Well, Trump and his Republican enablers have buried the standards for decent and moral behavior so deep that other people's shameless behaviors look acceptable, if not virtuous. Under normal circumstances, I would not have considered voting for someone like Mike Bloomberg, a rich old man. But now, I am ready to swallow my principles and vote for him or anyone who could beat him and save our country from another four years of daily trauma, lies, foul language. total disrespect for our constitution and laws, and reckless behavior.
9
Bloomberg should do what the old Mexican PRI did: straight rip buy votes from voters. They paid campesinos, brought them into town, made sure they voted then paid them off (money promptly spent at local businesses). It worked for decades. I can't imagine why an African American, Latino, or Liberal would vote for him, given his record, and that he is and has been a key part of the oligarchy that's strangling this country. However, money talks. It's like Yang's guaranteed income, only this is guaranteed vote. Yang offered $1000 per person. Bloomberg should at least offer $2000 per voter.
3
It doesn’t bother me that Bloomberg is shameless about spending money. It bothers me that he’s shameless in rebranding his racist legacy. Maybe the two are connected, though. Mayor Pete hasn’t done half the racist things that Bloomberg has, but what he has done continues to hang over him, while Bloomberg can just buy his way to a clean slate.
3
I don’t like the memes, but let’s face it, that door was opened in 2016 and if Democrats wanna win they have to bring a gun to the gunfight.
6
Why is Mike Bloomberg’s paid advertising less morally pure than the infinite amounts of free publicity Trump has always gotten just for being click bait? The mainstream media has underwritten a Trump with free coverage for things which deserved none when he was a candidate and not much now that he is president. Apparently it’s not news when it’s paid content but is just because it comes from the bloviator-in-chief.
5
Mike Bloomberg earned his money; he didn't inherit it. And he can spend it any way he darned well pleases. Since the Democratic Party is about to tear itself to pieces between its way left portion and its slightly left of center portion, somebody has got to get that man out of the White House. I don't care if it's cynical; I don't care if people think that getting down in the gutter with the King of the Gutter who is busy suborning the Justice Department, the military, etc. is unseemly. Go, Mike!
8
Bloomberg supports environmental causes (1 Million to Sierra) , sensible gun rights, etc. I wish NYT would do more than bash him. My dream would be a Bloomberg/Klobuchar ticket. I'm cancelling my subscription today and will renew after the election.
3
Money buys eyeballs and ears, but it cannot manufacture charisma. As a New Yorker and lifelong Democrat, I wasn't a fan of Bloomberg's mayoralty -- including privatizing education, parks, etc.). My prejudices aside, the man has the appeal of a wet noodle. He can't hold a candle to Bernie's energy, passion, and lifelong beliefs. And Mike delivers his dilute messages in that passive, nasal, robotic, humorless voice that is not, uh, exactly compelling, to say the least. Can endless mountains of cash really buy you love--and votes?
I think he should flood Fox News with his ads, attack his worse offenses, especially his broken promises.
6
For all that the Trump trolls whine about "fake news"? You in the corporate media hand it to them on a silver platter. Bloomberg is a NOBODY. Period. He recently had a campaign event, along with his celebrity fan, Judge Judy. Total attendance? 24. This clueless buffoon is going to do nothing but waste money (where was all that money when you watched NYCs homelessness skyrocket, Mike? Yeah, thought so) in trying to derail Bernie, and all the major corporate media outlets will be helping him. Nice try, but we're done listening to you. This election is about one thing, and one thing only; Bernie vs. Wall St. Period. So, if you have more than 8 figures in the bank? Go at it, have fun. For the rest of us, the majority who WORK for a living? The only choice is Bernie.
Mike Bloomberg Is Hacking Trumps attention; "Mini Mike is a short ball (very) hitter. Tiny club head speed." - @realdonaldtrump
Trump kicks the ball so much that caddies call him Pelé [a reference to the famous Brazilian soccer player]. He throws it out of bunkers, he retakes shots, he throws other people’s balls into the water. People have called him on it on the first hole.
But every time people call him on it, he has the same answer, which is, “Oh, the guys I play with, you’ve got to do this just to keep it fair.” It’s the Lance Armstrong defense: Everybody’s doing it, so I have to do it just to keep up, otherwise I’m getting cheated. It’s the default rationalization of a "Cheater".
In reality, 90 percent of people don’t cheat when they play. But this guy cheats like a mafia accountant. - The National Golf Foundation
2
Sadly, as long as Mike has the money to buy voters and “influencers” he can be as racist and as shameless as he wants.
3
This is a tweet from he president toward Bloomberg and Bloomberg's reply
“Mini Mike Bloomberg is a LOSER who has money but can’t debate and has zero presence, you will see,” Trump tweeted.
Bloomberg responded on twitter by saying their mutual acquaintances mock Trump in private.
“Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown,” . “They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence. I have the record & the resources to defeat you. And I will.”
No other democrat could or would answer in that fashion. Mayor Bloomberg has Trump's attention for sure. "When they go low, we go high" won't work against Donald Trump.
5
Sic' em, Mike!
4
It wouldn't work if people believed any of the other candidates could beat Trump.
2
In order to defeat a president many consider a threat to democracy, Bloomberg offers to completely do away with the illusion of democracy.
4
People keep saying rich people trying to buy the presidency.
A long story short, money is no doubt a factor, an important factor, indeed.
It also depends on the person's personality, appearance, and maybe the agenda as well....
3
I dont buy Mr Warzel's hypothesis and critique of the Bloomberg money roll towards the democratic nomination. Tech and social media has facilitated the transmission of messaging to a nationwide audience at warp speed. To confront the Trump machine, getting a clear message out was paramount for the democrats and the internecine warfare between the Sanders brigade and the moderates was not getting it done. Whether you like it or not, Iowa was a total waste of time, Bloomberg has the wherewithal to give the Potus a run for his money and beat him at is MAGA message
4
As a Democrat of Warren and Sanders persuasion, I am trying to stay loose about who can best beat Pres Trump, but more important, get us out of a fifty-year descent into economic stagnation and inequality. Michael Bloomberg offers national and international acclaim for financial, environmental and governmental prowess – a combination not yet equaled by any Democratic hopeful.
In Bloomberg’s record, Warzel drags up only “his beloved stop-and-frisk policies” and dismisses all else as “content creation and shamelessness.” This is lazy. He might have consulted, for example, Bloomberg and Carl Pope’s “Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses and Citizens Can Save the Planet.” Even if ghost-written (not alleged that I know of), it is a comprehensive statement on a much-needed 21st Century political economy, and it includes serious financial reform of a Bernie/Elizabeth type.
7
It is imperative that Bloomberg not be the nominee. If he is, it will destroy the American people’s confidence in our political system because then - officially - only money will matter in politics, not voters.
9
This is the system and the environment we have, and if he's using it to win more power, and kudos, to him. If he wins and helps change the system that allowed him to win, he's a hero. If he loses the nomination and then uses his smarts, money and machine to help the nominee win, he's a hero, a saint and the savior of our country.
5
I question how he is described as "buying the election." He's buying a bunch of ads pitching his candidacy, no more. If a candidate has a ton of ads and no message or appeal (there have been many examples of this, including Forbes and others), he or she will lose. And if a big ad buy is all it takes to be elected, then the public is more gullible than we're willing to admit, and we get the leaders we deserve.
4
To JW : Consider that Bloomberg may be the most likely democrat to win in the six key states that will determine the outcome of this election. Remember we are stuck with the electoral college. He has the organization, the funding and the experience needed to win. Unlike Trump, he grew up middle class and built the organization that has made him a multi-billionaire himself. He is conservative and pragmatic and has already shown an ability to translate the research data he’s paid for into an effective plan of action. He is 78 years old and has a distinctly white middle-class sensibility - this can appeal to swing voters in the Midwest and suburban housewives. Stop and frisk and accusations of creating work environments that are hostile to women are troublesome however, Bloomberg has apologized. The election isn’t about making progress toward a liberal agenda. It’s about stopping our precipitous slide into authoritarianism. Bloomberg can win and he can stabilize our democracy. If we want to create a true social democracy we need to take a long view and we need to pursue our goals pragmatically.
10
@Annalies AMEN! Smartly and articulately said.
2
Bloomberg is literally a Republican.
Was such as mayor of NYC. Spoke at the GOP Convention, endorsed Bush, and the Iraq war. He contributed hundreds of thousands to Lindsey Graham in 2014, and in 2016 helped a Republican in Pennsylvania defeat a viable Democratic challenger for U.S. Senate.
He's a Democrat now out of sheer opportunism -- to stop Bernie.
Nominating Bloomberg would be an election with no Democratic choice.
8
@Chris Yes, that's the real shame of it. No Democratic choice, and no democratic choice.
6
Let’s not forget that Bernie is also a Democrat out of sheer opportunism. No difference there. Bernie is a Democrat who despises the Democratic Party and would like nothing more than to dismantle it. Sounds like a Trojan Horse to me.
2
@Adrienne
Not even apples and oranges.
Bernie is ideologically a FDR Democrat.
All Democratic contenders run on some version of Bernie’s platform. That pretty much makes him the most influential Democrat out there.
He also doesn’t sponsor Republicans against other Democrats. That would be Joe Biden.
8
Enough already NT Times with the daily sanctimonious criticism of Bloomberg about buying the campaign. That’s the system we have and he’s making good use of it. Unfortunately the saying “nice guys finish last” is all too real in the Trump era. So I’m glad we have a fighter on our side. At least he is using his own wealth and is committed to progressive causes, women’s rights, the rule of law and democracy. No special interest groups are buying these ads, and they are pretty good. He’s the best candidate by far - if not perfect - but we’re not looking for perfect. Just a decent person to beat Trump and restore sanity and the rule of law to this country. Mike Bloomberg has my vote.
8
@Oliver Harlow
A decent person doesn't have 64 women file sexual harassment lawsuits.
A decent person doesn't have 78 cases of job discrimination.
A decent person doesn't tell his female employee to kill her fetus.
A decent person doesn't have 5 different phone numbers in Jeffrey Epstein's phone book.
A decent person doesn't have offshore bank accounts, who's accountant is now under federal investigation.
A decent person doesn't amass $60 billion dollars, and finally decide at age 70+ that America has an income inequality problem.
A decent person doesn't cheer on the Iraq War, nor give rally speeches for Bush the Lesser at the Republican Convention.'
This is just the surface. We've not gotten into the Redline comments, the Stop 'n Frisk, the millions of dollars to Republican candidates.
You want a "decent" person to beat Trump...? We've got plenty still running. Bloomberg shouldn't even be on the short list.
4
This is terrifying. So, even if we manage to escape a second Trump term by getting a (relatively) benevolent dictator, i.e. Boomberg, if what Warzel describes is the new norm in politics, then Bloomberg's successor is simply the next fabulously rich person who aspires to be president (and understands these tactics) -- one of the Koch brothers, Richard Scaife perhaps? Oh, if they're all dead, there are sure to be others. Actually, through this process, you wouldn't really need a real person. Just a meme, or robot, that gets its directions from the super pacs supporting it.
We're cooked.
33
@Linda You are the only person on this comment thread who is making any sense.
Should we conclude Americans have given up on democracy? I want to think better of us but even if it is true, I hope you and I and the people left who see what's at stake will still fight to get it back if this terrible plan succeeds.
2
Or we could reform campaign finance laws.
7
The ultimate question: "what is politics if not a long, well-funded attempt at hacking people’s attention?" is the ultimate cynical comment on our pathetic politics. If you can't find hope in the truth, goodness, and enduring meaning, finding it in attention-grabbing et al immediate gratification gambits is undoubtedly a non-commendable alternative, for anyone with genuine hope.
My answer to the ultimate question is that politics needs to be about public service. It needs to be about aspiration to good things that can hold people's attention long-term, knowing that in the aspiration we'll find something worthy of pursuit and claim. If its about short-term goals of petty personal spectacle--and lots of folks seem to be satisfied with this--rather than long-term ones of vision and progress, then you have the chaos of Trumpian politics we have now. What person of quality really wants to admit to wanting that?
2
Perhaps this is how you defeat Trump, which is a step in the right direction.
I have progressive friends whose main complaint about Bloomberg is that he’s “buying” the election. Well, what are the Kochs, the Mercers the Adelsons and all those recently attending the fund raiser next door to Mar a Lago doing?? I prefer Bloomberg’s money to theirs and don’t forget all those pacs whose donors are secret. Not having to help fund Bloomberg’s campaign means I have more for the other down ballot candidates. It’s a win win scenario.
6
I agree. He’s the ultimate I buyable candidate. We don’t have to worry about anybody owning Bloomberg.
1
Then vote for Steyer, who is a decent man and not a racist. It isn’t Bloomberg’s billions that will be his undoing, it’s his racist practices.
1
For all the people on here questioning Michael Bloomberg's height, it is 5 feet, 8 inches, slightly below the American male average of 5 foot-9, and two inches above the global average of 5 foot-6.
For the record, Bloomberg is taller than Vladimir Putin, who is 5 foot, 7 inches. For some strange reason, I don't ever recall Trump making any jokes about Putin standing on a box to speak or calling him mini-Vlad. I don't think that kind of a comment would go over well at the Kremlin.
4
As Sun Tzu advised in The Art of War, don’t fight battles you can’t win.
This is a street fight and Mike is the only opponent who knows it and who can win it.
9
@beth I beg to differ. Bernie Sanders has had many more political fights than Bloomberg, and he knows how to win. And he's also had to battle against a vituperative mainstream press. If Bloomberg had really wanted to fight fair and square, he would have joined the contest on equal terms with the other candidates. But he hasn't. Even Trump, in the Republican primaries four years ago, did that.
Bloomberg's operating principle, in accordance with the DNC's, is "nuts to the voter".
3
@Edward Hi Edward. I said it is a street fight, not a political fight. You just confirmed my point.
1
Other than a look at "process" here, I don't see much originality or, for that matter, concern. "Any publicity is good publicity" has been a trope for decades, even longer, from Oscar Wilde's "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about." to the film Reversal of Fortune's Alan Dershowitz character: "You do have one thing in your favor: everybody hates you." and Claus von Bülow's retort, "Well, that's a start." Besides, the "content" of Bloomberg's ads versus Trump's tweets are miles apart in honesty and decorum.
3
Since the election of Reagan, the GOP has convinced America that rewarding the rich will benefit society as a whole aka trickled-down economics. In fact, the opposite happened, the wealth gap increased tremendously which is the main reasons for our political division. By sowing political division and making elections extremely expensive they have a stranglehold on our political process.
We have a rigged system where elected officials must concubine for those with money to win elections instead of servicing their people. Meanwhile half our citizens have disengaged from the political process
We have politicians glorify America’s riches while the costs of education, healthcare, transportation, communication, etc. are more than other advanced economies.
Instead of empowering our young, we have burdened them with debt where many feel they will have less than their parents.
Meanwhile the GOP -with help of the Dems- continues to give tax cuts to their political donors starving the nation to fix many of our social problems.
Candidates who advocate mitigating the corrupt effects of money in politics, while reducing the wealth gap by taxing the rich, is being called a left leaning socialist akin to Fidel Castro.
The same moronic trickle down hoax is now played on gullible Dems who get conned into believing that letting a racist Republican billionaire buy the Dem Party nomination will have a trickle down effect on US democracy.
This could be the beginning of the end of the USA.
7
Good points. But I think the column misses an essential point.
The past is prelude.
Compare Bloomberg's past with Trump's past: Just the last three plus years, if you like, or take a longer view. In the past three years alone Bloomberg has put his money where his mouth is on Voting Rights, Climate Change, Good Governance, and more. He's backed local, state and national candidates who were consensus builders including Stacey Abrams's bid for Governor of Georgia. He's backed voting rights initiatives (e.g., $5 million to Abrams's Fair Fight organization). He's used his personal fortune and the power of the Bloomberg organization to fight Climate Change at a local, national, and global scale. I could go on.
Meanwhile, Trump's accomplishments? Need I say more?
If a good person has the money to put them-self in a position to put our country back on the right track, how is that wrong? Especially if that person has a really strong track record of ethical behavior, organization building, talent recruiting, clear vision of future needs and working for the common good?
If Bloomberg can go toe-to-toe (in a good way) with the evil, manipulative, micro-targeting, hate-mongering, Trump-tweeting machine, I say more power to him.
And I hope he carries a new majority into our corrupt Senate as well. This time it really is time for change.
9
@Jim And then compare Georgina’s spectacular philanthropy with the Trump critters.....
@Jim Trump says racist things. The press excoriates him.
Bloomberg says racist things. The press sings lullabies.
What a low, low bar.
Imagine how they'd react if Bernie Sanders had said "throw them up against a wall." But for Bloomberg, a gentle wrist tap--oh what a sincere apology Mike--wink, wink.
2
@Jim
He doesn't have "a really strong track record of ethical behavior..." His past is awful, misogynistic and rife with employee discriminations.
Sure, a septuagenarian who's figured out he can't take his $60 billion with him has spent his pocket change philanthropically in the recent near time. 4yrs ago he gave $12 million to Republican Toomey which helped keep Dems from gaining the Senate. Which helped Kavanaugh get appointed. Which helped Trump not be indicted. etc. etc.
He want's to spend his money, wonderful.
But by no means should someone with 64 sexual harassment lawsuits and 78 job discrimination lawsuits be near the Resolute Desk.
Change, yes. Another Republican oligarch, no.
2
On the other hand...
What if the GOP decided that this Trump v Bloomberg Mutually Assured Destruction would end badly for them. Just maybe, they might decide that THEY try the trick of “you go low, we go high” and get the system back to where it would be in an ideal world. Don’t give tRump their nomination, put up a respectable candidate (maybe one who can show his moral compass isn’t totally off kilter, if they don’t mind visiting Utah), and then we can choose between a pair of less outlandish people.
Why would Bloomberg want to be president? He has all the money he needs, maybe he is just using it to buy back a democracy. We can’t afford 4 more years of the democrazy we are living, so it would be the greatest legacy he could leave us.
OR, just write me in on Election Day. The name says it all.
1
He's hacking no such thing. I click the mute button when his commercials come on.
@Lifelong New Yorker Except they aren’t airing in New York...?
Nonsense. All he is doing is buying his own advertising and self-financing his campaign. There is nothing wrong with that,certainly not worse than constantly begging wealthy contributors (and later making them ambassadors) or forming super pacs. It can be seen as a form of financial patriotism: putting your money on the line for something you genuinely believe in: getting rid of Trump.
However, I suspect a subtext to this article. The author is committed to the Warren/Sanders/AOC wing of the party and does not to see any centrist as the nominee. That is an honorable position, just be honest about it. Just don’t go after nonsense like this to derail a candidate you do not like.
2
Long time NYT subscriber here shaking my head.
Mr. Warzel, all those words to illustrate the old saying, “Politics ain’t beanbag”. Especially, when your opponent has spent the past three years undermining the basic principles of our Democracy.
Yet, you clutch your pearls, aghast that Michael Bloomberg is fighting back, and will respond, in kind, to the daily lies and distortions.
That Bloomberg can afford it isn’t the point.
The point is removing Trump and his ilk from office before our great country falls further into third world strong man politics or worse.
I will enthusiastically endorse any Democratic candidate who can take Trump out. And, that includes Michael Bloomberg.
I hope you will eventually feel the same way.
7
Large ad budgets are not antithetical to Democracy. Suppressing ballots would be. So would depriving voters of information. But every presidential hopeful in history has invested in advertising. Bloomberg just happens to have a lot more money to dump than other candidates. He's also approached it with stunning savvy, utilizing memes and influencers in ways that other campaigns simply haven't. It's flat-out amazing that, without having debated or performed in a primary, he is polling at the top for Super Tuesday states. Whatever you think of him, his strategy is impressive and not entirely to do with money. After all, if big bucks bought you voters, Tom Steyer would be sitting pretty, too. I've also enjoyed the way Bloomberg has taken on Trump. His tweets have been wonderfully biting, and they seem to be getting under Trump's skin. I dunno. I kind of like Mike.
5
To the author: The U.S. system of government does not do movements; it is designed to resist them, thank goodness. For all of the loud noise that comes from Trump and his merry band of mobsters, their policy results have been modest. The one movement they have successfully created is one of spiteful intolerance. That is what is best checked, the sooner the better. (By the way, spiteful intolerance is not entirely absent on the the far left, either; another reason to avoid a movement.) Anyway, to empower the Trump mob because a few people think it’s somehow impure to play by the same legal campaign finance rules as he does makes no sense.
3
Michael Bloomberg said he is willing to spend $2 billion to defeat President Trump. It will take more than just money to buy your way into the presidency. Mike Bloomberg has made racist remarks that will not go away. He will not only be reminded about these by President Trump but also by the other candidates running in his party. These will not be easily swept under the rug.
And there is the topic of personality. He has a rather dull one and lacks enthusiasm. He has no sense of humor either. He is not a people person which is important for the highest office in the nation. He can throw his money around but this is not what people are interested in. They want someone who will govern and look out for everyone. He is just not presidential.
Mike Bloomberg may do well with coastal elites and the liberals but not with conservatives and moderates. He is socially too liberal for their tastes. President Trump will not hesitate to mention this fact. And, of course, President Trump will win in every single debate against Michael Bloomberg. He has a knack of doing this.
@KMW...you asserted that "Mike Bloomberg has made racist remarks..." So did Trump - even worst! and people "...want someone who will grow and look out for everyone." what universe are you from??? Just a reminder, Trump is a pathological narcissist and does not have empathy towards anybody!!!
1
@KMW The Occupant doesn’t “debate”. He slings nonsequitur laden mud.
1
Republican past.
"Pragmatic" is the true party affiliation of most successful mayors.
Yes, typically they have traditional party ties. That's needed to get elected. But once in office, mayors, at least the good ones, are faced with a myriad of problems, and in crafting solutions, party becomes a lot less important.
Here in LA we had Tony Villaraigosa, a life-long Democrat who as an attorney had represented public employee unions. As a mayor faced with ballooning deficits and exploding pensions, he bargained hard with the same unions he had once bargained for.
That doesn't mean mayors don't have philosophies that tie-in traditional party values. But as mayor, Bloomberg's policies clearly leaned Democrat. (Including stop-and-frisk, a policy under Democratic mayors in other cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.)
1
Not for nothing, but, if memory serves, in the '0-16 election, Donald Trump received millions and millions of dollars in free publicly because ( not even counting Fox News ) internet, print, TV and cable news media pretty much provided start-to-finish coverage of his every word, speech and campaign rally. whether they did this because the powers-that-be ( incorrectly ) assumed that the more people saw and heard him, the more this would ensure his ultimate loss, or because they soon realized that the associated ratings points, advertising dollars and mouse clicks put more money in their pockets ( probably both ) really doesn't matter. The net result was tons of publicly that - even more than James Comey and the Russians - probably put him over the top.
So, if Mike Bloomberg has the means to play the same game, and it increases the likelihood of a win in November - good for him! Money notwithstanding, this wouldn't be an issue if people didn't also have the sense that he actually has the ability and expertise to defeat Trump, and if his effective use of the media is what it takes to get there, that seems not only fair, but entirely appropriate, as well.
6
And it is certainly great to have someone who is so knowledgeable and committed to combating climate change. He’s the real deal not the fake con man we need to defeat.
1
The US elections are bought, whether with one's own money like Bloomberg, all someone else's money. The US needs to limit campaign spending to level the playing field.
4
Of the 45 United States Presidents, only 9 were NOT millionaires (in today's dollars). Take a minute and think about that. The reality is that nearly 80% of our Presidents have been exceedingly wealthy individuals. Now of the two wealthy Presidents people name within this comments section, (FDR and JFK) Bloomberg is the only one who earned his money, not inherited it.
Do not waste our time with articles or arguments about people buying the Presidency. Stop with the labels and look at the platforms. Bloomberg believes in restoring America's values and its place in global leadership, he believes in sensible gun laws, he's pro-choice, pro-business, and is looking to fight climate change. He's more of a centrist and that's what we need to get the votes. Factions of the extreme left do not represent the majority of this country.
Don't hate the player, hate the game. Bloomberg is just playing the game better than anyone else. That's not a reason to criticize him.
7
“ After all, what is politics if not a long, well-funded attempt at hacking people’s attention?” Yes and no. Politics used to be about hacking people’s attention and then teaching them something of vital importance to their lives: Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech and the whole nonviolent campaign that preceded it was politics in its highest form. What King and his followers put on the line were their lives, not a piddling fraction of their fortune. The fact that people like Steyer and Bloomberg can now have a shot at buying the presidency with no downside for them but a minor dip in their fortunes—and the fact that I am heaving a little sigh of relief that Bloomberg could painlessly drop $10 or $30 billion to purchase the Oval Office is a sign of how low American politics has sunk in the age of Trump. Who needs an “I have a dream speech” or, in Steyer’s case, any governing experience at all, if you can pay people to make you look brave and wise and Presidential?
3
I'm a loyal Times reader, but in recent days, it has seemed like 2016 all over again -- when the Times gave Trump unending free ink. Except now it's Bloomberg. What about the two women the Times endorsed? Let's hear about them.
8
Mr. Warzel is, intentionally or not, promoting the idea that candidates must be "pure". By whose standard that is measured is up for grabs.
Liberals are like herding cats. Each one wants only what they want and vehemently demand others obey them.
Let us face facts, the vast majority of Americans are not "progressives" and dislike the far-lefts mantra of "give me free stuff" almost as much as most Americans despise Trump.
The power of the progressives comes in that the rigid historical path to nomination is through small states amped by the white guilt so many tv stations and media houses exhibit today by promoting the content of 13% of our national population (black people) over the 70% (white people) who make up America.
People of Color should not be discriminated against but they should also NOT be handed out-sized power/influence well beyond what their community represents to this nation.
The Bernie Bro's are another faction that have to be addressed. They are fungible and will once again swing towards Trump when Bernie is not the nominee. They are a worthless group with their hands out despite being the privileged scions of middle and upper income parents. Frequently living in their basements and demanding the world change to their liking.
As Americans we have to stop all the labels and demands for purity in our politicians. They have never been pure and never can be pure.
Liberals need to grow up and join together to fire Trump from the White House.
3
@mike What about 'not racist'?
I cannot believe that respect for constitutional rights is now regarded as a purity test.
1
1- Bloomberg is the 8th richest person in the United States, worth over $50 billion. That is a fact- look it up online. By comparison, Trump only has about $3 billion. Next to Bloomberg, Trump is practically a homeless person.
2- According to the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, etc., nobody can make that kind of money and be a good and honest person. People with that kind of money can only have gotten that kind of money by being mean and greedy to others. If you don't believe me, ask Bernie or Warren and they'll tell you the same. And, he's a white male too!
3- Therefore, one may conclude, Bloomberg is a terrible person who should not be president.
1
No, sometimes people see what is needed and figure out a way to provide it well. The losers think it must have been evil that won, but maybe it was just hard work and a vision.
1
So, this is what our "big brains" have given us.
I'm so tired of human being.
3
To paraphrase: “The more politicians I meet, the more I like my dog.”
How can you tell if a politician is lying?
His mouth is moving.
What is the most dangerous type of politician in the world?
One who is a ventriloquist.
"Mr. Bloomberg is unfazed. Who cares?!" It's easy not to care when you're 77 years old and your (reported) net worth is over sixty thousand million dollar$. And it just keeps on comin'. But, listen, if this dude can beat Trump, he gets my vote. His DOG gets my vote--if it can beat Trump.
7
Hack away, Mr. Bloomberg. And BEAT TRUMP!
4
Or, at make him miserable in the process.
Gee, if Mike were able to verbally induce a stroke, would that be assault or first aid for the nation?
1
Reading through some of the comments here one finds a subset who believe Mike Bloomberg is too old and not tech-savvy.
Do these folks have any idea how Mike Bloomberg became so wealthy? Ever seen a financial trading floor with all those "Bloomberg Terminals" at each desk?
And do these folk not know that as Mayor, Mike Bloomberg spear-headed the development of NYC's new Cornell-Technion Institute (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_Tech)?
That's the school that is building the 21st Century NYC workforce now attracting all those tech companies to the City.
Talk about clueless people....
Hiring Mike Bloomberg to serve as President will finally and fundamentally move this country into the 21st Century and rid us of the idiot clown now occupying the Oval Office.
10
Bloomberg is our last best hope to stop trump and end our slide into fascism. But of course trump is way too good for newspaper sales because of his endless stream of provocations and lies, so the pundit class will do everything they can to to stop him.
I would add that Bloomberg vs. trump is endlessly fascinating to watch because it pits a real billionaire against a fake one, a liar against a straight talker, and a person of courage and compassion against a wannabe Hitler.
Mike’s tweet today: “.@realDonaldTrump - we know many of the same people in NY. Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown. They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence.
I have the record & the resources to defeat you. And I will.”
7
During World War II fighting groups called the Partisans battled Hitler’s Nazi stormtroopers. Their brutal tactics were not pretty and, in other circumstances would merit condemnation. But desperate times call for desperate measures.
We are once again in desperate times, so I will pass on the high-minded tsk-tsk-ing and just say Go Mike!
5
LOL! Naive will not get the White House back.
3
To the author:
Shameless is putting children in cages.
Shameless is bragging about grabbing women by their genitals.
Shameless is promising coal workers their industry will come back.
Shameless is NOT self-funding your political campaign.
7
@Joanne I would add that shameless is using your leadership position with all its free press coverage as one long vile campaign rally.
3
I guess this is the week when the NYTimes editorialists array their circular firing squad around Bloomberg so as to damage him from every conceivable angle.
Next week they can go back to wondering whether someone, anyone will be able to beat Trump.
So much for learning from what they did to Hillary.
5
I don’t like how the DNC changed its rules for Mike - I think he should have opened his campaign up to contributions and showed us that he’s a team player - but that’s just me being a purist for a moment. I don’t see anyone else who can eviscerate Trump, and Mike’s doing a good job of it (while making me smile). For now, I’d like a Mike/Amy ticket (and please spare me the “why not Amy/Mike” stuff). There’s a clear leader here.
4
I guess the issue with the DNC, just like the GOP is that they need donors who feel like they can buy their favorites. Bloomberg is rich enough that there are only 7 people in the US who might come close to being able to buy him.
Maybe Bloomberg picks his VP carefully, outspends and overpowers Little Fingers in the election, then goes into a well-earned, luxurious retirement the day after Election Day.
Right Charlie , politics is a stinkhole. When the truth does not matter , when 49% of this nation believes a lying , immoral man who is destroying this country with every ounce in his body, I feel relieved that someone has the power to take him on and give him his own medicine back. If we play this right , run the campaign on moral grounds, on decency and getting America back to being the leader of the free world I am all for it.
3
Warzel is truly clueless or is a closet Trumper. Play nice against a rabid monster with our very future at stake? Anybody home?
Turn it up higher Mike. I'm lovin` it!!!
En gard Conald!
4
I LIKE MIKE!!!!!!
Say what you want you Progressives! You are not going to win the WH with free health care, free college, a chicken in every pot! Mike fights fire with fire! Necessary evil!
5
"Mr. Bloomberg is not really playing chess, “he is more accurately working to bury the board with a gusher of cash so overpowering that everyone forgets how the game was always played in the first place."
_______
That is, beating Trump at his own game.
5
Hack away!
5
Trump and the RNC are going to have a billion+ dollars and an army of Koch/Mercer/Adelson funded think tanks steamrolling their way, unopposed to November. Throw in god knows what "deals" Trump is making in secret with the Saudis, the Russians, Turkey, China and - who knows - North Korea to sabotage the election, and you can forget business as usual. The DNC has no organization, no money, no talent and no clue. I'm not going to put my "faith" in them or a "movement," no matter how excited it's fan club is. There's too much at stake. I have no idea if Bloomberg will be abled to buy an inside straight - he has to actually debate next week - but if I have any heartburn about his "candidacy" it isn't because he's rich and was smart enough not to get stuck to the Iowa Caucus tarbaby. If geezerhood has taught me anything, it's pragmatism. I cast my first vote for George McGovern - who didn't carry his own zip code. There were two great young women who knocked on my door last Saturday canvassing for Warren. We had a long talk, and I thanked them profusely for their passion & effort. Warren is NOT going to be the next president no matter how devoted those women are. I have no idea if I'll throw down with Bloomberg until I watch him debate and see how much traction Klobucher can generate. But no way in hell am I going to close my mind to the life and death necessity of getting the job done - no matter who does it, whether it's Bloomerg, Sanders or Ronald McDonald.
7
Charlie's last comment sums it all up:
"Or maybe it’s always been this way. After all, what is politics if not a long, well-funded attempt at hacking people’s attention?"
1
What is it about running for President these days which brings out the worst in some people? Trading childish insults while seeking the highest office in the land is something I can't seem to adjust to. After three years of reading and listening to Trump's puerile insults, I began to get used to them and simply took them from whence they came. Now we have our latest Presidential contender, Mike Bloomberg, getting down to Trumps level, i.e. in the gutter. In stead of trying to dignify the Office of President, we have a leading contender degrading it. The President of the United States is supposed to represent the entire country and do it with dignity. See Obama for example. Please shape up, Mike.
Yep, he is, and I'm totally okay with it. If that is what it takes to beat Donald Trump, I'm all in. And as far as I can see, Bloomberg is the only one thus far to take Trump on head to head and not get into bashing the other Dem candidates. Trumps tweets about Bloomberg look desperate. I think Bloomberg makes him very nervous.
5
Same as it's always been, just a different order of magnitude.
Trump must be placed in the catapult and launched out of DC, but the Bloomberg campaign is a bummer because money in politics is the exact root of just about all of our political problems.
1
And which party is devoted to trying to end Citizens United? W/out a Democratic Senate legislating it away it hasn’t a chance. Mike will help all the Democratic candidates.
2
Handing the editorial page over to an attack on Michael Bloomberg for using his own money, not that of other billionaires and corporations, is a sure-fire way to support the re-election of Donald Trump, whether intended or not. No other candidate is likely to win the Democratic party nomination without a large influx of funds. And the cash-strapped DNC is only likely to blunder on. Maybe the NY Times ought to weigh this question before sponsoring any more opinion columns, masked as editorials: Was New York City better off before or after Bloomberg served as its mayor?
5
Before.
1
Mike Bloomberg is worth about 60 billion dollars and that's a very good thing. To defeat Trump when the economy is more than excellent, Mike is the only chance to get rid of him.
3
Somehow this article made me like Bloomberg more - or perhaps disdain him less? This degree of ruthless savvy for exploiting current media structures shows someone who can potentially beat Trump at his own game. In terms of policy and character, I would far prefer Bernie for president, but Bloomberg’s shameless pragmatism would, hopefully, serve more than hinder Democratic prospects for reclaiming the government.
6
Let Bloomberg spend his entire fortune on trying to buy the presidency. He's as big an autocrat as Trump, possibly more so, and has just as little respect for the Constitution as Trump, I will never vote for Bloomberg and hopefully another individual will receive the Dem nomination. Any of the Dems currently running would be preferable to Bloomberg.
2
The nomination of Michael Bloomberg would be worse than the election of Donald Trump (and Donald Trump is the worst President in American History)
Trump at least participated in the early primaries, and he did not use his own money to overwhelm his opponents, many of whom outspent him.
Bloomberg's nomination would be the start of a true plutocracy in America, where money is used to buy influence and where those who do not have it are rendered helpless by the corporate-owned media.
4
Keep looking for the perfect candidate and you will help to ensure another 4 years of the most IMperfect human being to ever run for public office.
7
Who knows? Maybe it will end up being Bernie's ground war versus Bloomberg's air war.
2
@Michael Skadden
I think that is an excellent prediction, very well put.
1
As opposed to a "president" who landed in office due to foreign interference and funding, and who is running for a second term with the same shadowed influence.
Let Mike do what he needs to do, to save this country from further defilement.
I am thankful he is putting his money where his mouth is.
9
In other words, Michael Bloomberg is betting that a majority even of Democratic primary voters won't care if he buys the election. So, just how low have our standards sunk? Will we nominate a proven racist, even though supposedly we're the anti-racism party, and a member of the .1% whose using his money in legal, but arguably morally corrupt ways that subvert the democratic process, even though we're supposedly the anti-income inequality and pro-rule of law party, if he and his employees just jump up and down and shout in front of us enough? I think not, but I'm not as certain as I wish I could be.
4
@Stephen Merritt - ever heard of being dead right? That's what the Dems will be hanging on to their "principles." Trump has none - and is cheered for it. And, Bloomberg is not a racist.
1
But the Kochs, Mercers, the Adelsons and many secret 1 percenters are buying it for Dotard . Mike is transparent and also helping all the Democratic candidates. I prefer his money to the secret and not secret right wing contributors.
2
Thank god for Michael Bloomberg. He’s the only thing standing between our democracy and four more years of the authoritarian rule of Trump and the Republican Party. Clearly the Democrats, as usual are determined to self-destruct under the weight of their idealism and purity tests. I am a 55 progressive democrat and I believe in those ideals but all of Warzel’s ridiculous hand-wringing about Bloomberg’s non-traditional self-funded campaign is as sure as a Saunders nomination to lead to another democratic loss. When they go low we go high” doesn’t work against a bully who is no longer playing by the old rules.
Accusing Bloomberg of “buying” the Presidency is ridiculous. Unfortunately every presidential candidate has to “buy” the office they are running for. At least Bloomberg is spending his own money. Bloomberg’s bypassing some of the traditional campaigning in favor of a massive media and internet presence is simply a recognition of the new rules of campaigning. Responding to a Trump Twitter insult isn’t an abandonment of principled discourse - it’s necessary self-defense and a disarming of Trump’s shock strategy. We are months from the election, Trump’s approval rating is at its’ all time high and the Democrats are still months away from even selecting a candidate. It’s too bad campaigns now run on internet attention grabs. But nothing will change until Democrats learn to win the game as it’s played and to use power to create lasting change.
8
The attention Bloomberg is buying now will require follow-up with real substance as the primary season progresses.
Bloomberg's record suggests that the substance will be significant and substantial.
And it sure is gratifying to see Bloomberg standing right up to the bully Trump. He's hitting Trump hard in a dignified way. On this score Trump is utterly incapable of returning fire.
8
Bloomberg is giving Tump the home game advantage by acknowledging to him that - yes - it's all about the show.
People are so eager to surrender themselves to another billionaire bully just because people in the newspaper say it should work.
2
My dear NYTimes remember 2016! I sincerely hope this hacking piece is quickly followed by a story on Trump and his colossal and insidious social media presence! This is why Bloomberg is doing what he’s doing not because he’s a bad guy. Bias against rich people is silly. He’s dealing with reality as “ disheartening” as you may find it and I for one am extremely grateful he is putting everything he has into rescuing our democracy from this nightmare. You do your part as well and be mindful of your coverage and the role you play!
6
The most important question is whether he would be a good President. The next most important question question is whether he can beat Trump and win the Senate .
5
So, if Bernie wins the nomination and Bloomberg offers him his monetary and any strategical support needed to take our country back from Trump, will Bernie refuse it?
3
I think I'm seeing more attacks on Bloomberg from Democrats than I am from Trump and the Republicans in the last few days. Apparently, like Sanders, he's a greater threat to America than Trump.
Nothing like handing the election to Trump, guys. The Democrats haven't got an inside-the-box candidate that can beat Trump. and now they're going after the one outside-the-box candidate that might be able to take Trump down.
Ouch! And I thought 2016 was bad.
8
Yes, politics has always been this way. Attention is paramount. Social media is still so new we haven't learned how to sort out the wheat from the chafe. We will in time. We learned how to do it with TV and print. We'll sort this one out too.
1
Bloomberg has experience and a great environmental record. He knows how to pull levers in both the private sector and public. Who cares if he's using his own money? Not all rich people inherited or earned money unfairly. I am rooting for him - hard.
9
Just playing the Trump game.
3
You write this op ed without mentioning the Trump campaign assistance from Russian “bots”. I received a FB invite to a group for Jews of Ashkenazi descent. After joining, I started receiving other invites. I noticed that the content was similar. Perpetuate racial and ethnic discourse and put blame on Democrats and liberals. I would not be at all offended if Bloomberg started an internet campaign showing the Trump assault on Jewish Americans like Schiff, Nadler, and the most egregious of all, Colonel Vindman. I predict that an assault will be coming against Justice Berman Jackson after the Stone sentencing. We need to fight “ fire with fire”. We need Trump out.Have at it, Mayor Mike.
10
So many overwhelmingly suspicious positive comments from Mike your bags to ask the question how much were they all paid?
5
@CJ
No one paid me a dime! How dare you insinuate that those of us who support Mayor Mike are anything other than genuine supporters.
@CJ I've heard Repbulicans are getting paid to post positive things about Bernie. See how that works?
1
This is an insulting remark akin to those that we women who did the first Women’s March were paid.
1
I don’t believe that this Opinion writer has proven his case. We are surrounded by innumerable ads and TV coverage of and Tweets from an idiot thug President whose upside version of democracy comes way close to Corporatocracy than anything that Bloomberg has produced.
Perhaps Mr. Warzel should also be measured “from the neck up” in which case, he, like Trump, is something of a mini man.
3
It’ll get real interesting when Mike releases his tax returns and other financial information! I don’t think he ever said only stupid people pay taxes...
5
The overuse of the term “hacking” in this column was beyond annoying.
It ruined it.
1
Here s a thought. Get offline! Cancel your Twitter account! Don’t go there—it’s a bad, dark space.
2
What in God’s name is wrong with buying your way to beating Trump?
6
What a gift to Bernie Sanders! Who could a more perfect foil and made to order opponent for a Socialist, than the smug billionaire Mr. Bloomberg? Only Trump himself! . . . Whipping one billionaire this summer will be Bernie's tune up fight for the big contest--and victory--over the Fascist Trump in the fall.
3
Yesterday someone on msnbc was on about Mike Bloomberg in view of #MeToo. My reaction was to be cross with the media for its remarkable ability to blow things up for the Democrats; then I did a google search. I thought the issue he needed to answer was "stop and frisk"; that's not true. In terms of him putting a best foot forward, it looks like he has sullied both of them. Let's see if he can figure out how to redeem himself. I'm disappointed.
2
The NY Times can say what they want about Bloomberg..I just want trump out of office.
9
Bloomberg's goose is cooked as long as Buttigieg remains in the race & he's not going to quit. Lowest common denominator as a campaign approach appeals to the Never Trumpers & hysterical Demos.
Bloomberg will have the pleasure of seeing his face plastered over media for the duration of the primary until he returns to Bermuda.
1
Why do I bother reading Charlie Warzel's opinions? This is content already better presented in another NYT published the same day. Super annoying that Warzel links his own Twitter feed as proof his opinions have merit. "After all, what is politics if not a long, well-funded attempt at hacking people’s attention?" Nonsense. The guy's obviously never read Plato's Republic.
Way to go Mike!!! Give it to that smoldering piece of incompetence...
2
When MONEY IS YOUR GOD, this is what happens.
4
As an Independent disgusted with Mr. Trump, I find the Democratic infighting troubling. But I do see that Mr. Bloomberg is willing to spend a lot of his massive wealth to rid us of Mr. Trump, and replace the current administration's hate and corruption with policies I agree with - expansion of Obamacare, gun control, environmental action, fair taxation, etc. And his support will go to any Democratic nominee. Sounds good to me.
9
I have no regrets about the inertia of support around Mike Bloomberg. In Detroit, I hear this from African Americans who are genuinely curious about where to direct their support in the 'anybody but Trump' spectacle of 2020: "... maybe Bloomberg."
"After Corey Booker dropped out, he's the only one who can take it to him." The antipathy some feel for the President is unmistakable, virulent even. I'm a bit more resigned. Every day the doubling down on denaturing the democratic norms is, well, newsworthy, c.f. Mr. Barr's counterpoint to Mr. Trumps apparent 'no pressure' campaign to diminish Mr. Stone's potential sentencing - the zenith of double speak this week!. Unpacking Mike's non-traditional approach to Super Tuesday is a smart de-construction, but what of it? Cutting him down is just another way to insure four more years. But let's think a bit further than the Presidency. Joe Biden indicated it in an interview in New Hampshire - the balance of power in the Senate is the driver. Not sure it will flip, but the oxygen feeding Trump's fire comes from Sen. McConnell. He's the most consequential politician in the last quarter century. I'm not riven by spleen against any of these people, but they are stunningly effective in welding power! Trump marks the Imperial Presidency, and he's got an Attorney General who imbues the unitary power of the executive with nothing short of divine right.
1
Politicians have been engaging in sensational attention getting media ploys since the Jefferson - Adam's race. Nothing new here.
13
@Al S
Isn't 'social media' new, Al? The sensational attention getting to which you've drawn our attention is being amplified and speeded by current technology; and at the same time our much larger population is, I sense, less grounded in relationships in which love and truth are paramount.
2
The majority of American voters want money out of politics and campaign finance reform.
And yet, here we are, saying Bloomberg's millions are for "the end justifies the means". Or do "whatever it takes" to be rid of Trump.
I sure want the Trump monster out of the White House....but I'm sure divided in my opinion about Bloomberg buying the White House.
2
OMG -- I am shocked and appalled by the comments I'm reading rationalizing support for MRB. It's amazing how quickly ethics are tossed. Where are the New Yorker's who lived through his shamefully racist stop-and-frisk that was wholly ineffective at anything but abusing civil rights and angering the police department? Or how he balanced the budget on the backs of people who live here without homes in Hampton's while continuing to give all those commuters a free pass on our dime? Or how he bulldozed his way into a third term, despite term limits? Or how he flooded the city with tourists and made life miserable for those who live and work here? Or screwed up traffic even worse thinking NYC should be another Amsterdam?
To Bloomberg, New York was not a city of millions of diverse people living, breathing, working here -- it was an asset to be maximized for revenue potential. And he will care about inequality? or helping average Americans? or protecting the interests of consumers and labor?
Ethics be damned, he can buy his way in to beat Trump? How is that any different than ethics be damned, he'll put a stop to abortion?
3
@RMS
Perhaps you don't recognize Trump is an existential threat to our nation and democracy that he is. Regardless of how you feel about Bloomberg, he is the ONLY one who can get rid of that monster. We can not afford another noble defeat. Politics is not about feeling good about yourself.
3
And to paraphrase Bill Clinton: It's the attention, stupid!
2
Either I don't pay enough attention to Twitter (which, admittedly, is nearly none whatsoever), or Mr. Warzel is spending too much.
This column is the first I've heard that Trump and Bloomberg are having what used to be called a flame war. My recollection from usenet in the 90s is that, observer or participant, they lose their entertainment value the minute you realize life has better things on offer.
1
Bloomberg is Tom Brady playing for the Cowboys.
9
@Old Pueblo
Bloomberg is Mike Piazza playing for the Mets.
1
Okay lets stack them up.
Multiple credible sexual harassment allegations:
Trump [x] Bloomberg [x]
Policies that promote inhumane treatment of minorities:
Trump [x] Bloomberg [x]
Subvert democratic norms through vast personal wealth:
Trump [x] Bloomberg
Abysmal views on the Israel-Palestine conflict:
Trump [x] Bloomberg [x]
Out-of-touch NYC Gatsbyian social circles:
Trump [x] Bloomberg [x]
Republican in the mid 2000s:
Trump [ ] Bloomberg [x]
Competent enough to administer their autocratic agenda:
Trump [ ] Bloomberg [x]
Let's be real- "Vote Blue No Matter Who" makes less than zero sense in Bloomberg's case.
3
@Margaret Palmquist
Your perspective will insure a Trump victory. Fortunately, your opinion is in the minority, and Bloomberg has the ability to capture the independent as well as wavering Republican vote. There are also a large number of moderate Democrats as well as progressives who find Bloomberg acceptable, despite his past mistakes. Spend some time and research his many accomplishments, like helping the Democrats succeed in the midterms. The general election in 2020 is no time for progressive purity tests.
4
Good- because her point is that Bloomberg would be worse than Trump
1
@Margaret Palmquist in other words: not a socialist. Not a BDS supporter. Does not intend to tax the middle class. Has been successful in fighting crime. Has enough brains to understand science and technology. Does not peddle conspiracy theories, populism, class hatred or “us-versus-them” mentality. Won’t embarrass the US on the international stage. Thanks you for stating so clearly why Bloomberg is an excellent candidate. I was skeptical about him but you have convinced me.
2
This column has been written by someone with little touch with reality. This primary season is about one thing only - who can beat Trump. Nothing else. The country is being threatened and some are debating "stop & frisk" while our house is burning to the ground. Does any really think that any of the current candidates can beat Trump? That is the only question. The Democratic candidates should be judged on one criteria only - can they beat Trump. If we do not get focused on this issue alone, we must be prepared for the consequences,
2
Bloomberg is the most qualified Democratic candidate with the best track record of accomplishments in the field. His no nonsense personality and unflappable nature set him up well to go toe to toe with and defeat Trump. I see his self-financed campaign as a positive, and admire his humble beginnings and impressive skill set that enabled him to build a business empire, creating jobs for many people. He is the epitome of the American dream, and based on his campaign, knows how to be creative. He will make an excellent president and will restore dignity to the office and country.
9
@ss...I am with you and I like your comments. I must add that Bloomberg is an individual with integrity and intelligence.
3
I fear that moving California forward in the nomination process will favor candidates who ignore the Midwest and outspend the rest in the big states, in which only financial firepower and name recognition counts.
People in the small states around here like to know who they're voting for. Bloomberg just snubbed the smaller states and goes for numbers.
It sets the Democrats up for even more electoral college losses.
1
@Anne Bloomberg has set up offices in all the "smaller states" and has visited several of them recently, including Illinois.
It’s good to see that the NYT is comfortable attacking Bloomberg for his money and his campaign techniques--you might even call it a Trumpian response. Attacks like this one, with no consideration for the candidate’s qualifications or potential, seem very much in line with today’s media moment. The more superficial the campaign gets, the more excitingly superficial is the coverage it gets. Substance on issues is so boring!
3
So you don't like Mike, Charlie....you like Trump? You'd like the internet, which subversively helped Trump ooze into the White House, to suddenly "get religion" in some way, and no longer accept the paid-for Bloomberg traffic, while the Ukrainians and the Uzbeks and Chinese sit around posting lies to benefit Our Leader? I don't get it...why the outrage at one aspect of the Wild 'n Woolly internet web, when short-term it may be the only thing standing between us and a totally unchecked despotism?
5
Out of sight, out of mind.
Divide, and Trump will conquer.
1
I do not care how Bloomberg defeats Trump. This is war. I am certain that America will be far better off when we have Bloomberg in the WH and a Democratic Congress,..... BOTH Houses.
6
Are "We" sure it's honestly earned?
1
These aren't the Olden days, my Dears, where we expected our politicians to "take the high road". Good grief! If piles of money, tweeting or other counter tactics are needed to stop this creeping fascism in our country, then I'm fine with it.
2
It's media trench warfare, and the Dems finally have a candidate who can fight.
I'll take Bloomberg's paying influencers to grab our attention over Trump's stuffing kids in cages and declaring, "[Mexican immigrants] are bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists" to get our attention.
Trump would be roadkill if it weren't for his presidential bully pulpit and millions of hardcore supporters. He's a failed businessman and reality TV star up against one of the world's most successful media moguls and New York City mayors.
3
Mr. Warzel could have saved himself the trouble of writing this long winded and illogical piece ( and spared readers the pain of having to read this) by going on Twitter and tweeted the last lines
“ Or maybe it’s always been this way. After all, what is politics if not a long, well-funded attempt at hacking people’s attention?”
The Antartica Emperor Penguin, King Trump and Citizen Bloomberg.
For the first time, in Antartica, on February 13, 2020, was recorded an air temperature of 20,7 C. (69,26 Fahrenheit) degrees.
Just this, tells us that it is a must to find a valid ecologist Democratic candidate – to beat the “wicked, self-destructive idiocy” - as Malcolm Turnbull, former Australian PM has put it – of Trump’s climate denial.
What NOW is at stake is not the surging of the white supremacists, racism, anti-Semitism, pollution, jobs, the past stop-and-frisk or redlining, or even Corona Virus spreading, BUT the eco-crumbling of our Planet.
And therefore, all the consequences: one of which is the Corona Virus in China and beyond: high heat and humidity breed insects and viruses, while in countries scourged by drought, swarms of locusts (In Kenia on January 20, 2020, one single swarm measured 60x40 square km) are eating everything green on the ground.
The appeal
USA Dems, upright Republicans and brave USA citizens should be united in propping a Democratic candidate who can just beat “The Denial in Chief Trump”.
Mike Bloomberg knows well that his New York will be flooded by sea waters in less than ten years, therefore will give due attention to Zero Carbon target.
If his “buying the Presidency” sounds Trumpian, we have though to admit that the healthy (in body and mind) resilient Bloomberg belongs to another type of DNA lineage than the incumbent DIC.
1
The Bloomberg campaign, so very well described by CW, is a sad example of the state of the Democratic Party. The terrible irony is the opposition candidate in November is not someone like John McCane or MItch Romney but an Anti-U.S. Constitutionalist who has convinced a sufficient number of U.S. voters that he '...is what we need' to achieve another four-year term. The Republic is sick, possible diagnosis diarrhea. We need a 'Depends' solution.
1
Bloomberg is a serial sexist, as recorded in this newspaper.
His campaign has hired jerrymedia, the clowns that steal memes to bring in revenue and brought the world Fyre Festival.
It worked for Trump. It won't work for the Democrats.
3
Charlie, you need a new gig. You cannot recognize or understand the rules of the game today.
Bloomberg knows what he is doing, and he is doing it effectively. If you think he, or the Obamas, Oprah or anyone else with influence will cede any nomination to Bernie, you are pretty silly.
Get over it. This is 2020 you can't take a knife to a gun fight. When they go low, you get a flame thrower. Bloomberg is the only one with equal or better odds to defeat the incumbent. Go Mike!
5
This article is just insane. Would you please go and listen to Bloomberg talk about America’s problems and his plans for governing to solve them? Nobody give a hoot about memes and Instagram influencers—except people who are shallow enough to care about such silliness.
2
Bloomberg is the one with enough common sense to solve and govern America's problems. I am Okay with his spending money to win the nomination as he's yearning to recover this great nation of ours from what it has become!!!
2
Bloomberg is a guy who probably possesses 100 times the net worth of Trump and made it all on his own, wears his own hair and walks around New York City with no discernible paunch in front of him.
What he ought to do now is start referring to Trump by his new name “Appeachment-1.”
2
Everyone knows Bloomberg is trump’s worst nightmare. It will be fun watching trump turn into a tweeting sensation with his bizarre, mind numbing insults in the months ahead. I love how Bloomberg hits back at trump with ridicule and a “pity the fool” response.
3
Whatever it takes many people are commenting to defeat
Trump and the Trump misinformation machine; Whoever can
defeat the Trump election machine which is distorting and
using propaganda in the media world; perhaps Bloomberg
can defeat the would be Dictator Trump with the exposure of
the way Trump's re election propaganda machine works.
The NYT should keep on exposing Trump's propaganda
machine and Fox news media support of this crooked means
to brainwash voters.
1
Sorry, Bernie, Liz, Amy, Pete and Joe. In spite of your months of exhausting work, debates, and fund-raising, Charlie here says you all just ain't with the program.
It's all about the billions, stupid.
Two cheers for democracy.
You attack Bloomberg for buying attention and yet the media (and yes, the NYT too) continue to award Trump boatloads more attention for free, although cable outlets are the worst of the bunch.
1
Mr. Warzel uses the word "hacking" to mean almost anything that happens within and by people who use the Internet. He really casts a dubious understanding of the word and, as a "tech" journalist or opinion writer, he should know better. New York Times editors should know better, as well. Using the term "hack" involves far more than spewing forth advertising and so-called news stories. Its' simplest definition means breaking into a computer network either legally or illegally to exploit code or somehow alter the different systems of a network. Political campaign advertising and the legal use of social media is not hacking. You would serve your readers to not confuse them with incorrectly interchanging hacking with influence/information campaigns.
2
I am shocked, SHOCKED, that politics is a tough, dirty business and that you have to master the current forms of media to win. And last I checked, to do anything, you still need to win.
Next time, please tell us something we don't already know.
Meanwhile, I think Charlie Warzel is just a guilty as any candidate in trying to build up some "outrage" to get views/clicks/stokes from the latest trend. Meh, I expect the Times writers to do a little better.
1
being nice will not trump the trump. dump it on Mike
To equate Mike Bloomberg and Donald Trump is wrong, in my opinion. I do believe that Trump is an authoritarian danger to the country, especially if re-elected. During the WW 2, the US did everything possible to help the Soviet Union fight the Nazi Germany, which was the bigger and more dangerous evil. To be purist today is to be a Weimar Republic and invite disaster, which indeed happened. Bloomberg has also been very sincerely passionate about many issues dear to the Democrats, while nobody can say the same about Trump by far. Bloomberg also seems like the only one who can defeat Trump. I will vote for Bloomberg.
4
People are looking for someone to go heel to heel, toe to toe with Trump. Who can lift the corners on his eggshell ego. Who can La lutte dans la boue and come out on top. The ability to shave his bone spurs.
Your standard life long politician does not grasp the concept, or if they did how to execute
Bloomberg is approaching Trump ss if a 3 minute egg. It’s working and Trump is feeling the heat..
1
I may not rate Mike for President, but I love the way he plays Trump. Intelligence versus thugishness. "Height is from the neck up" was perfect. More power to you Mike, keep up the good work. Really get under Trump's skin and make him suffer for the arrogant pathological liar he is. DUMP TRUMP
1
Bloomberg could do a lot more good buying TV and radio stations to counter Faux News and right wing hate radio.
1
Love Mike!
2
Ugh. The third anti-Bloomberg article in the last 24 hours. Is the Times on Trump's payroll? So easy for you culture warriors to bash a billionaire with less than perfect social justice credentials. He also happens to be the best equipped candidate to end our national descent into autocracy. Can we see an article on his philanthropic work on climate change, city management, and gun control? I won't hold my breath. I'm this close to canceling my subscription because I can't bear watching you do AGAIN what you did to HRC.
3
@Chris N.
Chris -- you are so on target. I've been a lifelong reader of the NYT going back to my high school years in the ancient 1960's. But I'm almost "done" with it now. The anti-Bloomberg tone is so over the top.
Before he was a candidate the NYT did often report favorably regarding Mike's positions on guns, climate change, philanthropic endeavors (eg. Johns Hopkins U. and Cornell-Technion) and financial support for progressive candidates at all levels of government.
Now -- whether to advance Sanders or closet advocate Trump -- suddenly "Da Mayor" is an evil, racist plutocrat!
What gives here?
I’ll vote for a head of iceberg lettuce over the nut we have now. America needs a Xanax, sanity, something normal. Bloomberg/Klobuchar ticket would be awesome.
3
Bloomberg is NOT the only way to beat Trump! Are you really willing to overlook everything this man has done that is EXACTLY like Trump? Are you all hypocrites? Has everyone gone insane? He has been vile and misogynistic to women, even at the work place for decades. He wanted to xerox the description of "Male, minority 16-24" and give it to all the cops saying they are the ones that commit all the crimes. He supported unconstitutional stop and frisk! Every person of color, or person who knows loves a young man of color, please listen to the full recording with your own ears! This wasn't 30 years ago, it was 5 years ago. He says every medical marijuana patient is lying and just wants to get high. He said he couldn't find any evidence that Charlie Rose sexually harassed anyone. 40 sexual harassment cases filed against Bloomberg!
WE HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE. Her name is Amy Klobuchar. She wins with moderates and independents and can flip the senate. She has done it before. Her facebook just got slammed with thousands of new supporters, including republicans who are switching parties to vote for her. She got the most legislation passed in the middle of gridlock and republican blockades, she works with everyone and gets stuff done when no one can. Every other campaign likes her, and she has received more newspaper endorsements than any other candidate. She can not be bought. Watch the New Hampshire debate replay and DO NOT make the same mistake twice!
2
This article does a disservice to the real hope of the democratic party this year. Bloomberg knows how to handle this jerk in the White House, knows he's a phony and can prove it, an would be a good president in that he would surround himself with the best in the business as a cabinet. He can do all the things we want from a president and do it well. If you want to lose again to the Republicans this year, then "when they go low, we go high". Bloomberg knows you don't bring a knife to a gunfight. He will take the Donald, get down in the trenches , go blow by blow and win! By the way, political office in this country has been bought for a long time. You need a lot of money to get elected to any office in this country and then you owe the people who got you there. Bloomberg owes nobody. The one person that Trump is afraid of is Bloomberg because he knows Mike has the goods on him.
1
Bloomberg is hitting all the right buttons to make Trump mad and set up an historic debate that promises to be a lengendary 'Ali vs. Frazer' political match-up. Who doesn't want to see that? Bloomberg plays fast and big and has the cash to turn out Trump's lights and save our democracy. Buckle up your seat belts, this is going to be a bumpy ride.
1
Bloomberg worked to close half the coal mines in the country. He’s put massive support behind gun control measures, planned parenthood, and on and on. When he was mayor stop and frisk was just plain wrong. But he built 65 schools, initiated healthy foods in the schools, created mentoring programs for incarcerated youth.
The Republicans are going to put a billion dollars into disinformation campaigns.
Don’t like money in politics? Don’t start with the good guys.
7
Bloomberg should not be the Democratic nominee. He is clearly on record as supporting both redlining and New York City's now notorious stop-and-frisk program.
Sure, he apologized for the latter, but that only came long after national attention focused on the program and a federal judge ruled in very striking terms that the program was racially discriminatory. That wasn't news; the news was that a court said it after a long trial with ample support in the record for the conclusion.
And now Bloomberg apologizes. It's almost like releasing funds to a foreign government after withholding the funds becomes public. Does that sound like anyone we know?
3
Those dismissing Bloomberg as merely another billionaire buying the election have most likely not made an effort to research his accomplishments. One of NYC’s best mayors, who was also the voice of reason during incidents like the Ground Zero Islamic cultural center/mosque, he consistently demonstrated the quality of equanimity our country badly needs. He has strongly supported progressive causes like gun control and climate change, while using his money to significantly help Democrats succeed in the 2018 midterm elections. Bloomberg has been very generous philanthropically, putting his money to work for good causes like his support of Johns Hopkins University. Yes, he overreached with stop and frisk, which was passed down by the Giuliani/Bratton administration, but his goal was to quickly get guns off the streets to prevent the continued killing of inner city youths. I believe his accomplishments far outweigh his mistakes, and think it’s worth researching him before condemning him.
6
Remember the old days of "equal time", when agencies and pundits tried to hold themselves to a principle of equal time for candidates, not controlled by money? The power of money is paramount. It has overwhelmed this principle. Bloomberg may buy this election, and people will say it is Ok if the person is a good person, has American values, and earned his money legitimately, etc. We are headed that way, and I am asking, is that OK? I don't like it, for Bloomberg may not be the run of the mill billionaire, and a lesser person, like a Trump, will see the way paved for also buying an election. The Office of the President up for the highest bidder? Is that is where we are now? It's uncomfortable, quite uncomfortable.
3
Nice essay. Lots to think about with the decision making left to me. Thank you!
1
Dampening the influence of $ from our elections and politics grows more urgent each moment. First we have the monstrosity in the WH and increasingly we have a potential media takeover (made possible by $ and profit) by the wealthy in the democratic party. Citizen's United must be undone and public financing w/o private spending is a needed goal here. Who cares what Bloomberg or any of these too rich characters think and say. Their taking over media and the conversation is very unhealthy for our society.
4
All true. But if Bloomberg's money and Twitter assault can beat Trump, then so be it. The only thing that matters in 2020 is getting rid of Don. Repeat that every waking hour. When the other Democratic candidates undercut each other over small policy differences, they are are placing ego first and risk handing the election to Chump. Every time they attack each other, they create free ad content for the Repubs. None of them is emerging from the pack, and the eventual nominee will likely be weakened by the bitterness they are generating now which will cause many of their supporters to not vote. If Bloomberg's money and snark are the best means to beat Trump, then we Dems should hold our noses and get on the bus.
7
The election of DJ Trump in 2016 proved one thing. Policies, ideas, and logic mean little. What matters is gut appeal and manipulating emotion. Bloomberg has ideas, logic, social consciousness, and with social media savvy can appeal to the gut instincts of voters as well as Trump. Besides, Trump is bound to be psychologically diminished having to face a really successful business man with 56 billion dollars, who knows how to handle a punk from Queens.
6
Why is it so hard to grasp the sad fact that there can be no structure change or any other kind of meaningful change unless Trump is defeated in November. We need to accomplish this even if we have to wait for another presidential cycle to move on bigger, transformational change.
Sanders along with his "revolution" is completely unelectable. His misguided notion is that huge voter turnout is all that's needed. Imagine the "anti-socialist" voter turnout after Trump has "McCarthy-ized" Sanders into Vermont's own version of Karl Marx.
Sadly rest of the field hasn't a shot either. The only one who does have a shot at beating Trump is Bloomberg. So get on board, even if you have to hold your nose politically. The day Trump is escorted from the White House, you'll be glad you did.
4
The Citizens United ruling changed everything. Like it or not, the result is a series of shake down cruises. Bloomberg has a chance to unseat Trump and end our long national nightmare. More power to him - literally.
4
I don't believe that Mike Bloomberg will receive enough national support to be the Democratic nominee, but it sure is fun watching him tweet for tweet with Trump.
29
@VMG Well, if he doesn't become the nominee he'll provide a phenomenal infrastructure for whoever is. That's an awesome commitment.
But I do firmly believe he'll beat Trump by a bigger margin than anyone. And that is what we truly need.
10
@Mad Moderate Yep, he is the ONLY candidate who can go toe to toe with the bloviator.
2
@VMG
It is not fun and he is as he always does lying to our faces as he does exactly what he is telling us he is against.
Engaging with Trump in the same name calling etc on twitter is destructive to our society and it is grooming people to expect less and lowering their knowledge base and ability to use reason or follow complex discourse.
It is the next level of the path we were on with sitcoms like Will&Grace, Friends, Big Bang... It should irk people that there is almost nothing educational, enlightening or at least intellectually challenging on broadcast or cable tv for entertainment.
Twitter should be restricted from use by any elected official and for any government employee.
Mr. Warzel should read today's Washington Post article about Trump browbeating officials to prosecute people he dislikes. Whatever it takes to get this autocrat out of office, man. Whatever. It. Takes.
9
Utah and Florida guaranteed Blue if Bloomberg gets the nom.
4
I found interesting the sly surfacing of the author's quasi-subliminal editorial preference for AOC. "Genuine." I disagree. She panders also, I believe, for ulterior motives.
5
You can spend a lot of money and go nowhere-Steyer
You can spend a lot of money and go somewhere- Bloomberg
Lets go somewhere
11
I understand and agree, but I just want Trump gone, sent to jail and his whole entourage shamed. Who does it at this point is almost immaterial. The degradation of the US has to stop.
4
I refuse to go from Trump’s Frightening America to Bloomberg’s Filthy Rich America.
Hasn’t the billionaire class done enough irreparable harm to this nation?
6
@Zareen
... as you write this on a computer and with software no doubt developed by the companies founded by people who became billionaires.
Resenting the rich makes it easy to overlook that so many of them got that way by offering goods and services what make our lives better.
2
So you’ll be ok with another four years of Trump? Because that’s what your headed for. Better to have a billionaire with some sense of principles instead of a pathological, unstable menace.
Take your pick...
Yes, the NYT and its opinion writers are now well on the way to tearing apart Michael Bloomberg. Clearly the Sanders crowd has Mayor Mike in its gun sights, peppering the Twitter-obsessed media with negative "news" regarding Bloomberg. It's all we've seen these last couple of days.
Since there is no way whatsoever that this country will ever elect Sanders one is left to ponder whether The Grey Lady is a closet Trumpster?
We keep reading about the Republican Party going the way of the dodo bird. Sure it isn't the Democrats doing a crash and burn act?
6
"The rollout was extremely effective, generating substantial praise and disdain."
I notice Warzel adds a reference link for "disdain," but not to "praise," because he likely couldn't find one.
Please, other readers, take a moment to find one of these Instagram posts (I won't call them "memes," because that would imply they're actually somehow an organic cultural product). They've been universally panned by followers, with the most common comment I've seen being "Unfollow." People who follow meme accounts aren't (on the aggregate) idiots. When they smell something even the tiniest bit disingenuous being foisted upon them, they revolt. It's fair to say that's one of the founding principles of internet culture.
The basic formula in all of the posts is a fake DM exchange that plays off of a caricature of Bloomberg as being too old and curmudgeonly to understand social media. You know what comes across as disingenuous and completely tone deaf? Assuming that's the main thing people "our age" would associate him with, and that we should find it just really so funny that he's self aware about it.
3
Bloomberg was a good Mayor and would be a good president. Right now the country is in a civil war of good vs evil, good vs the trump GOP. Just look how evil trump has taken over the news cycle and the facts. At this point all you see is trump blasting lies, bigotry and hate 24 x 7. We need someone like Mike who can take on trump/GOP in their own game and win. Mike makes trump look like the fool he is.
6
Oh, the shamelessness of someone spending huge amounts of money to get voters' attention! Oh, the brazen attempt to appeal to voters by using millions and millions of dollars to buy tons of print ads, on-line messages, media blitzes! Oh, the unapologetic -- shameful, shameful, shameful -- strategy of trying to win the presidency by using one's own well-stocked war chest to win an election! Oh, the absurdity of this piece from start to finish.
8
@Rea Tarr
Yes, isn't it amazing that media outlets of all type, dependent as they are on things like political advertisements, find it shameful that Mike Bloomberg is willing to spend millions of dollars buying such ads?
Talk about biting the hand that feeds you....
1
Trump changed the way to campaign and communicate with people. Take away the lying and childish insults the Dems could learn something, perhaps Bloomberg took notice and then added his own research finding to it
1
New Yorkers sure are weird.
They act like they are 12 years old, and really, in this political contest, act as thought the electorate are mostly dumb 12 year olds like them, so they use playground language and avoid the conversations that involve thinking.
Hugh
1
Why are people so gullible and easily manipulated that spending a bunch on ads is all it takes to get yourself into the race? Imagine how much better this country would be if people could actually think for themselves...
2
Bloomberg is as bad a person as tRump. Both use money to grab power, and both care only about themselves. Only Bernie and Klobucher are authentic persons. Take your pick, Democrats. I like Amy.
When I grew up in NYC we used to say as teenagers, 'money talks - - - - ( you fill in the blanks) walks. True then, and true now, 60 years later.
4
Where were these kind of articles in 2015/16 talking about Trump's use of attention?
4
This article's author is disingenuous. He said many things about Bloomberg that were not only false, they were (and have been for decades) true of the Carnival Barking Clown.
trump has always tried to be transactional -- you do for me, I do for you. But even at that, he failed! He told others to "do for him" first, and then when they did, he bilked them and did not pay them, took them to court, and paid them pennies on the dollar. This has been trump's "business model". Normal people call it cheating. A Loser!
Mr. Warzel wrote this to create dissent between democrats.
He wrote this article to carefully separate and incite Bernie's supporters (because he knows they expect him to be the nominee, and many have said they won't vote for another nominee if Bernie loses). Warzel is inciting Bernie's followers. Warzel, don't be evil!
He claims Bloomberg is "buying the election". Really? Using his own hard-earned money? I'd say he can buy anything he wants. Most people I know believe Bloomberg is sincere, and doing this for America, for our democracy. He's been a public servant and a successful liberal-minded philanthropist for too long for any rational person to claim he's "self-interested" or doing it for himself.
No one spends a billion dollars to remove a lunatic from office, with zero guarantee of success. He's promised to spend this even if he is not the nominee. So greed is NOT driving him!
Bloomberg knows trump. He WILL pummel trump. I hope in 2021 he's our president!
8
He has the most "Followers" so he's the best!
Let's get him a YouTube channel and see if he gets the most "Subscribers". If he does he will be the best You Tuber.
Maybe we could get him some streaming format and he could get the most "Hits".
YEAH!!! Make Mike he President!!!
He must be great. He's rich, famous and has a lot of social media presence. That's good enough for me.
1
This is one of the best columns I have ever read in The New York Times.
Bloomberg must be stopped, preferably by Buttigieg or Klobuchar, but I'd even take Sanders or Warren over Bloomberg.
American cannot allow a plutocrat and oligarch buy the presidency.
3
Bloomberg has stated that if he does not win the Democratic nomination, he will put all the resources that he currently is using to support his campaign into supporting the campaign of the eventual nominee.
https://www.axios.com/mike-bloomberg-staff-general-election-democratic-nominee-8148b285-5108-4470-b8e4-577b3ca07a75.html
How do you feel about his money then?
7
Cynical it might be, but we're in a serious streetfight and we need a Crocodile Dundee with a BIG knife.
As one of your columnists pointed out a few weeks ago, Trump will outspend any Democratic candidate in the general election by 3-1 UNLESS that candidate is Bloomberg. Bloomberg will outspend Trump 5-1.
He's the right candidate for these desperate times.
3
Go Mike! At last, just what we needed-someone to stand up to our moronic president & who knows how to wipe him off the political map. I imagine the donald's nightmares are full of Bloomberg's face. He led NYC out of the doldrums into a vibrant safe happy place & will do the same for the country.
4
Democrats have a choice this spring.
We can give in to oligarchy because our oligarch is slightly better than yours. Sure he instituted a policy to systematically violate the 4th Amendment rights of young African-American and Hispanic men and he blames the near collapse of the world economy on the end of racist red lining instead of the bankers and hedge fund managers who actually caused the problem. But he’s at least better than the current billionaire in the White House.
The other option is that we stand up for liberal Democracy. We take Lincoln to heart and vote for government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
I like Bernie. I think he would beat Trump. If he’s too liberal for your taste, I get that. Vote for Biden, Buttigieg, or Klobuchar.
Just please don’t vote for someone who was twice elected mayor as a Republican and who endorsed George W. Bush.
53
@JW nothing is "wrong" with Bernie but both he and Biden (as well as Trump) are too old.
Klobuchar is a reasonable candidate. Also I may be wrong but last time I checked Obama although loved by many was far from perfect. Yes Bloomberg inherited S&F, it did increase during his tenure and many others wrongly supported it also. It was finally reduced under pressure. Is he sincere about his mistakes and has he owned up to them properly? Does he have a stance that is acceptable now? I'm not sure since he's not on the top of my list but I would be happy to vote for him over the conman in the white house any day.
6
@JW
We stood up for Democracy and our Constitution by impeaching Trump for corruption, specifically for his extorting the president of Ukraine into doing him a political favor.
Senator Romney showed half a backbone at the Senate trial. That's all we got from the Republicans.
I want to vote for Bernie, as I did last time, but I will re-assess as time goes by because Bloomberg is an intelligent guy who has finally figured out that decades of the Republican mantra of tax cuts for the wealthy while calling everybody else a moocher expecting a handout, or a criminal, or perhaps both, has resulted in a broken Democracy.
Four more years of Trump and we may have a Democracy that is not only broken, but unfixable as well. I have to think about the Supreme Court and our federal judges.
So, sorry, but I have to be pragmatic. I'm not willing to punish this country only because I'm unhappy that Bloomberg was a jerk. BTW, he became a Republican jerk because he had a better chance of winning. He was a Democrat until that point.
By the way, you left out the time Bloomberg said women would be taken more seriously if they spent more time in the library instead of Bloomingdales.
Definitely not a guy I'd ask over for BBQ and beer, but I never voted based on that criterion anyway.
7
@JW I will never vote for Bernie and I am not alone. I would vote for a successful manager of two large bureaucracies - that shares my values regarding the environment, abortion, public service, civil discourse, and doesn't use the trumpian ruse of creating passion by creating an enemy.
7
Am I the only person who thinks his privacy and his time are too valuable to expend on social media? And uses an ad blocker when on the web? And gets his news from traditional journalism (like the Times) rather than cable TV ranters. And isn't influenced by "influencers?" And understands that stories presented as news must be examined to determine whether they're legitimate instead of propaganda, or mis- or disinformation?
3
@Bernie Weiss
No, Bernie, you're not alone. You also describe me exactly. But we are apparently few and far between!
I think the digerati and twitterers consider us dinosaurs....
@George S.
Let's go out for brontoburgers tonight.
So it’s wrong is Bloomberg does it but it’s OK if AOC does it...because? She is a woman? She is a socialist? Talking about a double standard! I was mot particularly fond of Bloomberg’s candidacy but now I am rethinking my position. If he is the one to beat Bernie and his army of trolls in the primaries, I’d not only vote for him but send him a symbolic donation - a chocolate heart maybe? And I’m pretty sure that he can actually beat Trump - as opposed to any other candidate.
3
I lived thru Koch, Dinkins, Rudy and Mike mayoral years and Mike is far from perfect. I have a litany of complaints but I never doubted his civic pride and generosity. After the militaristic Rudy who squandered the MTA piggy bank, ill spend the Clinton/Gore federal funds and taking the credit for Dinkins 6000 new police officer hires and the greening of the city parks, Mike was a breathe of fresh air and reason. Now he allowed a beloved and much needed downtown hospital to close after money hungry experts pillaged our troubled St. Vincent's even more but he isn't crazy, he isn't a criminal and his isn't a hallow of a man like the shifter in the White House now. I am a Lizzie girl but when it comes down to it Mike has my vote if he is the nominee.
3
If Mike can defeat Trump (and I think he can) it's a win for those who detest Trump. That said, Trump calls Mike "Mini-Mike." Trump should taken note that Vladimir Putin is the same height as Mike.
2
oligarch
Pronunciation /ˈäləˌɡärk/ /ˈɑləˌɡɑrk/
NOUN
1 A ruler in an oligarchy.
2 A very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence.
1
@JW
It appears that many in America are perfectly willing to sell their souls to one oligarch to get rid of another.
Things might change in the future but the re-election of Trump or the election of Bloomberg makes America a full fledged plutocracy in 2021.
2
The reason I am supporting Bloomberg is that he espouses policies I support and can probably beat Trump. Buttigieg can never stand up to Trump in a general election. Warren is pretty much done. Bernie can't get into the mainstream enough. I want decent healthcare without getting ripped off. I want to reestablish environmental protections. I want Bear's Ears National Monument back. I don't want my German relatives mocking me over our destructive foreign policy. I want someone who can get some fiscal control before the coming hyper-inflation ultimately destroys our economy. Trump is the opposite of everything we need. The Democrats don't get it. They lose because they don't know how to answer. Despite his great wealth, which poses a problem for me, I will be happy to contribute to Bloomberg's campaign in any way I can. I see no other way to get rid of the plague of Donald Trump.
3
So somehow you find it OK for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to use a similar playbook online because she's a "millennial … innately good at social media" and a congresswoman, but not OK for Bloomberg because what, he's a septuagenarian who's running for president? Sounds like ageism to me.
The Supreme Court got it wrong. When money is equated with the protections afforded to speech it creates an unequal dynamic that favors money. It's why our elections have become so ridiculously expensive. As a Times reader said recently, "money rules politics, and the ends justify the means". It's a perverted system, but those who view the autocratic, climate change denier Trump as a threat to democracy and life on the planet it would be a fools errand to play the game any other way.
3
Completely agree.
The Bloomberg candidacy is shamelessly grotesque.
Bloomberg will go down in history as the first person to run for POTUS as a tax dodge.
Beat Trump and then carry on all his policies.
Bloomberg will be no better for the workng or middle classes than Trump, or indeed Biden or Buttigieg.
Will the American voter support the 0.01% candidate against the 0.1% president?
He’s making a joke of our democracy – and Democrats should be appalled.
Bloomberg is unleashing an unprecedented, inordinate amount of personal wealth on an advertising blitz that demonstrates just how frail our democratic institutions really are.
But his shamelessness seems to be working.
Through sheer amounts of wealth none of us will fathom, he can break democracy and walk into the arena and onto the debate stage.
For enough money, it turns out, you can just buy political contention.
Bloomberg is not committed to defeating Trump. He is committed to defeating Sanders. If he was committed to defeating Trump he would challenge Trump in the Republican primaries.
Bloomberg only entered the race when it became apparent Biden would falter and Sanders would run away with the nomination.
Trump, through his blatant corruption, makes a mockery of our democratic norms. Now the more outwardly respectable Bloomberg is doing the same, just in another form. He cannot be bought; he simply buys others.
It's money that subverts US democracy, not Putin.
An oligarchy is not a democracy.
5
If money was the only reason Bloomberg is gaining momentum then why has Tom Steye whor spent 19 million dollars in New Hampshire and probably close to a 100 million total get 1 percent of the vote in New Hampshie. Bloomberg has a message that resonates with a lot of mainstream voters and has put billions towards liberal causes like gun control, schools etc. It seems if self made left center Democrats are pariahs to many here, in reality he may be the only thing between four more years of Donald.
4
Dear Mr. Warzel,
Maybe you haven't noticed, but this is sort of an emergency.
3
At least he's not being helped by the Russians.
3
I’m yet a meet a self made journalist. You work for something created by someone whose guts and business brilliance created a media forum that pays you a salary. You cannot even begin to comprehend the mind of a Bloomberg. Your guesses are oversimplifications. What businesses have you created that give employment to thousands? Every time Bloomberg strikes out at tRump he rebuilds our Democracy.
2
This Vermonter says, "Yes to Bloomberg!"
I love Bernie - but as Trump said, "2016 was Bernie's moment." He was not able to get in there and now his moment has passed.
Someone said that what America needs now is a Designated Driver to take the wheel from the Drunken Orange-Haired Clown driving us off the road.
So I say "Bloomberg take the wheel"
4
@Brother Shuyun
I beg to differ. Clearly Bernie's showings in Iowa and New Hampshire show his moment has not passed. He's also polling strongly in other states, particularly Texas, and California.
The question isn't if Bernie's moment has passed is which of the moderate/centrist, if any, can beat him.
1
Bloomberg should just repeat the phrase, "Trump can't prove he's a billionaire." Make it part of the national conversation. Trump will have to put up or shut up. Of course he's incapable of doing either, but still...
1
Bloomberg is trying to buy the Whitehouse. His tactics are getting more obvious by the day. Now, he's hired paid "influencers" (who came up with that term?) to make him look
"cool".
78 year old businessmen are never "cool".
He's wasting his money. He should have backed someone from the get-go, or even run from the get-go. But his late appearance, and his vast spending, scream ego. If he's the nominee, I'll hold my nose and vote for him. Trump is far worse. But we may just get "narcissism with a human face".
2
I probably repeat 600 of the previous 621 comments: The time for a New Deal is not now. I've been bored to death by CNN town halls and Democratic debates. While the Democratic Party should be in flight-or-fight mode it is suspended between re-canvassing Iowa and Klobuchar's permanent. The flash-floods are eating away at what is left of the work of the founding fathers. Just beat the Orange Toddler and his mafioso and save what still can be saved. And select someone who can deal with Trump when he refuses to move out of Pennsylvania 1600.
I think you answered your own question in the last sentence - welcome to modern politics where the meme and the Insta-post are the new lapel pin and yard sign.
It seems to me that Mr. Warzel's opinion on Mr. Bloomberg is really a description of someone who knows what he is doing and has a very real chance of beating President Trump.
4
What on earth is going on with these daily NYT op-ed hit pieces on Bloomberg? As many commentators have pointed out, Bloomberg has a great track record of liberal and progressive policies, plus he’s laying out his own money to defeat trump even if he leaves the running. To me this is a blessing. Why does the Times seem so determined to rain on this parade? I’m truly perplexed.
5
These tactics prove that Bloomberg would make just as bad a president as Trump has. While I don't think his policies will be as racist as Trump, I don't want to be reduced to voting for him after he has hacked the primaries with his money. Go out and support your chosen candidate! Vote! Volunteer! Canvas!
I, for one, have already repeatedly donated my time and money to the Bernie Sanders campaign.
4
Since when is racism in the US part of the Democratic party?
Since when is rejection of human rights and international law in the Middle East a part of the Democratic party?
Since when does wealth making power a part of the Democratic party?
Since when could Bloomberg be capable of representing the Democratic party?
2
@Greg
It appears that many in the Democratic Party are so afraid of a second Trump term, they are willing to sell their souls to Michael Bloomberg.
What they fail to realize is that Bloomberg won't galvanize the party despite the pablum of his TV commercials.
1
Donald Trump didn’t spend his own money after he won the nomination - and he made sure to get his vig from every donor and corporation since being elected. Today he is shaking down NY in exchange for travel access he wants all prosecution and investigation to halt. We have a crime family in the White House and you want to blame the one man with enough money to stop him? Really?
3
"Barking Carnival Clown" is the best short phrase that I've heard yet about Trump. Add in "Con Artist" and that pretty much sums it all up"
Yet another polemic; it isn't just "spending," it's "brazen spending," whatever that is--maybe using Amex instead of a debit card. The campaign is "less organic" (oh dear, another inorganic campaign not to be found in Whole Foods). I really like this one: "shameless attempt...to buy off teenage influencers," which I assume translates into plain English as buying the votes of non-voters? (Double oh dear!) There is a bit of truth here, however, in that "Mr. Bloomberg is not really playing chess, he is more accurately working to bury the board..."
The truth is, Bloomberg is the General Eisenhower the Democrats need. He is mounting a powerful D-Day invasion against the forces of Trump while the other candidates are standing on the beaches of Dover shouting epithets at the waves. Bloomberg is mounting an awesome multi-level campaign for Senate seats, House of Representatives seats, governorships and state houses and, of course, the Presidency. His opponents are squabbling over being the first to be a gay candidate, the first and oldest democratic socialist revolutionary candidate, the first electable woman candidate, and let's not forget the first to be third in the second primary (NYT reporters breathlessly call it "the center").
One thing is certain, no one stands a chance of marginalizing Bloomberg by accusing him of "shamelessly" buying off "teenage influencers" who then make "inscrutable" political pitches to non-voting teenagers in the thrall of internet social media.
4
Plain and simple: We need someone who can competently start to clean up the mess Mr. T has created. Mr. Bloomberg is the ONLY candidate up to that task. He will be able to work with both sides that are in the middle of the political spectrum. At this point we don’t some far left ideologue as our next leader and we certainly don’t need to repeat that last 3 and 1/2 years. That would be a nightmare beyond all nightmares for our Democracy. I don’t care how much of his own money he spends to get there. At least he won’t be able to be bought by those horrible PAC influencers!
3
Bloomberg has already lost the primary or the election. Now that freely available videos are available for all to see that he is a hypocritical racist, an authoritarian with a blame-the-poor mindset, he can forget about black American and progressive turn-out.
Some people seem to believe he is also more electable in the Midwest than Sanders. How do you know that if I may ask? Because current polls in those states show Sanders as the stronger candidate. And maybe you have not paid attention to Bloomberg’s anti gun and pro-abortion and pro-immigration policies? None of that is going to play well.
I, for one, object to the Democratic Party being taken over by an elitist and globalist anti-poor racist. I would without hesitation vote for Trump. He is also an authoritarian but with far less of a globalist and anti-poor and racist mindset.
This is how the Democratic Party becomes a traitor to the working class and becomes the party of the Wall Street elite and the old racist South.
2
Bloomberg is not cynical, he is honestly committed to the public good. Read the Henry Louis Gates interview in the NYTimes; he also supports Bloomberg. We will shortly have a Bloomberg yard sign on display.
5
And your point is...he’s spending a lot of money? News flash: that’s how the game is played. At least he’s spending his own.
1
"Attention Equals Power". A creed for the 21st century.
1
Sure, take the sanctimonious high road and watch Trump get re-elected. Go Mike!
5
But what about all the promoted ads of Bernie on Reddit, the endless threads, miraculous upvotes, posts, et all on Reddit?
At least Mike Bloomberg is razor-focussed on beating Trump and doing something about climate change.
2
With Bloomberg it is clear that Trump is the foe, not another Democrat. How refreshing. How hopeful. How productive!!!!
The author, like most columnists, spends far too much time online, removed from the concerns of most Americans, especially those not living on the coasts. Perhaps if he would get off his gadgets and travel across our country several times at ground level, whether by thumb, car, or train, and actually talk to whoever crossed his path, he might start to get a clue.
Talk to whoever picks you up hitching, talk to whoever is seated with you in the train's dining car, talk to the motel owner in Caspar, Wyoming, talk to the waitress in the diner in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, talk to the Navajo shoppers in the Walmart in Gallup, New Mexico, talk to the oil worker pumping gas next to you in West Texas. Then come back and write a column.
No Charlie, most Americans are not part of the punditocracy, twitterati, and commentariat. They look at things differently, they are interested in a candidate that listens to them, to their needs and values as they define them, not as how a candidate thinks they should define them. Unfortunately, that is precisely what most Democrats don't get. Instead, they continue to engage in the one thing they are truly adept at, a circular firing squad, thus likely ensuring Trump's reelection in the process.
Again, with Bloomberg it is clear that Trump is the foe, not another Democrat. How refreshing. How hopeful. How productive!!!!
3
Bloomberg is a hard no. His record on Stop and Frisk and his racist comments supporting the policy and about redlining, his record on sexual harassment, NO.
If he is able to buy this election it will be the end of the Democratic Party.
We cannot run a racist against Trump. You cannot ask black and brown people and women to choose the democratic version of Trump.
You will tear this party in half. Do not take the bait.
Hillary spent 2 times more than Trump in 2016 and she still lost. Money isn't going to defeat Trump.
We need a candidate with some vision for the future. OUR FUTURE, not ways to enrich his own pocketbook.
Up until now I have been willing to consider any candidate, but I am not willing to consider Bloomberg. This is the limit for me.
2
Would anyone even be discussing Bloomberg absent his $55 billion fortune?
2
Bloomberg is a Republican.
Therefore, my vow to vote blue no matter who does not apply.
3
So what? Bloomberg can shoot the Pope in Macy’s window but if he gets the Democratic nomination every sane person should STILL choose him over Trump.
3
You don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. We have to have a candidate that can beat Trump. The end.
3
Fight fire with fire.
It's a shame we are here but here we are.
2
Bloomberg bashing is beginning, starting with stop & Frisk & now his comment about redlining black people.Even Bloomberg could not win without the Black & Hispanic vote.
I strongly support Israel & was thinking about voting for Trump, as
I kept reading about the squad & the radical's animosity about Isreal & the Jewish people, ie: Omar's antisemitism.
After the Impeachment hearings where it was proven that Trump was guilty, I decided there was no way that I could vote for Trump or for that matter side with Republicans in general.
It's imperative that Trump does not get another 4 years.
Imam first and foremost an American, having served proudly during the Korean war. I love my country & Imwant what's best for our future.
No one is without fault, neither Bloomberg & certainly not Trump.
We must rid ourselves of Trump, and the only one that can defeat him is Bloomberg. Bloomberg is not a racist & has apoligized for Stop & Frisk.Unlike Trump his only reason for running for President is to bring back American values, & save our Republic from this tyrant.
We must put away our resentments & support Trump as our only hope.
1
@Independent1776 Bloomberg is indeed a racist as evidenced by the comments out of his own mouth. The apologies were half hearted and insincere at best and were issued only becasue he's been told that he cannot win without the black and brown vote. Trading one racist billionaire for another is AWFUL for our republic; one the pattern is estblihsed we are already serfs begging for scraps at the masters indulgence. NO to Bloomberg!
Bloomberg has put hundreds of millions into Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg Associates to combat climate change, further STEM cell research, gun control, education, the arts, urban environment improvement, womens issues...take a tour of those websites to get an idea of where his heart is. Both organizations started long before he considered a run for the president. He made his billions honestly, and we're all getting the benefit of his good fortune. I'm for anyone who will defeat Trump. Bloomberg is the guy to do it. Your colleague Thomas Friedman (3x Pulitzer winner) agrees. #ILikeMike #Bloomberg2020
4
No one wants a nanny-government NY liberal to run the country. Bloomberg will never win the rust belt, or the south, or even much of the west. The only folks who would even think of voting for him are probably the those in the northeast. That's about it.
1
Proud Bernie supporter, donor, volunteer. Not interested in the muck, thank you very much.
1
With Bloomberg it is clear that Trump is the foe, not another Democrat. How refreshing. How hopeful. How productive!!!!
The author, like most columnists, spends far too much time online, removed from the concerns of most Americans, especially those not living on the coasts. Perhaps if he would get off his gadgets and travel across our country several times at ground level, whether by thumb, car, or train, and actually talk to whoever crossed his path, he might start to get a clue.
Talk to whoever picks you up hitching, talk to whoever is seated with you in the train's dining car, talk to the motel owner in Caspar, Wyoming, talk to the waitress in the diner in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, talk to the Navajo shoppers in the Walmart in Gallup, New Mexico, talk to the oil worker pumping gas next to you in West Texas. Then come back and write a column.
No Charlie, most Americans are not part of the punditocracy, twitterati, and commentariat. They look at things differently, they are interested in a candidate that listens to them, to their needs and values as they define them, not as how a candidate thinks they should define them. Unfortunately, that is precisely what most Democrats don't get. Instead, they continue to engage in the one thing they are truly adept at, a circular firing squad, thus likely ensuring Trump's reelection in the process.
Again, with Bloomberg it is clear that Trump is the foe, not another Democrat. How refreshing. How hopeful. How productive!!!!
2
Yes, it is exhausting. It lacks any kind of warmth. It's all analytics and amnesiac like-share-retweet dopamine-anger-dopamine. It's politics reduced to entertainment just like sports and music have been reduced.
2
If the Democratic party and DNC let Bloomberg buy the nomination, they don't deserve to exist. I'm no billionaire, but my money is going to either fairfight2020 or Mr. Sanders, and the latter has my vote as well; the idea that Mr. Bloomberg is a serious candidate makes me feel like I'll never, never stop throwing up.
2
I keep wishing Hunter Thompson was still alive. He would have had so much fun with Fear and Loathing on the campaign trail 2020. We need Bloomberg and his attacks because too many Americans have grown apathetic, thinking we can't do anything about the abomination in the White House. We can!
2
He certainly has my attention, I would vote for him in a second.
A Bloomberg with Klobuchar ticket will win back America. Fact
3
Attention is the currency in the digital age that counts and if Bloomberg is able to use his wealth to get attention in order to get rid of this horrible autocratic president then this is a great thing. Don't make this bad! It is typical for the Democrats to denounce their own people! You want to get rid of Mr. Orange too, don't you?
1
Baloney, dude! Get over movement and big, structural change cuz ain't gonna happen. It's an election, not revolution.
Bloomberg is the right man at the right time, and God save us from the likes of Trump, Bernie, Liz or Pete.
Dreaming Bloomberg/Abrams.
2
Someone please explain to me the appeal of Michael Bloomberg as a candidate, other than the fact that he is wealthy and kind of a jerk. Is it just a desire not to see Bernie win the Democratic nomination, or is there something deeper?
And if it's just about electability, then didn't we learn anything from 2016?
1
The author, like most columnists, spends far too much time online, removed from the concerns of most Americans, especially those not living on the coasts. Perhaps if he would get off his gadgets and travel across our country several times at ground level, whether by thumb, car, or train, and actually talked to whoever crossed his path, he might start to get a clue.
Talk to whoever picks you up hitching, talk to whoever is seated with you in the train's dining car, talk to the motel owner in Caspar, Wyoming, talk to the waitress in the diner in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, talk to the Navajo shoppers in the Walmart in Gallup, New Mexico, talk to the oil worker pumping gas next to you in West Texas. Then come back and write a column.
No Charlie, most Americans are not part of the punditocracy, twitterati, and commentariat. They look at things differently, and that is what the Democrats don't get, as they continue engage in the one thing they are adept at, a circular firing squad, thus likely ensuring Trump's reelection in the process.
With Bloomberg it is clear that Trump is the foe, not another Democrat. How refreshing. How hopeful. How productive!!!!
2
Mike Bloomberg is a gift to the Dems from God.
We are making such a sorry mess of organizing to take down Trump.
Mike is the dream candidate come true.
If we blow this thing then we deserve it.
3
Typically, NYT comments to an op ed like this one would express diverse opinions from readers. It's striking that virtually all of the comments here are pro-Bloomberg. Many of them contain corny campaign slogans and rehash Bloomberg's rationale for running against Trump almost verbatim. It's obvious what's happening here. But if I'm wrong and these comments are genuine and represent a genuine mood in the Democratic Party, then we're all in terrible trouble.
3
@Ben R You have to go way to the bottom of the comments to see any diversity of opinion.
My browser is also slowing.
You have to wonder. No evidence at the moment but it's worrying.
Mike is just another oligarch. We know both the Twit and mayor Mike. They have the same arrogance, if not the same approach.
I will never vote for this guy after he subverted the term limits rule in New York.
3
The current crop of “front runners” will be nothing but roadkill on the way to Trump2020. We have two progressives who have no chance except in the minds of their deluded followers. Then you have the ocean on uninspiring wannabes. Bloomberg has the money and moxie to reduce Trump to an obscene historical footnote.
2
Whatever it takes to defeat Trump man!
If this means, Bloomberg has to be loud and boorish, so be it.
Call it whatever you want but win!
2
Bloomberg’s abusive and predatory campaign goes against very democratic principle. He abused it when he was mayor of NYC and now he’s doing it the country. He’s got zero chance of getting nominated, but cleverly is doing everything to re-elect Trump who will deliver Palestinian land to Netanyahu which supersedes the demise of the American working family.
.
We must first admit the twitter and meme adudience are the lowest common denominator.
In order to motivate, titillate these people we have to give them what they crave. Sound bites, short videos, memes...
Now how does Mike deserve no shame, no decency.... charge? Because he is spending money on memes?
We must play to win. We can discuss Abortion, Gun Control, Repatriation, Health Care, Budget.... after we get Donald out.
Give the Twitter audience what they want now.
Rgds.
The Trump presidency is an existential crisis for America. This is our "In case of emergency, break glass" moment. For that reason I'm for ANYBODY who can beat Donald Trump, his cohort of sycophantic Republican enablers and HIS boss, Vladimir Putin.
Including Mike Bloomberg.
He is richer, he's smarter and Trump is clearly rattled by him. GO, MIKE!!!
2
If he can beat Trump, more power to him.
2
And like Trump, Bloomberg appears so far to be getting a free pass on all the dirty misdeeds he too has committed and it's time the free media steps up before sexist and racist Bloomberg buys his spot in our blooming Oligarchy!
Bloomberg, like Trump, is a notorious sexist who has habitually degraded women and whose use of lewd comments around co-workers fostered a frat-like culture at the company he founded and still owns. Quotes attributed to him in court filings include, "I’d like to do that piece of meat," and "I would DO you in a second."
As Mayor, Bloomberg was responsible, between 2003 and 2013 for over 100,000 stops PER YEAR, with 685,724 people being stopped at the height of the program in 2011. The vast majority, 90% in 2017, of those stopped were African-American or Latino, most of whom were aged 14–24. Furthermore, 70% of all those stopped were later found to be innocent!!!
5
@American Abroad Democrats seem eager to beat the racist at his own game by running another racist.
Oligarchs like Bloomberg win if Trump wins, win if Bloomberg wins, and win if we all disengage in despair.
The only path forward now is to become much more politically active. The racists have much more power than the rest of us and we have to hope that justice still counts for some Americans.
1
So, it's simple. If it's a contest between two oligarchs, which one do you want? The answer: duh. Mike by a mile. A million miles. Democrats are highly skilled at seizing defeat from the jaws of victory. Will we never learn? Wake up Charlie. Save the country first, argue later.
2
It seems to be working just fine. It has me trying to decide between Bloomberg and one other on my primary ballot. I lived in NYC under Bloomberg. Most New Yorkers thought the reality star president was a joke.
I say ‘hack on’ Mayor Bloomberg. After all, C. Warzel, you are right—it’s only politics, as usual— may the smartest billionaire take over.
BTW, When have you ever heard #45 apologize for anything?
1
I like Mike Bloomberg, I hope he is the nominee
3
Is Bloomberg sincerely apologetic about his racist policies when mayor of NY?
Is Bloomberg willing to renounce his endorsement of Israeli human rights abuse and violations of international law in the West Bank and Gaza?
Is Bloomberg willing to challenge the Citizens United decision and fight for the people instead of the corporations?
I won't hold my breath.
2
No. Absolutely not. He is just hacking YOUR attention.
1
Yes Dems, leave your outrage at the door. Who cares if Bloomberg said a couple of uncomfortable things a few years ago... totally yesterday.
1
Meme Trump into a straight jacket. Mike will get it done.
2
Bloomberg was pro-Bush and pro-Iraq war, so he’ll never get my vote. Do any of you even know or care about his foreign policy positions or are you only concerned with the size of his wallet?
3
Voters are smart! They’ll adapt and figure out who will make a good president and who’s just trying to hog their attention!
1
If "buying the Presidency" defeats Donald Trump, I could get used to it.
1
Who said money can’t buy love?
Bloomberg’s slogan should be “Oligarchs Are Us”
2
Like it or not, and there are great reasons for “not”, this is the way the game is currently played. If Democrats are unable to play it, we’ll surrender our country, perhaps permanently, to an authoritarian leader at the head of a thoroughly corrupt, anti-democracy, white supremacist party that will NEVER pursue election or campaign reform.
If Bloomberg can beat Trump, he’ll be saving our country as far as I’m concerned. And he is looking more and more like the only a Democrat who can.
2
Boston Newspaper Editor Sue O'Connell put it best on NPR in Boston the other day: "If you are drowning and a luxury yacht comes by to rescue you, are you going to refuse and wait for a smaller boat?" or something to that effect.....
2
The Trump Republican machine operates using the win at any cost method. To keep from being indicted in 2021, he will burn America as we know it to the ground. I could not care less about Bloomberg's history or money right now. He's better organized, better financed and knows how to get under Trump's skin.
You can sit on your high moral horse and wave your finger at me and others for supporting Mike Bloomberg. My vote for whoever makes it to the general election is unconditional.
Is yours?
1
Leave Bloomberg alone! Would you rather have Trump?
1
It's Bloomberg or Trump and you don't know what to do.
Mr. Warzel, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
1
“Every civilization carries the seeds of its own destruction, and the same cycle shows in them all. The Republic is born, flourishes, decays into plutocracy, and is captured by the shoemaker whom the mercenaries and millionaires make into a king. The people invent their oppressors, and the oppressors serve the function for which they are invented.” — Mark Twain
1
By spending his own money, Bloomberg is beholden no one. That’s a good thing. Trump ran a brilliant campaign thanks to the media who gave him billions of dollars in free...media. (Too bad Trump isn’t so ingenious when it comes to running the country.) Bloomberg is a real self-made billionaire who did a great job running NYC for three terms. If Trump proved anything it’s that playing by the usual rules is for losers. I like Mike.
2
We finally have a candidate that is making headway against a gaslighting and amoral President by effectively exploiting social media. To do otherwise, would be stupid, and not a recipe for victory. Bloomberg has the political and business track record, and integrity-- yes, right, he's not perfect, but find us a candidate who is. Why does fellow billionaire Tom Steyer a bloviator who has no history of political accomplishment get a pass? Because he's not running the powerful campaign that Bloomberg is? Now that's a billionaire I can get behind!
2
So now the dems have their own 'Trump'...but worse. Nice.
1
Bloomberg turns 78 today. Too old to be president! Why aren't the journalists of America discussing this and insisting that he release his medical records?
1
I think hacking is a word chosen to attract attention and not really too close to the truth. Face facts - the American electorate is, on average, attracted like moths to the flame they view as the brightest. Remember the old saw - the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I support Mike Bloomberg, who has the courage to admit a mistake (a big one) and the power it takes to stare into the Trumpian dystopia without fear.
2
As a lifelong liberal and member of The Bridges Project on Race Relations in extremely conservative Ocala/Marion County, I proudly await the arrival of my Bloomberg bumper sticker. Members of the thinking class evolve. I believe that includes Biden, Klobuchar and certainly the eight year mayor of a small town in Indiana as well as the very effective former mayor of NYC. Now if the pious members of the media (like Mika this morning) who in effect gave us Trump, would examine Bloomberg's strengths(among which is the fact that he is not intent on establishing a dynasty) and do their homework before casting stones, our democracy might survive.
I'm with Carville - we're looking into an abyss. If the hordes of opinion writers spend most of their time just looking for a new angle in order to make their mark they help hasten a return to the Dark Ages
1
In three different articles, Times commenters seem so worn down and yes, cynical, that most seem to think that Bloomberg is the best we can do even with his deficiencies. One billionaire after the last one, this is the best we can do?
31
@Lenore No, it isn't. I'm voting for Bernie Sanders, the only real hope of the working class. He has been consistently for working people his entire political career. He doesn't need consultants or focus groups. Bernie's the real deal who will beat Trump.
2
@Lifelong New Yorker Bernie is “a rich man in a poor man’s suit”~Bruce Springsteen
1
@Lenore
You're a New Yorker? Since when? EVERY New Yorker knows Trump's financial history. He's no billionaire.
Bloomberg does not have as many deficiencies as you seem to think.
He's smart, well-educated, a self made billionaire with a well eespected and successful company that did not go bankrupt.
WOW. He sounds like a keeper.
Then there's Trump.
2
I don't use social media. I live in a blue state that's usually ignored by Democratic candidates for the most part, and have only seen one campaign ad for Mike. I don't watch much TV either. I don't think Charlie gets it.
The minute I saw Michael Bloomberg was stepping in, I - like someone else commented - felt like that cavalry had arrived. There isn't a single Democratic candidate I dislike. I would vote for any one of them. But not a single one of them can win this election, not against the Trumpdozer. My most fervent wish is that they would all cast their lot with Mike, get with him, endorse him, campaign hard for him, let us put all of our votes in one place, here and now. We need the others in the Senate.
Like Mike says: Let's win this thing.
1
Absolutely. Mr. Warzel has made an excellent case for Bloomberg as the Democrat's candidate. Long ago, the Democrats were the party that Got the Candidate Elected. Think Lyndon Johnson. Would we have the Civil Rights Act if the ballot box hadn't been stuffed in his first campaign?
I am an old lady who has always voted as a Democrat, but if it's between Bernie Sanders and Trump, I'm not sure I can bring myself to vote.
Nominate Bloomberg and get in and fight.
2
Bloomberg is a Republican running in the Democratic Presidential primary since the Republican Party closed their primary. If you’re ok with another Republican running the country then it’s a win-win for Republicans.
2
@Gus If Bloomberg wanted a Democratic president he would support a Democratic candidate but he obviously wants control, which is what businessmen/women do, you “takeover” the competition.
2
It's too bad that almost everyone talking about Mike Bloomberg describe him as a 'billionaire' instead of a three-time elected mayor of New York, a highly successful businessman and an active and early supporter of many of the best efforts of the democratic left.
To quote Vince Lombardi: " Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing." This should certainly be the rallying cry for beating our odious president. And I believe Bloomberg can bring it off better than any of the other candidates.
Yes, he is very rich. But more importantly, he is very smart, honest and brings maturity, wisdom, toughness and civility to the arena. Compare those qualities to Trump and you have a winner.
He is not 'buying' the candidacy. He is investing in America.
4
Mr. Warzel appears to have gotten his attention hacked by Mr. Bloomberg in ways that trouble him.
Based on his long record of service to the country as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and progressive force in American politics, Mr. Bloomberg seized my attention naturally the moment he announced as a candidate.
Now let the two of us join forces with Mr. Bloomberg to defeat the Devil Incarnate, while recognizing the fact that the 2020 election
may set the course of American democracy for the next 50 years,
requiring all the attention hacking -- high and low, good and bad --
that Democrats are able to summon.
4
The digital strategy aside, what Bloomberg is articulating and has a record of backing with money in the past resonates. The evolution and not revolution is definitely appropriate for where the country is.
I think Bernie (who has a great message) and Elizabeth (who is a very thoughtful and articulate politician) are doing real harm by demonizing someone who, at the very least, stands a great chance of being the democratic nominee. Their railing against Bloomberg is a real turn off.
7
Behind the bluff and bluster, Charlie Warzel’s main complaint is that Michael Bloomberg is using his own money to bring attention to his presidential campaign. Yet many such complainants are perfectly delighted when Bloomberg’s bucks are supporting gun control legislation or efforts to mitigate climate change or electing Democrats to Congress.
Even more unfortunate than the impact of Bloomberg’s billions, I would argue, is how the media-driven, torturous, seemingly-unending spectacle by which candidate selection proceeds has forced to the side of the road potential top-tier candidates like Deval Patrick, Michael Bennet, Corey Booker, and a handful of western-state governors. I would not bet my un-Bloombergian bottom dollar that the end result of this laborious process will be the defeat of Donald Trump this November.
1
So depressing that Elizabeth Warren is speaking the truth about how money is rigging politics, and yet, because she's taking the high road and not taking money from big donors, she and her less well-off supporters cannot overcome the massive advantage billionaires like Bloomberg have.
It will be disheartening if Bloomberg does end up buying his way to the nomination against a candidate who has been pointing out that in a healthy-functioning democracy, it should not be possible to buy one's way into office.
4
Ah.....you’re against Bloomberg for BUYING his way into office, yet you seem to approve of the notion of LYING one’s way into office?
I’ll take Bloomberg, thankyouverymuch.
Susan
Expat.
Bloomberg as a conservative Republican changes parties and becomes Democrat, I can accept that, because his running for president platform turns out to be the same as mine. Guns, climate change, water, what to do with AI, Trump, Health Care and term limits.
4
If a candidate takes money from big donors, he/she is condemned as being beholden to big money. If a candidate takes no money from donors, he/she is condemned as trying to buy the presidency.
It seems like the only approach to funding a campaign that the public and media are comfortable with is when a candidate gets funding almost exclusively from small donors.
Until such time as we have comprehensive campaign finance reform, I think we need to be realistic that it takes a huge amount of money to run for President and there are multiple acceptable paths to get there.
7
Let's be hard-headed--but not as cynical as Bloomberg. Let's keep in mind that a president who is 100% the creature of electronic media hasn't worked out well, and won't now either. Let's resist with all our might the tendency to let television and (even worse) Facebook and Twitter dictate our politics. We must never lose sight of the dignity of the presidency; by your account, Bloomberg might contribute as much as Trump to our losing sight of it. Let's remember that the considerable common ground between Bloomberg and Trump, as you describe, ought to repel us from the one as much as the other. Let's quit "amusing ourselves to death," as Neil Postman put it, and resume taking politics, above all presidential elections, seriously. Let's settle on a nominee who stands a better chance of winning--and of succeeding in office if she does--than an arrogant, irascible, crotchety superannuated billionaire. And then, let's back that nominee to the utmost.
3
@Just Ben
I agree with your sentiment, but not necessarily with the timeframe. We didn't get in the sewer overnight and we won't get out overnight, either. This is a decades long project.
2
Now if Bloomberg would only use some of his vast resources for some really effective ads against Mitch McConnell. Running McConnell out of office is as important, if not more important, than defeating Trump.
4
This column left me unmoved. We are long past the point of applying purity tests to anyone who wants to deny Trump a second term. Do whatever it takes.
17
Finally we have a Democrat willing to bring a gun to a gun fight and we're complaining. It's no wonder Republicans think we're soft. Mike's far, far from ideal but may be our best shot and purging us from our current excuse for a president.
We Dems certainly know how to make the perfect the enemy of the good. Hopefully this ends with the Bloomberg campaign.
8
@A. jubatus
He is a Republican wolf in sheep's clothing. He is manipulating people's fear of a second Trump term to his own and his corporatist compadres' benefit.
Bloomberg's appeal is to people who are socially and economically comfortable with America's status quo. But that status quo is no longer sustainable.
1
As I forced myself to watch (part of) the Dem debates, I winced, whined, and moaned to my wife about their pragmatic after-effects and usefulness. And wondered what Trump and gang would do to any one of the participants who would ascend to final nominee status.
Enter Bloomberg, who I share no history with nor bias about, living as I always have in the center of the country.
My impression of his odds in the heavyweight match: he has a better chance than any other Democratic contender, given the brute tactics of the vulgar street-fighting incumbent in the opposing corner.
If Trump can be TKO'd, which I doubt, then I'll worry about other matters later.
4
He's the most rational candidate, which from this group isn't saying much.
2
The Machiavellian tactics are the answer in this crisis of democracy - as a previous commenter noted - get rid of Trump , then address campaign finance. I read the article and was confused - isn’t the point to get rid of Trump? Bloomberg seems to be the only candidate that could go toe-to-toe with Cheetoh-in-Chief. I like Amy, but don’t think she will sway many Trump supporters. Reading the comments I was thrilled with sense that the cavalry has finally arrived, but then I realized that the Trump base is not reading the NYT and slumped back into my chair....
3
As a sixty-seven-year-old man, I'm old enough to consider quaint how "unelectable" Reagan was. It took a little longer to come to terms with the fact that today's outrage is tomorrow's norm, but I have. Pass the popcorn.
Both Trump & Bloomberg share a profound narcissism, use of a sliding scale in determining political position relative to matching winds of opportunity in public life.
Once an individual allows snowballing profits to dictate his life, personal integrity is covered over like an avalanche. Any sliver of guilt is absolved by the presence of associates, until the point is reached where surrogates are doing everything. All the kingpin need do is register a pulse. Howard Hughes is the most extreme example of this.
Bloomberg ready to take on the plutocracy? I don't think so.
5
what is highlighted here is that bloomberg can and does compete with trump in a way none of the democrat's candidates do. his non campaigning approach proves that case. he competes where the others do not. so far. I might become convinced even if I don't favor him. all that matters is you know what
5
Bloomberg is not "hacking" my attention because he is not spreading misinformation. He is using all tools available to amp up his candidacy to win.
Obama won in 2008 because he run a more effective Presidential campaign than Hillary. Hillary's achilles' heel is that she relied on people who she is comfortable with rather than those who are most effective or competent for the tasks at hand.
Bloomberg is running a highly effective campaign. It is not just money. He hires experienced people and recruit many that are the best in the business because he can. But he also is willing to try out new ideas. Otherwise, why would he be using "influencers", and even engage Donald Trump in a Twitter war that has gone viral.
17
@Elizabeth "Bloomberg is not "hacking" my attention because he is not spreading misinformation." Actually, he is. He posted photos in negative tweets on Twitter that were taken during Obama's administration and attributed them to Trump.
Bloomberg embodies the "don't ask permission, ask forgiveness" ethic, if you want to call it that. Amazing to me that so many people are Trump-blind that they don't see what a threat this is to the process.
1
This criticism shouldn't be a criticism at all. Mr. Bloomberg's campaign is smart -- in today's Extremely Online world, this is how to gain eyeballs, attention and, quite possibly, voter support.
16
Would I rather support a self-funded candidate or one who is attending a fund raiser costing $500,000+ per person? (I voted three times for Bloomberg as Mayor and thus have a keen interest in his campaign.)
10
The two party system is over as the Republicans have proven with their war on truth and decency.
We need a general like Bloomberg to take us out of Trump's vile regime and lead us to the place where ideas can be heard again and discussed by the people.
It is obvious that right wing and left wing ideology is fossilized in historical types and has become unworkable. We need a general to win this war not the last one.
During the Bloomberg 'Peace' Administration we can organize a more tranquil society around a discourse of the ideas that the Democratic candidates introduced into the conversation during he campaign.
We need to get behind a winner. Let the politicians make deals with him between now and the election but make sure he wins and will be able to carry out their policies.
Let him get it done.
12
How can you say that to spend so much money is shameless. Of all the money Bloomberg has spent on improving life around the world there can be no better cause than to use it to put the best possible choice in the White House. Bloomberg rightly believes that he is the one who will make America thrive again. For the current out of the box times he is the most way out of the box leader. Once he has decided to run it is only logical to spend what ever amount it will take to win the White House. It is not about hacking attention it is about making America aware of what a Bloomberg presidency has to offer. He has to convince the voters that he is best option they have. He has to spend as much as it will take to win the presidency. And you can see that his strategy is working as his support is steadily rising. You can see his spending is creating the right results so there is nothing wrong in ensuring victory for the greatest cause of putting the best leader in the White House.
In every single category Bloomberg stands head & shoulders above the rest, including Trump. I have a presidential rating test and Bloomberg passes way above the others. He even scores higher than Obama.
Yes he is not perfect but he has apologized for his mistakes unlike Trump who keeps crossing red lines. Even Biden has serious issues with Blacks. In his early days he passed laws that are hurting the Blacks till today. He did not undo these even during VP years. Bernie's plans are financialy unrealistic.
9
Are you kidding me?
We are at the extreme risk of losing our democracy! Bloomberg recognizes this and is willing to take all measures at his dispense to alter this course.
Would another 4 years of Trump be good for our nation?
That is the ultimate question.
17
Think of Bloomberg spending a billion or more as a public works project aka ridding the nation of Donald Trump. Because that's what Bloomberg is trying to do. This is not a presidential election as usual; it's a fight for the survival of our republic. I'm only interested in the latter and if a billion bucks is what it takes, bring it on.
12
FDR had to convince Daddy Warbucks that democracy means representation and Orphan Annie's needs should be as potent as his. Slick ads and business powered government is not what the doctor ordered for a Republic. Franklin's wisdom abides. If keeping it is the priority, then true representation from voter power is what counts, not bought influence absent skeptical scrutiny. The latter is the power that brings well administered government.
2
As much as I want Mayor Pete for my next president, we all know there's that tremendous possibility (probability?) that he won't be the Dem candidate - and we all know exactly why. That said, if Bloomberg has a better chance of gaining the nomination and going on the defeat the horror in the WH, more power to him, and he'll get my vote. The objective is to BEAT the incumbent!
7
I am a former Republican who can't stand Trump. I resigned from the party when Trump became the nominee. I was always considered a RINO, because I was considered by my friends to be a Centrist and not an Ideologue. I am one of those voters who will decide this next election. As much as I hate Trump, I just can't get my head around voting for a far left candidate anymore than I can a far right candidate like Trump. I just contributed to the Klobuchar campaign, and, my second choice is Bloomberg. It doesn't bother me that he is spending part of his fortune to become the nominee. He will not be beholden to any constituency if elected. Can Klobuchar beat Trump is a question, but I believe a Bloomberg / Klobuchar ticket can. I'm a realist, and, if the nominee is not a centrist, it will go down in defeat. This country needs to heal it's divisions, and, is not ready to move totally to the left. It is a bridge too far at this time. Maybe in the future, but not now. Voters like me will determine this election. It is time to take us into consideration.
13
Bloomberg is the natural result of Citizens United. The battle over whether there will be one person one vote Democracy or political monopoly is not only in the difference between Democrats and Republicans but in the Democratic party itself as embodied by Bloomberg. I can see the allure of a Superman but am troubled by it. Superman of course was a force for good through unearthly physical power. This Superman/Bloomberg is selling us on his unearthly physical power of money. There is a stench of "absolute power corrupts absolutely" which we can all see in Trump. That alone should make voters think twice about Bloomberg, especially since he comes from Republicanland. He's well to the right of center, much less representing the hopes of anyone to the left of actual center. Democrats have abandoned their base before to their peril. I thought in 2016 for instance that HRC, a center right career politician with horrific baggage, would lose to a fascist populist for lack of political energy and that is exactly what happened. For all of their admonitions to Vote Blue no matter who it is by and large the right of center Democrats who will abandon again their base and vote Republican. Pin Carville or Chris Matthews down and demand that they tell you who they'll vote for if Bernie is the nominee. I predict if Bernies the nominee Bloomberg will run third party because of money. The centrist Dems don't care about poor people at all, except for their vote. Hindsight is the 2020 election.
Excellent article about Bloomberg campaign strategy. However, it suggests the Bloomberg strategy is flawed by not providing information on substance and policy and relying on internet savvy. But, governing is different from campaigning. Remember "campaign in poetry and govern in prose." Now the mantra has to be Trump-like in campaigning and moderate/liberal in governing, including admitting and correcting earlier mistakes and doing the right thing for the country. So far Bloomberg is the only one whose campaign has not been damaged by the Damager-in-Chief, despite his attempts. I like Elizabeth Warren and she is losing ground. I like Bernie Sanders and he is going to have trouble because the media is harping on his being a socialist and he can't seem to rise above the label or control the negative impact his minions of Bernie Bros. Amy Klobuchar is a great choice who is showing some signs of life in her campaign but still can't breakthrough and is already being touted as a great choice for VP. Mayor Pete is moving up but without the support of Black voters and without knowing if people are willing to elect a young, minimally experienced, gay man. Despite a wealth of criticism about his experience with the Black community, I bet Bloomberg will continue to rise in the polls. How you govern is very important, but you have to get elected first. Trump has taught us things have changed. I'm glad at least one of the candidates knows it!
4
What Bloomberg has done is to show Democrats how to REALLY run for President in this post-Citizens United world. And thank God he is.
16
Note to Charlie , hey it's his money to spend ; buying his way ? What about having our sworn enemy interfering with the election in 2016 ; I suppose it's kosher for you . At least Bloomberg , with all his money and all his quirks knows not only how to run a business without cheating and declaring bankruptcy at the expense of his creditors and workers . He also has the experience of running a very large city ; how do I know ? Guess where I live . I would rather see Bloomberg there than the man who doesn't see what he looks like . Perhaps he is the one who actually steadies a very shaky and nasty campaign season where people go to and fro . No one is perfect , and it seems the vogue to accuse , out , and criticize to create more confusion . Ugly .
8
For a better understanding of what the Bloomberg campaign is doing, I call your attention ( ahem ) to The Attention Merchants by Tim Wu. If a self proclaimed data nerd like Mr. Bloomberg applies his resources to the rationale explained in this compelling book, I think we can understand how he might actually win. Here’s hoping.
8
After a rude shock in Dec 1941, US fought its way west , across the Pacific for three plus years, until Okinawa proved that the final push to end the Japanese scourge would be too bloody difficult in conventional warfare means and terms. That is when Truman employed the Atomic Weapon. Bloomberg is the Atomic Weapon three years into the scourge of Trump.
10
I’ll add two more thoughts to my previous comment about how a Bloomberg candidacy is among the few things that could keep me AWAY from the polls entirely on Election Day 2020, and those thoughts are:
1) think of the good Bloomberg‘s money could do donated to charities instead, and not spent on ad agencies filling the airwaves with sound and fury for an arrogant vanity run at the presidency;
2) if things get so dire in the U.S.A. that the choices for president are two out-of-touch billionaires playing “common man” dress-up while real candidates with ideas and grassroots support are pushed to the side, I would rather shut down my company and emigrate.
I’ve resisted being an “If (X) wins, I’m going to Canada!” person. But I’ve lived abroad before, for stretches of up to 12 years, and I know there’s a whole rest of the world out there and that time progresses. History will say the U.S.A. had a good run, but all experiments must end.
Bloomberg can populate all the troll farms on Earth to spam up print media and the Internet and the airwaves to give himself the illusion his oxygen-depleting vanity run is viable — it doesn’t cost much to hire 20 keyboard jockeys to each post 100 positive comments per day.
But those 2000 daily comments still translate to only 20 votes… zero if Bloomberg hired abroad. He can build a vast echo chamber repeating what he wants to hear, but if Bloomberg actually succeeds at buying the Democratic Party nomination, expect tumbleweeds at the 2020 polls.
5
Re: 1, what about all the other campaign money that could be donated to charity? Why is Bloomberg’s different? ( and BTW, he donates plenty to charity.)
Re: 2, I’ve lived abroad, too, for business. Almost everyone I know who has had the expat experience comes back the better for it, and contributes to our society. If you know a better place, hasta la vista.
As experiments go, Trump is enough for me - I want a strong, smart moderate to beat him. Promises of free college education and free medical care might sound great to twenty somethings, your grass roots. But with a little age we know that nothing is free.
6
It’s not shameless if there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Bloomberg’s money is a big advantage. But it’s not an unfair advantage really. It wouldn’t work if it didn’t ring true. The real problem with big money in politics is that it stops politicians from following their conscience because they’re basically bought by big donors. That’s not a factor here.
5
What's shameless about Bloomberg? Is it better to fund one's campaign with special interests' big money? Is it better to say one would self-fund a campaign but then take big money from special interests and put some of it in one's pocket, a Trump has. Bloomberg's hard work, rags to riches story is the American dream. One might better argue that using those riches to become president s more the ultimate reward of that dream than something to be ashamed of. And sure, we need campaign finance reform, but an interim step is eliminating dark money which Bloomberg's campaign has evidently done.
8
Bloomberg is obviously the smartest man in the room and the only one who can beat Trump. Mince meat actually. I know that's tough to take but its the truth. Too much is at stake to not otherwise.
Gain power then fix the mess: electoral college, voter suppression, gerrymandering, Supreme Court, Russian hacking, snakelike careerists. Outplay the GOP and save America from itself.
Otherwise it's follow the lead of Jeremy Corbyn.
8
Finally we have a democrat fighting fire with fire. The good old fashioned way of running a campaign won't defeat Trump's political machine. Bloomberg is not only standing up to the bully in the WH, he has him worried. Just listen to Trump's words yesterday when he said that he'd rather face Bloomberg than Bernie Sanders. Everything that he says is a lie and so was that. One thing for certain, he can't out insult or outspend the ex Mayor and he knows it.
8
This article inaccurately compares Deval Patrick and Michael Bloomberg. It suggests the only difference is ability to raise (or own) funds and willingness to use social media. This is untrue.
Bloomberg has had greater name recognition for over a decade.
Bloomberg has donated over $1B to charity, social causes, and Johns Hopkins University.
Bloomberg has built a constituency and goodwill across the country through said donations.
To peg the difference in their campaign trajectories to the use of social media is ridiculous.
5
"Antithetical to the spirit of democracy"? So is the Koch's funding of right-wing candidates who protect their oil businesses. Until the rules are changed you play within the rules. That's what Bloomberg is doing. I'll take him everyday over a clown like Sanders who will give us nothing but a second term for Trump, the most dangerous POtuS in American history.
8
Good for Mayor Bloomberg. Fight fire with fire.
9
In case you missed it, this is Donald Trump's America. Mike Bloomberg is dealing in reality. He is at worst the most qualified person running for President based on his track record as a top notch Mayor of NYC.
Keep your eye on the ball. Retail politics is dead.
6
Aren’t obvious examples of shamelessness the withholding of Congressionally authorized funding to a foreign government until it announces an investigation of a political rival, and physically attacking women and bragging about it—and then in both cases lying about the actions? Is accumulating and spending money in a lawful way shameless or just contrary to the way we would like our political system to operate?
3
Charlie,
In another time and place I'd be persuaded by your arguments. But....
1. No candidate other than Bloomberg can defeat Trump, despite their laudable platforms and angelic (by comparison) personalities. May they be presidents some day. The money is CRUCIAL. Democrats have no chance without Bloomberg's money. He had pledged to continue to support the eventual nominee even if it isn't him -- give him credit for that! And he has/will support Democratic congressional candidates, to the end, we hope, of at least neutering Midnight Mitch.
2. Another 4 years of Trump is unthinkable. Our democratic institutions will be smashed and we'll be neck deep in some regional war in the eastern hemisphere and on the verge of some kind of civil conflict here. White nationalism and anti-democratic evangelicalism will thrive.
All politicians are shameless to some degree. Trump is on the pathological end of the spectrum.
Go Mike.
6
Bloomberg is the perfect foil for Trump and white knight for the Democrats.
He’s vowed to continue spending his money regardless of whether he gets the nomination or not.
His billions will give the party a fighting chance at countering Trump and Russia and other powerful forces of lies and deceit that threaten to overwhelm which is something to be grateful for.
3
If you don't like Bloomberg's ad blitz, just ignore the ads. What are we, helpless babies? And what do you think Trump is going to do? Not run any ads? This Op-Ed piece is one of the most misguided ever published.
9
Bloomberg is not the only wealthy candidate in the campaign. Nor is he the only candidate to use the Internet shrewdly – Bernie Sanders is all over my Facebook page and Twitter account.
Bloomberg is winning support because of his excellent job as mayor of New York, despite his serious missteps - e.g., “stop and frisk” and appointing a corporate executive to lead the Education Department. Tom Steyer has gone nowhere, although he too has poured a ton of money into TV ads.
Bloomberg is running a strategically smart campaign that is paying off. He is using his strongest campaign assets - money, and a deep understanding of the internet - to compete with more experienced politicians. That is all that’s going on here.
Bloomberg appeals to moderate voters across parties. Regardless of the fact the progressives and progressive African-Americans have been raising heck about “stop and frisk,” Mike has garnered a large number of African-American supporters. That’s because African-Americans do not vote as a block and or take orders from the left flank of the party. They are often moderates who are conservative on social issues.
I don’t think that anything that Warren, Sanders, or progressives say will hurt Bloomberg, because everyone already knows him. They know he’s a billionaire, they know his record in New York City, and they know how smart the man is. He has grabbed our attention because he is a viable candidate. This op-Ed is just hot air and navel gazing.
7
I don’t know how old you are and I am didn’t see an iota of concern in this piece about your future with another five years of trump and McConnell appointing and owning the entire federal judiciary. Nor do I read one word in this column about the fact that five more years of trump and McConnell and my daffodils here in DC will be blooming in mid January instead of right now!
I am so tired of liberals trying to be so sanctimonious about the USA. I remember the disasters of George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, and Michael Dukakis. Do you?
I have no illusions about who Bloomberg is, and you know what, the rank and file GOP know what Trump is all about too, and they support him in spite of it because he delivers what is important to them. I would much rather have a president who cares a about tax fairness,the environment, healthcare delivery, etc. and worry about his money and personality second.
The founders wrote the documents to break free for the UK hoping to avoid pay their far share to the US after it got started.
For once can’t we just accept that some people are just super rich, including mike Bloomberg and donald Treump. M
6
I really do not know who:
A) Has better experience managing large organizations for success
B) Been supporting for years the most important issues of climate change, education, health care and gun control
C) Has successfully led as an elected politician
D) Was and will be immune to corruption
E) Will not add $20t to the deficit in five years, bust stock market etc
F) Does not have freeloaders supporting him who want their student debt canceled, want free medical with ZERO CO-PAYS — zero deductibles — while spending a $1t dollars borrowed to help with climate change
G) Loves to support global warming initiatives but is not a dreamer who can not find a single economist who will back him
He is no dreamer — he is practical — he was going to run in 2008 but was ok not to when he heard that Obama would run
He passed legislation and built low income housing
He helped minorities
Is this columnist looking for attention?
A Federalist Society member rooting for Trump?
7
The opinion piece made all kinds of sense until it expressed the hilarious thought that what was terrible for Bloomberg to do was A-OK for AOC because she is a millennial who knows how to use the internet. Does the writer have any idea how Bloomberg’s billions were made? The guy practically invented a whole way of communicating and you think millennials are teaching him communications strategy? A real knee-slapper.
6
Sure Bloomberg's tactics don't feel right to those with a political conscience but we are all praying that these tactics work and remove trump from office. Sometime you just have to fight fire with fire and Bloomberg is smart enough and American enough to know how far to go.
Even if you don't like the optics you sure as heck are praying for the outcome.
All in for Bloomberg!
4
Bloomberg is THE CANDIDATE who can beat Trump. All the means are good for me. Basta. My vote by mail already came and I am among the first to have voted for him!
4
Paying for posts by online influencers is an attempt by a grandfather to seem cool to younger people.
He doesn't seem to understand that trying so hard to be cool rarely works.
Sorry kid, it’s working. Look at his rising numbers, including among millennials. He’s smarter than you and me - he helped create the technology that you use to be cool.
@RMX I'm no kid! But, in the past, I was.
Politics has always been the mobilization of hatred.
Mr. Bloomberg's money would have been better spent if he had purchased Fox News and cut off Trump's propaganda.
1
What the Democrats are doing isn't working. I'm glad Mike is doing something different.
5
Given my eagerness to see Trump unseated from his ill-gotten office, come Election Day 2020 not much could keep me from the polls… but “Mike Bloomberg for President!” comes really darn close.
1
This column is very strange. If it was Obama or Bernie Sanders who was effectively taking on Trump by making a lot of noise on the internet, you would be cheering them on as mastering modern tools. If you don't like Bloomberg because you think it is unfair that he is spending his own billions, that's a simple point you could make. But your column sounds more like someone who doesn't like Bloomberg trying to criticize him bor being successful.
4
Trump=existential threat=Me extremely worried
Bloomberg=unorthodox and highly effective with some blemishes=Me I don’t care
6
Why is what Bloomberg doing truly any different then 18th century cartoons mocking the King? It isn't. Clearly, half the population is disgruntled and racist and their screaming at a trump rally is an example of this. I worked in advertising for years and Bloomberg's team knows exactly what he is doing. Is it stressful for a lot of us? Yes, it is. Is it worth to get rid of the trump family and cronies? Yes, it is. I say "Go for it, Mike!"
2
You can’t bring a knife to a gun fight. Bloomberg is bringing what is needed to take trump down. Trumps antics got him an obscene amount of attention by the media in 2016. It worked. The crazier he acted the more free publicity he received. The press and media amplified his bombast about Clinton’s emails, Benghazi etc. it worked
2
I think so, too. Bloomberg is the only candidate with the money, technical expertise and digital operation that can take down Trump and his billion dollar media and social campaigns. Bloomberg invented the data driven strategies that Trump has exploited. He is the smartest tech guy in the room.
Bloomberg is egocentric and arrogant, and screwed up big-time with “stop and frisk.” Yet he is gaining black votes because African-Americans are smart. They want Trump out, and know that although Bloomberg made a “clueless white man” mistake, he never makes the same mistake twice. They, and most of the rest of us, know that Bloomberg has put his millions where his mouth is on the questions of gun control, climate change, and reproductive rights.
No one is perfect. We cannot elect Nelson Mandela, FDR or Saint Francis of Assisi. Bloomberg’s plusses is far outweigh his minuses and, if he continues to build support, I would have no problem in voting for him.
1
What matters is that Bloomberg is the only Democratic candidate who can beat Trump. Go about however you will Mike because it must be done.
5
I keep wondering where all these Bloomberg fans come from--are they being paid to write these comments?
Or maybe it's just that NYT readers are of course disproportionately older white wealthy New Yorkers who benefited from his years as mayor.
Well, the rest of the country is not New York, so I'd be a little less certain that he could win the election or beat trump.
I know I wouldn't vote for a person who completely bought his way into the election. I didn't last time and I won't this time.
2
Hi there. I am not a bot and nobody paid me. I am a married suburbanite who works every day and was born and lived most of her life in New York City.
I have not settled on a candidate yet, the Bloomberg looks like an excellent choice. He has the technical expertise and cash, and moderate platform, needed to beat Trump. He made his money honestly and has given hundreds of millions – actually, a couple of billion dollars - to charities, gun regulation and climate change initiatives, and cultural and educational institutions. I am not minimizing his deficits – he has a long way to go on race and labor unions. But he knows that. He understands constituencies and stakeholders.
Bloomberg is not buying the election. He’s buying air time. People are voting the way they want to vote. Steyer has billions, too, but got no traction; because he did not have the expertise that and experience that Mike Bloomberg can offer.
Mike is using his money to put his record in front of voters. What many of us see in these ads his campaign expertise, exactly what is needed to take down Trump. Bloomberg knew to attack Trump when the other candidates were merely attacking one another.
With my apologies to Charles Blow, whose op-Ed yesterday was powerful and whom I admire and respect, overall Mike Bloomberg was the best NYC mayor in my lifetime. (I did not vote for Giuliani, by the way- not once.) Whom we vote for is our business, and it looks like many are leaning toward Mike.
3
@Nathan So, how'd it work in 2016? The candidate you voted for won? I'm an old lady in New Mexico. No one paying me. Lifelong Democrat.
We could rework your comment: I keep wondering where all those Bernie Sanders, other Democratic candidates in the debates, fans come from. Are they being paid by Trump to help get him reelected?
@Estrellita
Unlikely that trump paid for them since polls show Bernie beating trump in a poll,
Something Bloomberg fans keep insisting on ignoring.
Maybe true but it is working.
I'm going to bed tonight and will sleep better having a hope that there is a future for this extraordinary important upcoming election. Michael Bloomberg just might be able to do it - defeat the worst joke and nightmare of a president. Democrats and the political middle/moderates and never Trumpers must unite, not because Michael Bloomberg is perfect, but because Trump is cursed, a growing cancer, and must be defeated.
3
I am for Bloomberg all the way. What’s not to like:
-a believer in climate change
-a believer in gun control
-a billionaire who worked to earn his billions
-someone who is willing to exhaust his personal billions on our behalf
-yes, a fallible individual who admits he’s made mistakes and isn’t perfect
-someone who isn’t afraid to wrestle with our banana republic dictator President - or for that matter with Putin and other world “leaders” who dare to stand in the way of order, democracy, and international cooperation
This is a guy who was a Republican, an Independent, and now a Democrat. This is a guy who is for America. And no, I don’t work for him!
4
I will take Bloomberg over Trump any day of the year.
3
I hope he wins. He was a pragmatic problem solver in New York. He is wealthy. But he made that money himself and didn’t inherit anything from his parents. Isn’t that what the American Dream used to be? Make your own way and be successful? Given all his money and his still very successful business (never bankrupt!), he is running for President. He doesn’t have to do this, he’s not a career politician. He is spend a vast amount of his fortune to defeat Trump. And has pledged to continue to do so even if he is not the nominee. He understands that Trump is a cult leader and is destroying the country. He knows the only way to beat him is with an massive attention seeking and getting media blitz. You have to spend enough and flood the zone enough to take over the media narrative as from the Tweeter/Shouter/Liar in Chief to win. On top of all that, beyond Stop and Frisk he is a remarkably capable leader who has spent gobs of his own money of Philanthropic causes he supports (what a world if all on the “left” did the same). Stop and Frisk may be his Achilles heel? But he has apologized and does describe it as the greatest regret of his time as mayor. Maybe later than he should have. But what would you have in a President - someone who admits they are not perfect and apologizes for mistakes or, Trump, a guy who is the smartest ever, in his own mind is never wrong about anything, and will never apologize to anyone?
3
Oh, Charlie. Get over yourself. Like him or not, Mike Bloomberg is a far better person then Trump could ever be. Democrats and people like you need to stop with the purity requirements. And for what it's worth, I was with Warren but in this political environment, her hill to climb to the nomination is becoming a mountain.
5
Bloomberg ranks about 5th in my choices for President. But the country is in crisis against the other machine--the raging MAGA--tempting authoritarian machine with plenty of money for his own re-election which the country might not survive. None of the candidates come with the promise of hope and optimism that Obama had in 2008--which was crushed by the nastiness of the Tea Party's irrational push to undo hope and stomp on change. All the candidates have some fatal flaw that can be exposed to give voter's pause depending on what a particular voter's priority entails. Bloomberg is not terribly "likeable" but as a New Yorker under his three administrations I have to admit that he is a good manager, he brought the city through two terrible crises and while evolving from Republican to Democrat developed some fairly progressive agendas. Stop and Frisk was a terrible policy, but I also can see that ending gun violence in all it's forms is a priority with Bloomberg--perhaps HE is capable of learning a lesson? Bloomberg also has the money and resources to confront the crisis occupying the White House more than any other candidate, so of course if he is the nominee he will have my vote. I see him as a "placeholder" who can stem the erosion of democracy and the regression of our policies...who can top any economic success that Trump often falsely brags about, and turn the temperature of division in this country down so that progress will someday have it's day.
3
It’s a bit ironic to read this piece which puts a negative spin on Bloomberg's money and methods. This kind of review applied to previous Republican tactics would level the playing field quite a bit. In a fight to save a democracy it’s better to use all the weapons you have and argue the methods later. I for one would appreciate seeing a detailed article on the funding, sources and airwave time used in 2016. I don’t remember seeing such a detailed analysis in 2016. Perhaps that’s because we all know in our gut that we have to use everything we’ve got in the fight for something as important as the death of a democracy.
1
“A vision for the country” - aye, there’s the thing. Whether ‘tis more efficient to slog thru the muck tossing slop on the wall and suffer the consequences of unfettered public view, or describe a dream for America 20 years ahead, or even 5, and proudly help to shape it on our minds and hearts. To inspire, to lead, perchance even to love with grace, humility and passion. To rise to the occasion and point the way forward toward a future to which we can aspire.
“The whole thing sounds Trumpian because it is.”
There, in one sentence, is the essential thing to understand about politics going forward.
As Obama observed, one doesn’t win by bringing a knife to a gun fight.
The only Democratic candidate who appears to really understand this is Bloomberg.
5
When people donate a lot of money to causes they believe in, are they accused of unfairness? Mike Bloomberg has big money and believes in a big cause: saving our country from a Trump autocracy. If I had Bloomberg money, I would be spending as much as I can to defeat Trump. Why shouldn't he?
6
Good for Mr. Bloomberg. He’s playing Donald Trump’s game like a fiddle.
As for his money, Corporations and the mega wealthy have been buying campaigns almost as long as there have been campaigns. At least with Bloomberg we know where it’s coming from.
4
The only place I ever see his name is on the NYT or WaPo. I do hear his name mentioned on the news. I do not use social media. We never watch commercial tv channels - just PBS and movie/series channels with no ads on satellite. My wife uses Facebook, and has never seen any ad by anyone of any kind whatsoever on her Facebook . Maybe it is because of how she set her privacy settings that she sees no ads? She doesn't know.
@Joe Runciter
I live in Santa Fe, and, like you, I'm not clued in to social media, etc. But there is a bit of a buzz at Collected Works, other local places, re: Mike Bloomberg. I first started paying attention when an old friend in Santa Barbara called me.
Some of the "only one thing matters" and "he has the money" comments in support of Bloomberg here remind me of pro Trump remarks I heard in a local bar in early 2016. As the column notes, the theory of the pro Bloomberg case seems to be that we need an oligarch (who, BTW, has largely evaded scrutiny so far) to save us from a pseudo oligarch who promised to drain the swamp.
2
Instead of prostrating himself before the billionaires, as Trump and the Republican Party do, Bloomberg is at least spending his own money on his campaign. If he's using tactics similar to what Russia did in their campaign to get Trump elected in 2016, more power to him. We all know Russia will do it again, with Trump's encouragement.
Sorry "Charlie", wrong argument.
5
I love all the candidates. Mike Bloomberg has pledged to support whoever is the eventual nominee. And to support the down ballot candidates across the country. That's a win win if you ask me.
9
Anybody but the monster. (He is what is wrong with this world.).
Up here in Trump country, i.e., a rural farming community about one hour north of Detroit, Bloomberg is blasting the airwaves with his message and people are listening.
As James Carville said on Morning Joe this week, “we need a candidate whose message is popular with more than just 40% of the electorate.”
Michael Bloomberg has my vote.
11
What matters to me are his policies. I support his views on matters like gun safety, women’s reproductive rights, immigration reform, healthcare, the environment, etc. He earned his billions by providing products and services that people valued. Now he is spending some of it for the good of our country. He has my vote.
10
As a perennially unhappy Democrat, I am already tired of Sanders, Warren, et al. I’m tired of wasted talk of progressive policies that won’t get a Democratic president elected and could never be enacted by Congress. I’m with Tom Friedman (see his NYT Op-Ed yesterday) and Bill Maher who decry the failure of the Democratic Party to make this is a campaign about only one thing - beating Trump. It’s not a campaign about principles, other than the principle of rule of law. Outside of the New York pundits, who seem eager to pile on Bloomberg, the rest of the country is ready for anybody who can halt the destruction of our country.
Until the Electoral College is eliminated and/or red state demographics change, we cannot lead this country from the Left.
16
@Terence McElwee
Your opinion about electability is only that, a personal opinion with no real foundation other than personal preference.
National polls show Sanders in a very favorable position in a heads up contest with Trump.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_sanders-6250.html
You may dismiss polling because it doesn't agree with your inside the bubble perspective, but it at least uses well tested statistical formulas to get a sense of where a representative sample of a diverse population stands.
Guaranteed if the polls showed Sanders being buried by Trump (as many of you claim to be the inevitability), they would be a daily feature on the front page of the NYT and featured prominently in all the anti-Sanders posts in this opinion section.
3
Charlie, I’ll be the first to support an overturn of citizens united, which allows this kind of spending.
But while Bloomberg clearly has a money advantage, so too did Warren and sanders, who started the campaign with sizable war chests from prior fundraising. Had Bloomberg not entered, one could argue they had an unfair starting advantage over booker, Harris, Bennett, etc. And both have been fixtures on media in their own way too.
Bloomberg has been up front on his influencer campaign (fully disclosed) and ads.
Money had its limits, tho. Bloomberg at least delivered results on guns, the environment and health care in ways others haven’t...That’s why I’m willing to listen to him along with the other candidates. Trump also had and spent lots of money - mostly from wealthy, self interested backers - but that certainly didn’t want me to vote for him.
7
What I think is missing is the fact that today, ANY candidate has to buy the election. Our process has gotten corrupted by Citizens United decision allowing unrestrained money into politics. Why criticize Michael Bloomberg because he has his own? His policy positions are good middle of the road Democrat positions - fight climate change, more gun control, raise taxes on the wealthy. I am curious if one of such great wealth can convince those who have backed the inequality and benefited from the tax cuts there is true self interest in putting more in for the greater good. Count me as one who sees Bloomberg more as the cavalry vs. Trump. Now if we comes out for campaign finance reform and restricting the ability for big money to have undue influence, he could be formidable and unify Democrats.
10
I despise how the Media is attacking Bloomberg and trying to tear him down. He apologized for what he has done, we haven't heard one apology from the The Totalitarian and chief in four years. People change i.e Obama and gay marriage, Truman and desegregation of the military. What makes a great human and even better politician is admitting your mistakes and being adaptable. The media must stop this because on the Fox news/conservative airways zero negative stories are being reported on Trump. If we sit here and tear down our candidates for President we are handing Trump material and a easy victory.
Mike is the only one playing Fire with Fire, and is the only real chance of removing Trump.
16
"Seven events, three states, two days" is the opening line of a news story today on the Bloomberg campaign. I think the image of a billionaire just sitting back and throwing money around is extremely misleading. 'Buying the election' is just sour grapes from people who wish they had the same resources. Mike has the spunk to go toe to toe with Trump, and the passion is there for all to see. That's good enough for me.
15
Let’s get real. Mike was a self starter and he built his billion dollar international news empire from nothing. Yes, he is smart and hard working and he knows how to organize people and be successful.
He IS playing by the same campaign finance rules as everyone else in the democratic field. The only difference is...he doesn’t have to take PAC money or powerful special interest group money to fund his campaign. So, if he were elected President he doesn’t have to collude with the powerful on policy either. He will be free to be his own President and call the shots.
13
"Shamelessness and conflict equal attention. Attention equals power."
Which is a major reason we got Trump in 2016. No matter how outrageous Trump acted, the media lavished more and more attention on him. The more attention he got the more powerful a force in the Republican Party he became. We created and unleashed our own "Frankenstein monster." And made him in charge of the whole county.
Granted Bloomberg is no Trump, but repeating the same process of undue attention being a road-to-power may have far more unintended consequences than we might at first anticipate. Not to mention the whole idea that he can effectively "buy" the nomination. hat should be a cautionary enough warning for everybody.
4
@Patrick I think you are over-estimating the effect of MSM on the 2016 results. Most of Trump's supporters were not watching CNN and reading the NYT, that I can assure you. Fox News surely but people are getting their information from other sources these days.
@Mark Crozier Perhaps. But the NY Times itself calculated a value of some $2 Billion, yes with a "B," worth of free media for Trump. See: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/upshot/measuring-donald-trumps-mammoth-advantage-in-free-media.html
My representative, Haley Stevens, received 2.2 million from Bloomberg's super PAC in 2018 and became the first Democrat representative elected in my district in my memory - and I'm 68 years old. I doubt if she would have been successful without Bloomberg's help and - if Bernie Sanders is the Democratic nominee - she has zero chance of re-election in my town where a 4 x 15 foot STOP SOCIALISM sign stood along the main thoroughfare during Barack Obama's tenure as POTUS.
All of my contributions so far have gone to Amy Klobuchar. I would love to see her become president. However, I'm impressed my Bloomberg's support of other Democratic candidates, his funding of gun control and climate change initiatives, and his potential to attract former Republicans. I'm grateful he is in the race.
With our current system of campaign funding all private funding is suspect, whether it's a billionaire able to self-fund or legions of those individuals who are able to afford to contribute to campaigns. Those who complain only about billionaire self-funding should look at the elimination of all private funding and call for a complete overhaul of election funding and advertising.
5
I'm Republican, I support Bloomberg. I am by no means rich, and I don't agree with the premise that our current problems can be placed at the feet of the rich. I've spent many hours driving nails, putting up walls and crawling in crawl spaces. Now being older, not so much. Thing being, I never had a job from a poor man.
This crazy hatred of people who have more perplexes me. For some reason, people are attached to the idea that the rich are without honor. Not true. Trump, now there, it's easy to see a great void, where honor should be.
10
The issue isn’t that they have more. It’s that they take more.
7
How about the crazy hatred of rich people for the poor and their « blame the poor » mindset?
Wealth is also the product of luck, opportunities and inherited wealth. Enough of this self aggrandizing posture and rhetorical arguments.
Bloomberg wants my vote? Endorse Elizabeth Warren anti corruption plan, criminal justice reform and wealth tax and trade policies and make her your VP.
That will be the price to be paid. If not, I will vote Trump and give up my democratic registration.
2
@Greg... take it? Or buy it? That’s a big difference in my book.
Influence culture? Is that what we're calling it now?
We don't know what lines Bloomberg would cross. We don't know what he truly stands for or what he would do with the enormous power of the presidency. We do know what he did when he was mayor, which was preside over civil rights violations, budget cuts, meddling with education, and other authoritarian policies.
Perhaps some Never Trump Republicans prefer a more self-controlled Republican to vote for. I don't know where that leaves most Democrats though.
It's a moot point. Not only can Bloomberg not beat Trump but Bloomberg buying the Democratic party outright would make our democracy look like an utter sham in most people's eyes. Perhaps it is a sham, and this is all we needed to see that clearly.
5
The key for Bloomberg will be how effectively he speaks out on campaign finance reform, and is willing, even anxious to pass the baton to the next generation with a system more cleansed of the perverse effects of too much $$ in politics. At least he is taking up the Supreme Court's invitation in Citizens United to maximize disclosure.
1
To those who object to his self-funding his primary campaign: if he officially becomes the Democratic nominee, should he then accept donations? Just asking....
As a Democrat, I will support whomever is the Democratic nominee.
But I’m not sure I can support Mike Bloomberg. I have a natural and endearing revulsion of billionaires.
NY people, I like your city. But can anyone from N.Y. tell me why it would be in my best interest to vote for Mike?
This being said, I will never vote for any Republican, especially Trump. So hey, maybe I don’t vote this year.
5
@PC I am an aging, liberal and "progressive" voter as you can get, and I will be voting for whatever Democrat will be running. I also disagree with Bloomberg possibly worming his way into the nomination, but I also have an young adult child and I will swallow any bitter pill that is given to me to allow a better future for him. At this point, it does not have to be Progressive Utopia, but I am very concerned about the Supreme Court, (and even the lower courts) and I doubt that Bloomberg will stack them like trump or any GOP president would. This is something that can last for decades. I hope you will help in this endeavor by voting BlueNMW because just by having this primary/election will increase the future proponents of "Democratic Socialism". Peace.
8
@PC Because he was great for our city, created dozens of new parks, the high line, crime was down, fixed many of our failing schools, brought millions of dollars to our city.
Who do you think can beat Trump? Bernie give me a break it will be a landslide like 84. I hate Trump more than anything but would vote for Trump over Bernie, and most moderates I know feel the same.
The Devil I know is better than the Devil I don't. Wake up people this is not an election to be ideological.
1
How is it that first you state you will support the Democratic nominee and then not vote for the Democratic nominee if it is Bloomberg ? What sort of Democratic support is that ?
1
The criticism seems to be not only is Bloomberg spending his own money, instead of kissing up to donors, but he has the audacity to spend it effectively.
227
Agree!
@Sparky
Exactly.
I think Warren's (and others') complaint that Bloomberg is buying the election are just stupid.
Everyone "buys" elections! That's the American way of campaign finance. I ask Bernie Sanders "what's the difference between your donors and other donors?" Nothing at all.
Sanders is beholden to those who give him money just as much as anyone else is beholden to their donors.
The question that should be answered has nothing to do with where the money came from - the question is who can effectively carry out the task at hand.
One, defeat Trump and get America back to the rule of law and ethical conduct. Two, who can keep the House Democratic and flip the Senate out of the GOP's control.
That's all that matters right now.
2
@Sparky No, that's not the critique. The critique is that yet another sexist, racist, (for real, not fake this time) plutocrat bully is buying the presidency of the US. And the media are helping him, because they can't help themselves.
And true cynics think this is all just good business. Effective, you might say.
When Steve Bannon started Breitbart he vowed to be a "honey badger," based on the YouTube sensation about the animal that continues to go after what it wants regardless of being viciously attacked. His empire grew on that, Trump is the effect of it, as is the entire Republican Party at this point. Why is that necessary? Because the left is in continual attack mode. To rise in power in America now being a honey badger is what is required. The second you buckle or give in, you're finished. Your critics have won. Trump will never back down and thus he will remain powerful. What I like about Bloomberg is he is a honey badger too. He is simply not allowing the self-destructive left to take him down, try as they might. He is also not trying to win any "purity wars" as Bernie and those who follow in his footsteps are doing. Bloomberg is saying ENOUGH. Anyone who can stand up to our non-stop attack machine and Trump is tough enough to get the dirty job done. Go Bloomberg.
8
All the money and media savvy that Bloomberg is now using to promote his candidacy would be much better used if he were to give his money to DNC once the Presidential nominee has been selected.
As a New Yorker, Bloomberg's purported "progressive" agenda of the past few years is fallacious - and it's not only the stop-and-frisk policy that attests to this. His chameleon-like party affiliation (first Republican, then Independent, & now Democratic), along with policies while he was in office that favored the 1%ers, deconstructing the NYC Department of Education, increasing homelessness through gentrification tax breaks, and instigating changes term limit laws to allow him a third terms, all demonstrate that he is truly no improvement over the ignoramus-in-chief in the White House today.
It is alarming to see the media react to Bloomberg in the same way that it did to Trump. It is even more frightening to see that voters seemed naïve enough to buy into Bloomberg's hypocrisy.
There are plenty of experienced and committed candidates who are currently vying for the Democratic nomination. Bloomberg's campaign is simply a disruptive sideshow that undercuts the entire nomination process. Moreover, if the DNC allows him on the debate stage next time, it will have betrayed the supposed "transparency" that led to the creation of debate-stage rules. Shame on Perez & company!
Does this country need yet another powerful and egocentric billionaire running the country? Buyer beware!
5
So?! If Mr. Bloomberg wants to spend a gazillion of HIS dollars to remove the dangerous menace from the Oval Office I am very happy. If he becomes our President I will be delighted in the change from hateful to hopeful. He deserves respect and admiration for his willingness to fight this battle, go Mike!
11
People who say “Bloomberg is stooping to Trump’s level” are missing the point. Anyone who hates the idea of politics as a branch of pro wrestling will vote against Trump. The Democratic nominee — Bloomberg or whoever— has those votes locked up. Bloomberg is aiming for those who like Trump’s style, hard hitting and irreverent. He is offering the attitude without the lies. You don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. Trump has been blasting away for three plus years. Bloomberg is blasting back. Maybe, instead of cynically saying Bloomberg is trying to buy an election we should be saying: why is this person going all out and all in to defeat Trump? He could be buying yachts, race horses, Picassos, etc. Yet he is spending not millions but hundreds of millions to drive out the worst President in our long history. Consider this possibility— just consider: maybe he loves this country as much as many of us do.
11
@Cal Prof When you have Bloomberg's money, what's left to buy? There is no reason to believe that Bloomberg is altruistic in this action. This is precisely what the Republicans think about Trump.
The most powerful office in the world is quite a nice plum for anyone.
@McQueen : Bloomberg doesn’t strike me as the typical self obsessed rich person who buys sports teams and tries to win the America’s Cup or book a flight to outer space or spend money on quack research to live forever. He passed on the Presidential plum in 2008 for the right reasons. Trump will meet with Larry Ellison soon — birds of a feather. Bloomberg’s twin in Silicon Valley is more like Mark Benioff who endows children’s hospitals, tries to help with homelessness and truly loves San Francisco.
1
He's buying your vote by blanketing the airwaves and trying to change your memories of him.
But stuff keeps coming back in this age of internet archives. Bloomberg supported redlining and then defended it in 2008? Check.
Bloomberg had to stop belonging to a private club that is racist and sexist in 2001 but rejoined it in recent years on the sly? Check.
Bloomberg is trying to get young voters on mobile gaming platforms, Instagram and Facebook.
Thank goodness there is still enough of a press corps there to bring out the truth.
Bloomberg hasn't gone through any of the vetting that even Tom Steyer has and is corrupting the election by participating in it in the way he has chosen.
That, in the mind of voters, should be a big disqualifying red flag. Corruption is what got us to Trump. More corruption isn't what will get us out.
6
I agree with everything you have said, but on any given day Bloomberg is my Choice over Trump. I will vote blue all the way through. We don’t get to pick the nominee in New Jersey - so I’ll just take blue.
2
@Deirdre
Primaries are about picking the best possible candidate for you and the nation. That should be done free of pressures to compromise.
The general election is another matter.
2
Can’t wait for Bloomberg to enter the debates. He’s clearly the best to take on Trump...dollar for dollar, insult for insult.
6
I am a huge Bloomberg supporter and thrilled he is in the race and believe he can and will win the election. I do not like that he is having to buy his way in to the collective conscious. But in this singular case the end justifies the means. I do hope there is not a redo down the road with someone less scrupulous than Mike Bloomberg. That will indeed be a story for another day. But let us recognize what Bloomberg is trying to do here and support him in that without casting unnecessary stones.
7
The Democrats say the only goal in this election cycle is to beat Trump. Bloomberg has the playbook. You beat Trump at his own game. How many times have I read in these columns and responses, that if the Dems want to beat Trump, they have to grow a spine. Bloomberg is giving the Dems what they've asked for. A spine. Don't crawl down back if he's giving you what you want. The Anti-Trump despite his flaws.
9
The more I read and hear about Mike, the clearer it is that this is his time -- and for the many of us who want to clear the White House of its pestilence, we should be supportive, enthusiastic, and grateful that Mike has stepped up.
I like Mike.
10
Well, these are desperate times, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Do you want another four more years of Donald Trump? Those candidates who chose to take the high path, where are they now? By the way, Bloomberg just wants to defeat Donald Trump, full stop. And if he doesn't get the nomination, he has vowed to use his vast wealth in support of whomever gets that nomination. Don't look a gift horse too closely in the mouth!
6
The current state of media information gathering in this country is skewing eyeballs towards the right. Hate, lies, fear mongering, dirty tricks and criminality are the tools that the Republicans and their allies gladly wield in a well funded and well orchestrated manner. The current lot of Democratic debaters ignore this at their peril. It looks to me like the Democrats are trying to fight this battle with figurative equivalent of rocks against tanks.
I don't know a lot about Bloomberg other than he is a rich and successful businessman and was a governor of a very big city. But what I see is someone who has the resources to wage an effective war against the evil forces that have taken over our political system. Thank goodness we have in Mike Bloomberg, someone who understands this and is willing to fight with the necessary weaponry.
Maybe after Trump is gone, and Republicans and Democrats learn to talk again, some level of detente can take place. But for now, I'm excited to see Mike Bloomberg in the race.
6
Realize, all the current candidates are B team. They are fine but they aren’t super stars.
Bloomberg is A team. 3 years mayor of the city state that is nyc. Crack social media team. Not just talk but action causes. NYC attitude to take on trump directly. And gobs of money.
If Dems don’t pick him, it will be the stupidest mistake in political history.
And Trump will win.
7
Michael Bloomberg is the only candidate who could beat Trump. Not the two millionaire socialists, not Joe Biden, because Trump will do everything to discredit him, nor any of the others who don't have enough experience. Bloomberg is the only person who has the intelligence and the know-how to get the job done. He also has the resources to outspend the fake billionaire in the WH. He knows how to run a successful business, unlike Trump, who has many bankruptcies under his belt. People like you will destroy the only chance we have of making Trump a one-term president.
4
The best response to spreading "hacks" is not to "upgrade" Windows to an even worse version, but to replace Broken Windows with a firewalled Sane system and inform people.
Republicans don't want to be informed and WANT infection by bloomy's or the loser's might-makes-wrong virus, but I and millions of actual Democrats will secure America's future from brazen bullies and ballot buyers with Bernie anyway.
So, what do we have? A $300 million self-serving media blitz by the poster boy of plutocratic control. And, we have a populace looking for a savior capable of excising an annoying cyst from our body politic.
We also have a sizable core fed up with business as usual from our political “leaders”. It includes progressives who are tired of voting for lesser evils who do nothing about the plutocratic cancer that is eating at the soul of our democracy. It includes a new generation who are acutely aware that the concept of the “American Dream” is a product of the past. Add to that rust belt families hungering for change and you have a contingent without which winning the presidency is a pipe dream.
I propose the best opportunity to unseat the buffoon in the White House while not doubling down on plutocratic control of our democracy. Progressives and Centrists: Support Sanders in the primaries.
If all centrists who complain about Sanders’ supporters not supporting Clinton listen to their own council, hold their noses and vote for Sanders in 2020 and are added to the base enumerated above, we should be an unbeatable coalition.
Put aside irrational fears of “left-wing” policies and understand the reality that all must pass through the moderating brake of congressional action. Make common cause with those who see centrism as advocating for a “No we can’t” platform and solve both your priorities: Remove Trump and begin overcoming the stultifying momentum of the status quo.
3
Every time I see a Bloomberg ad I say over and over in my head some form of he isn't accepting donations from the people, or he's buying himself a spot in this race. Also his endless ads annoy me. I'm from Alabama and when we would go on trips every time my sister or I would see a billboard for a lawyer that advertised 24/7 we would say shut up Insert Guy's last name here. I'm about ready to start yelling Shut Up Bloomberg! at the T.V
2
Disappointing to read that Bloomberg is resorting to posting memes and hiring "influencers". My respect for any of the candidates would shoot up tenfold if they chose not to engage with social media.
1
Like saying FDR should not have used the radio or JFK the television to project their platform.
Mike’s ads point out all Trump’s weaknesses bluntly and openly. All his lies, all his personal shortcomings, without flinching or couching it in euphemisms or “the high road.” He’s the only candidate telling it like it is. I’m very tired of Dems getting all worked up over this behavior or that behavior of Trumps and then seem impotent in dealing with it and stand by in horror while good people like Vinkman and Yonanovitch are successfully attacked and turned into the bad guy. Enough. I want the candidate who isn’t afraid to use their words to speak honestly.
4
The rich play both sides of the fence so that no matter which party wins, their chances of real losses are minimized. If you can't win at least don't lose. But they're scared as heck of Bernie. It's not likely that Bloomberg could take the Democratic ticket no matter how much money he throws at it and that may not even be his goal with all this attention grabbing. Imagine what class warfare would look like in this country if there was no Soros or Bloomberg on the left. If the left ever won the presidency, the rich would be in a heap of trouble. Now reapply the token rich guy and, voila, class warfare when Democrats win loses all its bite. It's the best strategy these riggers and crooks have and it's effective. But we've never seen a Democratic Socialist in control and if France is any guide, the rich have good reasons to fear.
@NowCHare Bloomberg is not 'on the left.' Bloomberg was a lifelong Republican who supported George Bush, and the Iraq War.
I'm gathering from these comments that people do not have faith in the democratic process anymore because of Trump. Electing Bloomberg would be the greatest victory imaginable for the right wing. We get two flavors of Republican to choose from, and no one has faith in democracy anymore.
@NowCHare
I need to correct your impression of France. There is also inequality and wealth, and wealthy people enjoy a number of tax loopholes. Loopholes were actually one of the reasons France's Wealth tax did not really work.
The social safety net is incomparably stronger than in the US, starting with universal healthcare. Most of the tax burden falls (comparatively speaking) on middle and upper middle class.
Campaign finance reform is a luxury of a working democracy. Citizen’s United and Trump have killed that for the moment. 2nd order principles are just that when disinformation (“lies”) at scale rules.
Bloomberg is an honorable man and is personally doing what others individually or collectively can’t. None of the other Democrats have the means necessary to take on Trump’s massive re-election financing or media influence. Add to that the almost total use of the Presidency not to govern but to campaign. Bernie will be slaughtered by Trump, as will whatever was left of our democracy.
Mike will use his wealth to do what’s right for our country. Is he perfect? No. Trump has shown that he is fully corrupt and will use the wealth of the country to enrich himself. Character and actions matter. Stop the hand-wringing and vote to remove the immediate threat to our democracy.
4
If Bloomberg wants to buy a Presidency he should purchase Bermuda from the Crown and name himself President or King or whatever he likes.
With the aid of 2020 hindsight he now suddenly sees the error of his mayoralty in the eyes of focus groups and high priced consultants rather than his own racist views.
His advertising is as full of lies as the President's own. He left the NYC property tax burden squarely on the middle class while exempting all those sky high luxury oligarch condos for twenty years. Much of the middle class was forced to leave NYC during his twelve year reign. Which in and of itself violated the two term limit.
While Bloomberg spoke to the 2004 RNC convention endorsing George W Bush and the Iraq war his cops were outside arresting thousands of Democrats exercising their rights to peacefully protest.
Declaring his fear of Mad King Donald's vindictive reign and assault on our Democracy with himself as the knight in shining armor is in itself a Trumpian extortion scheme worthy of the Donald himself.
3
When Bloomberg announced his candidacy a few months ago I was psyched. My friends shook their heads and looked at me like I was crazy. "He doesn't stand a chance and his candidacy is going nowhere," they said. NPR made fun of him on "Wait Wait" - laughing at his campaign. Not only would he be a great president, but he and his team are proving themselves to be tough, savvy and dirty contenders. Look out Donald - Lil' Mike's just gettin' started.
3
The only way to win against a bully is by beating them at their own game. Bloomberg is doing exactly the right thing, where all others were too timid and failed. We look forward to seeing you in the White House in 2021 - keep on fighting the good fight, Mayor Mike!
3
Its nice that you would like Mother Teresa to run for President. Unfortunately, were she alive to do it, she would get crushed by Trump. Politics is no business for the meek.
2
Kind of amazing how many people who were completely opposed to Citizens United are cheering Bloomberg on.
1
@Snowball Incredible isn't it? Either people have utterly lost faith in democracy, or Bloomberg's people have bought a lot of New York Times accounts.
Bloomberg’s transactional campaign took advantage of Biden’s flaws and decline to purchase national air time, a staff, and endorsements, including from black politicians. He’s a strong personality and effective politician and has won double digit support.
Bloomberg is the little man behind the curtain of American democracy—wealth buys power. Presidential campaigns cost a billion plus dollars that you pay for out of pocket like Bloomberg, from wealthy donors who expect you to win like Buttigieg, or from millions of small contributions in a grassroots movement like Sanders. After Super Tuesday’s primaries in huge, diverse states that demand a high energy base, including minorities, and national organization to win, only Bloomberg and Sanders, Steyer if he chooses, will have the funding to go forward.
Voters who are wary of Bernie’s socialism should review Bloomberg’s record as NYC mayor and public statements. Bloomberg implemented racist stop and frisk to control the black community, and supported racist redlining because it made money for the real estate industry and Wall Street. Like Trump, he may have black friends, but they both have contempt not only for blacks but for all average, struggling Americans.
Bloomberg is better than Trump, but he cannot excite young people, minorities, women, gays, the working class, the Democratic base, to turn out to vote. Bloomberg is only anti-Bernie and anti-Trump, Hillary II, and he’ll lose the election.
1
We should be so lucky if Bloomberg was elected. Dems...stop with the purity tests, identity politics, and hatred of wealth. No one outside of the Bay Area and Brooklyn *actually* want socialism, certainly no one in electorally important states in the midwest.
3
Interesting column, will be fun to see how this plays out. One thought--Warzel mentions Trump's base, which is imposing. Does Bloomberg have a base? Can one purchase a base? What does a Bernie Sanders Bro cost? Frankly, I'm not actually sure "Mike" has enough money.
Trump distractions of lies, bullying and namecalling will win the day again - UNLESS someone wages the war the way Bloomberg's people are doing.
When it comes to defeating Trump, a scorched earth policy of memes, twitter wars and a GUSHER OF MONEY is the only way.
Go Mike!!
3
I’ve come to the conclusion that the majority of people supporting mike in these comment sections are either paid .50$ per post or are cowards. The amount of hand waving away the man’s obvious glaring flaws, autocratic tendencies, and republican lite economic policies is astounding. No, beating Trump is not the only thing that matters. No, an oligarch running for President is not selfless or only doing it to beat Trump, no an billionaire spending his own money for an election instead of other billionaire’s money is not less corrupt. No, he isn’t the only candidate who can beat Trump. Get a grip and take a deep breath and think instead of just reacting.
2
@Hunter S. I am concluding the same thing. As another commenter said, putting in Bloomberg is an extortion scheme worthy of Trump himself.
I cannot believe NYT readers could have so little faith in democracy to advocate for two different flavors of authoritarians on the ballot for president. Trump also gave money to the Democrats when he lived in New York City. It was the best way to navigate New York high society. As we know, this did not reflect any of Trump's personal beliefs. There is no reason to believe that Bloomberg is any different. As mayor, he was happy to use the power of government to violate the rights of New York citizens.
We now get to see if the Democratic party can be bought, and if so, what the price is. The values of the Democratic party are the values of most of the country. Have people lost all faith in these values? I look at the Democratic primaries, and people volunteering endless hours on these campaigns, and donating, and going out to vote and I see that isn't the case. But who knows what will happen to the faith of all these people if Bloomberg succeeds in buying this election.
2
I've always said that if a Democrat can shoot himself in the foot he (or she) will. Not so with Michael Bloomberg. He's looking Mr. Trump straight in the eye and calling it like it is. He will be the nominee and he will have my vote in November.
4
Just as an aside re Mr. Bloomberg's height, he is almost 5.7 feet tall. That is one inch taller than I am. In my book that makes him tall.
As for other people his height: e.g. Pope Benedict, (the late) Stephen Hawking, Al Pacino, Tom Cruise, Jeff Bezos and many more.
Napoleon was 5.5 feet.
At a certain age, such as the age of both Mr. Trump and Mr. Bloomberg, weight is far more important.
As for Mr. Bloomberg's use of the system in his presidential campaign, he did not invent it. One would have to be a fool, in such a campaign not to make use of the legal tools and weapons one has.
3
Oh for goodness sake stop whingeing and focus on the real problems. Trump and his Republican financial resources and his Russian friends. Joe Biden announcing for President without a credible campaign staff in Iowa - really?! Too many insignificant Democratic candidates blathering on in too many debates and these absurd badly-run primaries in small states. So finally a serious, nation-wide, no-hold-barred campaign against Trump emerges from a man with a record of public service who actually made his money the hard way. Who could easily hoard his cash and die even richer but is willing to spend in defense of democracy? And a smart capable man? Stop it.
4
I just voted, very willingly and with a sound mind, for Mike Bloomberg in the California primary. Times have changed and if I get to vote for Bloomberg in order to remove Trump I feel honored.
3
We finally have a candidate on our side who knows how to use the republican style of campaigning against them and we’re mad at this?
2
@Mat Yes. Democrats who don't want two different flavors of authoritarian Republicans to choose from but would rather have the voters decide instead of massive wealth are quite upset about this.
Perhaps some people in this country are sick and tired of Trump and realize the options that Democrats offer are just plain nuts. I lived under Bloomberg for 12 years, voted for him 3 times and he did a great job. Although he is a flawed man, (Stop and Frisk was a terrible idea), he will restore faith in our national institutions that Trump has destroyed and is actively destroying.
I would also like to say that Bill de Blasio has made Bloomberg look amazing. Bill de Blasio is doing more to hurt progressive movements and causes with his absolutely awful ability to do anything. Perhaps some people see this paragon of Progressiveness, Mr de Blasio, and realize that we can't have the same incompetence in the White House.
For many moderates who know of Bloomberg, I can tell you in my circles who are both Democrat and former Republican, we are tickled pink that he is running.
5
Reading this missive about Mr. Bloomberg makes me want to vote for the Big B for sure -- Bernie. Sanders is the real deal. Bloomberg is a phony, who, like Trump, assumes everything is for sale. Bernie will prevail -- Bloomberg will go bust.
2
It seems to me (as a student of the news media for the past 50 years) that “it’s always been this way” as you conclude. What has changed is the power and scale of the technology which makes the Orwellian world more and more possible. This is because we are still an ignorant and poorly educated species experimenting with representative democracy. Until we are properly — that is brilliantly — educated, the reptilian brain will continue to have outsized influence. Because it does, this progressive independent voted for MB in the hope that he can bankroll wins in the Senate and the White House. As much as I like Amy and Elizabeth and will support the nominee, this is ultimately an onscreen battle that will be hard to win for any Democrat. Digital dazzle will only go so far, and I may have made the wrong bet in our primary, but I don’t think so given the brutal economic realities of our politics.
2
Charlie. I am not sure what your point is except to denigrate Bloomberg. There are only 3 people i will vote for. Bloomberg, Klobuchar, or Buttigieg. Not Sanders or Warren. I will not waste my vote.
1
Watching these two egomaniacal plutocrats slug it out, as the "little people" watch helplessly, reminds me of any number of Godzilla movies, where Godzilla is the nominal hero. He's the "good" monster, but no matter what happens, Tokyo will still be a smoking ruin at the end. In this case, so will our democracy.
2
I am confused about what the point of this article is.
If you are trying to defeat evil shouldn't you use any means available to do so? Are you so "pure" that you shouldn't use the current tools of social media to attack your opponent because they have used it so effectively to eviscerate your colleagues in the past? Are you just going to wave the white flag and say my standards are too high to allow myself to engage in the tumultuous online "fur ball"?
1
If he spends even a small fraction of his vast personal fortune on beating Donald Trump, I am not going to complain.
I will thank him.
2
The notion that "only Bloomberg can save us" is now all over the media, where it wasn't two or three days ago.
This is what happens when you have deep pockets and lots of influential friends.
4
Don't confuse tactics with substance. Mike Bloomberg has done an amazing job running a political entity that has a population larger and more diverse than all but 8 states, he made NYC safer, balanced the budget, improved schools, got the city and its economy through 9/11 horror, cleaned graffiti, increased parks, balanced the budget!, diversified NYC with tech, rebuilt infrastructure (e.g. his huge hidden billion $ rebuild of tNYCs water system which was collapsing. He grew up in a middle class suburb of Boston, went to Harvard Business School and built one of the largest most successful, complex tech companies in the world. He puts his money (literally billions of $ of donations) where his mouth is, and where my values are education, health, gun control - issues I care about. He got elected to mayor and is running for President without making crazy out of control spending promises which will never be implemented nor insulting minorities, women, muslims and dividing the country etc. He is calm, logical, and presidential. he does not have to rely on the financial contributions of the special interest groups on the right or left that have been twisting our government policies away from the common sense policies that the majority of Americans who are in the middle want. Besides all this he can WIN! He has the record, resources and people to blow Trump out of the water in '20 and as this article shows the brilliance to adapt his tactics to the times no matter how ugly.
5
This Is open war, not a college debate. The rule of law in all its manifestations in all three branches of government is at stake. It's not the time to worry about lowering the level of discourse in America -as if that were possible. Shameless, really? How quaint!
2
Stop and Frisk is a painful and ongoing wound inflicted under Bloomberg’s leadership that cannot be healed with a massive infusion of campaign cash. It could, however, be a moment with echoes of the 2008 Rev. Wright controversy and Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” Philadelphia speech that could catapult his candidacy, put the Senate realistically into play for Democrats, and peel off borderline Trump supporters. Though a daunting task, if he has the nerve, skills, and conscience to pull it off, Democrats (and pundits) are fools to dismember him in a frenzy of purity before he has a chance to show the nation “what he’s got” and who he is in 2020.
He's a former Republican who has unequivocally pledged to offer his resources and support to whomever Democratic nominee is because he sees Trump for the authoritarian that he is. Don't Democrats want and need those people? Has Bernie pledged the same?
Having said that, and although j’accuse is the name of the game today, the same finger must simultaneously be pointed at the large majority of this country, especially whites, from across the political spectrum, who either also believed that Stop and Frisk was a sound concept (and were thus supportive) or felt queasy about it but were complicit nonetheless. It’s impossible to ignore the powerful scapegoat psychology on display in the performative commentary and tweets with which many white woke Stop and Frisk critics are attacking Bloomberg today (and Clinton and Biden before him).
2
This op-ed leads with: "Mike Bloomberg and his presidential campaign respect the fundamental equation governing the modern internet: Shamelessness and conflict equal attention. And attention equals power."
Isn't that Trump's MO? And as such, isn't this a great way to beat him at his own game?
3
Based on the evidence you have provided, it is not clear to me how the candidate is (it appears, repeatedly) guilty of "shamelessness"
Bloomberg's staff is probably even infiltrating places like these comments. I love it. Go Mike.
3
Democrats, do you ever want to win again? Republicans take oaths of allegiance to monsters, and they just keep winning.
Democrats seem to care more about purity tests, and the whole country just keeps paying the price. Remember, Obama wasn’t good enough either. Nobody is good enough!
What I hear Bloomberg saying is that he’s got one objective, and that is to remove the criminal and his cohorts from the White House. I agree with him, and I also think he’s the most likely candidate to do the exterminating, because he’s actually all the things Trump wishes he could be.
This year, winning really is the only thing that matters. Get with it and get over it!
5
As Elizabeth Warren's chances to win the nomination decline I am beginning to turn my support to Bloomberg, especially after reading Thomas Friedman's recent article supporting him.
I believe he would be a better president, and more capable of uniting all Democrats than any of the presently leading contenders none of whom impress me as "presidential" save perhaps Buttigieg who needs a bit more experience.
3
I hate to say this, but I love how, as you put it, "Bloombergians have instead opted to wade into the mud and wrestle with Mr. Trump’s Twitter feed."
Wish Biden had done this around the Hunter Biden kerfuffle. He might not be in 5th place if he had shown some spine.
Look I want to see Trump defeated.
Mock outrage by Charlie Warzel would be amusing if we were not witnessing the decline and fall of democracy.
Some say MAGA means Microsoft, Apple, Google and Amazon. These companies have made a fortune taking our information and selling it to advertisers.
The algorithms they employ weren't built on encouraging depth of reasoning. Tweets are restricted to 320 characters.
Our president replaces cabinet meetings with tweet storms, fires his own staff by tweet, declares policies that must be superficial to fit within the 320 character span.
In older days people had to THINK about what they wrote. Now Facebook users simply hit the like button without fully digesting what memes they broadcast around the internet. Thought is replaced by slogans.
Trump was cynical and won. Bloomberg may also be cynical, and we may be trading one billionaire for another.
But do we have a better choice?
Democracy is no longer working. We prevent Franklin Graham from speaking because he regards homosexuality as a "sin," shredding any vestige of Freedom of Religion.
Democrats convict Brett Kavanaugh of attempted rape on the basis of a single allegation from 35 years ago which might be wrong, shredding the notion of Due Process.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has declared John Tanton a "purveyor of hate speech" because he argued for lower immigration and controlling birth rates.
This makes a travesty of Freedom of Speech.
Democracy is already dead.
You do realize, don’t you, that none of your examples are government censorship, which is what the “freedom of speech part of 1st amendment is about.
Rather, they are all examples of people actually using freedom of speech, which you or anyone else are free to attempt to counter with your own speech. Thanks how it works in a free society.
So in exactly what political particular is Mike Bloomberg any different from Trump, based on HIS ACTUAL RECORD and past pronouncements rather than his cynical born-again ad-campaign demagogy? Thanks, DNC!
1
It’s frustrating to see the NYT trying to tear down Bloomberg, every day chipping away. To what end? Do the op-ed writers believe that Bernie can win against Trump? Not in a million years. And the rest of the field fares no better in the General election. My Republican friends want a Democrat they can vote for — Warren and Sanders aren’t it. However, they get excited at the notion of Bloomberg. To some Dems that might be a sign of his unholiness, but I have to tell you, he is a good man. He will undo much of the horrors committed by Trump; he will right the ship. Bloomberg is a patriot - a true patriot - and most importantly HE CAN WIN!
4
Yeah, it's called winning. You see, this is 2020 and eating corndogs in Iowa wont get you into the White House. These smart phones that people are plugged into are a direct pipeline into their minds. Facebook is reality. Twitter is conversation. Likes and retweets are validation.
I don't see the right complaining about these tactics. Why would they? They are the masters and used them to get Trump elected. But the left, Oh the horror!
Bloomberg is using his vast fortune and information resources to win. How horrible! He is buying the election.
In today's world, elections are bought. That's what Citizens United got us. Bloomberg is trying to buy his election just as the Republicans use an armada of billionaires to buy theirs.
And to make matters worse, Bloomberg is paying his campaign staff high wages so he can attract the best talent and keep them working hard at it. How undemocratic! Campaign workers are supposed to be volunteers to keep the process pure and wholesome.
Nuts! Bloomberg is doing what is necessary to win and doing it well. Like Mick Mulvaney said. Get used to it.
5
Thank you for pointing this out. Personally, the last thing I want is one billionaire replacing another as my president. And if you want to lose all the young people and minorities for the Ds in 2020 - just nominate this guy.
1
Mr. Warzel, sorry but, wherher it's Bloomberg's money, the money of doners, or the money from super PACs, here's a new flash for you, there is money in politics. And these are desperate times. Bloomberg is doing what the DNC should have been doing months ago, even without having a frontrunner. He is running ads against Trump. Trump's campaign is so flush with cash it dwarfs that of any rival. Except, of. course, for the one man paying for it out of his own pocket. So please spare me the hit piece and cry me a river about how Mr. Bloomberg chooses to spend his own cash. If Bloomberg is the nominee, he's got my vote.
3
Social media is a scourge.
I don't care one whit what Mike Bloomberg does with it and how he uses it if he can get Trump out of office.
That's the bottom line.
3
I voted for Bloomberg today. For all the reasons that everyone is listing here and one other big one...THE SUPREME COURT! Have we forgotten?? Along with so many things, next President and Senate will decide the fate of the court and many other judgeships in the US in the next 4 years. Bloomberg is the only person who can pull this together and bring the ticket with him. Vote Bloomberg and Blue!
4
OK, so now it is out in the open. A lot of people are so disgusted by Trump they will consider and back anyone that they feel, think or hope can knock him out of the White House. Such are the times we live in. It ain't pretty. It ain't fun. It's reality. So hopefully, if the media can stop its obsession with mutilating anyone who wants to run, too often with stuff, reasoning and conclusions, concocted out of thin air, or so over blown and repeated ad nauseam via the MSM echo chamber it is impossible to know if anything positive can be derived from it. America is on the ropes and it's not pretty.
1
Based on the overwhelming number of approving comments, I’ve got a suggestion — Why don’t we save time and just put the presidency up for auction. In that way we can complete the conversion of our country into a true autocracy!
And if Bloomberg wins, we can always justify our selling out the blood & treasure invested by our forebears in their struggles to bequeath us a democratic republic by saying, “At least our billionaire won...”
2
Bloomberg is the only candidate that can beat Trump and Trump knows it. Is Mike perfect? Of course not. But he has my vote.
4
A little sanity about gun violence and he will put down money to back up people who share his ideas. Anti old fossil fuel plants and already done the Johnny Appleseed gig. Can be a bit heavy handed but there is not many food establishments in the world that let you stink up the place with smoke. Not even France and that is his doing. He didn't start the stop and search method of bringing down gun violence in NYC neighborhoods and he has owned up to past transgressions of the neighborhoods he was honestly trying to help. He listens to citizens, to stakeholders and even cops patrolling the streets. He cleaned up some messes from a previous mayor yet I don't remember him blaming past administrations. Now he can clean up some messes partially created by the same guy. I know NYC is expensive but it really is fun to see political ads on our local media. It's his money. Now where are those filthy cigs???
2
It is unfortunate that such brazen attempts at buying democracy get legitimized by the media. Michael Bloomberg should be getting zero news media mentions. Let him get his ad views.
It's time to fight fire with fire. I have been waiting long enough. I am exhausted with Trump. I hope to God Bloomberg can get it done!
4
So you're a Sanders supporter? Must be.
Did it occur to you that perhaps Bloomberg's incredible wealth which he generously shares is a tribute to keen intellect, conscientiousness, executive function, and fearlessness? Yeah right, just like our President? No I think not.
I think there are a lot of men who are very envious of Bloomberg -- short guy but very powerful. Men envy power. Women will support him for sure. I trust him to pulverize Trump.
4
@Mary Rivkatot If women were hoping for a candidate who is not on record making massively sexist comments, then Bloomberg as president throws women under the bus. We won't support him but it looks like we're going to be stuck with two misogynists as president.
Citizens United hacked our democracy. Consequences.
2
Left leaning people are desperate to beat Trump. No one wants a “moral victory” of a close election loss either.
If Bloomberg’s money is what is required to compete against Russia, Facebook, Twitter, Evangelicalism and Trump’s inane nicknames....them so be it. What’s the alternative? Trump? A lot of left of center people are rightfully in survivor mode this election. Win or else
Sanders and his democratic socialists have to prove that they can either:
1. Bring out so many new voters to overwhelm the left and right of center fears of socialism?
2. How they can win over those centrist voters in battleground states?
3. Overcome the GOP/Russian/Ethno-Nationalist fake Fox news, voter suppression, social media onslaught THAT IS COMING.
Where’s the numbers?
Until Democratic Socialists can demonstrate they can win, people will rightfully look towards Bloomberg....money, flaws and all.
2
@Practical, I’m a solid Bernie supporter, and I agree that your 3 criteria are relevant and correct. That is what he needs to do, and it’s unclear yet if he can.
But as one who still believes government should be “of the people and for the people”, I feel sickened by the notion that backing a remorseless undemocratic oligarch is our only path to saving our democracy from the Trump crime syndicate.
It’s possible that you and the many (possibly paid?) Bloomberg cheerleaders in this forum are correct.
But I weep for the future of my beautiful country, once the inspiration of the world, if that’s truly the case.
I wonder how many of the pro-Bloomberg comments are paid for or even generated in varied mass by some computer whiz kid for a hefty fee.
I’m down here right now in southwest Florida where every other commercial seems to be either introducing
On a debate stage, will Bloomberg be allowed to use a teleprompter if he donates $50 million to the DNC and $10 million to each of the other candidates?
Or will he have to also give something to the organizers?
Bloomberg could have built 25 schools for his $250 million ad spend. It's obscene.
“As my newsroom colleague Matt Flegenheimer wrote in January, Mr. Bloomberg is not really playing chess, “he is more accurately working to bury the board with a gusher of cash so overpowering that everyone forgets how the game was always played in the first place.”
Strikes me you and your colleague have overlooked the fact that this has been going on for years now. Cash is king.
Shameless! And Trump isn't? The problem is everyone uses civil rules to accuse and judge Bloomberg of foul play. What about Trump's no rules value system? He is given a get out of jail free card, even as he spent his money in his last campaign but the more "civil" people attack Bloomberg for seeming to be better at the game. You guys are missing the point just as you did in the last election when the NYT acclaimed Hillary's no way to lose position in the election. Open your prejudiced eyes: Bloomberg is the only candidate who can beat Trump. He plays a tougher game against Trump and has better morals and social values. He is a man who wins and takes no prisoner. The rest of the Democratic line up is fodder for Trump's destructive methods. They will be eaten up by Trump as Bloomberg said. This is a different time and a different game board set by Trump. Someone smarted than than evil genius Trump, with a more effective game can beat Trump. And one other thing, Bloomberg is using social media in the way its potential has offered so many and no one but Bloomberg, among Dems, has seen its exploitable capabilities. And you criticize. Wake up. This election is serious for all of us.
4
Whatever it takes to save this country. If trump had Bloomberg’s money, democracy would be dead, not just on life support. Mr. Bloomberg knows how to fight; somebody has to, even if Mr. Bloomberg is not your first choice. He knows how to get under trump’s microscopic orange skin better than anyone save for Ms. Pelosi. About time Democrats take the gloves off. Now, if only the press would stop fawning over every corrupt tweet trump makes and focus on all the mega reasons to be rid of him.
4
@lhfang:
"Bloomberg tonight just booked another round of broadcast, radio & cable news ads, bringing total traditional paid media buys (not counting all other campaign spending, like IG influencers, $ to state parties/NGOs & cash to Dem allies) to $363 million.
That's $4.5 million a day."
So, consensus here seems to be - 'yeah, we're just going full Camacho' ?
1
Another writer, another virture signaling opportunity. First of all: "Buying the election" is a shameless appropriation of a term more accurately applied to Russia, or China, or...What is the problem with getting your message out to the public, especially given the tactics of the current executive in chief? Do you not have any confidence in your fellow citizens to make up their own minds on the basis of the argument? Or are you concerned that not everyone buys into your need to get behind a "big movement," to back every politico who promises hopes and dreams, who has your back when the world is not nice to you?
Michael Bloomberg has proven his competence at running a company and a large, diverse city. Would you prefer a postman or a professor at the helm of the republic? Or would you rather bask in your "superior" virtues whilst watching the 2021 Inauguration of the Republican candidate for president?
I know what I want; I'm able to distinguish 'brazen' from 'bumbling.'
I prefer brazen.
3
These are not ordinary times.
Once Trump is gone, we can return to ordinary times.
Bloomberg is doing what has to be done To counter Trump.
3
Whether this author approves or not, we live in the age of social media. Influencer is career.
Mike Bloomberg is running the campaign that needs to be run. Media saturation, lightening fast response to the vulgar tweets and lies from the president, and ads, ads, ads.
His lack of participation in the farce that was Iowa was smart. New Hampshire the same. These two states have already winnowed the field to pretty much two candidates with 48 other states having not weighed in.
Mike Bloomberg has stepped outside the antiquated box that is our primary system. He has my vote.
192
@Ikebana62 he has my vote too..he will save the country from another 4 Trump years...he will be a good president and repair the damage this one has done to the US and the World
he is the only one who can actually defeat Trump...and that should be the only thing that matters
9
@Ikebana62
While elections are unpredictable, we know 2 things:
1) DJT will attempt to savage the Democratic nominee with the very same methods described in this editorial.
2) DJT will run on the economy.
As for the first, Bloomberg has the capacity to go toe-to-toe (if not smother) DJT's and the RNC's (and the NRA's and the Koch Bros' and the Mercers') social media attacks. (Plus, he can buy a lot of ads on Fox News.)
As for the second, Bloomberg can hardly be accused of being threatening to the economy.
7
@Ikebana62
That box is Oligarchy and bought power. Bloomberg IS an Oligarch and at heart a republican.
2
He is eerily like Trump in his tactics and attitude toward the citizens of America. He couldn't even be bothered to participate in the first two primaries. He believed he should get special treatment at the debates because he spends his own money. He thinks and acts like a billionaire, which we don't need. We need a president who is in touch with and representative of the people.
1
@Jocelyn Goranson You're forgetting that he entered the race late, almost reluctantly. He had no choice but to play catch up. I don't think he intended to insult the primary voters of Iowa and NH.
2
Michael Bloomberg earned his fortune, unlike Trump. He has a track record as chief executive of a massive and diverse city. He is on the right side of most issues. He is not perfect - but he has shown the guts to apologize for past mistakes. Stop and frisk has to be weighed against his stance on gun control, education, the environment and a host of other causes.
He is a reluctant candidate, only entering the race when it became clear no one else had what it takes to beat Trump. But he has also promised to spend the same amount if he is not the nominee.
That tells me all that I need to know about the man. What on earth are we complaining about?
3
I believe that Michael Bloomberg knows more than the rest of us that four more years of Trump is going to do severe damage to the United States and our future. He is using his massive resources to attempt to get elected and reverse the damage already done by four years of Trump. I hope that he is successful.
3
For crying out loud Everyone is trying to hack our attention. Why should Bloomberg be any different. Will we ever have a little peace and quiet?
86
@just Robert -- one advantage with Bloomberg if he becomes President, the press may just move on to talking about non political news because daily outrage tweets will not be part of his routine...if fact he may seem completely boring in comparison...and peace and quiet will be our reward.
9
@just Robert . . .right now the only peace and quiet available is when I turn off phone and computer and just say quietly. Let them "have it" awhile.
I have my one precious vote, and I am going to be very happy to spend it on the Democratic Candidate in November.
7
@just Robert Peace and quiet when trumpoboy is 6 feet under.
Politics today is all about attention. And our attention spans are short - we live in headlines, swipes and clicks. Politics is not about meaningful, respectful debate. Certainly not about deeply communicated policies and programs. Candidates position themselves with us digitally - playing on our smartphone habits- our computer driven lifestyles - our need for quick information. Who has time to delve deep into an issue? Candidates know a flurry of soundbites - gotcha quotes - mean Tweets and provocative headlines will be enough to earn votes. Trump was a master of it in 2016. Bloomberg will spend enough to master it in 2020. The American public will hear plenty of posturing and almost nothing on policies. It looks as if it will be a Bloomberg / Trump election...the last loudmouth standing will be the most powerful man in the world.
the ultimate goal is to unseat Trump. US politics have, quite unfortunately, mutated into the type of fight where Trump excels. Democrats bravely tried “they go low we go high” but it isn’t working. I’m all for being strategic in how Democrats regain power so we can have a sane President and more Democratic values in focus. I’m done looking for the perfect candidate - that person doesn’t exist and never has. The more I follow Bloomberg’s strategy to win and his policy goals, the more I’m warming to him as a candidate.
2
Are you kidding me Charlie? I guess that you're right and that Mr. Bloomberg should just lay out complex proposals for how he'll fix this and that in our country. That's what's propelling Elizabeth Warren into the lead right? Worked for Hilary?
I do appreciate that we need some substance behind the noise, but I'll bet on Mr. Bloomberg every time that there is some "there there". His strategy is fighting fire with fire - no one else seems to realize this.
Candidates in this race, at this time, need to reach for core emotions. Those in trump's base feel enabled for the first time in decades - they will not let that go. Those that are in the middle ground need to feel something - and this approach Mr. Bloomberg is taking will generate that. Yes, it's a "sugar high" but what comes after will be better than more of what we have now.
5
I'd love to see a process where money was illegal in politics altogether. No donations. Applicants would have to do televised pitches and debates with equal time given-- as the airwaves are public property. Perhaps equal allocations given for each candidate supplied by parties for websites and so forth. No dark money, no lobbyists, no beholden candidates, nobody buying our votes. Probably less likely to ever happen than "Imagine" by John Lennon.
2
This country worships money, so it's not unusual that we place a couple of billionaires in such high esteem - as if the ability to pile on a ton of wealth makes someone a better leader. Bloomberg is an excellent illustration of why I'm not sending money to any candidates - it's like trying to play basketball with LeBron.
Our election system in this country is so totally distorted it's tough to know where to begin to reform it. But it starts with our core values in this country, which is, as I mentioned, our worship of the almighty dollar. If we held attributes like integrity, humility, compassion and fairness in as high esteem as we held wealth, we just might have a shot at improving the situation.
But as long as we place the wealthy on these pedestals, we'll keep getting the same results: rule by the rich. And some of us don't find comfort in that.
5
Enough already with the purity tests!
I'll take an imperfect President Bloomberg over a "perfect" Trump any and every day of the week. Period. Full stop.
11
Hopefully Putin will not leverage opinions like this in social media and also Mr. Blow’s?
Putin won.
NATO is in disarray, Turkey a “zombie” member, Syria is his with the US still on the hook to fight ISIS.
Massive refugees possibly headed to the EU, none heading to China and Russia, the crucial votes for Assad in the UN.
Venezuela in his orbit.
The US headed back to spike up toward to massive fiscal year deficits as of the two last years of George Bush (and the 2006 the GOP class).
So why would an entrenched US with no overseas appetite to stop Putin be an issue?
Let the election play out with no interference?
Yet we do not know that and columns like this are not productive to send Trump home and save our democracy.
1
Stop whining because Bloomberg is proving to be effective. Get on board. Mike is the guy we need to beat Trump in a bi-partisan landslide.
Hickenlooper and Inslee, my nice guy and good guy favorites, never gained traction. Harris, my tough gal fave, lost herself and flamed out. Klobuchar whiffed badly while questioning Kavanaugh and that kind of error in a presidential debate could cost the election. I've always loved Warren as my senator, but not for president. Steyer has spent a fortune to no effect. Biden was a nice thought.
As for Bernie -- If he's the candidate I'll vote for him. But I believe he'll lose in a landslide and also cost Democrats the House and their chance for the Senate.
Mike Bloomberg will beat Trump by a greater margin than any other candidate. He will bring cross over Republicans who would never vote for Bernie, in far larger numbers than lost Bernie supporters. A bi-partisan victory is what we need to bring the country together. Even more, we need an overwhelming indisputable victory to avoid horrific ugliness when (not if) Trump says the election was unfair, that the fix was in and refuses to leave office.
Vote Mike to save the nation. Seriously.
11
@Mad Moderate Ooops. What about Mayor Pete? Too young and too canned.
Is Bloomberg really "hacking your attention"?
The term hacking, usually referring to computers, appears to be used here to suggest some sort of unauthorised gaining of access by Bloomberg of voters for some illicit purpose. Not only that, but it's being done with "shamelessness".
I think what Warzel is trying to say is that Bloomberg is taking a different approach to reaching voters by avoiding early campaigning in unrepresentative states and focusing on Super Tuesday, a primary day composing of 14 states that are a cross-section of America. That's a novel approach which is unsurprising from Bloomberg since that sort of thinking is why his business has been so successful.
But Warzel's article was not without impact. I'll likely be pondering this phrase from his piece. What does it mean?
"Twitter dunks and toxic screaming into the algorithmic void have become politics as usual"
5
Thanks for the ads, Mr. Bloomberg. It was nice to be included in the conversation here in Alabama.
7
It's not necessary to be so terrified of Trump. The hysteria only elevates him. Bernie Sanders can beat him; possibly a couple of the other candidates can as well. We don't need to sacrifice our principles to beat Trump. We just need to work hard to help our candidate!
3
Whatever it might bring for members of the Democrat Party base, the second worst thing for the political prospects going forward for members of the current failed party leadership would be for Bloomberg to get the nomination. The worst would be for him to get the nomination and win in November. Much better to have another four years to talk and talk and talk to other Dems about how bad Trump is.
2
Mike Bloomberg isn’t beholden to anyone or any organization.
The other politicians have had their hands out desperately trying to raise money making promises they’ll never keep.
Pay to play politics- it’s how it works inside the Beltway.
No one can influence Mr Bloomberg. He proved himself capable, smart and thoughtful as Mayor of New York.
Those who scorn him because he’s using his own money are shallow thinking individuals whose lofty principles are built on quicksand.
11
Vulture capitalist superstars like Bloomberg and Steyer have probably been eyeing the land of the free and the home of the brave for a hostile takeover ever since SCOTUS decided corporations are people (my friend) and money equals speech. Most tantalizing, Trump's impeachment and ongoing shenanigans has only made the acquisition of the asset in question all the more affordable.
10
@Leigh Mike started a business from scratch. Steyer ran a hedge fund. Try to get your stereotypes right.
I'm sick of seeing so many pro-Bloomberg comments. I don't know if I'd vote for him. It's so disheartening to think you have to buy your way in. What does that mean for out democracy? I can make a lot of compromises, but I don't know about this one. It isn't just about DJT, it's about our democracy.
6
Be glad that Bloomberg understands something about media control and big, big money in politics. Face it, Bernie is doing well because of money, too. Trump is racking in millions. Double standard? A leader understands the opposition and takes action in defense, or offense. We haven't had one in a long while, and we are squinting in the sun trying to understand what a leader looks like. Be impressed with the Bloomberg campaign because right and left wing pundits on Fox and MSNBC are so very, very nervous, very nervous. Might be a sign that Bloomberg is on to something. Perhaps Bloomberg will not be so easily manipulated by either side of the media coin, and he might just be able to govern. Refreshing. Let him use Facebook, but for something good, a change. He might even get legislation passed to reverse the Roberts Court Citizen's United travesty! How Refreshing!
8
It seems our country is on a ruinous path to political self-destruction. The bifurcation of the political parties is so great now it's about to snap, if it hasn't begun already. Instead of philosophical differences of opinion we now have cynicism, personal attacks and outright hatred. And not just towards the candidates but to their spouses and children as well. Republicans want nobody but Trump. Democrats want anybody but Trump. Political platforms are an afterthought. After the last presidential election, violence erupted around the country. This time will be far worse. Regardless of who wins.
3
Yes, politics and its rituals are a way of hacking into people's brains, but usually for a good purpose. All power is essentially an illusion. It is a mental construct that gets reinforced daily because lacking trusted authority and power would create chaos. The people give the politicians power so we can feel someone is taking care of important business. And we have completely mentally created borders and institutions that work on the agreed upon social contract. Along comes Trump and that unspoken agreement seems all the more tenuous; he enjoys unleashing chaos and our routine has been thrown off, what we think of power is changing. If Bloomberg uses Trumpian tactics, I'm all for it because despite the illusory nature of power, it is better to channel it and control it than have power run amok.
2
Bloomberg is NOT a another Trump with a few progressive views. Yes, he's unabashed and unashamed about using the power of his money in the same way Trump is. But he's also proven he can be an effective and by and large positive political executive. And perhaps even more important, he has demonstrated a very positive social conscience by - as I've heard many commentators say about African American voters and converted critics - putting his money where his mouth is.
The game no longer has even a thin veneer of gentility. It's rough and rude and, at least during the campaign, image manipulation is more important than substance. Bloomberg can shapeshift rapidly and play that game without appearing frazzled, whereas Bernie prides himself on constancy and is frazzled by default. Winning is everything in this election, and the choice for Bloomberg is unabiguous for me.
12
Bloomberg is spending money and he is spending it wisely. He’s way ahead of the other candidates in terms of strategy. Instead of spending time differentiating himself from the other democratic candidates he went straight after DT and demonstrated he can stand up to the bully. That’s what everyone cares about. I liked Mike Bloomberg’s candidacy when I first heard about it. Everything I have seen over the past few weeks makes me more optimistic. Let’s hope the better people in the Republican crowd start to defect when the see Mike’s strength!
11
If someone wants to spend their self-made billions saving us from the meltdown of our country currently underway, God Bless. I live surrounded by reluctant Trump supporters because, rightly or wrongly, they believe the other Democratic candidates will hurt their businesses. They say this is the only guy who will switch their vote away from Trump. He's clearly the only one who scares the Donald, and that tells you, fellow horrified-with-what's-happening Americans, that he's our guy to stop the insanity and bring the middle together. At this point, we're looking down the barrel of four more years of Trump's lies, brutality and shame. If this is the only way to stand up to the bully, I say, bring it on, Bloomberg.
9
Yeah, I think Bloomberg is going to win the race. I don’t see minority voters getting excited about Mayor Stop-and-Frisk anytime soon. All he’s gonna do is siphon votes from the other moderates unless Biden, Buttigieg and Klobuchar all bend the knee, and even then he’s going to scare off the people the democrats need to win unless he accomplishes some serious rebranding.
Sanders has a much better chance of beating trump by putting together a novel coalition or working class voters, millennials and minorities than Bloomberg does by putting together a coalition of blue dog democrats, centrists and urban elites. There’s more of the former than the latter.
They say Bloomberg is buying the election. Nonsense.
I just got a call from his campaign asking if I would vote for him in the upcoming primary and if I would be interested in helping his campaign. No one offered me money to buy my support. Bloomberg doesn’t need my money, he has plenty of his own and if he wants to spend it to save our democracy, I say more power to him.
What he has already given me, though, is new hope that Trump can be defeated and life can go back to the way it was before this nightmare started. It wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t this.
That is worth every penny to me.
8
Bloomberg is still a Republican at heart. He is a ruthless amoral campaigner who has no compunction about stretching the truth or shattering it to win.
The object of a Republican political campaign is to win: nothing more and nothing less. Bloomberg will do what any good Republican would do to win. And he will do it efficiently and effectively. He will overwhelm his opposition whether Republican or Democrat and spend what must be spent to win.
If you are sure that beating Trump is all that matters then Bloomberg is your man. But be careful. He campaigns like a Republican and if elected, he will rule like a Republican as well.
1
I love how Long Islanders, Nassau and Suffolk, love to rip apart NYC mayors, be it Bloomberg or DeBlasio while letting their own county executives run roughshod over the finances and general wellbeing of their own jurisdictions with corruption and malfeasance over decades.
1
@Suburban Cowboy
I like DiBlasio although I frequently disagree with him. I also love Dallas suburban cowboys who think they understand New York politics.
If American voters have to choose between a real self-made billionaire and one who inherited wealth and then squandered it they will choose the real thing. Bloomberg’s authenticity in all aspects of his life expose Trump as a shallow insecure individual who had his modest real net worth given to him by a fawning father.
6
To engage in politics is to enter a hall of mirrors. There we see only endless reflected images of ourselves. Reality supervenes when shattered glass embeds splinters under the skin and illusory perception-mongering no longer fixes our attention.
Let's hope the antics of Trump and Bloomberg break some glass...
Thanks for the comedy. In other words Mr. Bloomberg has guessed correctly that there is a large and underappreciated bloc of voters who don't want to see Trump re-elected and who believe that the Democrats are campaigning to oppose him in such a way that winning is in their minds a foregone conclusion and so it's all a matter of picking someone who really doesn't appeal to this bloc and so what? And for all that, Mr. Bloomberg is this usurperer who is not actually stealing the spotlight because instead of playing the "party" game he is using his own money and if the large, underappreciated bloc is attracted to him this is somehow the worst thing ever because they're falling for his intrusion on the status quo.
6
Bloomberg has put huge amounts of money into getting rid of guns. There is no personal advantage to him in that campaign. Similarly, his campaign to be president. I don't believe that he is thinking about himself. He believes that Trump is a disaster for our nation, and his goal is to defeat Trump. Even if another candidate wins the nomination, Bloomberg says that he will continue to pump money into advertising to defeat Trump. What is there to object about that?
7
It's a sad commentary about our times, but it's true: the rules of any game are ultimately determined by the least ethical player. Trump has dragged ethics and decorum through the mud, and it got him elected. There doesn't seem to be any bottom to the pit that he has created. Bloomberg, much smarter than Trump ever dreamed of being, can read the tea leaves, and he has hired savvy social media consultants who know how to pull the levers of influence. He knows exactly how to push DJT's buttons, and I'm looking forward to a real cat fight. Go, Michael!
4
Bloomberg is doing two things. Running for President yes. But running makes his ads be received in a more serious way, and thus more effective against DJT whether Mike wins the nomination or not. I don’t think he wants to be President as much as to depose DJT. And yes, if he has to, he will take the role. But otherwise will be helping dent this horrible fake president and replace him with whoever the final Democratic nominee turns out to be. Yay! Go team!
4
Bloomberg is the democratic crossover version of Donald Trump: a mediocre, self-important, loud oligarch. Whereas Trump cheated his way to the presidency, Bloomberg plans to buy it. The misogyny and culture of sexism in his firm were legendary. He is responsible for thousands of ruined lives via stop-and-frisk and grotesquely immoral enough to this day to believe that all he has to do is tweet an apology and we can all move on. He spent his political capital crushing organizations for working people. Democratic operatives pretend to care about this stuff, but are rushing to support Bloomberg, who until very recently was a republican. They claim to care about authoritarianism, yet appreciate Bloomberg's flagrant disrespect for democratic culture. If he wins by buying his way through the primary, the democratic party is done. I bit my lip and voted for Hillary, but myself and hundreds of thousands of millennials will sit this one out if it's Bloomberg and never be reconciled to the party again.
The democratic party has a path forward--actually listening to the 30 and under set, and learning some humility. Dems lost to Trump, externalized blame onto the Left rather than learning, and now this. It's the most blatant irresponsibility I've ever seen and it's coming from those who present themselves as "rational." Words fail me.
3
Realpolitik rears its ugly head. Liberal democracies are splintering all through the western world. Mr. Warzel does not need to pontificate. We Democrats understand that we want our values reflected in our candidate. But frankly, I've been waiting for someone to fight Trump on his own turf -- social media and mainstream networks. This is not a Faustian bargain. This is a practical reality. Bloomberg will support mitigation of gun violence, reproductive rights, increasing taxation on the wealthiest Americans (he has already announced his plan), reducing fossil fuel consumption, and putting the EPA back in the driver's seat and bring back all of Obama's efforts to improve the environment. Yes, he will need to atone more. Yes, he will need to confront stop-and-frisk in public. Yes, he needs to acknowledge the pain it has caused. It's unfortunate, but we need to fight fire with fire in order to succeed. And we need a strong candidate to back up senators and congressmen up for re-election. Who else can bring these things to the table for us?
3
Trump is an existential threat to our democracy. He is shameless and his deceptions are endless. And he has a war chest that is a lot bigger than that all non-Bloomberg Democratic candidates, perhaps bigger than all of them combined. More importantly, none of them have a digital media strategy to match Trump's. So a candidate like Bloomberg who will go toe-to-toe with Trump is very attractive.
If Democrats try to be purists, they will certainly lose, and the damage to the country and their agenda will be huge and irrecoverable for several decades (imagine 6-3 or 7-2 conservative majority in SCOTUS for example during Trump 2.0). What is the point of being a purist and an ideologue, when you can't do a thing with your purity and ideology?
So I would rather have an imperfect candidate like Bloomberg who can beat Trump, than a more perfect candidate who can't. Why? Because an imperfect Bloomberg is still a thousand times better for the country and the Democratic agenda than Trump.
5
@AR I'm with you AR, except for one point. None of the candidates are perfect.
Mike Bloomberg is fighting fire with fire. That is exactly what we need with Trump. 'We go high' failed miserably in 2016. This is no time to be high-minded -- no-holds-barred, all-in fighting is what is needed here. Mike is doing it exactly right and at last we have someone willing to go toe-to-toe with Trump, who has no moral qualms about anything whatsoever and cares only about winning.
4
Trump must be beaten. He is ruining the reputation and future of the United States. He is increasing an environment that encourages blatant hate and selfishness. His concept of making policy is primitive and does not take into consideration substantive or long-term analysis.
Trump is a classic demagogue. Truth is of no significance to him unless he thinks it helps him. He has been campaigning since his election and he does so without shame for the immoral or for his use of gutter talk. It is clear that his campaign chest is unlimited, particularly since it is buttressed by his access to the proper and improper resources of the presidency.
I cheer on Mike Bloomberg. His resources and his self-confidence and his experience in government and business are all essential to building a voter-base that will beat Trump.
He is the best candidate for the Democratic Party.
Even if Bloomberg does not get the nomination, his presence in the race will make it more likely that Trump will be beaten and that the Democrats will have a platform that will rescue our Country from the plights that Trump is compounding.
Charles Warzel's column erroneously criticizes Bloomberg's campaign methods.
4
Bloomberg has NO history of the horrific criminality that Trump has, but somehow this article is pushing and apples to apples comparison.
Here’s what. i have never been this frightened for the survival of the country my father fought in a war over as I am now. It isn’t just Trump that we need to beat, but the Republican party which is as corrupt and lawless as Trump. If Mr. Bloomberg’s hands are on deck, Thank God.
I will take Mike Bloomberg over Donald Trump any day. But maybe, with his focused attacks on Trump and his pledge to support the eventual nominee, his money is belong elect an Amy Klobuchar.
We cannnot lose this election and I have no patience for purity tests.
5
I'm really surprised to see the comments railing against the article and claiming that these tactics are necessary to "win". If we give in to the same attention-grabbing disinformation campaigns, we've all lost. Money will prove to buy the presidency and the endless online nouse will ensure that reality will be the biggest loser of all.
Hold strong. We cannot stoop to this level to win the presidency.
3
I'm surprised so many people on here are okay with Bloomberg trying to buy the nomination. The fact that our electoral system gives the wealthy such immense power is frankly disgusting. This isn't some noble cause, it actively undermines our democratic process.
3
@Chris : There are a lot of problems with the electoral college system -- mainly that it gives a lot more weight to the political preferences of white rural voters compared to the rest of the country.
But the electoral college itself is not why wealthy people stand a better chance of winning. Even with a popular vote scenario, the scales would be equally tipped towards those with the kind of cash that Bloomberg has.
That said, the situation is so bad, I would totally take Mike Bloomberg over Trump. Would I prefer Sanders? Sure. But if Bloomberg is the one who can beat Trump, that's our #1 Priority.
Arguments presented in this article are like one that suggests we fiddle while Rome burns. They ignore the disastrous state of the union and the even greater disaster awaiting us in November if they’re taken seriously. Trump is an overwhelmingly clear and present danger; Bloomberg a potential savior. The latter is imperfect and is leveraging his vast wealth in pursuit of the presidency. So what?! The former is unspeakably loathsome and is shredding the fabric of the country. Where is the logic in pointing out that the paint in the parlor is chipping when the house is engulfed in flames?
4
"For citizens looking for a movement or big, structural change or even just a genuine vision for the future of the country, the strategy is disheartening"
Yes, because just wanting dreams won't get you squat. You need to put in time, money and effort. Just chatting about Bernie online and shouting at stadiums won't save the day.
2
Bloomberg is trying to buy and cheat his way to the nomination.
Trump and Republicans cheat in every way possible to win.
I used to believe in taking the high road when they take the low road. But not any more. We need to win in 2020.
It will take someone as ruthless, as rich, and as willing to cheat as Bloomberg to beat Trump.
Trump and Republicans will destroy anyone who plays by the rules.
Bloomberg - even with his stop and frisk and redlining and sexism baggage - remains infinitely better than Trump.
2
I think the whole notion of advertising buys a vote is nonsense and insulting to the electorate. When I see an advertisement I switch channels, scroll by or hit the mute button. I don’t buy everything offered. Are we saying voters are indiscriminate and incapable to think critically ?
3
"...[Deval Patrick] struggled to raise money, chose not to engage and faded into the depths of obscurity. [Michael Bloomberg] the one with the war chest and shamelessness, is still in the race."
This is false equivalency.
Bloomberg was a household name long before his bid for the presidency. He was a 3-time mayor of NYC, entrepreneur, bore the name of a popular news website, and business TV channel. Meanwhile, I had never heard of Deval Patrick before 2019.
Furthermore, what is this shaming of Bloomberg for his profligate spending on attention? Was Hillary Clinton similarly criticized for her $1 billion war chest in 2016 that amounted to nothing against Trump's smaller wallet?
What is with the shaming of Bloomberg's spending anyway? I rather the man spend his own money rather than be beholden to whatever interests (domestic and foreign) controlled Clinton's campaign. Le's not pretend those sizable donations to the Clinton Foundation from foreign nations were all for charity. What's more shameless?
4
I think the media has missed the depth of the boiling rage that has been building up. We Democrats have been absorbing Trump's abusive rhetoric, taunts, lies and cult rallies for three continuous years, and it feels might satisying to see someone (Bloomberg) give it back to Trump.
Biden, Mr. retail campaigner, can't even bring himself to go after Lindsey Graham who has targetted his son.
3
These are dark times. It is my hope Bloomberg can push Trump out of the White House and preserve our democracy. I hope I am not being naive and foolish, and that hope puts me miles ahead of any Trump supporter.
4
When it comes down to what Democrats want in a candidate it is only one qualification; can they beat Trump. If it is another billionaire, so be it. As reporters and columnists have discovered and will continue to discover, every democrat running has flaws and skeletons. Writers have given up investigating Trump because that’s old news and he will get mad at them, while Democrats will act civil. Trump’s friends are buying the presidency for him so he will make them richer. At least Bloomberg is spending his own money, as he has spent on many worthy causes. Trump is too big a threat to leave to a perfect unicorn candidate.
3
Think of the future of the planet. Bloomberg is a serious environmentalist. If elected, he will secure that all the crazy acts against the environment taken by Trump are reversed. This should be a goal to us all.
Bloomberg is the only one with money and with the real agenda to protect the environment
4
So Bloomberg’s shame is spending his own money on his campaign?
Why exactly is that shameful?
He’s also spending millions in supporting the DNC, which helped elect Democrats in 2018, and will help elect a democratic president in 2020. Where is the shame in that?
How about the shame in spending millions of dollars of other people’s money to make promises you know you will never be able to keep?
How about the shame in promoting a Medicare for all plan, without telling the public what it will cost?
Is there no shame in that?
5
To Billionaires, it's all business.
When Bloomberg ran for Mayor of NYC, he promised not to be involved in running his businesses. He still became many Billions richer with almost daily free name recognition.
After making all those Billions as Mayor, now he's running for President; a much bigger way of going national free name recognition. Is it a conscious strategy?
Shameless indeed and this will feed so much hate and resentment, as well as make us an international target.
1
The internet is ruining everything. I've sometime said that I don't think Trump would have gotten elected were it not for the internet and Twitter.
Memes and Twitter "fights" and exchanges seem so desperate and dumb, no matter the candidate. I don't understand the appeal, and I try not to look at it. Unfortunately, the media somehow thinks these Twitter exchanges are newsworthy, and so it continues.
I think it does Bloomberg's campaign a disservice by engaging in these trivialities such as posting memes and hiring "influencers". It trivializes the campaign.
Sometimes, most of the time, I wish the internet did not exist.
30
@Ashley
Let's remember Trump is no Lincoln and his Gettysburg Address. Trump must struggle to fill the limit of a Tweet.
6
@Ashley You might wish that, but I prefer what the commenter above said...."it feels like the cavalry has arrived..."
No one is prepared to fight Trump on his own ground, so he therefore wins every battle. But now Bloomberg is not fighting on the Democrat battleground, he is fighting on Trumps battleground.....he's really the cavalry....
11
@Ashley it (Google, Facebook,Twitter) need to be regulated and made responsible for lies, fake news etc.etc.
1