touch with reality. If Trump wins again America is over. Bloomberg can trounce him. This is not a drill.
15
Democrats need to wake up real quick and understand that beating Trump is the ONLY THING THAT MATTERS
And Bernie
While he is undeniably a true believer and a mensch
HE CANNOT BEAT TRUMP
Bloomberg gets an A+ on Climate Change and Guns and Competence and Intelligence and best of all
HE CAN DEFEAT TRUMP!
22
@John
Strange how everyone says good things about Bernie but follows with: "But he can't win." Your neighbor could win if everyone voted for him.
Pundits don't know who might win, nor pollsters. Who expected Buttigieg to win Iowa? We expected Hillary to win - she lost. Did anyone expect Obama to win? Did anyone expect Trump to win?
Let me tell you something about voters: they vote Against anyone expected to win and For anyone not expected to win.
I like Mike.
He is doing more with his money than anyone else by using it for causes he believes in and supporting a better world.
His number one priority is that of most of us: get rid of Trump.
His poll numbers and popular support continue to climb as voters disgusted with Trump and frustrated with the current Dem menu look for someone who can truly remove Trump.
More than anyone else running Mike can and will do that.
If he accomplishes nothing else than that, we should all get behind him.
It doesn't hurt that he is a truly humble man. This guy put himself through school by parking cars for tips. He has seen it all.
I love it that he is a multi-billionaire because he is using his money to support all of us.
Mike is great and will get it done.
13
@Simon Sez
By definition you must have a big head to run for president. Also, you must have a big head to ask for a 3rd mayorial term, when the existing law allowed only 2. I wouldn't say that makes Michael B. a humble man.
1
Billionaire money may not be "fair," but it's already part of the process: some candidates are chosen by some billionaire in a subrosa arrangement and then they ask for YOUR money. Trump has billionaire money (from real billionaires - you know who they are,) so we are at a disadvantage.
Bloomberg's money helps level the playing field. If you don't like it, your best bet is to vote Bloomberg in so he can work with congress to reform the campaign finance system (https://www.mikebloomberg.com/policies/political-reform)
11
Given the weakness of its two favored candidates - Warren and Klobuchar -- the NYT is gently pivoting towards Bloomberg.
In the end, if two NYC billionaires compete, it doesn't provide much of a choice.
5
@Ami Who's the second billionaire?
Bloomberg is everything Trump is not, so I suspect Trump and his Republican storm troopers will be calling up every business they can to get dirt on him, and if they can't find anything they'll make something up. I have no problem with billionaires. There are many billionaires that have used their wealth to build hospitals and support social programs for the less fortunate among us. What I have a problem with is wannabe be fascist dictators like Donald J. Trump.
13
For all the hoopla that Bloomberg is buying, how long does anyone think he will remain as a viable candidate once Sanders unleashes the inevitable onslaught of ads showing Bloomberg lavishing praise and wholeheartedly endorsing Rudy Giuliani and George W. Bush?
That's going to play really well with the democratic base.
11
That was then. This is now. Get with the program. We ALL have made mistakes and missteps in our lives, because we are human beings. Would you prefer a President that can admit he did wrong, and apologize, or Teflon Don, who is perfect in every way, or so he would have you believe. I’ll take Bloomberg, thank you very much.
12
Bloomberg should be using his significant resources, media platform, and political network to support the front runner, Senator Sanders. His functionally unlimited wealth mean he has no imperative to drop out due to lack of support, and is accountable to no one. By selfishly angling for a brokered convention, he will depress turnout and further divide an already fractious democratic party.
7
@Mac
If Sanders had done that last time, we wouldn't have such a major Trump problem, sooooo.
5
@Ltron Senator Sanders gave 39 speeches across 13 states after conceding to the Secretary, which far surpasses what Mrs. Clinton did on then Senator Obama's behalf in 2008. Perhaps you should direct your ire at James Comey.
I find it admirable that Michael Bloomberg has gotten into the race to become the Democratic Nominee, being an outsider and having no skin in the game, what I see is a man with more money than 99% of us will ever see, however, I also see a man committed to realigning the United States with the rest of the Globe, this is a man who yes, is scarred from some of his policies while Mayor of New York, but at the same time has been able to watch the world through a different lens than the majority of his challengers, if we don't want to be so righteous and more honest we have to admit that his wealth and the advantages that have come with that is a positive, this gentleman has been able to travel the world, meet many world leaders and their subordinates, cultivate relationships with dignity and integrity, many countries who have been fortunate enough to meet and enjoy this man's wisdom not simply for his humanitarian work but for his knowledge of business have found him to be an exceptional person this is not to say that others such as Bernie, Biden, Buttigeg, Warren and Klobuchar would also not be formidable opponents to the corrupt Trump, but imagine unlike Trump who inherited millions at the age of four, Mr. Bloomberg came from modest means to build a vast empire, how do you do that realistically, luck,strategy
a hunger to succeed, therefore he surrounded himself with qualified intelligent people, not the same users and pundits that you see around Trump who are self-serving.
30
You should not be able to purchase the presidency, period. Just say no to plutocrats!
5
No more billionaire presidents. Plutocrats should not be running America.
Bernie 2020
4
@Rachel Quesnel addendum: though being Canadian does not allow me to vote in the American election, I want to state how important it is for the Next President of the United States and his cabinet to be compatible with both Canada and Mexico, as much as Europe, Asia, South America are important for trade, both Canada, Mexico due to our borders share the complexity of Governance, all three countries must depend on each other for trade, values, defense(NORAD) culture, I can't say that it is good or bad under Donald Trump but I can state that it would be so much better without the baggage that is brought with Trump. Thank you for allowing me this platform
4
Great if Bloomberg is willing visit every nook and cranny. Trump did the same and won. Clinton skipped the nooks and crannies.
28
@blgreenie Clinton was out to lunch.
2
@blgreenie
Trump didn't "visit" every nook and cranny. Trump spent precious little time meeting with real voters.
What he did day after day was hold rallies in battleground states where he shouted and barked at voters.
Trump isn't interested in meeting with voters because what Trump thinks is advancing himself. He doesn't care what voters want. He'll just keep lying to them.
4
The prospect of Bernie Sanders as president is scary at many levels, but possibly the very scariest thing is Bernie's isolationism - so reminiscent of the isolationists of the 1930s. The isolationists often were well intended and idealistic, but they had no idea that isolationism would lead directly
to embolden Japan and Germany in their aggression. Of course it all ended with the attack on Pearl Harbor, WWII and the Holocaust.
17
You might be right about Bernie, but the 1930s analogy doesn’t hold up.
America was powerless in the 1930s. We had no significant armed forces to scare Germany and Japan with.
Also, frankly, America and Europe didn’t care that much about the Jews, Poles, or Chinese.
3
This is a man, who is simply trying to buy an election.
He's proven to be racist, sexist and transphobic, but he's much more polite about it than the current president.
If electability is your sole metric for the nomination, then maybe he makes sense, but what are we giving away here, and for what cost?
Bernie would probably perform just as well, but at least he gives people something to hope for, and I think that could give him an edge to what will be a narrow race no matter who the nominee ends up being.
10
@Magicwalnuts living in NYC, I don't know how you see Mike as sexist and transphobic. I assume the racists comment is due to stop & frisk.
If you even watch part of the 'highlights" of Trump's victory lap rally/press conference from today, electability over him should be the ONLY thing that matters. Giving up unrealistic purity testing and freebies that are impossible to deliver are much more important than another Trump term.
10
I’ve been tracking Bloomberg most of his career, and see no evidence of your allegations. So what exactly is in those magic walnuts?
12
Stavridis or Pete as VP...he'd slay it.
Bloomberg said years ago, if there was a democrat who was pro-business, they'd beat Trump
21
Bloomberg doesn't like weed being legal. Vote for Bernie.
10
Billy, weed is not the issue that is going to swing this election. But it’s much more likely to be reclassified under Bloomberg than Trump. If Trump wins re-election it will because of social conservatives, and if there is one thing we know about Trump it’s that he rewards those who do his bidding. You can puff and puff and puff until you believe anything, but Bernie is not going to be President
5
So Trump is burning the house down and you're worried about weed?
8
@Douglas Evans
I disagree Doug.
Bloomberg will not stop at the weed. He will also over-tax and over-regulate things like sugar, minorities, beer, cigarettes and guns. Whether or not you are a fan of over-taxing soda this won't be a winning strategy in places like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. If anywhere. And don't think it won't be used against him by the opposition.
1
How about Bloomberg/Klobuchar?
And would the bolsheviks please stop whining about a billionaire "swooping in". Anyone who can stop the Democrats from their propensity for self-destruction.
38
Bernie and Bloomberg are too old
3
So Trump is a threat to democracy? How about a guy who simply wants to buy the election.? Hey Bloomberg, my vote is not for sale! I predict that his campaign will go nowhere. Here in California we have humbled many a wealthy candidate who believed they could simply buy an elelction (Carly Fiorina, Meg Whitman.. yes we have alot of super wealthy in CAL). I predict Bloomberg will score less than 10%. How about it NYTimes?. I bet you a coke!
9
@david gallardo Think about which Democratic candidate is best positioned to win swing states (not California), as that is where the general election will be determined.
Bloomberg can bring around independents, moderate Republicans (if such individuals exist), and voters for whom the economy is their voting priority (as he can hardly be accused of being threatening to the economy). And his candidacy might have some down ballot positive effect on the crucial senate races in NC and GA.
(And he is not buying your vote - he can't. He is trying to buy your attention with all his ads. It's up to you whether or not you pay attention to them.)
Keep your eyes on the prize.
31
@david gallardo
I've lived in CA for 50 years, so I know something about our state. I predict the exact opposite of you - I believe Bloomberg will get 25% of the vote.
G-d forbid Bernie Sanders is the candidate of the party! And, as an environmentalist & someone whose business is renewable energy, I can say the Green New Deal is a bunch of hooey written by people who don't have a clue about how energy is produced & distributed.
As for black people who don't like Bloomberg because of "stop-and-frisk" while he was Mayor of NYC, how's Trump's racism working out for you?
Now that he's been acquitted by the utterly spineless and morally bankrupt Republicans, Trump will be unfettered as his truly racist, sexist, trans-phobic self, adored and glorified by white nationalists, anti-Semites and the other haters he attracts.
Come on people, wake up!! This country, which still has an Electoral College, will not elect Bernie, Buttigieg or Eliz Warren (with her present policies) in 2020. We need a candidate with proven ability to govern and appeal to not only Democrats, but independents and disaffected Republicans.
In closing, perfection is the enemy of the good!! This is not an election about revolutionary ideas. Four more years of Trump will do so much damage, it may well be the end of our un-theocratic democracy. Let's get back to where we were before Trump starting undoing 50 years of progress, and then we can worry about great change after a Democratic president.
9
Wouldn’t “buying an election” consist of offering to wipe voters debt away or to provide $1000 a month or free child care or free health care or reparations? To buy an election you have to offer voters financial incentive in exchange for their votes. Bloomberg’s spending the same amount on advertising as Bernie he’s just coming out of pocket and saving his supporters money. So whose really trying to “buy” the election?
3
I like this. Even though they are different on many levels, I think both Bernie and Bloomberg are strong candidates. They both have a fair shot of beating the 45. Let the best man win!
5
Billionaire is the least of what Bloomberg is. He's a loving father, best-selling author, scientist, engineer, successful professional, entrepreneur, a great businessman whose company has generated over 100,000 jobs, a successful 3-time mayor, philanthropist, visionary, manager, an efficient administrator, and a great leader. He fights for the environment, for women's rights, for improved education, for better healthcare, for gun safety, against big tobacco, and for equal rights. I, and many of us, support him.
His money is merely incidental.
103
@Anthony L. Yes, money doesn’t corrupt.
2
@Anthony L. his money means that he doesn't need special interests and that he can beat Trump.
12
@Anthony L. There was a fascinating post on the Yang for President subreddit a few days ago that was X'd out by a moderator, but not before a lot of people read it. It was apparently written by a supervisor in his campaign, anonymously. He stated that it was the Bloomberg campaign's POV that 'only Sanders and Yang' had the ability to beat Bloomberg, because their supporters were passionate about the candidates; all the rest will be steamrollered by Bloomberg's money. You can't buy passion, in other words. Bloomberg's plan was to build out a massive infrastructure in every state (at 2000 employees now) and if he isn't the nominee, he will throw that support to whoever is. He also has plans to supports thousands of new AfricanAmerican entrepreneurs to 'make up for stop and frisk' as well as other initiatives that sound very good to me. I'm fully a Yang supporter, but his plans sound reasonable and smart to me. Trump is a horror and needs to be stopped and it'll take more than passionate supporters; it will also take massive funds. Trump has the full backing of everyone that will go to jail once their crimes are exposed, once he's out of jail... there is nothing he won't stop at to win.
1
As things stand at the moment, I suspect that if either Sanders or Bloomberg ends up winning the nomination, there will be enough antagonism displayed by the Democratic supporters of the loser, to ensure that Trump romps home in November. This doesn't mean that one of the other candidates should therefore win the nomination, but it does mean that the hyper partisan attitudes being displayed by Democratic voters at the moment could snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in November.
6
When you have that much money, you probably think about how best to use it. I’m sick of hearing that Bloomberg wants to “buy” the Presidency. If this is the way he wants to spend millions, then God bless him.
I think he can beat Trump roundly. He’s a GENUINE successful businessman. He’s politically savvy. He has evolved way beyond “Stop and Frisk,” and has admitted it was a mistake. He has backed admirable causes. He has great concern about the environment. He is strongly for women’s right-to-choose. He is whip-sharp and will surround himself with smart people.
I have wanted him from before he said he’s running. He’s the best chance the Dems have. He should be the one.
63
Just as Romney, in good conscience, could not vote to aquit Trump, I cannot, in good conscience, vote for Bloomberg. I'll vote for any of the candidates that actually go through the Democratic primary process, but Bloomberg is trying to manipulate the primaries, just as he tries to manipulate everything else.
Bloomberg has zero respect for those that actually do the work in this country. He thinks the world should be divided into billionaires and minimum wage contract workers. He is a polite Trump.
I would vote for any of the Democrats running in this race, but not the Republican, Bloomberg.
If you want me to stay home on election day, nominate Bloomberg.
7
@McGloin then you will re-elect Trump.
6
@McGloin - I certainly hope that if he’s the nominee, you’ll do your research and give him a chance. He’s as far removed from Trump as they get. This election is far too important to stay home and not vote Democratic. I hear that you’re not a fan, but our country needs a strong and steady leader who will bring fine people on board. Bloomberg says he’s not running against any of the Democratic candidates, that he’s running against Trump. Look at where he has chosen to put his money in the past. He backs things for the common good. I think he can beat Trump with one hand behind his back. Even if you hold your nose, I implore you and others to vote Blue, no matter who. That would include Bloomberg!
11
People like you are the reason we got this monstrosity for a President to begin with. Fine, stay home and pout, and not incidentally, help Trump to a second term. If he wins a second term, you won’t need to vote anymore, because Trump will be a dictator who will serve for the rest of his miserable life. Thanks for nothing.
4
During these gloomy days of February , I am trying to ignore the incoherent ranting of POTUS, I love the fact that both Mayor Mike and Mayor Pete (Mr Big City and Mr. Little City) are competing with Nice Guy Biden with a son who has a questionable job resume and the rest of the Democratic crowd of very capable types that I don't yet know who I will support. They each will open the windows of the White House to clear out the foul odors of this administration. The Free World will again breathe more easily as balance will be restored and Miss Liberty's torch will glow more brightly. I am surprised that Trump hasn't yet built a wall around Liberty Island to protect it from the view of immigrants wanting to escape the tyranny of their birth.
4
I love this. He seems to have a good plan! We need strategic leaders.
11
All of you who think Sanders is so great: Why? What has he accomplished? Who in the Senate supports him? Bloomberg has accomplished a lot more, has more support, and has the intelligent competent energy to beat Trump.
27
@RE
Honesty, integrity, truthful to a fault. Doesn't mince words and tells it like it is; to anyone and everyone. Nobody questions where Bernie stands on an issue.
A lifetime of fighting for the common man.
Senate support is one thing, but respect and admiration is another. Something both sides of the aisle agrees with.
Accomplished...? That would depend upon what you admire or put weight upon. Sanders has directly made life better for hundreds of millions of Americans.
Intelligent competent energy to beat Trump...guess we'll see huh.
NotMeUs
2
Webster defines oligarchy as "a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes." This meme does not apply to Bloomberg. Because he has a lot of money, he may be the one to beat Trump. He may do this by winning the nomination or by helping other candidates.
Bloomberg did not inherit his wealth. He started out with a college scholarship. He has done good things with his money, including helping candidates in 2018 win back the house, his own money on initiatives like climate change, gun control.
I don't have a preference, since I like ideas from all the candidates. They will all move the country in a similar direction. I will vote for the one who I think has the best chances. Don't rule out Bloomberg based on his wealth. Bernie is a multi-millionaire. So is Warren. Are they oligarchs? Well, by a different Webster definition of oligarchs, both fit the bill technically. That is "rule by the few." They are both Senators, an elite group. The House is a more representative group.
I really hate these memes. Trump is an oligarch, inherited wealth, but mainly the "corrupt and selfish reasons" apply to him.
I suspect some think that anyone who likes capitalism, even regulated capitalism is an oligarch. Regulated capitalism and democratic socialism are not opposites. They work very well in a number of countries.
As for the extreme version of either capitalism or socialism, I'm against it.
12
Bloomberg deserves more than a good look. Super Tuesday, coupled with any sign of weakness from Joe Biden's campaign, will give Democrats a clear indication of how to beat Trump, not each other. I like Mike, Amy, Joe, Bernie, maybe Liz. But, I do not expect Democratic Socialism, or a revolution to take out Trump in 2020. Another New Yorker with a track record of investing in progressive, not radical, issues, a clear unity message, and the bucks to kick Trump's behind, is very appealing. Mike deserves attention, if not your votes.
26
Mike certainly deserves a majority of votes!
He is the only serious, experienced candidate, he doesn’t need a “revolution” to turn everything upside down and then apologize he couldn’t deliver to the height of people’s hopes!
Spending his own money speaks only for his desire to do his best in order to move things back on track and improve the outlook for the future of this country. He is not indebted to anyone, he is not “buying the democracy”.
Please put forward all your practical, feasible ideas that would represent the real hope, Mr. Bloomberg!
1
I can see the Founding Fathers who came from time period when men lived an average 36.5 years (Wigglesworth, 1793, selected MA towns) staring up a stage with four aging white males, Trump, Sanders, Biden and Bloomberg, and thinking okay, that makes sense. Old, white, experienced venerable, wise. LOL. Until they heard them speak...
But to California and money; Bernie Sanders raised 25 million last month. If he does that another 2,400 times he will catch up to Bloomberg's 60 billion... at 25 million a month it would take 200 years (2,400 months). Sanders can only spend a fraction of his funds in CA. Bloomberg can do what it takes...
The big question (which might come too late) if Bloomberg gets the Democratic nomination, will the Sander's huge following campaign for Bloomberg? Or even vote for him; a man at the top of the .1% of the one-per-centers? That will depend on Bloomberg's running mate.
Speaking of running mates, Bloomberg and Harris. A talented, female Senator of color. That may just be the ticket.
5
California' s Great Black 2020 Presidential hope Kamala Harrris is gone due to a lack of focus and gravitas and organization.
Diane Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi are still around in the Democratic People's Republic of California. Pelosi will shortly join Feinstein in being four score years old.
When will they step aside for new fresher younger blood ?
But the 39.5 million Californians have as many Senators as a half million people in Wyoming. While the 4 million more votes that Hillary Clinton received over Donald Trump in California didn't count nor matter in any other states Electoral College majority votes.
1
Let us hope Bloomberg wins in CA
and please help him do so. He can
beat Trump. Bernie cannot.
And certainly neither can Warren.
29
After the debacle in Iowa, Mike is looking pretty good. A caucus? Really? Whatever happened to making an "X" on a ballot and mailing it in? Not high-tech enough?
6
Hopefully, Mitt Romney will throw his hat into the ring and challenge Trump for the Republican nomination.
7
@Cliff, The RNC has effectively closed off access for competition to get their names on state republican primary ballots.
1
We can elect a president of impeachable character, who has proven over decades: One, isn’t corrupt, Two, who is the only one running a campaign without ‘those’ fundraisers, Three, who can never be thrown off-message for the sake of the important work that will raise all boats and Four, who has the interests of every single American at heart? It’s time we not only our Democracy and The Constitution, but our species and Life on earth.
4
I think you meant impeccable
California will be the state the haunts Trump. And with good reason. There a lot of us and he's gone out of his way to be nasty to us. It's payback time.
14
@George
He won without CA before, and can do it again. CA is irrelevant to this race.
@GMooG True, but the resounding defeat for Trump here will embarrass Trump. When you lose the largest, richest, more innovative state in the nation but win in LA something is off.
1
Apparently, the DNC is up to its usual shenanagins -- if you are not Registered, as a Democrat, you will NOT be given a ballot to vote for Bernie.
It is Imperative that we remember the 'Democratic' National Committee is a PRIVATELY-owned Corporation, and has absolutely NO desire to see a Bernie Sanders-type at the Head of the DEMOCRATIC Party.
There is a specific ballot you must ask for -- don't allow the poll-worker to tell you they do not exist -- they do; but, not being resistered as a Dem, if you don't get that particular one (whose name escapes me), your Vote will NOT count, for the best thing that's hit American politics in MY (l o n g, so far) Lifetime -- a People's Revolution, (currently) starring Senator Bernie Sanders.
GO, Bernie!
And make SURE you either registered as a Democrat or, make certain to get the Correct Ballot. And don't forget to VOTE! As if our Lives
-- and our Sanity -- depended on it.
6
@Willy P
Are you talking about Washington or California? I can't speak as to the case in Washington, but you're largely wrong about California.
California has closed primaries. However, since at least 2000 each recognized party has had the option to let non-affiliated voters (officially No Party Preference, generally called Independents) vote in their primary. This year, the Democratic, American Independent, and Libertarian parties are allowing this.
And yes, if you are NPP you have to ask for the appropriate ballot, because we don't hire psychics as poll workers. My county sent a notice to all registered NPP voters last November reminding them and asking them asking them to specify a preference for the primary (we're going all vote by mail this time). And if they didn't do that and got the generic ballot without the presidential election they can go to one of the early voting centers before election day, or any voting location in the county on election day, and get a provisional ballot as long as they haven't sent back the generic one. And yes, we do count all the valid provisional ballots, which is why the pundits keep complaining about how long it takes California to get its final results in.
4
@Willy P this sounds like a FOX conspiracy theory
1
@lin -- okay, thanks.
The special ballots (so you can vote for Bernie) are called "Democratic Crossover Ballots"
Investigative journalist Greg Palast wrote, "… if an NPP voter asks the poll worker, ‘How do I get to vote in the Democratic party primary?’ the poll workers are instructed to say that, ‘NPP voters can’t get Democratic ballots.'"
But, NPP voters CAN get "Democratic Crossover Ballots" with Senator Sanders' name on the ballot.
Good luck, California!
And GO, Bernie!
1
Bernie Sanders means certain defeat in the general election, that makes a vote for Mike Bloomberg an easy choice.
20
DNC will do anything to stop Bernie. Including supporting Republican Bloomberg.
5
The guy is doing an end run around democracy yet no one cares in media? Want his money from ads and this undermines journalism?
He is literally funneling massive amounts of money that is over the GDP of small nations. How does this really help our democracy? Does he even connect with voters at all or just blast mimes if ice cream and dogs? Does he have any idea about us everyday folks or just a slick marketing team?
What does it say about our society and the problematic nature of this? He is basically ignoring the people and buying a seat at the table. We have never seen this type of inequality leveled against democracy ever before. Is this something to be praised or actually of great concern.
3
@Mathias - do more research on Bloomberg and see where he has chosen to put his money in the past. He’s actually one of the good guys. He didn’t inherit his wealth, he earned it. A lot of it. That shouldn’t be a reason to discount him!
3
@Mathias
" We have never seen this type of inequality leveled against democracy ever before."
Have you forgotten how JFK's papa, Joe Kennedy, paved his way to the WH? He was fabulously wealthy...JFK was a famous skirt-chaser and party boy, with NOTHING else to recommend him.
Bloomberg: competent, and no Iowa taint.
4
I for one welcome Michael Bloomberg to the race and to the California primary. He is a self made billionaire who did not get a $400,000,000.00 leg up from his father. After creating a financial empire he embarked on a distinguished career in public service as the Mayor of one of America's great cities. He has put millions into all types of worthy causes that benefit all of us. (gun safety, environmental issues, etc.) He is calm, competent and unafraied of loud mouthed buffoons of the Republican and Democratic variety. He enriches the Democratic field with his presence. We need to get over how he has entered the campaign and concentrate what he can do for it.
14
If there is such a thing as Divine Intervention, I surely hope it helps his campaign.
He would be a quick acting antidote to the poisonous DC milieu.
5
I have no problem with a very rich man, Bloomberg, trying to set this country back on track. Aren’t you glad that he’s using his dollars wisely...for all of US!? He’s found a brilliant and novel way to perhaps save our country. This nation is crying out desperately for smart and creative. I take my hat off to him. Let’s see what turns up before you toss him out because he’s got plenty of dough. I,for one, am glad he’s on the side of integrity and has an allegiance to the Constitution!
281
@Hortencia It's not suspicious that a BILLIONAIRE would willingly submit themselves to a presidential campaign and potentially subsequent presidency? Think about it... you are a BILLIONAIRE, and you would want the hardest job in the world?
He isn't running to be benevolent and give back to the masses. He can do more good just paying his fair share of taxes.
7
@Hortencia And we are also crying out desperately for someone with some basic morals, who doesn't brag about sexually assaulting women, and who understands climate change. Mike's got my vote. I just pray to God we can get the current inhabitant of the White House OUT!
13
@Hortencia He's an oligarch.
He spent $100,000,000 with Nancy Pelosi's DCCC already and is ready to invest another $100,000,000 in the DNC if he can take it over like Clinton took it over in 2016.
Trump didn't spend a dime with the RCCC and didn't spend a dime with the RNC.
Now you tell me..which one is the oligarch?
If you want to sell your soul to the devil, that's your perogative.
Just don't come to me asking for a 20 oz bottle of Diet Coke.
5
It’s about time California gets the respect it deserves, especially from Democrats. I’m tired of sparsely populated States with very white, older populations determining OUR Nominee. Let the People speak- ALL OF US.
Seriously.
164
@Phyliss Dalmatian Indeed. Let's all vote on one day. All this endless media nonsense. It just makes people want to tune out and forget about politics.
12
I have taken to referring to our coastal cities as the Heartland. These densely populated, economically prosperous, pluralistic communities as are as American as any red barn in a corn field somewhere in the Great Plains. Let me be clear: this isn’t a contest. Both types of communities make the country great. But the midwestern elitist belief that they are the “real America” is too much to take anymore.
20
@Phyliss Dalmatian
If polls showed Californians were equally divided between Republicans and Democrats, presidential candidates would spend the bulk of their time in California. But everyone know all of California electoral votes will go to the Democratic candidate. Most Californians are like the South’s “Yellow Dog Democrats” of the 1920s-1950s. Before they would vote for a Republican, they would vote for an ole hello dog.” Only Democratic candidates who want to win the popular vote campaign in California. Democratic candidates who want to win the most electoral votes campaign in toss-up states.
The way to end this is by taking the names of presidential candidates of the ballot and letting the Electoral College do its job.
1
Bloomberg's ideas about urban development are shockingly wrong, and have terrible long-term impacts (hyper-gentrification, ugly glass towers, big box stores and chain stores taking over.) He is, in the end, just a big business oligarch after his own self-interest, and so are all his friends. His reign in New York was not efficient or successful, it was just the zeitgiest at the time that everyone was asleep at the civic wheel and wasn't paying attention to how much he was harming NYC.
44
@Le
He will never get the nomination but we can use his money to make up for what he has done to the Americans people in nyc. Bloomberg is the flip side of trump but not as ugly, bigot or a fake rich person
Bloomberg is trying to give back and he should since he made his money off of the American democracy Wall Street
He did have an elite education
1
@Le To say nothing of his instructions to the Bloomberg journalists that they were prohibited from investigating him or any Democratic candidate. He has paid no price for that. Most people don't even know that he did.
Jeff Bezos would be crucified if he ever gave similar instructions to the Washington Post about him or Amazon.
4
@Le : Responding as another NYC native - Mike Bloomberg was a terrific three-term Mayor with no scandal, a self-made billionaire who is smart and will put the work in that is necessary to get this country back on track so this country can recover from another NYC native who is a master con-artist -who promised to disclose his taxes on the campaign trail and never did - and who has now morphed the matter - by resisting disclosure tooth and nail- into the Supreme Court rendering an opinion on disclosure in June. If there was nothing to hide why wouldn't Trump disclose his taxes? Russian money in exchange for influence, perhaps? Bloomberg is the only one who can call Trump out and he will do it...and Trump knows it! By the way, if the Democrats nominate someone else Bloomberg has stated his money will be moved into that person's campaign - how many other people would take their own money and move it to the candidate of choice? It speaks volumes to Mike Bloomberg's integrity and alarm over having Trump in the Oval Office for another 4 years.
38
I don't think Bloomberg is buying the election, he's buying access to voter's attention so he can get his message out. In some ways, Yang is buying the election by offering $1,000 to everyone over 18 if he wins - although it's probably some sort of tax break and he's just phrasing his promises differently than others. Healthcare for all would save people a lot of money, and lives. That is a promise of services. Yes, we'll pay higher taxes but they will not be as high as insurance payments are and more services would be included. These are all promises - if the person is elected - with up and downsides.
Bloomberg got in too late for Iowa and it's not a primary, per se, but a caucus that not all voters can attend for a variety of reasons. Not at all as inclusive as a primary and doesn't always mean anything. Also, Republicans in some states aren't holding primaries at all.
Best option is to look at each candidate's platform and hope whomever you like survives this very long winnowing process. If your candidate doesn't make it to the general, still vote against Trump. Not voting is a vote for him and against democracy.
29
@Barbara Snider Bloomberg's platform is get richer and gentrify the world. Also buy the outcomes that he wants.
1
@maria5553
How exactly would that work? Has he offered you any money for voting for him? If he did, would you accept it?
If it's just about advertising, how does that matter? Do you decide who to vote for based on the # of ads you see from each candidate? Would Trump get your vote if he advertised more?
The only people who are really trying to buy your vote (with other people's money) are Bernie and Warren, who are trying to bribe you with free college, free healthcare, student loan forgiveness, etc. That's who is buying votes.
Look into him California. I never thought I'd say this, but I think I'd trust Bloomberg to put together a better cabinet than any president in recent memory. As long as he doesn't say he wants to "run government like a business," and he takes the climate crisis seriously, the country could do a lot worse than Mike Bloomberg as president. And he can win.
150
@Mford I am mystified as to how Bloomberg got this reputation. When he was Mayor he did as much as he could to destroy NYC with billions in horrible real estate messes and fixed nothing (subways, for example, or NYCHA, or the schools).
12
@Mford
Bloomberg will just end up splitting the moderate vote with Biden and handing the nomination to Sanders, who will then hand the general election to Trump. Bloomberg should get out of the race and put his money behind Biden or Buttigieg, whoever is stronger.
2
@Mford I know but he was a Republican most of his life. Then again, Trump was a Democrat most of his. Sigh.
1
Glad to hear they are visiting the Inland Empire! I was brought up there, and my parents retired to Rancho Cucamonga (both staunch Democrats), so I’m sure they would be pleased, too! Best of luck to all, but especially Mr. Bloomberg.
32
I sincerely hope that Democrats, Independents, and Republicans such as Mitt Romney and George Conway come to the realization that unless they vote for Bloomberg in the primaries, and/ or otherwise endorse his campaign, Trump will be President until 2025.
Maybe I’m wrong but at this point it seems obvious to me that Bloomberg is the only one running who can beat Trump in November. God help us all- and the planet- if Mike does not get the nomination.
87
Donald Trump has already told us his re-election strategy: Run on the economy (started by Obama and sustained by unpaid for tax cuts, but that’s another story) and say that the Democrats will ruin the economy- an argument that will absolutely resonate with Sanders it Warren as the nominee and scare off millions of otherwise gettable voter who don’t like Trump but like “socialism” a lot less. And we will learn the hard way that Bernie’s “strategy” of bringing in an army of new voters to win is a farce - he’ll pick up a few more 18 - 29 year olds in blue state cities while alienating many more. Don’t believe me? Look at turnout for Iowa - Hillary had more support back in 2016.
Don’t gift Trump with a candidate who makes his message easy. Vote Bloomberg, Pete Or Klobuchar.
24
@Octavia Yes. Warren and Sanders have raised the awareness of very important discussions. Their legacy will be huge. But, to continue the momentum of their ideas, you need a “Nixon in China” moment.
Bloomberg and Mayor Pete or Bloomberg and Klobuchar could do that. Trump’s verbal attacks and manipulation of populism is not going to be able to endure if you don’t give him the easy slam dunk. Sanders will be boxed into the “socialist” box. Only Nixon could go to China. We have to face this reality united behind those who can win.
3
@Octavia
Biden is the strongest moderate candidate. Bloomberg is good but he won't be able to win the Democratic nomination.
1
@Richard Ralph Possibly but, Biden is the same old same old and so will not be able to inspire conciliation. He is someone to be admired but, you need a fresh horse in the race to move past this. People like new clothes. That’s why Trump won.
1
Mike is fine by me . He’s smart and forward thinking. The game has changed and if money is this years model , so be it . He is the ONLY one who may beat whats his name . The others should go home now .
34
Bloomberg is more than savvy ads. His ground game nationwide is well underway and addressing real concerns with real plans. For example, I’m attending his roundtable on the opioid crisis here in a town in Ohio that’s been hit hard by it. NO other candidates are doing this. He’s got twice as many staffers AND volunteers throughout Ohio where I am than Sanders, or any other candidate. Sanders has the money but isn’t using it in smart ways. Bloomberg’s talking to voters about issues that directly impact them. Bloomberg listens, assesses, looks at the data, then makes plans to fix the problems. I’m tired of Sanders talking so much about himself and his revolution and not broadly enough about ALL issues, not just his pet projects and no real plans for implementing. Sanders doesn’t listen, he lectures. I’m already sick of it and it’s not even March. And I can’t be the only voter who feels this way.
56
@Jolton That is really awesome. I agree with you about Bernie. He just talks, but is very secretive about how he is going to accomplish all these big and incredibly expensive plans. I must admit I am a fan of Pete. Time will tell what will happen with him. He put a lot of effort and money into Iowa, and he is in 2nd place as far as the popular vote. Very impressive. I watched a speech Mike was doing in Rhode Island. I was impressed with him as well. He is going up very quickly in the national polls, I have to believe it is more than just his prolific ad spending that is catching people’s attention. Anyway, I will start paying more attention to him.
6
@LJ I like Pete also and will be voting for either him or Bloomberg in the primaries. I think Buttigieg and Bloomberg are going to be surprising everyone moving forward.
2
@Jolton You are certainly not the only voter who feels this way. Many New Yorkers who have lived there through the most recent mayors: Dinkins, Giuliani, Bloomberg, De Blasio, and who are willing to be objective, already know that Bloomberg is an exceptionally talented leader and knows how to build high-achieving coalitions.
I'm thrilled his message and intrinsic appeal is starting to take hold- Mike Bloomberg is the real deal and will beat Trump handily.
6
So, as of last May, President Trump (who I totally didn’t vote for) says he is still committed to eliminating the carried interest exemption, whereby investment bankers’ multi-million dollar bonuses are taxed at capital gains rates, unlike Jane Q. Public’s $2,000 bonus which is treated as income (NY’s own Chuck Schumer has been stonewalling this change in the Senate for decades.) Would LOVE for someone to ask Michael “Financial Services” Bloomberg where he stands on this, but not holding my breath.
7
@Glenn Baldwin , Trump had his chance with the 2017 tax reform bill to get rid of the carried interest exemption and he did not even try. I suspect Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell did most of the work deciding what to put in the bill and they were not inclined to take away a preference that aided hedge-fund managers.
3
As a native Californian, today the state is turning an even deeper shade of blue. Those that cannot evolve and grow simply leave as the blue spreads. Historically our biggest threats and problems are due to Conservative leaders and actions here that threaten the environment, inflame racial and social strife (Proposition 187 - 1984 and Prosition 8 - 2008) and produce inequality Proposition 13 (1978). At 65, I see the range of Presidential Candidates as hopeful and good news. They as a group will represent California well, while Trump is but a crude and more out of touch choice like Ronald Reagan who was our Governor when I was 12.
112
As a fellow Californian, I’d like some of what you’re smoking... our state is in a state of massive disarray and decline on many critical fronts, and the departure of so much brainpower and financial ability to support the expensive programs we so love is frightful to the future health of the state. More blue yes, but you are missing the fact that the blues with money and skills are departing, leaving the deepest blues with less of either to revel in progressive successes as the roads literally crumble under their feet.
7
@Jon
I grew up in California's central valley and I have great difficulty imagining what the good folks of this area make of multi-millionaire socialist Bernie and billionaire Mike, who emerged from his Republican cocoon as--gasp--a Democrat.
Both Bernie and Mike live lives that are far, far removed from the Fresno experience (27% white, 48% Hispanic, 13% Asian, 8% black, average income $19,226 a year vs US average of $28,555 a year). Don't even ask about the quality of the schools.
I think Fresnoites will respond better to Bernie than Mike because Bernie is pretty much promising free everything for everybod, while Mike's promises are more limited.
I can wait to read their stump speeches.
@Jon
yeah, California is turning more and more blue... that's why you keep re-electing Devin Nunes to Congress. Good one.
What I like about Bloomberg so far is his rejection of the traditional way candidates are selected. This system is long overdue for change, and why should any state enjoy outsized influence?
We need a national primary day when all states vote, and competent administration to ensure it happens fairly.
346
@Pat So trying to buy an election is a better alternative?
59
@Pat
"The traditional way candidates are selected"
You mean participating in primaries/caucuses of all 50 states because they aren't egomaniacal billionaires who can flood the system with their obscene ill-gotten wealth?
54
@Pat I've only just recently even noticed that the NYT allows comments, & in line with the comment I just submitted myself here, and with your statement that the system is long overdue for change, but working to express a point of view that I've never heard, I hope you don't mind me jumping into a bit of specifics.
99% of this nation seems to have been built and gotten off to the races, before the American populace had really any legitimate means of interacting with one another in real time, ala the internet,
& we're still talking about a nation that has literally ZERO "Founding Mothers",
No truly effective steps towards Reparations,
No realistic method of getting money out of politics altogether,
An electoral college designed to prevent demagogues in part, which has been shown to now be the means via which a demagogue can actually win the presidency,
A national Debt which will Never get to Zero,
Really only two parties which are almost always just playing against one another,
a 90% caucasian state setting the tone for our primaries,
and, though not part of the government at all, a situation where the vast majority of our interactions as citizens, at least not in person of course, happens on deeply for profit "social networks",
whose interest is maximizing the number of dollars that can be extracted from advertisers.
I'm simply pushing for the idea that AMERICA needs its own NETWORK,
utterly not for profit,
and designed to manufacture consensus,
of, for, and by
18
I would love to have a Sanders/Warren ticket, but Paul Kahn's opinion piece in The Hill made me think twice about Mike. No other candidate would make #ImPOTUS squirm to pieces than him. I will vote for Mike if he's the nominee, especially if he chooses Kamala Harris as running mate.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/481242-why-the-2020-winning-ticket-includes-michael-bloomberg
33
@Marc
it's all a trick to get Biden out of the race... if Biden isn't the Dem nominee, it won't be Bloomberg either, it will be Sanders... and Sanders will lose to Trump in November. Biden is the strongest candidate.
@Marc I will vote for him no
matter who he chooses as running mate but Harris would be my last choice. Klobuchar would be a great choice.
4
@Cecelia Great point as Klobuchar could help with the Midwestern States. But Harris' prosecutorial skills during the campaign would be priceless ... imagine her asking Pence what he knows about Ukraine ...
Democrat average crowd: less than 100
Trump average crowd: 20,000 plus (only limited by arena size)
4
@Bless Dog
Bless Dog's Citations: zero.
And even if there were citations, does an "average" really describe the size of the typical Sanders rally?
4
@Bless Dog Who would want to attend a hate rally?
2
@Bless Dog
what's your point. You need 60 million votes to win a presidential election. 20,000 bozo's in a hockey arena is not enough. Maybe your math is just bad.
2
I am most definitely not a Bloomberg voter, but I gotta hand it to him, I think his strategy of skipping the early states and blanketing the rest of the country with advertising might work out well for him.
I don't see Biden recovering any momentum after Iowa (and probably New Hampshire), and Buttegieg is an empty suit whose weakness with voters of color is going to become a real liability once we get past the milquetoast states. It's very likely that Bloomberg emerges as the moderate lane candidate, going the distance against Bernie.
Funnily enough, though they're diametrically opposed in terms of policy, I think Bernie and Bloomberg are probably the most electable Dems against Trump.
29
@Vin
Biden can beat Sanders in the primary... Bloomberg can't. Bloomberg is a false hope for moderates.
@Vin I stongly agree with you overall, but do you think that Buttigieg is the only one who will be weak with voters of color after Bloomberg's racist "stop and frisk" policy as mayor?
2
@Richard Ralph Have you watched Biden speak lately? He just can't keep it together... at all. It's just sad. If Biden wasn't making it very clear that he is a false hope for Democrats, Bloomberg would not have entered the race to begin with. Biden should drop out and endorse Bloomberg.
3
As a rëgîsted indépendant I usually don't get to vote in primaries. But this year I get to vote in the democrat primary and I am going to vote for the Bernie revolution.
17
We really must stop cogitating about who is a billionaire, a socialist, young, old, self-made, inexperienced, took corporate money in the past, a woman or minority candidate, or adheres to one policy or another and select a person who can beat DJT. Nothing else really matters in the end.
67
@It’s About Time I wonder though. The traditional neo-liberal corporate dems destroyed the country politely, using nice reassuring words. Trump just does it all nakedly, without shame, and with barbaric crudeness.
Bloomberg looks like a genius at this point, going after big fish instead of minnows. Although calling common sense, genius, is perhaps overstating it.
25
Bloomberg might be a genius at giving himself wealth and power, but we need a president who has every American at the center of their campaign, not themself. We can elect a president of impeachable character, who has proven over decades: One, isn’t corrupt, Two, who is the only one running a campaign without ‘those’ fundraisers, Three, who can never be thrown off-message for the sake of the important work that will raise all boats and Four, who has the interests of every single American at heart? It’s time we not only our Democracy and The Constitution, but our species and Life on earth.
2
The real problem with this are the 4 swing states that voted for the bigot in 2016.
We need to focus on those electoral college states FIRST, they come in first and can THROW the whole election.
We won California by millions of votes, by then it was too late.
16
Bloomberg is our only hope
Clear thinking. Compassionate, competent.
84
@Joe Yoh
His record shows otherwise.
3
What we don’t need - - another American oligarch as president.
3
@Lilly google: "oligarch" . You're doing yourself and those you seek to influence a huge disservice by attributing words like that incorrectly.
Which candidate has actually provided any sort of free higher education?
I got my California ballot in the mail, Tuesday 2/4 and mailed it in today, having made up my mind weeks ago partly out of fatigue.
It would be tragedy for the candidates if there is a large segment of ASAP get the ballot done with already California voters like me who will miss all their ads, rallies, meet-ups etc. in this new automatic mail early ballot return paradigm.
Their funds would be wasted in these primaries to result in lowered resources needed in the general election against Trump.
2
@Lynne Shapiro
I've noticed that "gap", too, both on primaries and general elections.
I have usually voted a good two weeks before the ads start to hit the tv.
There needs to be some way for candidates to avoid spending money in their districts where the electors have already turned in their ballots.
All I can come up with (if I were a candidate) is to split my resources: ads when the information guide goes out, followed by another spate of ads right before the election.
Not perfect, but better than throwing all your money at folks that have already voted in the primary.
3
@rosa I have been thinking about this also as a retired market researcher. How could they know about early voters/deciders and late deciders and where they live. Do they conduct polls now for this, if not they should. Also here in CA. we can vote for the candidate we may have decided upon long ago as no one has dropped out yet. In later primaries, voters may need to make new decisions if their candidate "calls it a day." The stronger candidates now might be better off saving their funds for those later primary states.
Again I am concerned about diminished resources from these primaries that will weaken us Democrats against Trump.
1
Californians should consider that:
Trump will not be able to call Bloomberg a socialist.
Trump will not be able to claim he is richer or the better businessman (which will drive him crazy).
Trump won't be able to outspend Bloomberg.
He won't be able to say Mike is too sick to be President.
He won't be able to ask why Bloomberg spent his honeymoon in the Soviet Union.
Bloomberg will beat Trump. Sanders won't.
353
@Sparky Who cares what trump says? His supporters literally do not care if he shoots someone on 5th avenue so they are a done deal. We do not simply want another billionaire who has the same racist and divisive polices as trump but is just polite about it. I would vote for any other dem against trump, but having lived in his little fiefdom for 12 years, I will never never never vote for Bloomberg. Bernie can beat trump he would have beat him in 2016. We are tired of being ruled over by billionaires who just get richer while we get poorer.
38
@Sparky Cannot agree more. Can you imagine the debates?
Bloomberg: "I'm worth 60 billion"
Trump: "I'm worth a lot of billions..."
Bloomberg: "You liar...release your taxes like you promised..."
106
@maria5553 Bloomberg is highly progressive on guns, climate change and even taxes. He was not a perfect mayor of our fair city, but certainly the best of the 4 mayors I've lived under (Dinkins, Giuliani, Bloomberg and deBlasio).
The best President for working people in the last 100 years was FDR. And he was born into great wealth and privilege which Mike was not.
79
Candidates campaigning in places where lots of people actually live. How about that!
54
Bloomberg is fearless. That's good. He also has the financial firepower to counter Fox, Facebook and the FSB. That's better. He can beat Donald Trump. That's best.
282
@Greg
all true... but what you forgot to mention is that Bloomberg can't win the Democratic nomination. He'll just end up splitting the moderate vote with Biden and handing the nomination to Sanders. Bloomberg needs to do the right thing, recognize that he's not viable within the party, and put his resources behind Biden to beat Trump in November.
1
@Richard Ralph: Biden won't get anywhere. Bloomberg can win.
20
@Richard Ralph
No, I’m sorry. Biden is clearly not viable.
Trump is going to tar and feather Biden with Burisma like there is no tomorrow. It will make the Benghazi and HRC email charades look like child’s play.
Bloomberg is the only winner in the Democratic line-up.
PS. Biden does not have enough money and there is no way he will get enough to match Trump. Bloomberg will spend billions if necessary!
24
Hmm, that photo reveals something interesting. Bloomberg in Compton for a small rally, but the audience has many white people...I find that very odd. Compton is a working class city full of minorities.
10
@PM I thought Compton was being gentrified. Is it just portions of South LA?
@PM
He has 4-5% potential black voters. Not viable.
1
“I have never backed down from a bully or run away from a fight,”
Says a man that will NOT let his media outlets cover any Republican.
What a hypocrite.
9
@Sparky Jones
Lord knows there are not enough media outlets today for the poor Republicans.
@Sparky Jones
Agreed~!
Tough guy Mike pays off the plethora of women that have filed sexual harassments suits and discrimination suits against him.
Makes them sign nondisclosure agreements too.
Such a tough guy is Mike.
Says he can beat Trump. Yet decides to change his Republican registration to Dem. because he won't primary Donnie directly. Brave, tough Bloomie.
The oligarch that is trying to buy our presidency.
The ninth richest man in the world who won't show his taxes. One who was funding Republican congressmen against Dems just a few years ago, keeping us from winning the House and Senate. The gung-ho Iraq war monger who gave a speech at the Republican convention drumming up Bush the Lesser adulations.
Hypocrite...Lol...I've got some better descriptors for the little guy with a Napoleon complex.
1
I'm getting extremely tired of the massive inundation of "BLOOMBERG WILL BE YOUR WHITE MALE CEO SAVIOR" ads. What is his plan? Stop and frisk the entire continent? We need structural change, not a kinder gentler dictator.
62
@Multimodalmama Get Trump out first, then we will talk.
None of the other candidates, particularly the socialist wing like Bernie bots and Warren will have a chance against Trump.
49
Bernie would have beaten Trump last time and he definitely will this time. We can elect a president of impeachable character, who has proven over decades: One, isn’t corrupt, Two, who is the only one running a campaign without ‘those’ fundraisers, Three, who can never be thrown off-message for the sake of the important work that will raise all boats and Four, who has the interests of every single American at heart? It’s time we not only our Democracy and The Constitution, but our species and Life on earth.
9
@Jimmy Jones
There will just be another Trump. There will always be an emergency unless we deal with the core issues. Bloomberg isn’t it.
1
I thought the Democrats were complaining about the Electoral college, and yet, there seems to be no complaint that a candidate can win the State popular vote, but lose the State delegates to another candidate with less votes. Isn't California, in particular, complaining about this issue in California? Sounds like a setup for replay of Iowa, where Sanders wins the first and 2nd round of total votes and yet is deemed to be trailing by, at this point, 0.1%.
I support Senator Sanders, but would have no problem voting for Bloomberg against Trump...as long as it's fair.
11
The only potential upsides I see to California's newly early primary are that we might help avoid a summer convention and we'll starve out financially non-viable campaigns.
Other than that, we shouldn't really have much of a say in the primary, in my opinion. Not while the Electoral College exists.
2
Yeah, California has 20 million 'potential' voters, but how many of them vote in primaries? I remember hearing that in the 2018 midterms, only about 50% of registered voters cast a ballot. So the candidates who won only needed 25.1% of the "potential" voter to get elected, on average. Each state's laws and Party rules are different, so in Florida, if you don't belong to a Party, you don't get a vote in either primary. The fact that so few Americans bother to vote is embarrassing and says a lot about the misguided priorities of our "culture". I signed up to vote by mail, even though my precinct is 1/2 block from my house, because it's easy and gives me time to research and consider all candidates backgrounds. I don't know how many people "vote" for an act on America's Got Talent, but wouldn't be surprised if it was more than the 210,000 Democrats and 32,000 Republicans who caucused in Iowa. By the way, Trump was just on TV bragging about how fired up his base is, but only 32,391 showed up in Iowa. Maybe some of those corn and soy farmers are waking up and smelling Trump's swamp.
8
Except 32,000 voters was a record for Republicans.
As long as Iowa has had a caucus. No candidate has had as many voters come out and vote.
@Charles Segal
So the GO-P base is never 'enthused' enough to participate or there just aren't many Republicans in Iowa? Or both?
Dems - 210,000
Trump, won 97.1% - 31,464 votes
another great Trump victory?
I think he whines a lot more than he wins...
3
CA voter, no TV (don't care for it), no social media same.
So surprised candidates are out here.
But I do work as paid volunteer for Elections. Had been a Government major.
Still uncertain about Dem candidate to support, but certainly not be deciding by a media buy.
There are more of us than you think.
8
Bloomberg's strategy to skip the "warm-up" states is looking pretty good (see Iowa debacle). To beat Trump, you are going to need business experience, a thick skin and yes, money....lots of it. I'm not sure about the thick skin, but Bloomberg does have the experience ( New York mayor) and the money (self-made billionaire) to run Trump out of DC. I don't see any of the other candidates being able to stand up to Trump's verbal abuse and on-line trolls leading up to the Nov. election. But I do see Mike giving it back and then some (see needs a lot of money).
I certainly hope the Democratic establishment has not prematurely crowned a "winner" before the PA primary. We all know how well that went down last time around.
100
@Nessmuck
Bloomberg was 3 time mayor of NYC and built a billion dollar media empire.
His skin is plenty thick.
Most important, he's not afraid of Donald Trump.
3
@Nessmuck
I kinda have the feeling that Bloomberg could be a 21st century FDR.
He's the one who could run the evil White House occupant out of town.
1
I was born in the valley just North of Fresno and have watched as it went from small farmers and businesses to Agribusiness with a two-tiered society and gross pollution.
It has become poor and relatively under-educated, and filled with conservatives as a result. If Bloomberg can score there he can win anywhere.
66
I despise Bernie Sanders and I vote in very election. I will sit out the election if he is the Democratic nominee. I am a middle class (for California) voter.
11
@Irene Goodnight Hope you change your mind. I will vote for whoever Democratic party nominates out of this group of candidates, ...so long as it's fair. I think fear of Sanders should be quelled by the fact that there are no self proclaimed "Democratic-Socialist" Senators and very few too my knowledge in the House. They will not allow the extinction of private Insurance for those who can afford and want it. What he might do, is provide access to health and dental care to those who can not afford it and can not afford tax penalty for not buying insurance. He should be able to reverse Trump's environmental rollbacks of Clean Water Act. He might rein in the spending of the military. I am hoping for Sanders/Klobachur ticket...but, will vote for whoever the party nominates.
14
@Irene Goodnight
I agree with you on Bernie as does my husband, my sister, and our mom, but we will all hold our noses and vote for him anyway. Two of those votes like yours won't really count, but two are in a purplish blue state. Always vote!
6
@Irene Goodnight Please don't sit out the election if Sanders is the Democrat nominee. I was a conservative Republican until a few months ago and now I am a conservative unaffiliated. If I can hold my nose and vote for Hillary last time and, if necessary, Sanders this time, I hope you can also. We need Trump gone and his sycophant congressional enablers also. Sanders is my least favorite of all the 20 or so people who started this race, but vote for anyone to stop Trump.
2
Michael Bloomberg lacks the broad cross-sectional appeal in the Democratic Party needed to win the nomination... Joe Biden is a much stronger candidate than Bloomberg within the party. The Sanders people are surely rooting for Bloomberg to replace Biden as the leading moderate candidate, as Bloomberg is a more convenient foil for the Bernie movement... It seems like Bloomberg, Sanders, and Trump are trying to triple-team Biden to get him out of the race. Biden needs to hang tough.
3
@Richard Ralph : Richard: As a NYC native, there is perhaps no cultural melting pot in the US as broad as NYC. Mike Bloomberg was a three-term Mayor here without scandal, with a broad base coalition and is spending his own money - with no outside funding - on this campaign to get Trump out of the Oval Office. NYC natives know exactly who and what Donald Trump is - and only another New Yorker can face Trump and call him out on his pathological lying - where are Trump's taxes, anyway? The Supreme Court will decide on that in June...because Trump is fighting tooth and nail not to disclose. If Trump had nothing to hide ...why did he not disclose his taxes during the 2016 campaign? Perhaps its Russian money funding him - because Trump hasn't got cash - he has debt! NYC banks stopped lending to him in the 1990s because of his reckless reputation with money and bankruptcy. Bloomberg is the only person who will be a very formidable challenger, get this country back on track without Russian influence in the Oval Office and Trump is very well aware of it!
18
@Richard Ralph
Hmm...this Berner would prefer Joe over the oligarch.
I know Joe wants to reach across the aisle and work in a bipartisan manner (no matter how foolish that is...)
Where as Bloomberg actively spent millions backing Republicans against Dems in congress. The ninth richest man in the world who won't show his taxes, has a history of sexual harassments and job discriminations lawsuits by women, who paid the DNC $30,000 and bought his way into a debate by a rule change...No thanks. I'd prefer to fight and lose against Joe than seeing my Party sell out to a .ooo1%.
1
@kkm it's amazing that you can live in NYC and believe that his three terms were without scandal, his 3rd term itself is a scandal, he diverted democracy then just as he is trying to do now, if that's not enough, racist stop and frisk, illegal RNC arrests, citytime scnadal, his role in the tishman speyer's purchase of Stuy town, he is nothing but scandal. Oh and we have all that good footage of him praising Bush at the RNC. Never Bloomberg, anybody but bloomberg.
2
While I would never say no to a free taco, I'm all in for Warren. Good policies beat free food!
9
Bloomberg policies are clearly quite good
So is his track record of success
28
@CaliforniaDoc Eliminated student debt is not a good policy. What about those of us who actually paid the loan for our spouses doctorate through many years of denying ourselves even some simpler pleasures? Where is ours?
3
@CaliforniaDoc
Warren's policy is "free everything."
If Bloomberg and Sanders can encourage hispanic voters to turn out, it's all to the good. That would likely be the end of Devin Nunes, whose Congressional District borders on Fresno.
55
Mike Bloomberg can and will defeat Donald Trump. Responding as a NYC native, Bloomberg is a self-made billionaire - no scandals of any kind - and while he ran for a third term - and won - (an exception was made by the NYC City Council to let him run for a third term), he was an excellent Mayor and is, perhaps, as alarmed as many people are that the Occupant in the Oval Office - scandal ridden, a debtor (with Russian financing and considers bankruptcy a business model) and a braggart who is an emotionally stunted hollow shell of a human being - the perpetual bullying name-calling - as an example - who can not continue in the White House for another four years - as he is unfit to serve on every level and threatens our democracy at its roots. He has no respect for the Rule of Law, the Constitution and won't even disclose his taxes. Mike Bloomberg will be a formidable opponent -on every level to get our country back on track - and Trump knows it!
107
Meanwhile Trump is still President. Why? Nothing has worked and we’ve tried. Lord knows every gambit has failed.
People need to vote him out but it’s it looking good with the economy, military, nato paying up and illegal crossings down
@kkm - YES! Yes to everything you said. I wanted Bloomberg in 2016!
6
Matt Taibbi famously described Goldman Sachs as '...a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money.'
Goldman Sachs with 36,000 employees is worth 90 billion.
Michael Bloomberg is worth 60 billion. One guy.
Yeah, Bloomberg is an oligarch. We don't need any more oligarchs running the country.
41
@Pat
No, what we don't need in Trump for four more years. We desparately don't need that. Trumps PR machine will destroy Sanders as a "communist" with the independent swing voters. Trumps PR machine will be helpless against Bloomberg.
40
@Pat You might want to learn more about Mike Bloomberg and his generosity to Non-Profit organizations around the country and donations supporting local government leaders in small towns and cities across the country. It isn't how much money you have, it is how you use and share it.
16
We just need one to beat one. That’s all.
3
Bring on Bloomberg! He is an idea guy, rich, smart and savvy. Trump is terrified of him. The DNC doesn't have a deep war chest. If Bloomberg can fund his own campaign, the DNC can help more Senate and House candidates.
None of the current crop of Dem candidates can win. The country won't elect a Socialist, a gay man or a tired former VP. Trump will destroy them. We need to pick someone who can beat Trump! We can't vote with our hearts or force candidates through a purity test. If we don't use our heads, we will lose the election. And our Democracy in the bargain. The stakes are just too high.
137
@SM Exactly. How are all these other folks unable to see this simple yet accurate viewpoint?
8
@SM
When you vote for Mike you are definitely going to get Trump out.
Guaranteed.
Put aside any reasons you may hesitate and realize that this moment is too big to even contemplate 4 more years of 24/7 Crazy.
Mike is an engineer. He takes problems, finds solutions and makes it happen.
He was not born rich. To get through college he parked cars. His parents had to hire a Christian attorney to buy a house in Mass since they refused to sell to Jews. He came up from nothing and has made something of himself.
If you are going to defeat Trump you not only need unlimited money but a selfless, genuine man who can appeal to all of us, Ind., Dem Republican.
Mike will do it.
I love Mike.
1
On Bloomberg. A Fantastical Take. But one that I'm personally sure would actually change this country for the much greater. If you have the New York Time & Open Mindedness to include it.
IF Mike truly wishes to become the president of the United States of America, & to do so to help US bring about the kinds of changes that seem necessary, but off the practical table the way things are,
raising the price of advertising for everyone, and spending a thousand million dollars to attack a president who's behaviors are relatively clearly known to everyone, seems an ineffective utilization of a share of resources that can be described as a pittance.
If he really wants to win, and change the country, and change the world, here's my suggestion, which I'd love to see engaged with and shared if possible:
Mike, Since 60 thousand million and 50 thousand million are, in your own life, EXACTLY the same,
Please skip the advertising altogether,
& invest/donate 10 thousand million of the dollars that you have certainly earned within our capitalist system, in markets that have a modicum of freedom, but obviously also contain historical inequities on scales that are hard for many to imagine,
on some version of what I call "AmericaNET",
which I'll have to hyper summarize since I'm almost out of characters.
1. Really NO politician has ever admitted the deepest & most obvious truth.
THEY DON'T KNOW.
And if we want GREAT ANSWERS, we have to NETWORK the American people, with NO advertising.
“Riverside is our Des Moines,” said Anna Bahr, a California spokeswoman for the Sanders campaign —
Knowing both places intimately, I’m not sure which city should feel more insulted.
6
From now on, as long as we keep this electoral college nonsense, the first primary states should be the big battleground states: Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina. I want to see which candidate voters in those states support, because that's who can win the election. I'm not worried about people in California not voting because they are uninspired with the candidate. CA will go blue no matter who it is, and no matter what the turnout is. I worry that while Bernie inspires lots of voters in blue states, he will have a hard time beating Trump in the states that decide the election. And as much as I love Warren and Bernie and Joe and Pete and Amy and Andrew, I'm not sure that any of them will pull the votes we need from independents and Republicans-sick-of-Trump, and some of them may push some of those right-of-center independents away in this economy.
98
@AW That's where Bloomberg comes in. He can hardly be accused of being threatening to the economy.
And he is polling well in some potential swing states (e.g. NC)
37
Voter, in VA... Why would we want even more oligarchy, from Bloomberg...? No one will vote for that, when we need more !democracy!
6
@Lilly absolutely and democracy to bloomberg is like water to a cat, it's just a pesky thing he circumvents by paying off those who enforce the rules.
4
Smart. And there is the key. Candidates must visit every nook and cranny of the state, rural and city, Red and Blue districts. Fresno is one of our more conservative areas, but the people there will listen. I live in a Blue Bubble here in Sonoma County. But there is a group of us who are ready to reach out to our fellow Californians as well as other states leaning purple. My choice is neither Sanders nor Bloomberg. However, I would support either one if he were to be our final choice. I continue to lean towards Warren. I hope she is getting the message and will not make the same mistake has Hillary Clinton did. No one, no one should be overlooked in this most crucial of elections.
18
We can all agree that it is a very good thing that the California primary is now on the earlier side of the calendar.
I just wish that Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania were earlier too. Truly, the voters in those three states will decide the election.
42
Let's see.
Bernie Sanders inspires would-be voters and sends millions of volunteers out into the community to talk about his ideas.
Michael Bloomberg buys millions of dollars of TV and radio ads.
I wonder which one will be the most responsive to ordinary people.
Hmmm.
161
@Samsara Bloomberg, by far. Data driven leadership vs. Trump-like personality cult. Politicians who inspire extreme personal devotion are scary, not promising.
59
@Samsara Who has accomplished more? Bloomberg was a 3 term mayor of a city a dozen times bigger than Bernie's state. He also created a $50 billion + media conglomerate.
Sanders has achieved precious little in the Senate. He can't even get any of his colleagues to endorse him.
127
@Samsara ... The problem is, Bernie's agenda would never pass in Congress. More moderate reforms are what might work if Dems keep control of the House and win control of the Senate and White House. We the People are fed up with extremists on both ends of the spectrum. The fanatical "leaders" aren't representing the majority of anything except more dysfunction and gridlock. We want compromise, action and accountability.
77
The central valley folks feel ignored? Mr. Nunes won't fix that. He hardly talks to his constituents as a whole. No wonder they feel ignored.
There is still a lot of rural Oklahoma in the valley as well their accents give it away.
17
What a contrast - Sanders and Bloomberg. The Democratic tent has gotten huge, although neither Bernie nor Mike has any real investment in the Democratic party.
The thing is, I imagine that Trump is vastly more afraid of Bloomberg than he is of Sanders. That's appealing.
The one thing that Sanders and Bloomberg share is that they would inspire a lot of voters to stay home.
13
@Cousy: Sanders voters may stay home if Bloomberg is nominated, despite his progressive stance and putting his money where his mouth is on climate change, gun control, education and infrastructure. The majority of potential Bloomberg voters would vote for Sanders however: Bloomberg promised to support any Democratic nominee, including Sanders, if he himself doesn't become the nominee. The exception may be the potential Bloomberg voters who are moderate Republicans.
8
@Anna -- I am a Sanders supporter. Democratic-voters tend to view Sanders as the candidate, who has the best proposals on ey issues like health care, the economy, immigration, and the environment. And he beats Trump by 4 to 7 points in the general election.
But more importantly, Sanders has a base that included 75% of all Democratic-voters under age 50 in 2016. He is currently is the #1 Hispanic choice -- in fact the bilingual Hispanic "satellite caucus' may put him over the top in Iowa, where he has won the popular vote and is within 1 tenth of 1 percent of winning the most delegates. He has been elected 8 times by the people of Vermont, sometimes with 70% of the vote, which includes Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and even some members of the Labor Party and Libertarians. He has a strong ground game and a strong issue-based campaign. But I would be happy to vote for Elizabeth Warren or Andrew Yang, as well. I hope that I do not find myself forced to vote for any of the other candidates because they do not represent the change that we need.
8
@Anna Until a few months ago I was a conservative Republican. Now I am a conservative unaffiliated. I voted for Hillary, and I will vote for Sanders if I have to. Among those still in the contest my favorites are Klobuchar and Warren. But whoever is opposite the Wizard of Oz in the White House will get my vote.
7
Both parties have moved too far to the right, and failed to support and defend the majority of voters vs support for the Wall Street big-donor investments crowd and corporations.
First and foremost, with Bernie Sanders as POTUS, we will be filling the weekly news cycle, every week with the fact that annual corporate tax revenue is at a record low 3%.
President Sanders will be calling on his Democratic friend, Tom Styers to immediately focus on framing all government agencies and departments around a Green New Deal with a focus on the needs of the people and the health of our environment.
And there will be a new Senate Majority Leader, and her name is Elizabeth Warren.
And we certainly need Andrew Yang in the Sanders administration to help bring the Democratic Party and US Government into the 21st Century Digital Age.
106
Mike Bloomberg / Stacey Abrams 2020
Formidable.
129
@Voter Bloomberg/Harris imo.
16
I’d prefer Kamela Harris from California. Stacy doesn’t have a chance.
17
@Voter Do you think that she or Harris would come near Mayor Stop and Frisk given his history of letting the NYPD run roughshod over people of color in NYC?
5
Mayor Bloomberg, California voters aren't for sale.
President Bernie Sanders 2020!
A Future To Believe In!
162
@Lucy Cooke: Every candidate buys the electorate, Bloomberg just does it with his own money instead of that of donors, small and large.
75
@Lucy Cooke Bloomberg is trying to get your attention, not to buy you. He won't lie to you, the way Trump does. He won't make promises that he can't keep. He's not perfect, but I believe he's the only candidate truly positioned to fight Trump and win. I like all of the Democratic candidates for different reasons, but I don't think any of them can match Bloomberg in terms of his ability and commitment to fight Trump. At this point, it's time to fight fire with fire.
168
Bloomberg is the man to beat Trump.
86
Only in America could an avowed socialist like Sanders, and a billionaire who has switched political parties multiple times like Bloomberg, be vying for the Democrat party presidential candidacy. Will they be able to hoodwink enough Democrats, liberals and progressives to buy into what they are selling? Let's hope not, but when you offer a whole lot of free stuff paid for by somebody else in exchange for votes, a lot of suckers want to get on the gravy train.
3
@paul
Our President is an alleged billionaire who switched political affiliations several times, and it didn't seem to hurt his candidacy.
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What it suggests is the Democratic brand is damaged. Both Bloomberg and Sanders can distance themselves from the Democratic Party, Bloomberg by his historic registration as a Republican and Bernie by claiming to be a Socialist who only caucuses with Democrats. Even Warren (like Hillary Clinton) was a young Republican. Only Biden is a lifelong Democrat and his candidacy is on life support.
6
@paul - Bernie is like the most beloved Democrat in history: Franklin D. Roosevelt, who organized and put to work all of the people left to suffer after the high-risk investment crowd crashed the national economy (similar to what the same high-risk investment crowd did in 2009, but this time they crashed the world economy!)
He was hated by the "establishment" Democrats, who like today's bunch were unaffected by the suffering of ordinary people. He established Social Security, so that old folks would not starve to death when they could no longer work. The people elected that self-labeled Democratic Socialist three times, and would have elected him to a fourth term as POTUS. That's when the US Congress established term limits for the presidency.... which was a good idea, but should have also placed term limits on members of the US Congress.
5