"Is he a narcissistic ex-Republican with Big Brotherish tendencies and a sketchy record on race who is trying to buy the presidency? Is he the battle-tested, successful leader of the nation’s largest city whose business savvy and personal fortune make him especially well suited to dismantle Mr. Trump? Perhaps he is a bit of both." Indeed--perhaps he is both. Since the answer to the first question is yes--then he is completely disqualified and unsuitable to be president.
If you can read Nathan Robinson's writing about Bloomberg and still vote for him, you're not a Democrat: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/02/a-republican-plutocrat-tries-to-buy-the-democratic-nomination. If the Democratic Party embraces this man, it will have sold its soul, and Trump will deserve his second term. As a young millennial who loves Bernie, I'd still pull the lever for Pete, Liz, Joe, or even (god help me) Amy. But not this monster.
1
The only thing I've heard Mike Bloomberg say is, "I'm Mike Bloomberg and I approve this message."
1
Michelle,
Just want to make sure you've thought through the implications of nominating a guy who can't win. The Supreme Court shifts further right when RBG steps down. I won't make exaggerations about what that means for Roe v Wade and Obamacare - i'll let you decide for yourself what realistically happens.
1
If Bloomberg was as pure as so many in the chattering class would expect of him he would be god or at least capable of purchasing heaven. Lets see what the man has to say in the debates before burning him at the stake. Jesus is not available to run so we Democrats must settle for a perfectly imperfect human.
4
Bloomberg is a megalomaniac, who's racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, myopic, etc....we already have that in the White House.....ugh. Trump is a bully and a coward, we have real Democratic Presidential Contenders, that can tame him, (Bernie, Elizabeth, and maybe Klobuchar) and Bloomberg is a DINO. Billionaires like Bloomberg are so scared that those at the bottom, might get a real shot at the American Dream, like the Boomers, did under Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Billionaires are really scared that their wealth might get a 2% tax added on....like really. Ridiculous and Disgusting.
All of the current Democrat candidates can beat Trump. Don't let someone who can buy an election convince you otherwise because it is a lie. At this point, the people who want Bloomberg in office are either Republicans, centrists who believe we should continue compromising with a rampant GOP or people giving in to fear.
The only thing that Bloomberg has which the other Democrat candidates lack is billions of dollars with which to buy the election. How is he buying the election? By sending messages of fear, doubt, and the implication that only he can defeat Trump. This fear mongering of falsehoods is more consistent with the messages of the Republican party than any Democrat candidate. He is a Democrat in name only.
This November will be a referendum not only on Trump, but the criminally complicit Republican party as well. This won't happen by electing a Republican apologist who will give GOP senators a slap on the wrist and ultimately, a way to save face and a path back to regain the power they are going to lose in November.
The wealthy already own this country and run our government with impunity. Electing a Republican billionaire with a closet full of apologies will not change that. If Democrats need to field a Republican to win then we've already lost.
13
Thank you! I could not have said it better myself.
5
I love Bernie and most of his answers,
BUT BLOOMBERG CAN WIN
By being presidential and inclusive...
When they jump on Mike for yesterday's sins: racism, sexism redlining, Association with Known Republicans...
I want him to be the bigger man:
"That was then, this is now. Everybody has to learn.
Our country's major problem now is Donald Trump. And we need everybody's help, a common front.
Good point on medical care, Bernie and Elizabeth:
Why DO we pay more and receive less? Let's work on it.
For that matter:
How do we arrest global warming?
Protect our financial system?
Restore gun sanity?
Address income equality?
Because THESE ARE my priorities.
But first, comes winning.
The Trump/Republicans have had every advantage money can buy (larger campaign coffers, domination of air waves, suppression of voters, poisoning of internet)
I can level the playing field.
When I was graduating from high school, JFK asked us: What can you do for America?
For starters, I can defeat Donald Trump."
2
@frankly 32
JOE THE PLUMBER CAN WIN
1
Something I wonder: How much grassroots contributor money did the candidates who did campaign in Iowa cumulatively spend and was it worth it? Whereas we constantly hear about the gazillions Bloomberg has spent no one has given us a total amount other candidates did. All those pancake breakfasts and on-the-ground staff members and airfares for pretty much all white state that couldnt come up with a definite winner? I think the fact that Bloomberg had the brains to shun that "tradition" shows that if nothing else he is smart enough to be president. He can think out of the box!
3
@Vicki lindner I agree. In aggregate the first 4 states represent 4.3% of the total delegate count. How much was spent on a per-delegate basis? Such a waste. There were proposals to lump IA, NH, NV and SC all into a one day event and that makes more sense to me. And the caucus ... what an antiquated system ... that needs to go, though I hope NV doesn't repeat the IA mess.
@Vicki lindner
Right?!
Why physically go and meet voters, when you can just blitz them with the most expensive, marketed, tested, ads available. Just pound the word and the propaganda over and over. It's proven to work. Especially here in TVidiot 'merica.
Take the time to actually meet people you want to vote for you...how old timey and quaint.
Don't let them see the real you, just the phony talking head on TV. is all they need.
1
I have not heard Mike Bloomberg speak in public for some time. I do not expect much from him tonight. He obviously has great organizational skills, but I question his true principles. Anyone who can carry on as he has with women under his control, and minorities on the streets of "his" city as he has, makes me doubt the sincerity of his claimed support for the climate, equitable taxation, affordable medical care, and so forth. Yes, he probably get under trump's skin. So what? Is this about our lust for Trump's downfall, and that's it? We are to elect a President after all.
2
I hope the debate moderators tease him out on foreign policy. His web site was extremely sketchy on that last time I checked. In particular his attitudes about war, policing the globe, and military "adventures."
The possibility that we will need a cunning billionaire to remove another billionaire is an extremely sad comment on the state of our democracy. Nevertheless, I would be willing to place a bet that Mike is the lesser of evils, despite all his warts.
Boy do we need campaign reform!
1
After a dozen or so lively debates, five or six candidates have emerged that still have a legitimate shot. But there's a problem
While they all have their core supporters, they all seem to be causing everyone outside of their constituencies a lot of nervousness.
People fear that if Bernie wins, he's too far left to win the general, but that if he doesn't win some of his supporters ; worry about the unexpectedly mediocre showing from Joe and Liz in the first two primaries; that Pete is too young and inexperienced (and gay) ; that Pete and Amy seem surprisingly weak in critical minority communities, etc.
No one has seized the hearts and imaginations of the whole party. And now enters a guy believing can solve the problem.
But all he appears to have done is added yet another candidate with a base of support, making everyone outside his base nervous. He's got a lot of baggage. Has made a number of pretty unfortunate statements over the years (and when the opo research other candidates are doing kicks in, many more will likely come to light).
And just does not seem to have that x-factor that connects with people. Can't define it, but Reagan had it. Clinton and Obama had it. Like it or not, Trump has it.
Tonight should be a very interesting debate.
But ... I asked one of my best friends - a lifelong Democrat - what he thought of Bloomberg entering the race. All he said was "I wish Obama could run again".
Have a feeling that may be a widespread (if unspoken) sentiment.
1
The only way that will clear the path for a Bloomberg presidency is his choice of a Vice President running mate.
The perfect complement to him is Amy Kobuchar. She has the breadth of experience -- the most effective Senator in her ten years of office, by laws introduced and passed, and her never losing a campaign, even when Republicans won others in the same venue. She is also a lawyer with experience as a prosecutor in the largest area of Minisotta.
Mainly she has a rare quality of humanity that was illustrated in the hearing of Bret Kavanagh, as she was firm without the disdain shown by other Democrats.
She would be an active V. P. more like Cheney than Pence. This would give her genuine authority, with a foot in the Senate the other in the WhiteHouse. Perhaps I would prefer her for President, but she doesn't have the financial reasources. They should tie this up before Super Tuesday!
Bloomberg and Kolbuchar-- A Winning Ticket for America
4
Billionaires running in and winning elections is the direct result of The Supreme Court's Citizen's United Decision. If money is speech then more money buys a bigger megaphone.
2
Why do so many dems fulminate about Bloomberg getting his message out by a direct means, primarily television, to the electorate. Why isn't that fair? The other dozen or more candidates have had free media exposure through eight debates, millions of dollars of spending and their message simply is not resonating - primarily because, in my opinion, Bernie's and Elizabeth's message is a failure, Amy and Michael are too unseasoned, and well, what other light weights are there? So what if Bloomberg is spending his money - that doesn't make him a bad candidate or person. He is not hoodwinking you into panhandling money for him. Listen to his message, and stop being jealous of his business success.
2
February 19, 2020
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and why his politics reminds me of President JFK quote:
The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds. – John F. Kennedy
Further let's understand the great power of the Bloomberg mind to lead America and for a better world...
Because of my success in the private sector, I had the chance to run America's largest city for 12 years, governing in the wake of its greatest tragedy.
Michael Bloomberg
2
Not disposed to Mayor Bloomberg? Appreciate the clarity:)
For moderate Democrats like myself : We are looking for a winner with sense for uncommon times.
First choice - Joe.
No fire in the belly.
Bloomberg? Can hope.
Bernie, Pete and Amy will lose to Trump.
Mayor Bloomberg?
For moderate like me, can only hope.
3
Not sure how you know this. Bernie beats Trump in quite a few head-to-head polls. Is there actual evidence that Bloomberg would be better?
5
I for the life of me cannot figure out what is wrong with being a billionaire. Bloomberg obviously has the Republicans worried as their news net work is going out of its way to demonize him.
Yet they support a demon in the White House. Go figure.
The problem with the Democrats they want a candidate like Adam before to took a bite out of the apple. This person does not exist and cannot be re-created.
Lets be honest some of the Democratic candidates are out of touch with reality, like Medicare for all, free tuition etc. These ideas look good on paper but unbeknownst to them the rest of us do not have printing presses in our basement where we can print off a few rolls of twenties to keep things rolling.
I would take the demon Bloomberg over the demon Trump an day of the week. If Bloomberg gets the Party back tot the middle he will be a god send.
I would like to see Klobuchar Buttigieg ticket, young, smart, energetic and far removed from Adam.
Whatever it takes to get rid of Trump in November is fine with me, and if Bloomberg can deliver I am for him. I like Klobuchar, I like Buttigieg and I would even vote for Warren or Biden but none seems to garner enough support.
Bernie is too left, too angry, and too uncompromising to be effective. Trump would love to run against Bernie. That should be a surefire sign for us to avoid making him the nominee.
If we end up with another 4 years of Trump, it would be a great shame, a tragedy, for this country.
1
Putting aside the "job interview" campaigns which actually tell voters very little about how each candidate will run/manage the huge unique organization which is the executive branch of the government of the USA, it is hard to point to a more qualified executive than Mike Bloomberg. Unlike Trump he did not start on third base with family money and decided he earned a triple. Bloomberg earned his billions.
Post-Trump USA will be a difficult situation to unify and to manage to function as a normal country. The Trump "Dear Leader" cult is real and affects nearly 1/3 of the voters of the USA deeply. Other Trump voters simply follow the trend and as long as there are jobs and unifying words from the new president will be manageable.
Bloomberg is the best hope the Democratic party has for real reform and a return to a course which will eventually provide justice and equality for citizens of the USA. It is important to stop the transformation of this country into "America First" and to stop the Republican/Trump "anti-woman, anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ agenda which prevents many skilled and talented individuals from contributing to the USA. Education and science need to return as American values to fight climate change and preserve our children's heritage.
Bloomberg can implement the Democratic party agenda if he is committed to its values and principles. He will need a young, inspirational VP to carry the message across the country.
2
“Is he a narcissistic ex-Republican with Big Brotherish tendencies and a sketchy record on race who is trying to buy the presidency?”
Yes, and anyone who buys what he is selling is a mark. Don’t put me in a position where I am forced to vote for him. I will, and centrist Dems who would vote for Trump himself before voting for a progressive will, but who else will?
5
@sedanchair
Not the progressives. At least not in the numberb needed to win.
3
We know who wants to destroy democracy.
We know who wants to dismiss peoples
aspiration for equal society as it's states in the Constitution.
We know who supports NRA and ignores
horrific mass shootings.
We know who can care less for a plight of poverty-stricken people in our society
We know who has no consideration for the planet Earth our next generation will inherit.
All of these coming from the same people, who don't give a hoot about anything except their own pockets.
Whatever you can say about Bloomberg, he is not one of these characters.
And here I'm with abundance of conflicting feelings, with all my passion for progressive agenda willing to wait and give a chance to Bloomberg.
He might prove to become one of the best presidents in our modern era.
He deserves an open mind, let's see what he does.
Considering all his good efforts during his three terms in NYC, he does merit the opportunity to prove himself...
“Don't talk, act. Don't say, show. Don't promise, prove.”
― Nitya Prakash
5
At least the man has a sense of humour: when asked what he felt about a presidential election between two billionaires, he replied "But who's the other?"
3
Bloomberg is entirely visible. He is the embodiment of Wall Street and the TBTF establishment that doesn't want a regular Joe or Jane in the White House or Congress doing what's right for Joe and Jane and making Wall Street and the TBTF be responsible citizens and stop the ongoing corruption and kleptocracy that is pushing the United States to the full reality of being a corrupted Banana Republic completed with a Kangaroo Court for oligarchs and against liberty for everyone else.
What's wrong with our government today is the extreme imbalance of wealth and the concentration of too much money and too much power in too few hands. Our main mission is to end the corruption of Wall Street and the billionaires it represents. Bloomberg is synomous with Wall Street as almost every major on Wall Street is his customer. That is who he serves in business and it is who he will serve in government.
No more billionaires in the White House. One was bad enough. Enough is enough. Let's get big money out of our government and the time to do it is now!synonymous
10
@Tom Paine: Everybody says Hillary Clinton is tainted by Wall Street. Compared to Mike, she just dipped her toe in it.
5
Trump called Bloomberg's comments racist.
He also said, and still says, Barack Obama is not a US citizen.
2
If the entire debate is focused on Bloomberg vis-a-vis attacks by the other candidates and moderator questions posed only to him that would not only be unprecedented, it would also be singularly unfair.
The debates thus far have had more or less balanced sparring among the candidates themselves and a series of mixed questions by the moderators.
Ms. Cottle's suggestion that at this debate "to kick the tires on Mr. Bloomberg" would be fitting and fair can only be true if we do the same at all future debates one candidate at a time.
3
@Cordelia: "Town Hall" campaign events are frequently available to watch on TV. Those are one-candidate affairs.
2
Need to release tax returns before being considered for my vote. A promise to release after being nominated leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
8
@Brian: What do you think of people who voted for Trump without having done so? (Not that anyone will read 100,000 pages of tax return)
2
He spends $400 million on the campaign, but how much did he make from Wall Street and his business selling China's government investments to Americans?
7
To @Hector - The answer to your question is Zero$. Bloomberg built a data, software, information management and news business from the ground up.
1
@RobF
Bloomberg LLP makes its money taking a cut of trades performed on its platform. Something tells me there's a lot more money in that than in selling terminal data subscriptions at $84K/year apiece.
3
Money does not buy elections. All he is doing is sparing the people from sending in their money. Of course plenty of the public can afford modest donations. He's a smart man he managed to do great things for the greatest city in the country. I am sick and tired of Sanders unpleasant voice ranting and raving about Bloomberg, better he should concentrate on the fact that an awful lot of people do not want to lose their private medical insurance. We don't need socialism. We need someone who can put this country back together again so we can recover from all the damage done and is still doing by that one in the WH now.
2
@Sari: Affordable taxation of everyone to provide public amenities for all is socialism. The US does not begin to know how to manage what it doesn't understand.
7
Please America, not another self-absorbed oligarch. Bloomberg has no vision for our country beyond a ledger sheet.
10
Why did Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer think it would be a good idea to prod Barack Obama to run for president in 2008 with under four years of experience in the Senate?
"A disgrace," huh?
Right out of Trump's lexicon.
Emphasis on the con.
2
I have read the NYT op-eds consistently for about 50 years and this seems as personal to an author as I have seen and has a blatant targeted agenda.
The author indicated that MB has sought to “buy” the election — yet he has also used his money and influence to be amongst the great philanthropists of all time. At the risk of being, personal back, “give me a break.”
3
@Steve Stein: He can't really want to run. He probably wanted to back Biden.
I am very anxious to see how Bloomberg comports himself tonight when challenged.
He's on my list of contenders, but the answer to the above will determine if he remains there or not.
1
Like I've said before in NYT chatting, this election is about power, propaganda, media smarts targeted at voters who never read the Times never watch news just scroll their phones reacting to mind control, positive and negative reenforcement. They look only at the summaries of the debates, never watch the real time debates. They'll never read this column. The success of Bloomberg's campaign is proof of how affective media smarts can be. Trump is a media genius. Show me another Democrat who can win and I'll vote for that person, but for now I am impressed with Mike. The Democrats already have ruined their other candidates, what else are we supposed to do?
1
@Bill Evans: Trump helps sell snake oil. You didn't come here looking for any.
1
If I were Bloomberg this is how I would answer the first question tonight, regardless of what it is:
Good evening. I do what to answer that question, but first let me say this. I know I am arriving late to this party. I do so with only one focus: to make sure we will remove Donald Trump from the White House. I believe virtually any of the candidates on this stage tonight would be better than Trump so I will not attack or criticize them in any way. I am here, yes, with money I will spend in whatever way I judge will be best to achieve the goal of removing Trump. If the American voters don't choose me as the nominee, I will remain to work for whomever the candidate is. And I will continue to spend my hard-earned money to support that singular goal.
I do believe that I, with warts and all, the inevitable scars of actually managing a great city, am a strong candidate for this job. I learned much in business and in leading the great City of New York that I believe I can apply in Washington. I wasn't perfect. None of us are.
But do understand, we all up here should stand united to one cause: Removing Donald Trump and saving American democracy.
Now, to answer the specific question . . . . .
5
If I had billions and could buy Trump’s exit from the White House, I’d pay up in a heartbeat. Wouldn’t you? Bloomberg should just offer Trump a few billion in return for his resignation and a pledge never to run for public office again. Pretty sure the Monster in Chief would take that deal. He’s that crass.
7
It would also make him the billionaire he has always wanted to be.
1
Let Bloomberg do that as a private citizen and not as a presidential candidate.
What he is, is another candidate too old to be running. 78? Seriously?
3
Bernie Sanders isn't exactly a spring chicken
2
For those of us who didn't live in NYC under Bloomberg's mayorality I'm just wondering why the NY Times Editorial Board "enthusiastically" endorsed both of his re-election campaigns, along with his decision to seek a third term.
The 2005 re-election endorsement praises him for how far the crime rate had fallen and "more importantly" how he'd managed to achieve this "in an atmosphere of racial harmony." He had shown how it was possible to fight crime without fighting the communities in which it occurs.
However stop-and-frisk is mentioned in the 2009 endorsement. It notes that crime is down although there is "again" concern that the stop-and-frisk policy seems to focus too heavily on Hispanics and African Americans. Then it tells us that the mayor is a leader on gun control.
When exactly did the policy begin? Doesn't it seems logical that it might have started between re-elections?
1
@LS Here's an article about Stop and Frisk:
https://theintercept.com/2020/02/11/bloomberg-stop-and-frisk/
Bloomberg is not "buying" the election. I doubt the American people will buy this foolish notion that pundits keep repeating.
The people who buy elections are Super PACs (anonymous contributors), Big Pharma, the NRA, and corporations that do not hide within a SuperPac. The candidates who accept money from others are the ones trying to buy an election -- and that includes every candidate running for president, including the one currently sitting in the office.
4
@Greymont So far, Bloomberg has spent 400 million dollars of his own money. (Source: BBC World News just moments ago.) As you know, he's worth approximately 60 billion. He doesn't need to accept money from other people. Here's an explanation in The Intercept of one way he's buying the election. I'll leave it to you to research the others, and also Bloomberg's past as a Republican, and Stop and Frisk.
https://theintercept.com/2020/02/13/bloomberg-spending-local-state-campaigns/
You might like this article, too:
https://theintercept.com/2020/02/15/mike-bloomberg-campaign-spending-media-executives/
He can and will be Trump
that is what we need PERIOD
1
@Terry - Agreed. He would just be a new Trump.
No point then of getting rid of the real Trump.
3
Every day (every hour) the country becomes more Authoritarian. We are not electing a saint, but a nominee to take on the wannabe dictator in the White House.
If the democrats lose, we will likely become a dictatorship. And what do you imagine life for black and brown people will be then?
4
Just say no to Bloomberg. I had been saying that I would vote for the Democratic nominee whoever it turns out to be. But, I'm tired of the rich controlling politics. I will not vote for Bloomberg. If Trump gets elected again, so be it.
9
Mr. Bloomberg, without a doubt, was the best mayor of NYC since Robert Wagner's day. In an infantile political process he has been an adult.
If he gets the nomination, I will definitely vote for him. In fact, he is the only current candidate who is capable of beating Trump. Meanwhile, it will be fun to see how he handles the superficial attacks of the media and the other candidates.
4
You can see the man if you research some of his work on Youtube, including his fight for climate change, his charitable donations. Corporations, lobbyists buying elections is one thing. An individual who understands the high stakes of this election, using his own personal wealth to unseat an autocrat is using capitalism for a good cause. Bloomberg has charisma. He comes off as straight forward and compassionate. No other democrat can match him in that regard. I wish him nothing but success because at this point the other democrats simply can't be trusted to get the job done.
4
Let's see, Bloomberg is a former Republican, Liz Warren is a former Republican (look it up -- I am from Massachusetts), and Bernie is, according to Wikipedia, still an Independent. So three of the top tier candidates for President are not originally Democrats. How interesting. Not much chance to attack Bloomberg for that...
2
Why why why doesn't he run as a Republican?
6
@me Because he supports gun safety and can't be bought by the NRA? Because he supports efforts to curb climate change? Or maybe because he already invested some of his fortune to help flip 21 moderate House districts into blue?
1
@me
Because the goal was never to dethrone Trump, but to ambush Bernie if he got too big for his britches. For democracy, of course.
7
I actually have not seen a single ad - from Bloomberg or any of the other candidates. I do not have cable - only stream content and I do not use social media. Plus I live in MA, which is not exactly hotly contested. Its nice to live without political ads.
Few thoughts...
I have no shred of doubts that Barr will ever step down, he is quintessential loyalist to monarchy, "Hail to the King"
"Hail to the king, hail to the one
Kneel to the crown, stand in the sun
Hail to the king (hail, hail, hail, the king)
His reputation was destroyed long time ago if he ever had one.
He's just a ruthless executor of the mad king in a WH.
As pertains to Bloomberg, let's first remember he is not trump.
He did accomplish many good things in NYC, and New Yorkers have a big list of his good deeds.
But if opposition research gives you a pause, you are not alone!
He is tricky in his promotional misleading campaign where Obama seems like he endorsing him.
Honestly I detest that.
He never endorse Obama,but he endorsed Bush, he was against minimum wage increase, he was offensive to women in his company and most of all as many apologies that he issued to his devastating policy of
"stop and frisk" it's just simply not enough, unless he has a detailed forward plan of how to move forward. and correct tragic mistakes, that had a terrible consequences on people's lives!
We haven't heard it yet, and time is running out.
Tonight he will be facing the firing squad, good!
Will watch how he can handle it!!!
I have to say that the most incomprehensible to me is how any normal Jewish person could have such racist policy.
3
Times like this it would be nice to have an election news blackout period (like nearly every other democracy has). At this point, these debates are mainly for the party and the media to sway the electorate toward or away from certain candidates. At some point, manipulation associated with these debates outweighs their informative value.
2
The only thing Mike Bloomberg has going for him is his money. He thinks nothing of flaunting it to get ahead. He has given to many liberal causes with the hopes of gaining benefits later on. Where are his tax returns? He never did release these when he was mayor. The Democrats have criticized Donald Trump for not releasing his but have remained silent over Mike Bloomberg’s. The silence is defeating. Mike Bloomberg show us your tax returns. We are waiting.
8
Correction: The silence is deafening. Sorry.
2
@KMW: Many Democrats have called for Bloomberg to release his tax returns. But for a Trump supporter to do so seems very hypocritical.
The presidency must be bought by any candidate. The source of the monies is the question. Bernie brags that it's all grass roots small donations for him. Bloomberg uses his own funds. I'm not against someone using his own money.
3
Not all New Yorkers were enthralled with Mike Bloomberg when he was elected. He bought his third term as mayor and many of us were miffed. How could ordinary politicians who did not have a large stash of cash compete with a man who was willing to throw his money around. There were those of us who were ecstatic when he left office. And to think he is running for President. We are not pleased.
5
Love the current mayor?
Crime up. Homelessness up. Income disparity up. And you think Trump is a better choice? Or that Sanders can win at all?
3
Got to give up on the “me” alone and act like “we”. Right now, sure, support your candidate and good luck. But, when the D is awarded at the nominating convention, if it doesn’t go to your candidate, then YOU can’t afford to cut off your nose to give US four more years of Trump.
5
it isn't necessarily that Bloomberg has the money to spend on advertising. It is that the ads are brilliant. He actually has ads with him being praised by Obama. The other Dems could have used Obama but like they did in 2010 and lost the House they hid from Obama.
Bloomberg is running full ads on school shootings and gun safety whereas the rest of the Dems run from the gun issue keep quiet.
I am in florida on vacation and his ads are just brilliant and will bring all the down ballot Dems along.
Look we have Amy out there giving word salad about pro life nonsense. Stand strong for you beliefs don't waffle.
Bloomberg is showing commercials of him working with Obama in the past and good for him. Too many Dems will run from Obama and his programs. Remember the bloodbath in 2010 they refused to even have Obama come campaign for them and they stayed silent on Obamacare letting the Repubs steal the dialogue and lie.
2
The refusal to collect $1 donations is extremely telling.
Many people who claim to be "data driven" have a funny habit of ignoring the flaws in their data or shaping the data collection itself to tell them what they want. If Bloomberg failed to get enough donors for the debates, his candidacy would be harmed but he would probably press on with less chance to win.
If he did get enough donors, he would have been expected to debate and not just rely on TV ads featuring one nice (and presumably paid for) comment from Obama seven years ago. People would likely realize this was a bad idea long before Super Tuesday.
Hiding stuff while running for president? We saw that four years ago, and it has not turned out well.
4
@Jackson
"...with the help of the DNC, traipsing insouciantly over longstanding rules the have prevented lower wage earners from becoming a nominee at such a late stage ..."
In the interest of accuracy, we might note here that the DNC and the individual state Democratic parties, including Iowa, made a number of changes to the rules at Senator Sanders' request. Most of those changes did tend to favor Mr. Sanders. Moreover, we might note that JFK and FDR ran for president as, essentially, billionaires. It goes without saying that JFK and FDR are two of the most despicable insouciant traipsers that we have ever had.
3
@Robert
The rule changes were not made at Sanders' request. They were voted on and transparently agreed upon BEFORE the race started. Sanders asked for transparency.
That did not benefit him (or anyone else) in the slightest. It just served to make the IDP and the DNC look incompetent and undemocratic to the public - something every insider already knew.
Perez's statements made it clear that Bloomberg was granted an exception by the DNC big wigs, AFTER the race started.
There is nothing even remotely comparable to Sanders.
@Viv
Changing the rules, back before the debates began, at Mr. Sanders' request, to require both poll numbers and donor numbers expressly favored candidates like Sanders who had lots of small donors.
To say it another way, Bloombucks, I mean Bloomberg's fortune is 61,800 stacks of one million dollars. What he is spending to run is a small fraction of that. Regardless, if he becomes that nominee, I will support him. I will do all I can to elect whomever the candidate is, as well as supporting down ballot Democrats in the House and Senate, even those outside my own state.
4
My family eliminated standard broadcast TV by 1995 and have been able to avoid the inundation of political advertising so common today. Our news comes primarily from selected sources including PBS, The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC News, Le Monde and local news sources in our community. We have in the past looked in on MSNBC, CNN and even Fox News to check our perception against bias. This mode of obtaining daily news may have isolated us to some degree from what most Americans see and thus insulated us from the anger and partisan tribalism so prevalent today. But it also has allowed us to maintain a balanced perspective, checking claimed facts against multiple sources to ensure truthfulness. We may at times be surprised at the level of hatred, misinformation and intentional misdirection and lying but the alternative of becoming numb to this supposed 'new normal' would be worse by far.
"this will be debate moderators’ first opportunity to kick the tires on Mr. Bloomberg’s candidacy"
Translation:
"the debate will allow pro-Bloomberg moderators Chuck Todd, Lester Holt and Hallie Jackson to lob softball questions to Bloomberg as part of their 24/7 effort to prop him up. However, the anti-Sanders moderators from the Stop Sanders Network will take every opportunity to kick Bernie Sanders as often as possible"
8
Bloomberg comes to the race with real accomplishments and credentials. He brings valuable experience as the NYC mayor and a highly successful businessman unlike his opponents Sanders and Trump.
Does he have flaws and has he changed his party affiliation and views on stop and frisk? Yes, unlike Trump he knows how to apologize for past mistakes and the misogynistic statements that he is being accused of making which pale in comparison to the actual assaults that Trump has perpetrated on women.
We’ll hear bellowing Bernie and whining Warren accuse Bloomberg of trying to buy the election with his huge fortune. Seems to me he is an example of the American dream rising from humble beginnings to get a first class education and actually working to build a fortune unlike Trump who is adept at squandering one.
Bernie is the progressive huckster trying to sell policies that are both unworkable, unfundable, and unrealistic the other side of the same coin as Trump the lying conman. I’ll put my money on Bloomberg and forgive him his trespasses.
7
I’m with you. As a longtime feminist who had a 35-year career in several high profile client-facing finance positions, I can attest to the boys club environment and crude language that permeated the culture (and is only starting to abate). Most of us developed thick skins around that kind of talk. I’m glad to know that Mr. Bloomberg has apologized and has demonstrably evolved. Every single one of these candidates has a past. To what good purpose should we dwell on it? We voters can form our own judgment as to where they are now and how they will behave if elected. I fervently hope that all the candidates will stop tearing into each other and instead focus on Trump, who has never shown any contrition and has never apologized for his outrageous, boorish behavior over many decades.
1
@KJS Goodness, From reading this it sounds like if Trump really wanted to win all he'd have to do is Switch his party affiliation to Democrat and go on an apology tour. He'd have his base, and people like you newly on board. Thanks, but no thanks. As a brown person who worked in NYC under stop and frisk Bloomberg to me is no better than Trump. If Democrats really want a low voter turnout come November, then Bloomberg's their guy. He's not mine.
5
The only, only, glimmer of hope that keeps me going is the belief that there a majority of people who, like me, are sick to death of what this guy has done, is doing, and will for the endless next 258 days, continue to do to what used to be a pretty good place to live. That all the “vote blue, no matter who”, is a real sentiment, and we can all rally around one, any one, who is the democratic nominee. That’s all I’ve got.
4
Constant lying. Collusion. Debt $1T after pretending to want to balance the budget. Paying off a porn star he screwed while his wife was pregnant, with a personally signed check no less; calling everyone a name; praising Putin; threatening everyone; conduct unbecoming of a high school bully; dissing our allies; constant lying; breaking the emoluments clause; children lying; using the White House like a flea market stall for a Ivanka made in China crap....
1
What do you mean no one knows? He's been in the public eye for decades. He's more well known that any of the other candidates. What we know is that he is racist and misogynist. He has a huge ego. And he thinks he can buy anything he wants simply because he has the money and who refuses to go through normal processes of our system. Remind you of anyone? I have a hard time believing any Democrat would support this guy who has suddenly found the light on several issues, like stop and frisk, just when he wants to get elected. What a coincidence. If Democrats nominate this man, I give up. I'm too old to move to Canada, so I'll just give up.
7
I have no doubt that Mr. Bloomberg is not a racist, stop and frisk notwithstanding.
But the real issue, in my opinion, is the way that he dismantled the NYC public school system.
Like Robert Wagner, he is a technocrat. But unlike Wagner who looked to find the best, most competent people to run the city, Bloomberg hired friends or friends of friends whose reputations were as managers but not experts on the subjects that he managed.
Joel Klein was a perfectly nice guy who had failed to dismantle Microsoft but knew nothing about education. Cathy Black knew even less. But Mike Bloomberg put them in charge of the lives and future of over a million children.
6
Mr. Bloomberg has a reputation for not taking criticism or unwelcome queries particularly well, once calling a reporter whose question he disliked “a disgrace.”
Most questions from reporters ARE A DISGRACE.
1
"In case the moderators are stuck for material, here are a few lines of inquiry to consider."
You left Bloomberg's long record of being open to SS cuts - which his present, weasel-worded platform still leaves the door open to.
You know, Ms. Cottle...actual economic issues impacting lower income people especially...
6
Bloomberg is fighting fire with a flamethrower.
I hope the trump campaign goes bankrupt trying to keep up
3
My guess is that Bloomberg has the most to gain in tax cuts and business deregulation if DJT gets re-elected, so he may be doing this to trash the Democrats and throw the election to DJT. He's a plutocrat, not a democrat, so I see no good coming from his entrance into the race, but if he were to win, America could benefit from a "benign" despot who, like MBS, will flog people, knock heads, and dismember opponents to take care of business. And he knows how to keep US people of color in line.
4
Liberty, Justice and Human Equality are nether attainable through criminal processes or for sale.
This billionaire actually thinks that he is superior to other humans because he has cleverly manged to appear to not be criminally acting and stealing by manipulating the so called capitalist economic system to further his personal separative wonderfulness.
The other obvious criminal has simply stolen, lied, cheated, slandered, framed, sexually assaulted, raped, bribed, stone walled , etcetera.
Which one represents the biggest threat to Life, Liberty Humanity, the Planet? Id say they are the same disasters in different suits.
Well neither is acceptable. Please Vote for Bernie or Elizabeth,
2
It would be good if media coverage of Mr. Bloomberg regularly noted that he has extensive executive governance experience, and that he is far from a dilettante like Steyer (however well-intended Steyer might be). Mr. Bloomberg is manifestly qualified as a candidate; I hope the national press will not decide on some narrative that is unfavorable for him.
5
And we'll see how it goes.. Bloomberg has some problems with his past policies and statements..but he has also contributed mightily to support many important Democratic policies.
--- Certainly buying ad time is not buying an election (unless everyone here is going to vote according to a TV ad).
--.. Bloomberg will be called to task for his past controversies.. But many people like the policies he has supported like gun control and climate change..and also see him as a good opponent to take on Trump..
..So we'll see.
4
The time is ripe for the rise of a third Independent party since our present 2-party system has failed us miserably. It is unfortunate that Mr. Bloomberg did not take up the Independent mantle and lead us to an improved democracy.
Why should we trust Sanders? He's not a Democrat (neither am I).
I'll vote for the best candidate. Between Bloomberg and Sanders, it's Bloomberg, although not my first choice (yet).
In the general election, I'll vote against Trump, regardless of whom the Democratic candidate is.
3
I hope people listen to what he says. If you are going to judge candidates by who shouts the loudest, Trump will win with Sanders a close second.
Bernie is espousing policy that has worked in all the Nordic states for over 50 years. These governments are all true democracy's (unlike ours) and they are all capitalist market economies. They are also the most educated,healthiest, and happiest people in the world. That could be us if you just don't buy in to the red baiting propaganda...most people don't anymore that's why Bernie's winning ....
8
@Jackson and that's what will make us better
2
There’s a backlash brewing against Bloomberg from liberals, youth and POC. Some see him as bad as Trump. I do not share this latter opinion but understand their perception he’s a Wall Street insider billionaire who instituted stop-and-frisk. This could result in voter apathy from the Democratic base and low voter turnout if he is the nominee. He’ll need to move forward thoughtfully and touch upon his ideological strengths.
If he’s not the nominee, I hope he’ll place support and some of his tremendous resources behind whoever is. It’ll be needed to take on Trump.
4
We have had three plus years of fussing and hand wringing about trump and his "media instincts" and how they upend convention and bend the media narrative his way. Now finally we have a Democratic candidate who seems to get it. Yes Bloomberg is "looking to disrupt the nominating process." So ads spread a perception of him as Obama's best friend and, of course, he "has avoided many of the traditional hoops." Nothing stopped the other candidates from doing the same thing. If money could buy elections we would be talking about Tom Steyer's huge win in New Hampshire so hardly THE "overarching question."
The debate will be interesting, Maybe Bloomberg and Bernie can compete for the prickly and awkward award. Bloomberg was NYC mayor for 12 years so he's hardly unvetted and there is plenty to question him on. But why not ask all the candidates how they will proceed if the Senate remains in McConnell's hands? Perhaps a more important question is whether Democrats need purity or can accept someone who apologizes and moves on to put their money and energy behind our causes especially the most important one to remove trump.
7
I’m confused by comments about how Bloomberg is bypassing the democratic process. Here he is as a candidate, for consideration in all but two of the state primaries. We know who Bloomberg is from a very long time in the public eye, and we have plenty of time to learn more about him as candidate for president.
I like Mayor Pete and Senator Klobuchar - both are both smart and decent people. What I’m concerned about is their ability to go against the inevitable Trump tactics. Bloomberg is terrifying to Trump and I appreciate this.
13
This debate will be interesting, if only to hear Bloomberg finally speak in person during his campaign.
I do not understand his sudden rush of support. For the most part, progressive will not support him, nor will black and minority voters. And for what? To win over the elusive republican-leaning voter who “wants an alternative to Trump”? That voter is going to vote for Trump because the economy is good, and because the right wing media is going to paint any candidate we choose as a crazy deep-blue liberal.
Don’t take the party base for granted.
9
Here's something to ponder. Senator Sanders was mayor of Burlington. Burlington is one quarter the size of Mayor Buttigieg's South Bend. South Bend is a very small fraction of the size of Mayor Bloomberg's New York City. And New York City has the population of, roughly, ten Iowas or one Canada. For these three candidates who have based their candidacy on their experience as mayors, this represents their most significant executive experience as public servants. Of course, Bloomberg, who was one of the most successful mayors New York ever had, also started and built one of the most successful companies of the last century.
10
@Robert I know that you are discussing "executive" experience, but you are forgetting that only Sanders has actually worked inside the Federal government and maybe has the most knowledge of how it works...
4
@NW
"... only Sanders has actually worked inside the Federal government and maybe has the most knowledge of how it works ..."
Is that factual? I wasn't forgetting the legislative side. My comment was only about executive, that is, management and administrative, experience. Of course it isn't only Sanders who has federal legislative experience. For instance, Warren has it. Though her tenure as a federal legislator is shorter, her accomplishments are almost certainly more significant, e.g., the CFPB. And Biden and Klobuchar have extremely significant federal legislative experience. How many bipartisan bills has Sanders sponsored, in how many years in the House and the Senate? Zero. How many bipartisan bills has Sanders sponsored? Zero, in 29 years.
5
I believe you are forgetting Klobuchar's record here.
"Mr. Bloomberg sauntered into the race in late November, long after most of the field"...
...with the help of the DNC, traipsing insouciantly over longstanding rules the have prevented lower wage earners from becoming a nominee at such a late stage.
5
@Jackson
In the interest of accuracy, truth and fairness, we should note here that the DNC and state Democratic parties, including Iowa, made a number of changes to the rules at Senator Sanders' request. Most of those changes did tend to favor Mr. Sanders. Moreover, we should note that JFK and FDR ran for president as, essentially, billionaires. It goes without saying that JFK and FDR are two of the most despicable insouciant traipsers that we have ever had.
5
"He skipped the endless retail politicking — the diner stops, county fairs and pancake breakfasts — that comes with wooing voters in early states like Iowa and New Hampshire." So? Maybe it shows good judgment and efficiency.
How Iowa and New Hampshire became the heavy thumb on the scale of choosing candidates is beyond me. We should have a national primary election on the same day.
Bloomberg may be another "narcissistic ex-Republican with Big Brotherish tendencies and a sketchy record on race who is trying to buy the presidency." Who knew they were common as muck?
At least he seems to have a brain intact, doesn't apparently have a hair problem, a weight problem, and a very big problem with the truth.
6
“National primary on the very same day”?!
No thank you.
• A single day, national primary would be undemocratic and a very bad way of
selecting a nominee.
We need a year-long process, replete with caucuses and primaries, and emphasizing lots of retail politicking and news coverage to get to know the candidates. We want time for investigative reports, a series of intense debates (but in different formats, including direct candidate to candidate exchanges and even scenario analyses), and for information to come out. We also want to see what kind of leader the person is, how well they can communicate their message, and interact with voters. It should NEVER be rushed.
A single-day national primary, akin to what goes on during Super Tuesday, benefits the candidates who can saturate the airwaves, and spend hundreds of millions on advertisements — and not the ones with the best policies and most people-friendly, social justice-oriented campaign.
@Marsha Pembroke
By that reasoning, why should the national election day be one day at all? Why should everyone vote their conscience instead of what's popular in other states?
Why not let the "important" states vote first, so the less important ones can understand that correct way to vote.
1
Can Bloomberg really atone for the multitude of human suffering, whose deeply harmful effects continue to this very day, caused by his year’s long embrace and vigorous promotion of a racist, unconstitutional, disastrous “stop and frisk” policy which ravaged entire disadvantaged neighborhoods in NYC. Some actions taken by politicians are categorically unforgivable and rightfully should be particularly when, as in his case, they strongly seem to be purely motivated by his presidential ambitions. He extrajudicially used the raw power of his office to reign what amounted to terror down upon a vulnerable population. He is unqualified for any future public office, let alone the highest in our nation.
3
@John Grillo
Can Sanders atone for his numerous votes against reasonable gun control laws, which contributed to the suffering caused by the plague of gun violence and gun fatalities, during his 29 years in Congress? could reasonably be said to be part ? All of the candidates have made mistakes. Neither Sanders nor Bloomberg would do now what they have done in the past. I am not saying you should not vote for Sanders, who tells us now that he voted that way because it was what his constituents wanted. A broad consensus of communities and community leaders, including communities of color, supported Mayor Bloomberg's policies. Were they a big mistake? You bet. They were not, however, any worse than the mistakes the other candidates have made.
5
Comparing Sanders’s votes, as only one of 100 participating Senators, to the sole actions of the head of NYC’s entire municipal government, is obviously a false and preposterous one. I would also argue that Bloomberg’s lawless, unconstitutional policy had an immediate and immensely harmful impact upon millions and millions of New Yorkers. You are giving Bloomberg a huge, undeserving pass.
3
@John Grillo
Om average each Senator represents about 3 million people. In the Senate their votes all carry the same weight. Even a Senator from a little state like New Hampshire has that much influence.
And, WHAT IF Mr. Bloomberg is a Trump shill? What if this whole exercise is a distraction to divert attention from the increasingly bad stuff perpetrated by Trump's government? WHAT IF this is a sideshow to diminish other Dem candidates' messages and further split the Democratic Party? Easily done, if we think about it. WHAT IF Bloomberg's candidacy is the internal equivalent of a Jill Stein campaign?
If Bloomberg was really interested in getting the Democrat's message across he would be spending his millions on informing and educating the American people on what is happening to destroy our democracy. And he would be doing it NOW, not as a candidate which is helping to blow up the party but as a patriot helping to unite the country. He would be spending his fortune informing and educating the American public about the real Donald Trump Administration and using his PR prowess pointing out what is happening to climate change and environmental laws and regulations, pointing out the corruption in virtually every aspect of government including the latest coup-like behavior of the "Justice Department." Bloomberg could be illustrating the sheep-like behavior of the Republicans in Congress and the dangers of the shredding of the notion of checks and balances. And on-and-on. Do this, Mr. Bloomberg, and you will be making a genuine and effective contribution to the saving of our democracy!
2
Wow, look at that? The Clintons and their Bloomberg money are nowhere near power and China is in disarray, Just coincidence?
1
Causality is never an easy sell, but you stretch it far past any breaking point.
7
Let it be a battle between a big American capitalist and a big American socialist. That’s the basic Democratic fight.
Happiness is seeing the Dems turn on each other. Will it be Bernie or will it be Mike -- if it's either, it's game-over for the Dems in 2020.
2
Micheal Bloomberg is a smart, successful, public service minded individual. You say he is unknown? That is ridiculous, in fact absurd, he as the former mayor of New York, one of the highest profile elected offices in the US.
But sure, pick away at him, undermine him, let Trump have 4 more years.
5
"Rarely has a candidate come so far while revealing so little of himself..." Hogwash. If there's one individual about whom the whole world knows all it needs to know, it's Bloomberg. It could be argued that no more public a figure exists than the uberwealthy mayor.
8
Not to most people across the country, most of whom aren't political, news junkies!
2
It's horrifying, the eagerness which the so-called liberal readership here hankers to be ruled by this perpetually aggrieved, endlessly vain 78 year old Republican billionaire, scornful of civil liberties, and full of self-flattering misconceptions, who endorsed the worst president in American history -- you really forgot GWB? -- until Trump.
There's no satisfaction in remarking that people get the leadership they deserve, since the rest of us would have to live with your folly.
Is wasn't bad enough, that you were disastrously wrong in 2016? Or that your idolization of Barack Obama brought us Trump?
You really gotta do it again?
3
So, we'll have three billionaires in the presidential race, two of whom are obvious racists, one seems to make the trains run on time. Another major irony is that the nazis had major public health programs and anti smoking programs too. The US is already a country on the side of a military base, Bloomberg will continue this "tradition" in a less corrupt manner.
2
Can you imagine what you could change with $400MM of investment in this country? Bill Gates, my neighborhood billionaire, alongside his wife Melinda, have demonstrated through their foundation that politics is often the least successful avenue of implementing meaningful change.
Especially with Bloomberg positioning himself as an incrementalist, I really can't shake the notion that he's not running against Trump, but rather against the Sanders/Warren coalition. Bloomberg could achieve incremental change in this country with his fortune - seems like he's more worried about big, structural changes occurring.
6
What a sad state of affairs this our political system. Would we not be better off with a parliamentary style of government with several parties and voters could pick one which best suits their political leanings? In very few instances where parliament exists, does one party ever get a clear majority. The end result is cooperation among the viable parties to pass legislation.
In our current two party system, money is well on its way to becoming the defining factor as to whom wins the election. That is a bad place to be in a democracy.
1
Elsewhere the Times refers to Bloomberg and Sanders as coming from opposite sides of the Dem ideological divide. That assumes either or both are actually Dems. Bernie has never signed on to becoming a Dem, and Mike has been all over the party map in his political bio. Some Dems now are claiming that he isn't one of them still.
So: is it more important to elect a true-blooded Dem or to defeat Trump? Ideally both. But that may not be possible.
1
Bloomberg said he wanted to turn New York into a luxury product—and he was very successful at doing just that. He supports a lot of liberal organizations and he's strong on climate change and gun control. But what about all those people who don't quite align with New York's luxury brand? What about the poor, the Muslims, the blacks, the latinos—all those people who aren't masters of the universe or bright, mostly white, young people with the potential to become tomorrow's masters and mistresses? The people Bloomberg stopped and frisked, surveilled, denied minimum wages, and said should still be redlined? What about those? Bloomberg has always been the candidate of luxury liberalism—he's a Republican with a conscience or a Democrat with a billionaire's bank account. For me, the most interesting thing about the debate tomorrow is to see what Bloomberg says. Can he convince me he's really changed, that he truly understands the needs and wants of those who live in Harlem and the Bronx. Or does his vision stop at 97th street.
6
@617to416
Don't worry, I'm sure he'll come up with a plan to ship them to Mexico. It worked for getting rid of the homeless in NYC; surely it can work for the rest of the country.
1
We will definitely have an opportunity to watch the candidates at tonight’s presidential debate. All eyes and ears will be on Mike Bloomberg. This is his first debate since announcing his candidacy and his every move will be scrutinized. It should be a most interesting evening. We will have a lot to talk about tomorrow.
3
I will not vote for a candidate who endorses George Bush in 2004. I will vote for any other Democrat.
I will not vote for Bloomberg.
10
@Bill Dan: Bloomberg got better and wised up. Don't trap yourself in the past; that would only help re-elect Trump.
5
If money buys elections, where's Tom Steyer?
91
Tom Steyer, in spite of being a billionaire, does not have as much money. Bloomberg has about $61 billion.
Tom does not have political experience either.
7
@Chris Steyer is at least paying lip service to liberal causes, which makes him the enemy of the centrists. Liberals already have good candidates in Bernie and Liz and don't need a billionaire liberal. The centrists on the other hand are floundering and do need a better candidate (it's certain they will not choose a woman). So, the liberals won't support Steyer because they have better choices and the centrist won't support Steyer because he threatens liberal approaches.
Bloomberg got in the race to stop Bernie Sanders, something that the centrists are desperate to do. So Bloomberg gets support from centrists who fear Bernie more than they do Trump.
10
@Chris …. I agree with you. We should be grateful that Mike Bloomberg cares enough about this country to want to defeat trump for our country's good. He's not buying the election, he is giving of himself and his money to win the election for all us … that is my perspective.
21
The questions this piece provides "In case the moderators are stuck for material" are clearly not meant as the typical questions that debates are based on. Issues which the candidats can expound on their positions. Instead the purpose is to point out how Bloomberg's actions and statement years ago were so politically incorrect based on today's mindset that voters will feel he deserves to be canceled.
For example, not asking, but "grilling" Bloomberg about the stop and frisk program which focused largely on neighborhoods where people were shooting each other over who "owned" drug corners, or pathetic stupidities such as wearing a blue cap or a red cap on the "wrong" block. Or as Bloomberg put it "where the crime is". Nevertheless since it was black and brown people who lived where this was happening it was "racist" to put am end to the shootings, which stop and frisk effectively and permanently did.
Or the fact that he spoke about women in the 80's in a manner that was common back then but s deemed unacceptable today is grounds for canceling, even though Bloomberg himself would never speak that way today.
The truth is however that many people voted for Trump precisely because they did not want the country controlled by people who wanted to impose on them the relatively quaint PC dogma of 2016. So the idea that voters will this time only elect a president who can pass a super virtuous purity test shows once more how far removed liberal elites are from the actual voters.
9
There is only one issue in this election: getting rid of Trump/McConnell. I will vote for Bernie if he gets the nomination. I will vote for Bloomberg if he gets the nomination. I will vote for any of the current candidates. For that matter, I would vote for Marianne Williamson, against all logic, if we get to a hung convention and she is selected there. ANYONE BUT TRUMP!!
16
Amen, brother/sister!
3
Long ago Bloomberg opposed raising the minimum wage. So what? Trump and Ronald Reagan were Democrats before they were Republicans. Reagan was the head of a union. Trump made a few ethical mistakes in his business career too, as I recall. Do you think Republicans run the same purity tests this columnist is suggesting? Now I'll put my head on the real chopping block. If it turns out that Bloomberg made sexist comments or a few inappropriate advances toward women 20 years ago, I can live with that too. I want someone who can beat Trump and will be a good president. End of story
12
How weird would it be to have a Democrat-turned- Republican running against a Republican-turned-Democrat? Both New Yorkers with lots and lots of baggage. Though it might be entertaining, no thanks!
2
too close to Epstein for me
4
Who cares? He'll never get the nod.
2
And did John Hancock, the richest man in the colonies, spend his own money to finance the revolution? And did King George III find that unsettling and send his troops against Hancock at Lexington? And didn't Hancock suffer from the gout, a rich man's disease?
The Horror! The Horror!
Gimme Bloomberg any day.
8
Amazing.
Imagine if an R candidate had Stop and Frisk, “I think we disproportionately stop whites too much, and minorities too little", and also redlining comments.
We'd be privy to 'oh man all these racists in the R party'. But once the (D) is by the name, same commentators here applaud his business acumen, mayoral record even if he harassed the black community.
The turn of face is really quite resounding from the liberal party when it's their own. Sort of like how another group feels about their president.
7
@Scott
Besides that, the second-biggest change in weaselly narrative is how they treat Bernie's campaign.
Running for office is expensive. Of course we have to compromise a little to get rich donors. You can't win without money.
*Bernie proceeds to win elections and national prominence without big money*
Okay fine, maybe there is something to small donations. But look at his platform, obviously he's not electable! Who would vote for that?
*Bernie gets the largest number of individual donors and largest war chest*
Look, he's obviously unelectable! Nobody likes him! What don't you understand about something so obvious!?
*Bernie proceeds to
1
Money can’t buy love, Mike. We ❤️ Bernie!
6
"Bloomberg is not on the ballot in the pre-March 3 states, so his debate performance(s) take on added importance. He has yet to be tested, and for that reason, virtually everyone, including the moderators, has reason to pounce." (Washington Post 18Feb2020) And the Democratic circular firing sqaud rides again. Mr. Bloomberg has pledged to support whoever the Dem nominee is, and has made it a high priority to remove Mr. Trump from the White House. As an Independent, I might expect the Dem wannabes to welcome such a man ...
Here in Texas, while the gaggle of the usual Dems ate corn dogs in Iowa, Mr. Bloomberg was the only one telling us about his policy positions in detail in TV and newspaper ads. I found all of them to be appealing, including strong support for African American intiatives (yes, I know about the old controversies). "A meeting with nearly 80 black pastors in Detroit. A speech before a black Democratic organization in Montgomery. A rally at a historically black university. A tour of Martin Luther King Jr.'s church. An early voting kickoff at an African American museum. All in the past two weeks." (AP, 12Feb2020)
4
Blah blah blah.
Still waiting to see Bernie Sanders be scrutinized AT ALL. Hey! How 'bout those medical records! Oh, wait . . .
Get back to us on Sanders, why don't you, Ms. Cottle.
5
@Embroiderista
Hey, how about Bernie's article in the Vermont Freeman? Talk about misogyny.
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/nyregion/09mayor.html
‘…I’m a great believer in the wisdom I learned in my first Wall Street job: In God we trust,” he said at a philanthropy conference in Atlanta last May. “Everyone else, bring data”…
So, assume your reverse side shows “omnis notitia alium adducer”, over the eagle’s head…
@W in the Middle
Yeah, it must have been all that data that convinced him to appoint inexperienced friends to manage public schools, improve education, alleviate the homeless problem and improve the wellbeing of the middle class.
Oh wait.
1
America loves its billionaires. Rather not have Medicare for all but have a billionaire tell them it’s gonna be alright.
7
I'm a little tired of the hypocrisy that Bloomberg is trying to "buy" the presidency, unlike all the other candidates who, of course, are as pure as the driven snow and are doing it all with no money whatsoever. Everybody is trying to buy the presidency. It's an auction, always has been, and the only difference is that one of them keeps upping the bid and it annoys the others. If the rest of the field had a strong enough message to garner more than the 30% support the leading candidate has, two things would be true: Bloomberg wouldn't have entered the race, and how much money he spends wouldn't matter.
The list of questions Ms Cottle suggests are little more than gotcha payback for Bloomberg strolling in late. There's only one question I want to hear Bloomberg answer: How will he pull this fractured Democratic electorate together in order to beat Trump. Because so far, I haven't heard a good answer from any of the other candidates, and none of them has passed the liberal purity test either. Last count there were 4 millionaires and a billionaire on the stage.
If we take our eye off the ball --- getting Trump out of the White House --- because, laughably, we resent money in politics and we want to make sure we nominate Mother Teresa, we're going to end up with another 4 years of this unwinding disaster.
12
At least with Bloomberg, we know who bought the election!
I am shocked at the comments on this story... Either anti Bloomberg comments are being removed or NYC is really ok with racism so long as it isn't from Trump. Bloomberg's sexist and racist comments that have come out are so bad that even TRUMP called them racist! As a black man I went through stop and frisk and it was a nightmare that ruined my childhood and caused thousands of blacks to leave the city... thats how stop and frisk works... It was to make blacks fell like they didn't belong in this city... It had nothing to do with crime as the majority of victims were innocent. The democratic party is 40% black voters... and we are NOT voting for Bloomberg no matter how many adds or endorsements he buys...
106
@chris
I’m not black, and am appalled to watch the brainwashing of his ads taking hold so thoroughly, so rapidly! The debate will be interesting; I think the real candidates are going to go after him, and the moderators are going to kiss up to him. He is clearly the choice of the DNC, though; how do we get around that?
17
@chris
No, most of us simply are willing to accept a sincere apology and judge the person on the totality of his character, not reject what may be our only shot at ridding ourselves of Trump based on one mistake by someone who has also done a lot of good.
29
@chris
Another 2 + years of Trump and he, Stephen Miller and Bill Barr will reconstitute an updated, uptech COINTELPRO.
Look it up . . . it's bad news unless one is a white, Christian Trump supporter.
Bernie will not win in November. Unless it magically turns to November 1936 and bread lines, too many middle class workers like how well their 401ks are doing at this moment.
Bloomberg 2020.
18
I assume it's okay that Bloomberg has provided extraordinary support for Planned Parenthood...meaning thousands of women getting access to medical services; that it's okay that he has worked tirelessly for gun control; that it's okay that he worked to close HALF the coal mines in the country...saving countless children from birth defects, asthma, and saving wetlands, fisheries, and on and on.
If all that is okay, then it's okay that he le's the country know about it.
9
A big part of this election is a referendum on the rich, like Trump and Bloomberg. My biggest worry is that Sanders wins the most delegates, but not a majority, and Bloomberg buys a contested convention. If there is one way to alienate young people, like the ones who helped us take back the house in 2018, that is the way to do it.
4
I'm surprised ("no one") knows much about Bloomberg. The NY Times recently reported on all the philanthropy he's invested in before he was a candidate. Charities like the Sierra Club. shutting down coal plants, Planned Parenthood, and spending $100 million to elect 15 women to congress. Why don't readers know this? What is wrong with our free press and our democracy that these investments don't get reported on by the press, and don't get talked about by readers? THIS is the issue. If you want to know about a candidate -- or anyone -- simply look at where they spend their money. And hope that the free press reports it.
10
In my humble but concerned opinion, the democratic candidates should just campaign on their merits and let us decide. Tearing each other down just helps Trump and the media loves it.
12
The idea of Bloomberg buying the presidency is false. He will need more than 62 million people to vote for him. Please remember that no candidate is perfect. We all make mistakes. Insisting on purity tests for candidates is a recipe for losing. Try running the city of New York for 12 years. It’s hard.
10
While we are at it -- can we kick Bernie's tires a bit. The moderates have been so busy trying to eliminate each other and Elizabeth Warren -- Bernie seems to have gotten a big pass. It is so irresponsible on so many levels.
10
I live in a Blue town in Blue state, surrounded by people who didn't vote for Trump, and who don't want to vote for him this year. I literally don't know a single person who will vote for Bernie. Let that sink in for a moment - seriously.
Mike may not be perfect, but he has done more for the environment and gun control than any other candidate. He has a history of success in business, government and philanthropy. The perfect candidate doesn't exist - will it make you feel better knowing that you accepted nothing less than purity when the Dems lose again?
15
Bloomberg has the kind of baggage that money can’t buy!
6
Remember, "I LIKE IKE"?
Well, "I DON'T LIKE MIKE"
Where can I get a button?
11
So now we have the opportunity "to get a real sense of him" (Bloomberg).After reading this article, i am quite sure that Michelle Cottel is not willing to listen.
5
When a billionaire wants to raise taxes on fellow billionaires, we should all pay attention.
This is a link to Mayor Bloomberg’s tax plan:
https://www.mikebloomberg.com/policies/tax-policy
These are the headers:
Raise rates for high-income taxpayers
Tax capital income more equitably
Impose a new tax on the very rich
Reform the estate tax
Close loopholes
Make businesses pay their fair share
Equip the IRS
“These and other reforms will raise approximately $5 trillion over ten years.”
10
no... when a billionaire wants to raise taxes on billionaires we should assume that they are just doing it because they are afraid of other viable candidates tax plans... blooms is gonna go soft on corporations and the killer industries just like trump, he would just do it less obviously
2
“We are the United States of Amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing.”
“Our form of democracy is bribery, on the highest scale.”
— Gore Vidal
7
“Trump Grants Clemency to Prominent White Collar Criminals” NY Times report 02/18/20.
I like Mike. Mike doesn’t owe anyone a dime.
7
Here’s a question for Mikey: why not fight with Trump as a Republican contender and dare him to come back to nyc for a duke-out? Instead of mucking up with his millions the democratic primary, he should go 5’4” head to orange head to see who can outspend the other. Leave the real issues to the Democrats. The egotistical kleptocrats can have their own side show and hopefully do each other in.
8
All this hysteria about Bloomberg’s advertising spend....strikes me the unspoken concern is not with the ad buy, but rather doubts about the intelligence of the average American. I don’t happen to share that concern. I’m reminded of the advertising genius David Ogilvy who admonished his clients in 1955: “The customer is not a moron. She's your wife”. And, by the way, Bloomberg will win not because of his advertising spend, but because he’s the best and most qualified candidate to defeat Trump.
7
@Barry
The manufactured popularity of the Khardasians and ever other fake reality show does indeed prove the customer is a moron who will buy anything if you just advertise it enough.
It's not 1955 any more, in the advertising business or in real life. Just as Facebook and Google how much they listen to marketers from the 1950s.
2
I wish someone would write an article about Klobuchar’s record.
Support for fracking and mining interests in Minnesota. A deplorable prosecution of a black youth (she now conveniently calls for allowing new evidence, since she’s running for president). Her long history of allegations that she abuses her workplace subordinates
Why does she get a pass on this stuff?
9
The NY Times comments section seems to be the latest area Bloomberg is attempting to buy this election. A jarring number of the comments sound like slick PR releases for Bloomberg, written by names unfamiliar to those of us who participate or read the comments section regularly.
Something doesn't smell right here.
9
The irony is Bloomberg is using Trump's very strategy: campaign of fear. Except whereas Trump is using fear of "you-name-it," Bloomberg's fear is of nothing but another term of Trump. This is precisely the campaign fight that Trump wants, and that he can win: us people vs you other people, we are two camps diametrically opposed, and which fight Trump has roughly 50-50% chance of winning.
What about a campaign of hope and inclusivity? If I were Bernie I would completely ignore Trump, pretend he doesn't exist at all. Everybody knows Trump and what he's doing, nobody has to even mention it except perhaps in passing. Bernie should be emphasizing solutions that work for everybody no matter where one's ideology lies. THAT is what is going to turn votes, and landslide-win the 2020 election.
4
"More specifically, Mr. Bloomberg was not eligible for the earlier debates, which required candidates to show a certain level of fund-raising support. The Democratic National Committee jettisoned that rule last month"
The DNC puts their thumb on the scales yet again.
Sanders did a local rally here this week. the local news showed the line to get in. It was blocks and blocks long. The cameraman drove along it and it went on and on.
I'm a blue-no-matter-who voter, Bloomberg if the nominee will have my vote, but seeing that blocks long line of young, old, black, Asian, Latino, and white, people was pretty dramatic.
7
“ Bloomberg was not eligible for the earlier debates, which required candidates to show a certain level of fund-raising support. The Democratic National Committee jettisoned that rule last month”
Like 2016, the corrupt DNC will back a centrist who will lose to Trump.
8
I want a candidate who will undo all the nasty things Trump has done: mess with NATO, the environment, the National Parks, Immigration, health care, education, oh, and the Constitution, the Supreme Court...
From what I’ve been reading here, Bloomberg sounds like someone who knows how to come in and fix things. That’s what I want and what we truly need. And I wish he could put Milken, and those other guys back behind bars...corruption is corruption.
7
Bloomberg and has money skipped over the "democracy" part of the primaries. Instead he's taken Trump's approach and used a carefully controlled media campaign to create himself as a candidate.
Trump was given hundreds of millions of free publicity by greedy networks, Bloomberg simply wrote his own check.
If his candidacy goes forward it will be the nail in the coffin of our already failing democracy.
Anything and everything will be for sale, including the presidency of the United States.
And we can only blame the corporate lackeys from the DNC for this.
8
The republicans who created the EPA and considered honorably the rule of law in the Nixon impeachment are a completely different group than the cravenly corrupt cabal with that same label who collude to hold on to power currently.
To have once been a member of that party is not a disgrace; only remaining one today is.
Bloomberg's financing is transparent, not "dark" like the GOP's. He wears his policies on his sleeve. Likely, you get what you vote for. How rare.
So far his campaign has been aimed squarely at the opponent's jugular. Not at other Democratic candidates. He is not part of the circular firing squad.
If he can root out the current clown show, I'm all for it. Let him have at it.
8
Dear Michael Bloomberg --
Please stay home. The American People have been working really hard on a genuine candidate for president. I'm sure you're smart enough to know what it means to buy a vote, and we've had just about all we can take with gazillionaires telling us that they can fix everything. Thanks.
Love, Jenny
7
I refuse to believe that Americans will vote for Mr. Bloomberg just because they saw his ads. It is not as if they are trying to choose a shampoo or a deodorant; they are picking the leader of their beloved democracy. So of course, they will check him out and evaluate the merit of his candidacy. Should Americans vote for him, it is becuase they weighed their options and believe he is the best candiate to take back the White House and restore faith in the country's
democratic institutions. In this digital age when access to information can be had by a tap of a finger, candidates cannot hide behinds ads. Mr. Bloomberg is surging because he has a good record to run on and he has the money to flaunt that record. Money alone cannot win elections. Look at Tom Steyer.
5
Would someone explain to me why the presidential candidates are accusing Bloomberg of buying the nomination. The other candidates are collecting hundreds of millions of dollars for their campaigns from the general public. The only difference here is that Bloomberg is using his own money and the other candidates are using ours.
So what's the big deal !!!!!
7
I would vote for the dead plant in my living room over Donald Trump.
That said, I would like to have a Democrat who shares some of my values on health care, a woman's reproductive rights, and the environment. I want a careful and sane person in charge of our military and foreign policy.
I am voting for Mike
8
As Sanders climbs above 30% in many national polls, and is surging in others, the Times doesn't even mention him in its politics newsletter, and gives its " earned" coverage to Bloomberg.
Are you trying to help him, like you helped Donald Trump with excessive coverage?
If it comes to a battle between these two Republican billionaires, count me out.
Bernie 2020 and the Senate.
9
"He's BUYING the election!!".
I'm shocked that these same accusers have developed sudden amnesia about the same words they've leveled against corporate interests, PACS, other candidates of any party, etc.
SOMEBODY has and will buy this election just like they have all the others, as long as our ridiculous laws about "self funded" elections remain on the books. In the recent past those somebodies have been the Koch Brothers, the Mercers, the Adelsons, etc. etc. etc. It costs around $1 BILLION to run for president now, which will also continue as long as Americans continue to vote on the basis of commercials they see on TV or encounter in other paid media.
I've received two simple one page letters from Bloomberg's campaign. He simply stated his positions with a brief outline of his experience. ZERO request for any cash. It was refreshing.
Somebody will buy this election. I'd rather it be this guy than the ones in the past, who are presently aiming THEIR combined billions at America's population.
6
@Entera
Expecting a guy to keep his promises when you have no donation leverage on him is like being surprised that Jeffrey Epstein expects to sleep with you after flying you around the world.
1
Perhaps Bloomberg's biggest gift of all with his money might be to save America.
And if he continues, please, please, pick a good running mate.
7
Bloomberg cannot defeat Trump without the Black vote, and that vote must mirror numbers of the Obama election. I do not believe he can inspire the minority vote without a Black VP candidate. Race dominates American politics, as evidenced by our current president. The Democratic Party has systematically eliminated Black candidates from contention in this year's election. It must do something to convince Blacks that any Democratic candidate is better than Trump. He should pick one of the Black candidates no longer in the race.
3
I have a hope, Mike wins the debate and the presidency.
Mike takes back the senate and maintains the house and saves the world from burning up, He restores our institutions, saves NATO and takes down the FOR SALE sign at the White House.
5
“Considering all we don’t know about Bloomberg....” Actually, the NYT covered him for his 12 years as Mayor. He would not appear for the customary candidate interview, but is the Times really saying they are otherwise ignorant of the policies he supported, his successes and failures as mayor and businessman? It is time for the Times to publish a review of its extensive coverage of Bloomberg.
3
Bloomberg is a wedge being used to split the Democratic Party, and Americans are willing to watch.
7
One more reason not to have a TV.
5
As always, it's about the Times, not the electorate. Didn't sit down with the editorial board? Tsk tsk. That may be the best sign yet of his seriousness. The Times' base is a tiny sliver of liberal elites, utterly disconnected from the lives of working-class Americans. In selecting a candidate, they are looking for a pristine record of political correctness, rather a pattern of performance.
Let's never forget that white women voted for Trump in 2016. Not, presumably, because they loved the guy, but because her opponent oozed contempt for the concerns of ordinary citizens. Trump is President. Do you think that Dems need to worry about having a guy carry their banner with a track record somewhat short of perfect with respect to the sensitivities of every segment of society? The Times lives in a world of absolutes, but the best choice may come down to imperfect Mike vs an utterly uncivilized ogre.
And, of course, there is the ongoing irony having all this criticism come from those who are living life high in Mike Bloomberg's New York.
4
It appears that Michael Bloomberg's strategy is to try to make everyone believe that the only choices they have are Mr. Bloomberg or Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump. The idea, of course, is that Bernie Sanders supposedly is too awful for more than a few fanatics to want to vote for him, and that Donald Trump really is awful. Well, there are other candidates, the ones whom Mr. Bloomberg doesn't want to deal with because it's harder to frame them as awful. When the next debate happens, I suspect Mr. Bloomberg will find that the candidates whom he wants to render invisible will be very visible, and that Mr. Bloomberg will look pretty awful himself, based on his record. And some of us for whom Bernie Sanders isn't our first choice absolutely would vote for him over Michael Bloomberg.
54
@Stephen Merritt
I'd vote for Bloomberg over Sanders any day.
At least Bloomberg has actually accomplished a lot - while Sanders is only capable of creating hot air.
15
@Stephen Merritt right on. Bloomberg has always had a consistent record in defending the minimum wage, civil rights of minority groups, and advancing democratic causes outside of himself.
Wait, that's Bernie Sanders. Bloomberg, until recently opposed the minimum wage, has supported racist policies like stop and frisk, and has funneled money to Republican candidates over Democrats in various races.
Sanders has accomplished plenty, but even if he had accomplished nothing it is better to fight for the right cause and fail than the fight for the wrong cause and succeed. Political victory is irrelevant if your victory achieves nothing worth fighting for.
15
@Mimi all the candidates, even the billionaires, are talking about income inequality, climate change and universal health care coverage in unprecedented ways....all of that has occurred since Bernie ran in 2016 on that platform. In other words: Bernie's "hot air" has accomplished a major realignment of the democratic party platform. Why? Because it speaks to voters...these are the "kitchen table" issues that the democratic party knows it needs to focus on to win the white house...
12
Our nation seriously flawed when Trump supporters voted for him, so why would we make the same mistake electing another Billionaire Wall Street enabler?
Concentrate very carefully on tonight's Democrat debate as it is on NBC, Trump's benefactor and elector, and beyond to the owners and their agenda. NBC helped elect Arnold Governor and Trump President. I view their carrying the debate as a problem for the clueless candidates. Focus not on the candidates, but the interviewers and their questioning. Look for favoritism. This is how the Wall Street Television industry elects their favorites.
2
"Rarely has a candidate come so far while revealing so little of himself..." Really? Bloomberg statements have been showing up on social media for all to see. And none of them are pretty. To all Bloomberg apologists: Yes, his wealth does matter. The idea that one person can simply buy the Presidency is an affront to democracy.
3
Many of New York's current problems can be traced directly to Bloomberg: the neglect of the subway system, the neglect of NYCHA, the complete over-weaning dominance of the real estate industry on our municipal democracy. He was, in reality, a terrible Mayor. The school system did NOT get fixed under him. He gave away public land to private developers. He is responsible for the urban disaster of Hudson Yards, Domino Sugar, and Atlantic Yards. Nothing in fact, got fixed under him. It is mystifying that nobody can point to any of his actual, tangible acommplishments as Mayor.
10
"Multiple women who worked for his company accused him of inappropriate or demeaning comments. He has refused to release them from the nondisclosure agreements they signed. Why?"
If the comments in question amount to sexual harassment, why would nondisclosure agreements even matter? I though the one of the lessons of Me Too was that nondisclosure agreements do not protect sexual harassment.
4
Given the strong views she expresses in this OPED, Ms. Cottle would have given us some better perspective if she told us whether she would support Bloomberg if he is the Democratic candidate.
Her analysis appears to suggest that Bloomberg intended to be a candidate, all along, and it was his strategy to avoid the earlier debates. However, there is good reason to believe that he reluctantly entered the race due to the likelihood that Biden's campaign is collapsing under the weight of his excess baggage and poor presentation capabilities.
4
@HJB
There is no good reason to believe the claim about his reluctance. It has already been widely reported that he had set up an exploratory committee (like everyone else) and decided against running when people told him he had no chance.
4
In fact, as yet, there are no leading candidates, only several that may be forced to end campaigns from lack of funding or wisdom. Michele Cottle is correct - it would be a blunder to miss tonight’s debate. Mike Bloomberg is not a mogul, but he is the former mayor of a tough city, New York City.
In total the other Democrats will have spent hundreds of millions in total and will also owe a bunch to those funders. In addition, they have feasted on Billions in free media from news and specials which Trump could eclipse starting tomorrow. To my mind Steyer, Bloomberg and maybe Trump (only lately) could hope to fund their campaigns through November of 2020. Thus, week to week there are no verifiable "front runners" for The Oval yet. And, there is ‘No One At All’ who has clean hands from donor money in the Democrat race but Bloomberg today. Steyer has little or no chance. Mayor Pete is facing very rough times ahead. Liz Warren is all but gone, and Amy Klobuchar’s delightful smile is as mysterious as it should be. Bloomberg can be criticized for errors made years and years ago, but not much. Ms. Cottle's wish that Bloomberg is snarked by the media tonight may or may not happen. And, we must also pay close attention to another latecomer Democrat or Independent that pops up and will hurt those in the race today. Two things are clear - Not one Democrat is sure to beat Trump, and the best prepared, long-termer to do so, is Mike Bloomberg - hands down - Throttling aside, Michelle.
5
@Jeff Koopersmith There is a leading candidate, and it is revealing that you won't even mention his name. From an NBC story on the latest NBC/Wall St. Journal poll:
"There is one clear and inescapable set of results: Bernie Sanders is the definitive front-runner, and the current numbers do not represent his ceiling, but instead his base with room to grow," said Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducted this survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies.
5
I'd ask Bloomberg what, if anything, he would do about the Supreme Court. This is where his Republican background worries me the most. It would be interesting to hear from the other candidates as well.
5
Mr. Bloomberg is the only one running who can and will beat Trump in November.
Last March he declined to get into the race and instead decided to focus on issues like reducing gun violence and climate change- causes he’s been working on and donating big bucks to for years. He’s been the quintessential philanthropist, without beating his chest.
Bloomberg only entered the race in November because he saw the handwriting on the wall-whereby Biden was faltering and no other Democrat could beat Trump. It was only then that Mike, one of the wealthiest people on earth and a successful former 12 yr NYC mayor living comfortably and without major headaches, realized he needed to make the courageous and personally risky move to go up against Trump.
I’m sorry so many haters want to hate but in my book Mike Bloomberg is a hero. I can’t wait to see him in the debates and vote for him. He’s sincere and in the race for all the right reasons.
PS. I’m an Obama loving independent centrist.
14
I will not vote for Bloomberg. His purpose is to ensure that Big Insurance, Big Pharma, and Big Banks continue to rake in billions. We will continue to get GoFundMe requests (I have received 4 so far this year) to help pay medical bills that expensive for profit insurance won’t pay. (Only in the USA)
Our children will continue to be yoked to high interest student debt that will take decades to discharge. (Only in the USA )
If he gets the nomination let’s stop pretending that this is democracy. It’s plutocracy.
8
I predict that MSNBC will spend lots of time trying to attack Bernie Sanders on the bogus controversy over the legendary "Bernie Bros" and relatively little time digging into Bloomberg's record on practically everything. After all, those journalists may have to seek a job at Bloomberg News someday. In fact, Bloomberg's candidacy and reception by the establishment Democrats perfectly depict the corrosive effect which big money and gross income inequality have on our democracy.
6
I am wondering whether the likes of Bill Gates and George Soros -- the zillionaires who have actually accepted the fact that climate change poses an existential threat to our planet as we know it--and as we need it to be in order to survive, and that powerand privilege must come together with respect for human values in order not to be poisonous to society -- are supporting Mr Bloomberg's candidacy.
He hardly needs their money--which makes the answer to this question quite interesting.
As a distinguished opinionist pointed out a few days ago, the extremely reactionary position of the current Republican party has placed the issue of the way forward for America squarely in the Democratic field.
Mr. Bloomberg's candidacy would appear to be a direct result of this state of affairs.
4
I have very mixed feelings about Bloomberg, but there are some aspects of his candidacy that do impress me:
—He has a well-thought-out strategy for gaining the nomination that so far is working out for him (admittedly because he has an unlimited amount of money to spend on advertising). Democrats will need an effective strategy to counter Trump and the Republican noise machine.
—He has so far aimed his fire mainly at Trump himself rather than the other candidates, though that will no doubt have to change as he starts to participate in the debates.
—I personally know moderate to conservative voters who are excited by his candidacy.
My worry is that he would not be able to unify the party so that supporters of Warren and Sanders will be comfortable voting for him. And I worry that many African American voters, justifiably incensed by the stop-and-frisk policy and unsatisfied by his recent apology, will be unwilling to vote for him.
5
The debate is worth watching if only to see how the rest of the field reacts to Bloomberg's presence. I would be wary of giving Bloomberg too much attention though. He has willfully avoided presenting himself before the public in any uncontrolled environment. The tacit assumption is no news is good news. Sacrificing two whole debates to a vetting process that should have been completed months ago is earned media Bloomberg doesn't deserve.
Analysts are already comparing notes on which candidates get the most speaking time. Why give Bloomberg more time than other candidates to explain questions we shouldn't need to ask? Elephant in the room (pun intended), why should Democrats support a billionaire Republican mayor with a questionable record? This isn't a question we need to debate. We should have the answer already in news analysis long before now.
The entire production feels theatrical and self-defeating. Not unlike another wealthy New Yorker the media mishandled to great effect.
4
If only the debates actually gave anyone an accurate idea of who the candidates actually are. With so many candidates on stage, all angling for advantage, and so little time given to answer any particular question, these seemingly endless debates have devolved into sound-byte and zinger beauty contests.
109
@Jack Were they ever anything else?
1
@Jack IMO, Bloomberg would at least break even in public opinion if he ran an ad highlighting your point with a rapid-sequence montage of image/sound bites, and then state he's not going to support the democratic debates until it's down to three candidates.
Thank you for these doubts. These next two debates will without doubt be informing.
After my 12 years with Mr. Bloomberg as a "green" Mayor, and then seeing how he has empowered mayors across the country toward sane gun regulations, I would vote for him in a second.
I also do not doubt that if he loses the nomination, he will continue his "ads". His "ads" (at least the ones I've seen) are not about him. They are about saving our republic and doing what is right.
191
@Kenneth Brady Thank you! We have a candidate who's invested his own money in causes he cares -- and btw, are not about him -- well before he ran for office. What is wrong with our country that this is not considered material? That all we hear about is that he's a billionaire?
18
@Kenneth Brady - Bloomberg is a novelty like a
new toy. When the newness wears off we will
discover that he is too rich, too short, too late and
not a Democrat. He will remind us with a voice
that is grating and irritating.
6
@Kenneth Brady Thank you. This is the kind of thinking that could lead to a trump defeat. At this point, that's all that matters.
1
Pardon me if I'm not too enthusiastic to vote for someone who heartily endorsed GW Bush for president in 2004 and only became a Democrat so he could run for president.
The only reason Bloomberg has gotten any recognition in the polls is because he spent $300 million advertising himself.
The other candidates have been slogging it out on debates and meeting the public at rallies.
We have fine Democratic candidates who have been pursuing Democratic policy objectives as Democrats and really there's no big reason Bloomberg is in the mix except for his money.
I will vote for someone who doesn't go to bat for Wall Street, thank you very much.
114
@LibertyLover - Just to restate a point that seems to have been lost somewhere along the way, Bernie was never a Democrat - he may not be one yet - until he decided to run for President. Since there was no Socialist party around, he decided that being a Democrat was the way to go. Opportunism knocks.
57
@LibertyLover so I assume you are fine with voting to Bernie, who only turned Democrat to run for President?
41
@LibertyLover Mike infused some of his fortune into critical races that led to flipping 21 House seats in moderate districts in 2018. He has a long record of supporting gun safety and climate change policies - these are not Republican agendas.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/us/politics/michael-bloomberg-democrats-donate.html
32
It's quaint, but disheartening, that Democrats are still campaigning like its 2008. While the present stable of candidates can and does cater to the various factions of the Party, the general election itself will have little if anything to do with these issues, or that electorate.
The United States has - hopefully only temporarily - slipped from a democracy we've been familiar with into a power struggle with amoral liars and cheats, who put loyalty above nation, and self-interests above the laws and interests of the American people.
In another time, the candidates would have been progressive hopefuls. Today, in the degrading world of Trump, they are simply victims waiting for the hatchet to fall. If the Mueller investigation and the Impeachment process taught us anything, it is that the fix is in, and Trump and his cabal will stop at nothing to win.
Rather than hand wringing about Mr. Bloomberg's campaign and past utterances, it would be in the nation's best interest to ensure that the unfettered autocrat in the White House is turned out, soundly and by a large margin. And that will depend on a small number of battleground states where, unfortunately, Bernie or Biden or Pete do not stand the slightest chance.
Bloomberg does, and precisely because he is not encumbered by the sentiment of yesteryear's Democratic ideals, he will hopefully be able to campaign with the sole purpose of defeating Trump.
152
@Neander Where do Bloomberg Bros get this idea that they alone can beat Trump? It's totally fictitious and there is not one data point that supports it other than their assertion that only a rich guy can beat a rich guy.
21
@Neander Thank you Neander for speaking for so many of us. The Democratic Party is currently in a state of chaos and Bloomberg is nothing if not organized. We Dems should be profoundly relieved to have him as our potential candidate. Defeating Trump is the goal - we can wait for so called "progressive" policies. And who says Bloomberg will not end up being progressive?
6
@Neander, well said!
4
After 12 years as the mayor of one of the largest, most diverse cities in the world, Bloomberg is going to have made mistakes, and if he hadn't, it would have meant he didn't take risks to get things done. He has apologized for stop and frisk and admitted his mistake, something few politicians do. Senators rarely have to make such difficult and controversial decisions and have minimal executive experience in the real world. I say give Bloomberg a chance to talk about his policies on the debate stage, although I'm concerned questions will all be about the past, and not the future.
133
He only apologized because he’s running for office. It was a complete sham.
16
@Anita Larson
None of the candidates would pass a purity test. Nobody is clean as driven snow. The question is, who can beat Trump?
36
@Steve I suspect Bloomberg was concerned with getting guns off the street, not harassing people of color. One unfortunately involved the other.
9
I find the continued argument that Bloomberg is buying the nomination by both the candidates and the media extremely insulting to the voters. There isn't a doubt in my mind if any of the other candidates had Bloomberg's resources they would do the same thing he is doing.
156
@Joe
I don't think Bloomberg is in it to enrich himself or the other .1%. It's not money he's after, it's power, which usually doesn't turn out too good but in this case I believe he truly means well. He has said some rotten things to women and the profiling thing looks bad but beyond that he's at least as good as the others. If he's the one he will get my vote, although I'd prefer a Warren/Klobuchar ticket which would win.
7
If you didn’t buy into his self-publicity like Trump supporters do with Trump, you would have no need to feel insulted.
7
@Joe You may find this insulting to the voters, but the simple fact remains that Bloomberg is using a lot of his resources to get elected. If the voters are smart enough not to be led by all the advertising he is paying for, then Bloomberg would be a fool to use that amount of resources. I don't think he is a fool, so he is buying his democratic nomination. I sincerely hope it doesn't work that way. Unfortunately there is a big gap between what I hope and what I think.
10
Bloomberg has been putting his financial support behind candidates and gun control and environmental causes for many years in order to help shape US policy into something more civilized than we currently have. He is now putting his financial support into his own campaign, primarily with the goal to defeat Trump. He has stated clearly he will continue to fight for the defeat of Trump by putting his assets (financial and strategic) behind whoever emerges as the Democrat candidate.
Perhaps I am naive, but I see something noble in Bloomberg’s efforts — he is not attempting to “buy” the election for himself but, rather, is seeking the most effective way to defeat Trump and push for better gun control and environmental policies.
171
@LD I just see Bloomberg could have thrown his cash behind any candidate and moved the needle. Bloomberg wants power for himself instead. Not so noble to me.
10
@LD
Hard to tell if this is really your beliefs or a paid ad by Bloomberg.
7
@WhiteBearLake
Dear WhiteBearLake,
So it is more noble that all the other candidates use other peoples's money to buy advertising for their campaign so they can be elected so that they can have power?
9
The other candidates should tread carefully if they want to claim Bloomberg bought his way to popularity. These arguments will not sway Bloomberg's supporters any more than news of Russian interference swayed Trump voters. No one wants to believe that they were tricked into believing what they believe. Companies spend billions of dollars on advertising because it works - but no one admits that ads work on them.
2
Yes, Bloomberg has spent a fortune in ad buys. However, various pundits and candidates baldly declaring he has ‘bought’ the nomination is misleading and inaccurate - the American people have the ultimate say. To state that Bloomberg will have potentially acquired the nomination of a major political party per monetary means is to suggest that the American people are too ignorant or unintelligent to make up their own minds, so they let a smattering of Bloomberg TV ads serve as their only reason for voting.
Furthermore, the problem at the debate is if the the other candidates wage a full-scale attack against Bloomberg, then it will only serve to enhance his stature in the public at large - see 2016 primary for former example. I think the best policy, if one is truly anti-Bloomberg, is to ignore him. There are better candidates that could better use their time on the debate stage speaking to their individual strengths as prospective leaders of this nation, as opposed to playing whack-a-mole with the ‘flavor-of-the-moment’ candidate (Bloomberg).
I don't need to watch the debate to know that I would never vote for Michael Bloomberg unless my only other choice was Donald Trump, in which case I would hold my nose, pull the lever and get to work on my picket signs. Sigh.
8
Don't believe the hype.
4
I’ll be watching the moderators closely, to see how they “manage” the conversation. Chuck Todd, for one, is clearly biased against Bernie Sanders, so I wonder how he’ll handle himself. Ooh, will Telemundo’s Vanessa Hauc ask them if they know the name of the President of Mexico? (In recent interviews, Klobuchar and Steyer didn’t.) I do hope the moderators will refrain from wasting everybody’s time by trying to get the candidates into click-bait cat fights.
6
@Julie
What you said.
FWIW, I find it amazing that Klobuchar didn't know Orador's name. Even I know it (though I couldn't recite all of his names, other than the Obrador part).
She's a damn Senator! Steyer, I could understand, but a Senator? Maybe she needs to occasionally poke her nose out of the "flyover" center she touts.
Bloomberg is not a racist; he might have or at one time had some non-conventional ideas of certain things, but this does not make him a racist and if anything, speaks mostly to when he was born and the social and cultural norms upon which he was socialized. #Bloomberg2020
5
Quite frankly I’m beginning to like what I see.
2
I, too, am liking what I see and hear of Bloomberg; and, remember, Clinton didn’t enter the race in ‘91 until October, and didn’t start winning until Super Tuesday. Maybe “good things come to those who wait” will work again. Then again, I will vote in the general for whomever wins the primary...as should everybody. Our country can’t take a repeat of the 2016 debacle!
1
@Nina
"Our country can’t take a repeat of the 2016 debacle!"
Perhaps Reason #1 NOT to vote for Bloomberg in the primaries.
His rivals have the right to question his record, but they should not attack him too hard, becuase he might just end up as the democratic nominee. Especially, they should not label him as racist because he is not. While he may have spoken in hyperbole and in very blunt terms, the statement is essentially true. He was putting more cops in these black neighborhoods because murders and other crimes were so rampant in these places. The victims were mostly black kids and black young adults. The suspects were also mostly blacks. He tried to stop the carnage he said. In short, he was trying to save black lives from their own kind. That is racist? I just wished the mayor spoke in a more tactful way. Sometimes, truth, couched in blunt terms, can hurt so much. But painful as it is, you cannot quarrel with the truth.
They can attack the policy as a violation of constitutional guarantee against unlawful search and seizure but not for being racist.
2
Why doesn't the times ask serious questions of Bernie Sanders? They have failed to failed to do so for five years. Still to this day the most searching interview of Sanders was one done by another New York Paper in 2016. Your favorite is crystal clear.
3
$180 million got Jeb Bush bupkes in the long run Perhaps $400 million will do the same for Bloomberg.
3
Now it’s official: the US is an oligarchy
4
Debates? Give me a break. These are little more than sound bite contests hosted by narcissistic TV personalities masquerading as serious journalists.
6
He is not much for media sitdowns. (He declined an invitation by The Times’s editorial board to participate in our endorsement process.)
The Times editorial board strongly endorsed Hillary, then the editors responsible for paper's front page shamelessly kept the email story going long after it had become clear there was no there there.
2
Where the other candidates that dropped out previously, given the opportunity to pay(donate) $320,000 to the DNC to get back on the debate stage?
Or is that privilege only for old white billionaire oligarchs?!
8
“Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.” — George Washington
5
Trump is a symptom of the concentration of wealth caused by Wall Street and the TBTF financial monopolies and the houses of derivatives cards that took the world to the brink of 2008.
Bloomberg is the embodiment of Wall Street and the TBTF Financial Plutocracy.
The DCCC and DNC are as corrupt as McConnel and the dark money Federalist Society associated legalized bribery is in par with Bloomberg and is backed by many of his largest customers.
This super-concentrated money wants to maintain the fiction of democracy while giving you Bloomberg, Trump, Clinton and a host of sell-outs that wouldn't be willing to go the front lines and fight it out for freedom like most average patriots in our nation.
I'm sick of these elitist liars and their oligarchic, monopolistic, plutocracies.
Bloomberg has shown his stripes when it comes to racism, supporting our racial injustice and the new Jim Crow and is the TBTF's answer to a choice between Trump and real Americans fighting for average Americans like Elizabeth Warren will and as Bernie Sanders will.
Liz and Bernie need to join forces now before the sell-out Perez and the rest of the corrupt "D"democratic machine takes the blue bill Bloomberg is handing out.
Let's call it what it is. It's the B -pill, the fake democracy pill that sits right with the Walton's, Goldman Sachs and the JP Morgan's and Billionaires.
These people use usury to enslave people when they can't do it in the old fashion way. Just say no to the B-pill.
7
The NYT is now starting to look silly. How many negative op-eds and articles full of worry have there been in the last week or so about Bloomberg? Enough with the handwringing that he's not a career politician, hasn't earned it, has made mistakes, blah, blah, blah. The man has serious skills and charisma. He is intelligent and confident. He listens and when he speaks, he is articulate, clear and direct. He is not afraid of going head-to-head with Trump. Let's see how he does in the debate.
4
A lot of Trumpian like qualities.
6
The Democratic Party candidates must each address American foreign policy in the Middle East, specifically how to deal with Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. If all three are not addressed by the candidates, then I would say foreign money and influence has taken hold.
"Rarely has a candidate come so far while revealing so little of himself." This is nonsense. In Bloomberg's nearly 12 years as mayor of New York, he revealed a great deal about himself. Look at the record. In the 7 years since, Bloomberg Philanthropies has given millions to shoring up the environment, advancing healthcare and education, curbing gun violence, promoting the arts, and studying government innovation - gifts that vividly reveal the things he cares most about.
3
@Charles Michener
Remember the wonderful philanthropy of a Mr. Sackler (Purdue Pharma) that gave a righteous facade to criminal activity? In his case the "gifts that vividly reveal the things he cares most about" were phony. What he cared about was tax deductions and looking like Mr. Clean.
4
@Greg: Not all billionaires are alike.
1
An interesting thing about living outside the country: we see almost ZERO political advertising, so far anyway. Which means we can only respond to the news about the candidates and events that are streamed, like the debates. It will be interesting to see how the Democrats Abroad primary results compare with the votes of you folks being bombed by ads every day.
I'd like to see the same kind of scrutiny on Bernie Sanders. One Bernie Bro I spoke to wasn't even aware he was in favor of the crime bill of the mid-90's.
I don't knock Bernie for his beliefs. But unlike Bloomberg, he has accomplished nothing that affects my life. it's easy to pick apart someone who puts himself out there and actually tries to accomplish something.
4
I figured Mike got in because Joe didn't kick Bernie to the curb, and the biggest threat to Mike is someone who would make him a little less billionaire than he is. Also, I suspect he is rational enough to know that the $61.5 billion dollars filling all the mattresses in his house will be so many goose feathers when Mother Nature gets her climate change world tour going. It's been boffo in Australia.
That alone makes him infinitely better than the Occupant. Now, is he electable? Yes: he is a non-felonious US citizen over 35. How will he do against Trump? It depends on the number of electoral votes he secures in November.
Here's what I do know, because it happened. Trump's thresher has emulsified all our putative saviors, those we knew would bring him down: the Million Marching Women, Mueller, the 2018 congressional juggernaut, Mueller, Cohen, Pelosi, the courageous impeachment inquiry witnesses, Schiff, Romney. All of them threshed, a silted carpet of compost fertilizing the seedbed of Trumpian autocracy. Trump, now proclaimed the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of All the Land.
You know, I guess it's up to us, the few, the brave, the ones who believe democracy is worth fighting for.
It's the Messiahs' day off.
4
Rooting for Bloomberg.
The rest are B-team candidates.
They are all fine, yes.
But fine won’t do.
Need A team Bloomberg - with the team, resources, organization...
To crush a very real danger to our consistitution.
Fine won’t do.
4
@Jane
Hard to tell if this is really your beliefs or a paid ad by Bloomberg.
3
People make political decisions subconsciously. Many expect leaders to be large people. In Polynesia, the king was always the biggest guy on the island.
1
@Steve Bolger
I had a colleague who claimed that the tallest candidate for US President has won each election.
I haven't bothered to look up whether this is true. It certainly would be a shame, if some such simple rule held.
@Drew—It isn’t always true, but it has held mostly true during the modern era. A strange thing about modern presidents is how high a percentage of them were left-handed. Way higher than average.
Biden keeps melting away. Linsey Graham promises to investigate Hunter. Giuliani, speaking on Fox, talks obliquely of all the bad stuff which was uncovered in the Ukraine. Sanders is around 27% and it is unclear who has the center. It is clear that Trump's associates are interfering with our primary process. My household likes Amy, Pete, Joe and well maybe Mike. Democrats never call themselves socialists. When FDR was declining in the end of his presidency the party elders eliminated Henry Wallace from the ticket and substituted Truman. They did not want a Socialist on the ticket.
1
Bloomberg and Adelson in Las Vegas. What could be worse?
6
Wake up to 2020: The year that Debates no longer matter. Our voting processes have been so hideously warped by Trump/Putin/Zuckerberg that the 2020 election will be openly bought & paid for, making Bloomberg the ONLY Democrat who can beat Trump in 2020. Trump brought his flamethrower to the Democrats' stick fight in 2016 - the stick fight the rest of the Democratic candidates are still cluelessly fighting - making it inevitable that in 2020 ONLY a bigger & badder messaging & influence / tactics / $billions flamethrower Democrat can possibly win. Bloomberg is already all the way in Trump's kitchen and has the personal resources to exponentially out-spend the GOP all by himself - $300million to date. This is THE crucial component to winning because the DNC tragically spent 80% of its $1Billion 2016 election budget on 5 consultants with no indication 2020 will be any different. ONLY a candidate financially independent enough to act & spend in the campaign moment can beat Trump - and lets face it - Putin. The only real question for voters is 'Do you prefer Bloomberg buys the Presidency in 2020? Or do you prefer Trump/Putin buys the Presidency again?' Anyone who argues that Bloomberg is as evil as Trump will get who they deserve as President in 2020: Trump.
6
@jay scott
Spot on, unfortunately.
1
I would hope that at least one of the debate topics is US foreign policy in the Middle East.
3
this will be the first debate I will watch. I will ignore the lies and enjoy the chaos.
Just make Trump go away, he is stealing our heart and soul.
5
NYC has more people then 38 states.
A bigger economy then 40 states.
Yeah. I think he’s qualified to be president.
6
Yet another New York plutocrat swaggers out proclaiming he, and he alone, can safe us. Lord protect us from the hubris!
5
There is only one goal of the upcoming election and that is to beat Trump. If i may paraphrase Lincoln,
If voting for Liz Warren would help beat Trump, I would do it. If voting for an avowed socialist would help beat Trump, iI would do it. If voting for a gay man or senator from a midwest state would help beat Trump, I would do it. And finally, if it means voting for a 5' 6" real billionaire from NY, I will do it.
4
@Citizen
Yes, but what about the PRIMARIES?
That's the question now. Whose politics do you prefer, and why?
1
Anyway, no fake university (There really is a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), he’s never gone bankrupt - not even once, so far no porn stars have claimed he had sex with them, and his charitable donations are real and not subject to criminal investigation. How unpresidential is that!
4
Is “buying an election” when you spend your own money on advertisements or when you promise financial incentives to voters like debt relief, free social services and reparations?
4
I was considering supporting Bloomberg until I read that piece in the WAPO about his systematic discrimination against pregnant women. Any man who would tell a pregnant employee to “kill it” because the baby interfered with his amassing of wealth is unfit for any elective office. And he said it in front of a witness, so please quit with the denials.
5
Who is Bloomberg? Come on! He was elected mayor 3 times ny the 8 million Americans in NYC. Analysis of him as a person and him as a politician was a daily fixture in The New York Times for over a decade! We know who he is, you know who he is. Mike WILL get it done.
3
Ah, the benevolent dictator model seems to be popular on this site. Maybe the billionaire can play in the NY fishbowl, but he can't buy the US Senate. And he can't campaign without facing voters and dealing with their questions and problems. He would be a massive failure as POTUS, for the same reasons the Orange One is.
4
The only purity test required is the ability to beat Trump.
3
I am a very realistic person, I believe Michael Bloomberg will be the only person running who has a chance of beating Trump. Also, Michael Bloomberg gives to charity where as Trump and his family steal from them. Bloomberg is a real businessman not a conman. We need people with integrity as leaders not carnival barkers and mobbed up crooks. I get my news from professional journalists who write for newspapers like The New York Times. I live in a senior citizen apt. complex, most of my neighbors only get their information and news from Fox, that is why they are so mis-informed and dumb.
3
Almost any Democrat but Sanders....or is it Mc Govern?
I'm a Democrat but will not vote for Sanders.
The party needs to learn center wins...not left
1
@Philip
Too bad you didn't vote for McGovern. I wouldn't be so proud of that, if I were you. Might've spared us Tricky Dick, his invasion of Camboia, and all the rest.
Good lord. Would YOU still call yourself a Republican at this moment in our country’s history?
Bloomberg’s support of many things—including gun control, a cause to which he has donated millions—flies in the face of the New GOP. He’s not the first to cross that line—and remember, he did it nearly twenty years ago, not yesterday—and hopefully he won’t be the last.
There’s a saying: Democrats bring yoga mats to a Republican knife fight. If we do that again this year, we’ll be face down in the ring and may never get back up.
1
@Pat
"Would YOU still call yourself a Republican at this moment in our country’s history?"
Bloomberg would, if he didn't think the GOP was Trump's party now.
Previously AGW and Universal Healthcare were my most important issues, though I never believed that we could get to Universal Healthcare without bringing the Republicans along. But now my only concern is saving our democratic Republic. I'm hoping Bloomberg reveals a real liberal turn in his thinking and remorse for his past ethical transgressions; In which case I will support him.
It is critical that authoritarianism be politically smashed and discredited. If we are not pragmatic we will all be hoisted by the petards of our ideological hubris. Bloomberg is the only candidate that can pull in Democrats, Independents, and Republicans that have not drunk the Kool-Aid.
4
To those who feel Bloomberg is buying the election:
So a billionaire is bad, but a millionaire [Sanders, Warren, Biden] is not? How many zeros are too many?
6
Nine zeroes is definitely too many.
In tonight's debate, all Bloomberg has to do is hold his own. He doesn't have to come up with clever zingers nor turn into an old time preacher making an altar call. Post-debate consensus among the media tribe that judges such things will likely be that he lost or that he didn't reply well enough to recent criticisms about stop-and-frisk, bad-mouthing women, etc. There are millions of voters who have seen many of his campaign ads. His rational, reassuring presence on the stage, will, by itself, confirm he's a reasonable, successful person and immediately give credence to his ads and growing realization he's the real deal. He doesn't need to "win" or even place --- support and approval will crystalize once people see him on stage acting unTrump-like. Everyohne knows the "debates" are less debates than dog shows.
It will be interesting to see how the other candidates and the Democratic party at large treat him if his surge continues to push him to the front --and if he does very well on Super Tuesday. If it becomes clear that Bloomberg's the solid choice of most voting Democrats and independents, I think it will be important to stop tarring him as another Trump in Democrat clothing and face the inevitable that he must be the standard bearer for Dems in November. Two things are presently huge tailwinds for Bloomberg : fear of Sanders-the-Socialist among Dems who well remember Carter, Dukakis, and McGovern -- and Trump's continuing mental unraveling.
6
For me Bloomberg’s a tough sell. I’m hoping he’s treated like everybody on the debate stage, not given too much or too little time. Answers tough questions and provides a glimpse of what he could be as president.
I hope to watch a debate, not an infomercial or coronation.
6
@Gus: It probably won't wander far from the issue of money in politics.
2
The fact that we have to fall back on a billionaire to defeat Trump and everyone avoids criticizing him for some of his awful positions in the distant and not too distant past; because of his extensive (and mostly admirable) support for Democratic ideas is another shameful chapter in the legacy of Citizens United. There is no one person one vote in this country, and has never been. Between the influence of money and the Electoral college; it is on oligarchic monopolistic kleptocracy.
What other citizen in this country can spend half a billion $ in 3 months to advertise his way into the top tier of candidates without any significant criticisms, avoid townhalls and primaries, and emerge in the Top Tier of candidates because Democrats are scared that they can’t defeat Donald Trump with $27 donations and the promise of a more just society?
7
@Justin Bloomberg is the only candidate to whom Citizens United is irrelevant. He is not taking donations from anyone. If he wants to spend his own money rather than owe favors to donors, more power to him. The only road to a "more just society" is to beat Trump and Bloomberg is best prepared to do so.
7
@A2CJS: Money is Bloomberg's only charisma.
5
@A2CJS: From your mouth to God's ear.
1
We are in a state of national emergency, & the emergency is named Trump. Mr Bloomberg has the resources and the stamina to take him down. He is not scared off by bullies and contrarians.
If we go ahead and give him the green light, he might save us from a dangerous totalitarian regime .
7
@ellen luborsky: He lacks the charisma. He wanted to back Biden, but Trump lamed that horse. He's decided to do it himself, rather than find another pony to run.
1
@ellen luborsky
Let him donate his resources and stamina, no strings attahed, to one of the real candidates.
I see no evidence of a genuine road-to-Damascus transformation in Bloomberg who was like all those before him have amassed ungodly mountains of wealth through greed and an insatiable lust for power.
Despite his philanthropy , his pouring out money in support of progressive cause around the country, where is there evidence of any real humanity? Or humility? No, this risks becoming a showdown on Wall Street, not Main Street, between ego driven billionaires.
If Bloomberg genuinely wanted what was best for this country, he would put his money behind the best candidate one who does evoke the best values and interests of the American people. That might well be Amy Klobuchar.
5
@spig; If Bloomberg loses, expect him to back whoever the nominee is...
1
Though I'm intensely interested in the campaign, this is the first debate I'll watch...literally on pins and needles, hoping that Bloomberg shines. The fate of the country and likely the entire world lies in the balance.
He has made mistakes; but in four years he could raise this country, just as Trump could sink it. Bloomberg is one of the most generous people in history, just as Trump is a tightwad. Mike is right on climate change, right on guns, and right on so much more. He's not trying to buy the election; he's trying to beat Trump. That's why he has pledged to help the nominee, even if that person isn't himself.
There are those folks, holier-than-thou, smarter than the rest of us, who will follow their instincts rather than the facts. Just like those who vote for third party candidates, regardless how awful the result. The prime example of an awful result: Trump.
408
What kind of facts? Bloomie is trying to bend the rules. It could not be good for democracy even if he wins(and that is very big if). Let's say he gets some Reps to switch the side, for whom they will vote down the ballot? For Dems or for Reps? I bet they will vote for Reps. As result the victory will be a former Rep in the WH and the Congress dominated by Reps.
30
@bnyc I personally worked on the massive remediation effort mandated by the stop-and-frist lawsuit that the city finally stopped defending AFTER Bloomberg took office. It's so big it's still going on to this day. I will never vote for this man.
22
@Chud_whisperer Hear, Hear! As a New York City employee, I experienced the way Bloomberg took on our teachers' union and all city unions. He did it s a Republican. Now he's got the chutzpa to call himself a Democrat?! There's no point in replacing one NY billionaire with another! If Bloomberg is our nominee, I'll crossover and vote Green.
21
Bloomberg has a secret weapon. People believe he can get under Trump's skin. They'll literally vote for anyone who can do that.
191
@AACNY: Trump tramples accountants in his businesses. I wouldn't bank on Bloomberg getting under Trump's skin. In debates these two will talk right past each other.
8
@Steve Bolger
I agree. It's a fool's errand to try to get under Trump's skin.
4
@AACNY Not only that ... he put his money where his mouth is. 21 of 24 House seats he backed in moderate districts flipped in the 2018 midterms. He can help us take the Senate back. This is what I worry most about having Bernie as the nominee ... will the notoriously unreliable "youth vote" get us the moderate states and districts? They didn't even get Bernie the Dem nomination in 2016. We need to be strategic.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/us/politics/michael-bloomberg-democrats-donate.html
4
I just don't get all of this about "buying the election." It costs a phenomenal amount to run a successful presidential campaign today. Maybe it shouldn't -- maybe all the staff should work for free and the media provide free advertising -- but in 2020, it does. In my view, Mike Bloomberg has given us an incredible gift by paying these costs himself. It enables him to focus on getting elected -- not raising money to get elected. And, once elected, he will be beholden to no one financially.
226
@RAH I agree. Self-funding also avoids the influence of donors once elected to office. Remember when Trump was going to pay for his owner campaign? What a joke.
16
Including the general public
6
@RAH I think that's exactly what Trump supporters said in 2016.
How the hell did we end up in this dystopia where we are relegated to choosing a billionaire to protect us from the savage world? It's Trump vs Bloomberg vs Bezos vs ...
Give me back my democracy already..
11
I want to hear the candidates, including Bloomberg, compare and contrast their policies on climate change, healthcare insurance, student debt, tax reform/fiscal policy. I really don't care about the "gotcha" issues from two or three or four decades ago, regardless of whether it is about Bloomberg, Sanders or Warren or Klobuchar.
152
After a half century of growing economic inequality and Democrats’ feckless failure to deal with it, we finally have two strong candidates with significant proposals for addressing it. Proposals like universal health care, a wealth tax, and free community colleges.
Why on Earth would we waste this opportunity and give our party’s presidential nomination to a Wall Street Republican instead ?
143
@Philip Cafaro
Nice to hear a voice from Breckinridge House. And, yes, I agree with you completely!
6
@Philip Cafaro Check out Bloomberg's policies and proposals. They are left by any measure.
31
@Philip Cafaro Because Bernie Sanders will not win against Trump. And I don't need to restate the problems with that outcome.
29
Let the American working class people decide who their candidate of choice should be ,in stead of falling for the advertising and marketing techniques which are used by corporations to lure consumers.
4
@My American working class people are *also* consumers, hence the problem with this thesis.
I guess if argumentative speaking style is important, Mike Bloomberg will probably not come off all that well. As I recall during his NYC Mayoralty he wasn't a great public speaker. But he did some amazingly positive things (and yes, a few negatives too) during his 12-year tenure.
While I was never a big Bloomberg fan then, having seen the City both before and after, I realize what a turnaround has occurred. The City he left in 2013 was far better than the one he inherited in 2001. And it's remained on an astonishing upswing ever since.
So if public speaking style is important you'll likely be disappointed in Mike. But if good leadership is what you think is important in a President -- we could do (are doing) far worse.
342
@George S.
Bloomberg sounds awful and not just because of his nasally whiny voice. He is incredibly out of touch. In New York City, we expect this from the uber wealthy. They mention housekeepers and vacations without a second thought. They live a very privileged life. It comes with the territory in New York City.
Bloomberg is used to being the boss. They had to laugh at his jokes, which aren't really funny, and agree with him. We shall see if Bloomberg is really ready for primetime or whether he's out of his element on a national stage.
16
@George S.
Maybe part of Bloomberg’s debate preparation has been with a voice coach, and if he’s elected no doubt he’ll get a top-notch speechwriter or two as part of the package. Or maybe it’s the message that’s more important than the delivery?
4
@George S. I keep hearing about Bloomberg's "amazing" record in New York.
Maybe the writer is referring to his opposition to the teachers union and determination to block their raises. Or maybe his privatization of so many of our schools and parks?
How about his efforts to support gentrification, oppose rent stabilization, or bribe the City Council so he could get a third term?
Has anyone actually read the judges opinion in the stop and frisk case? Some kids were stopped repeatedly on their way to and from school. Probable cause and reasonable suspicion, the constitutional standards were thrown out the window. Women were stopped, businessmen were stopped, traffic stops were set up where everyone was forced to show ID's and all of this was concentrated in a few minority neighborhoods.
There is no evidence that any of this was responsible for New York's steady decline in crime. And believe me, criminologists have studied it carefully--no evidence.
Prosecutions of black youth for marijuana possession skyrocketed. Meanwhile you could go to NYU's campus and buy a pharmacy of drugs.
Bloomberg is only in the race to protect his billionaire class and to stop Bernie from taxing them as the should be.
14
"sauntered into"? Not quite. Let's not overdo it. Yes, he entered late after seeing an opening. I don't think that's such a bad strategy. If and when there's an opening, move in. Second, he hardly just strolled in. He has put significant money (skin) in the game. I agree that it is perhaps not a significant amount to him, but in an absolute sense, 400+ million is non-trivial. I can't hate on him just because he has resources. Third, let's see what he has to say. Just because it's a billionaire doesn't disqualify him, as some other candidates appear to suggest.
3
Turning Michael Bloomberg into Rosie Ruiz is somewhat of a cheap shot that is not exactly one of journalism's finest hours.
It not only insults the intelligence of its intended audience, it strips away the veneer of his competitors, revealing their weaknesses to their fellow Democrats, swing voters and Independents seeking a candidate strong enough to defeat the despot responsible for destroying our democracy. This approach reflects the hypocrisy of Republicans and, hopefully, will be discovered as such. If voters believe that Bloomberg is as unfit to hold the highest office in the land as its current occupant, let them be the judge and let the debates begin.
2
I love Mike. That being said I will vote for whoever the Democrats nominate.
I don't understand why some are concerned about his performance in a debate. Sure, the guy is not charismatic, probably is not good at assigning derogatory nicknames or prone to creepy grins, but the guy is a self made man, or as close you can get to it in this world.
I only hope he answers questions honestly, owns up to past transgressions, and provides a clear vision for a better just society.
From what I have heard on past debates, most of the candidates don't or haven't.
3
It was a startling revelation in 2016 to see just how voter apathy can be so tragic and dangerous. Over half of all eligible voters (some 100 million) didn't even bother to vote, the consequence being a so-called president whose narcissism is legion, his solipsism unashamed, his hedonism uninhibited. The mid-term elections showed that voter apathy can be fickle in that the GOP still clings to power as the DEMs dither. Quite possibly Bloomberg can cut through the current electoral morass. He’s smart, talks straight, does the work, listens to advisors, surrounds himself with good people, he’s real and he knows how to deal with trump’s garbage talk.
6
Our country is very polarized. To call Trump or Fox conservatives is an insult to the term conservative. Now the leading candidate Sanders is asking us to make a hard left turn and that is supposed to unite us?? His tactics remind us of bully Trump with the now famous Bernie Bros who are actually cyber thugs, Just like we have seen a barrage of articles on Bloomberg and his money we hope to see some scrutiny of Sanders proclivity toward the Soviet Union, Sandinistas or his comments on the Iran hostages.
4
Electing two billionaires in a row would not be a coincidence. It would be a sign that America has lost its way.
9
@michjas
I would argue that electing an outsider for 2 terms is an indictment of our political parties. They have ceased to function effectively. In fact, Americans have very little respect for them.
1
@michjas
I take it as a sign that the Republican "conservatives" have corrupted the Supreme Court. This is the inevitable result of Citizens United.
1
@Iris Flag
A close analysis of SCOTUS decisions does not support this claim.
1
If Bloomberg doesn’t debate well, I’ll be waiting to see if the press and public crucify him like they have Biden.
So far, his age isn’t a problem, his past transgressions are getting either a pass or excused away. He’s getting support in spite of it all. Hmmm.
I can only imagine that a few incomplete sentences no matter how fragmented or incoherent will be reasoned as him simply doing his best or deemed reactive to the other candidate’s bullying. Either way, it probably won’t matter.
2
In the Nevada debates Sanders needs to demolish Bloomberg the same way he will get after Trump.
Say to his face that he stood behind racist policies for year and made racist remarks for years.What does that make him? He was a Republican and promoted the Iraq war. A bunch of senators that we curse today are sitting there because of Mike's bribes/contributions.
6
Bloomberg's history of racism, sexism, and elitism should be enough to disqualify him as a Democrat.
All the other candidates have to do is make sure the democrats voting in the primaries are aware of who Bloomberg really is.
Actions speak louder than words, and Bloomberg has demonstrated himself to be an authoritarian creep with a massive ego and questionable morals.
5
I can't stand the guy and won't vote for him in the primaries. That said, if it's between Trump and Bloomberg, hands down, I'll vote for him. I will also have to fight my appetite for war of the Titian-esque battles as well. The presidency is something very serious, not the circus that would be.
2
Very good if he helps put the end to the ludicrous practice of hopefuls humping through Iowa for a year or more. Seems like dozens of Democrats were campaigning in Iowa for years, when they weren’t debating each other over and over again. Whilst mired in Iowa, Trump has been busy focusing on the states that will actually decide the election. If Bloomberg does well on Super Tuesday, maybe that will put this Iowa obsession to rest.
5
Michael Bloomberg's primary appeal is that he is the un-Bernie economically and the un-Buttigieg sexually. What he is not is the un-Trump, as both are brash, sexually aggressive, vulgar and enormously capable. Where he exceeds Trump is in the department of competitive weeny-waving, as Bloomberg's piggy bank is vastly fatter than Trump's. Overloaded moneybags, however, will help Bloomberg only in his war against his fellow Democrats. They will be meaningless in November when Trump can run in his record and his clearly superior charm, which Bloomberg lacks entirely. Indeed Bloomberg has nothing to show either in his record or in his persona to enable him to win over a majority of mainstream Americans. But then again, neither do Bernie or Mayor Pete.
Either Michael Bloomberg will do well in the debate or he won’t.
Putting aside the fact that journalists put more stock in candidates’ debate performances than voters do – especially in these “gang debates” the Democrats are forced to have – the positions articulated in the ads of the candidates and their websites may give a better picture.
What we should be looking at is the character and intelligence of the candidates.
4
@sdw
The debates are like a pre-playoff game for Bloomberg who must do well. His entire reputation is based on his ability to do battle with Trump.
2
@AACNY
You make a good point. Beyond character and intelligence, the anticipated ability to beat Trump in a general election debate IS important. The only problem is that the Democratic debates are not an accurate audition. Bloomberg is likely to be more restrained and less forceful against fellow Democrats than he would be one-on-one with Trump.
Bloomberg's financial businesses are heavily dependent on China. Reporters need to ask him if he will divest his business interests if he becomes president. This could make Trump's business conflicts look like chump change.
4
In 2012, I joined thousands of New Yorkers-- White, Black, Latino, Asian, male, female, young, old--- in a silent march down 5th Ave, to protest the 5 million police stop and searches that Bloomberg inflicted for years on citizens.
No music, drums, chants or talk---from Harlem 110th St, past throngs of onlookers, some on the steps of the Met Museum, on to 77th St. City officials were there talking to the public.
Judge Shira Scheindlin later ruled the excessive “stop-and-frisk” unconstitutional in a rebuke to Bloomie. He vowed to appeal.
She didn’t ban all stops completely, but called it “indirect racial profiling” and ordered federal monitoring and cameras.
“No one should live in fear of being stopped when he leaves his home to go about the activities of daily life,” Scheindlin wrote.
Now for 2020, we already have good candidates, who will ‘get things done’ that we need, that show more respect for citizens.
5
Bloomberg has the virtue for the Democrat establishment of being a neo con corporatist. That qualifies him to be called a moderate. The Democrat party embrace of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision to allow a person like Bloomberg to buy the presidency is consternating. Just as Hillary Clinton in 2016 with the 800 super delegates the Democratic party is moving toward an Oligarchy of big money and the concentration of power into fewer hands. Sanders is their bete noir. Grass roots politics takes that power out of the hands of the party establishment. Bloomberg is banking on advertising to take attention away from his utilization of wedge issue politics.
3
@c Harris
Bloomberg is the one candidate to whom Citizens United is irrelevant. He is not taking donations. Please list one "wedge issue" promoted by Bloomberg. The purveyors of wedge issues are Sanders and Warren with their craven and envious attacks on anyone more successful than they are. Even in the days of Trump, their hatred is notable.
As for the past denigration of women, I’d like to share an anecdote from the olden days. Back when women had tails and the only executive decisions we made involved choosing the ripest produce, there has been much improvement.
The trucking industry from the 1940’s was well entrenched in referring to women a ‘pieces of a——.’
By the 70’s many of the female workers were happy to even be included in that mans world.
When I began my career, I found it best to one up these men and show no fear, while other women had sex in the drivers quarters.
That was then. I am now retired and so proud of my sisters, the women of the #Me Too, movement. I quietly smile when I see a woman walking, shoulders high, through a group of construction workers. No more cat calls, just a nod of respect, that 40 years ago was not even possible.
So, to Bloomberg, yeah, he belittled women back in the day. Everyone did. But today, he and other intelligent men have evolved into sincere respect of for women.
trump, on the other hand, has learned nothing about women’s rights and continues to debase us on a daily basis. Take his ‘grab the...women’s bodies,’ that still defines him.
If Bloomberg can atone for his policy of ‘stop and frisk,’ and pledge to end the mass incarceration of people of color, he might make a good president.
I think he is the only one who can return trump to his swamp of filth and cruelty.
3
The barr is so low , why we even start to question this man, he sounds like the perfect candidate now , after the disaster person we have now representing the country, I am ready to vote him now , he doesn’t even have to appear for this silly debate listening to Klobuchar taking about her miner grand father, Biden mentioning what he did in the senate in 1979, warren and her bankruptcy law , and Sanders that couldn’t even answer to the question last night on taking money from billionaire Bloomberg if he become the nominee, enough about the game show, the other side are not playing, we are.
1
The Democratic party that lost more than a thousand seats in state houses ,Congress and the Senate since 2008 are so weak and ineffective that they need a Republican to lead them. Democratic leadership is so crooked and inept that they dont have a clue that their voters want big structural changes not Conservatism. No more war , healthcare that doesn't financially kill you ,college that doesnt cost a what house in 1985 cost.Maybe if Bloomberg doesn't work out Democrats can get Charles Koch.
3
Democrats better realize Mr. Bloomberg has a very large following - he's not going away.
....and he shouldn't.
I wonder if Ms. Cottle went to the polls and found 2 choices, who she would vote for?
I know the writer of this article would vote for Mike; she knows that as well.
The Democratic candidates and writers like Ms. Cottle can demean, and criticize Mike Bloomberg, but at the end of the day, if he's the best candidate to defeat the President, we should all line up and support him.
The attacks on Mayor Mike may be the Democrats undoing - they may continue alienating voters to either not vote, or vote for Trump.
Sanders vs. Trump
Warren vs. Trump
Bloomberg vs. Trump
Biden vs. Trump
It's going to one of those 4 - who do you think has the experience, knowledge, popularity and financial wherewithal (yes, it may take a small fortune to defeat Trump) to win?
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe Ms. Cottle would vote for Trump instead of Bloomberg.....would you?
4
"After spending over $400 million promoting himself, Michael Bloomberg faces the scrutiny of a debate for the first time."
Interesting that $400 million just happens to be the same amount Trump withheld/threatened to withhold from Ukraine. (It -yes, $400 million- also happens to be the same amount Trump got from his dad Fred to launch and support his casino and real estate business.)
As deplorable as the idea of Bloomberg "buying" the election with $400 million, at least it was that sum from "his own" (no claim being made on my part that Bloomberg really "earned" his vast fortune; frankly, I doubt he did) bank account, whereas Trump tried to buy it with the tax payers' $400 million designated by Congress for Ukraine defense.
2
We have the best government money can buy. I hope Bloomberg buys the election for us.
1
@Kevin Cahill
Sounds like an epitaph for the American experiment.
3
By spending tens of millions of dollars over the last decade Bloomberg has gotten elected dozens of democrats across the country that are loyal to him - Basically he bought their loyalty - They will endorse, campaign for him and get out the vote for him - He owns them - With his billions to spend on advertising and loyal army of campaign staffers and politicians beholden to him, he can bypass traditional campaigning and delegate the hard part to his soldiers - It is dangerous because he will not be sufficiently vetted - The press, including the NYT, will give him a pass concluding that he is better than Trump so they will carry his water - The whole process stinks, but it may work
2
We already know who Bloomberg is and what he stands for. He *is* racist, he *is* sexist, he *is not* interested in us plebes and our lives. And when the DNC bent the rules to allow him to debate, they told us who they are and what they stand for. They are selling us out. They don’t care about people or color, about women, about the working poor. I desperately want Trump out of office. But I simply cannot vote for Bloomberg.
5
$400 million, the amount the headline suggests Mr. Bloomberg has already spent toward his White House hopes, is a very interesting figure indeed.
Not only is that the same number (yes, $400 million) Trump withheld, or threatened to withhold, from Ukraine in efforts to extort announcement of an investigation into the Bidens, but also the same amount (yes, $400 million) Trust Fund Trumpy got from his daddy Fred Trump to launch his casino and real estate business.
Interesting that both Trump and Bloomberg could be said to have used the same amount -yes, $400 million- to "buy" the election, but at least Bloomberg was trying to buy it with his own $400 million, & Trump was trying to buy it with the tax payers' $400 million designated by Congress for Ukrainian defense.
Although I'm frankly skeptical that Bloomberg can be said to have "earned" his $60 billion (I'm sure he didn't) including that $40 million, I'm sure some more talent and effort went into it than Trump getting $400 million from his dad. (Maybe, by the way, that's what put it into Trump's mind to play with that $400 million, like money he found under his a Christmas tree or his pillow, as in effect he actually did).
2
"He declined an invitation by The Times’s editorial board to participate in our endorsement process"
If he doesn't want talk to you, don't report on him. Bloomberg knows how to bully people - he's another Trump. Don't fall for it.
Many media outlets are scared to pitch hardball to Bloomberg. They are afraid, if they cross him, they will not be among the beneficiaries of his massive ad spend. Again, he manipulates people in the same way Trump does.
Stand up to Bloomberg - don't let him Billionize you.
4
The problem I have with this column is that Bloomberg has been ordained a frontrunner. Well, so was Biden. We will see.
3
Mike Bloomberg is an opportunist. He thinks he can buy the election with his billions. He thinks he can pull the wool over the voters eyes. They are a lot smarter than he thinks. He does not have a chance.
3
This Napoleon Bloomberg is playing the role of Democrat. Easy to see through. But we have much better candidates to deal with issues of guns and climate, and everything else ailing our society.
He'll say and do anything now after the Trump criminal presidency gives him an opportunity, to move in and exploit. He’s spending more money to inundate us with ads than all other candidates combined.
But he's given multi millions to GOP politicians, including McConnell allies. He's switched parties from GOP to Independent to Dem.
He picks his good causes for public relations, after he's insulted minorities with excessive, exploitive police searches, and grossly insulted women. Then tries to spin with calculated 'apologies'. His disrespect is obvious.
Bloomie's got a King complex, same as that one he wants to replace. Some voters can be duped enough to be pro Trump, and others can be pro Bloomie--- from the supposedly opposite side.
3
Trump at 6ft 3 mocks Bloomberg who is 5ft 8. But both men have huge Napoleon complexes.
If American voters have any self -respect, they should ensure these 2 meet their Waterloo, then be exiled from our politics.
Then we have to set about reconstructing our political culture for higher standards, so that millions of voters can't be swayed to fall for the blatant, self-serving propaganda of such would -be Emperors.
Otherwise Trump's harm lives on beyond his term. Swamp creatures will be inspired to rise from the depths. We’ll be lucky if we just get mediocre presidents.
2
My money’s on Iron Mike and his track record of fixing NYC. Had the DNC shown some degree of common sense and made Mike their candidate instead of HRC, this would all be a moot point.
For all of his billions and his army of campaign advisors and workers, his story is yet to be told.
Ignore the “highlights” that his ads cite and take note of the real Mike that few people know. There’s a whole lot more behind his history of disdain for women in the workplace as well as his arrogant treatment of minorities while mayor.
Decades of wrongdoing simply can’t be ignored and wiped clean by staged apologies.
1
Of course the presidency is for sale; Mr. Trump bought it with Putin's money! Ans as long as it is on sale, I will wish that the bidder with at least a modest amount of scruples wins out. I'd choose Bloomberg over Trump anytime as long as Bloomberg agrees to legalize cannabis. If not then my vote will go to Sanders. Yes, I can vote and hope everyone who can does as well.
No doubt Mike will receive a real *warm* welcome from his fellow candidates, especially Bernie. But human nature is a funny thing. If they gang up on Bloomberg, it might actually boost his candidacy.
2
It's insane he has any support. He is Trump-lite. If our democracy can just be sold to the highest bidder we have to start over
3
"Rarely has a candidate come so far while revealing so little of himself"
He was Mayor of NYC for 12 years. He was not hiding under a rock so as not to "reveal" himself.
Whatever you need to know about Bloomberg has been "revealed" for a long time.
4
Bloomberg’s campaign spending dwarfs that of his competitors. And he has a huge staff— 2400.
His campaign is the best money can buy. And it is beyond belief that Democrats are thinking about turning the country over to the wealthiest guy they can find. If you think that the values of the Democratic Party should be entrusted to a CEO type you have lost your way. And to those who say anyone is better than Trump, maybe so. But he’s still a pig in a poke. And I am voting for a candidate whose main qualification is something other than his net worth.
2
Bloomberg is really just coming into the race and he is already well ahead of second tier candidates like a Warren.
1
In addition to the Bloomberg, the American people will be watching the press this evening. Will the press only lob Buttigieg-style soft balls at media mogul Bloomberg or will they ask him the same kind of difficult questions that Trump would ask him in a debate?
Bloomberg's past positions on the issues aligns more closely to that of a moderate Republican than a moderate Democrat. We saw how effectively Trump destroyed moderate Republican candidates for their positions on free trade and the invasion of Iraq in 2016.
But more important than Bloomberg's pitiful poor judgment on domestic policies (stop and frisk, Wall Street bail out) and foreign policy issues (free trade and Iraq) is his attempt to buy the election with endless slick campaign ads.
Julius Caesar offered double pay to his privatized army to cross the Rubicon and end replace the republic with an absolute monarchy. Likewise, Bloomberg offers double pay to any Democratic staffer who will defect to his side.
The nomination of Bloomberg would be one more step toward the death of our republic.
2
I’m getting really tired of constantly hearing and reading that Mr. Bloomberg is buying the election. Unfortunately, a tremendous amount of money is what it takes to win a national election in this country. Every presidential nominee spends hundreds of millions of dollars to try and win over voters, and win the election. In 2016 over a billion dollars was spent by the two candidates. 
I get dozens of emails every week from Democratic candidates asking for money, begging for money. I get emails from all of them asking me to add my name to this and that cause, and then scroll down and donate money. It’s constant. I get several emails every week for Mr. Bloomberg who asks me to add my name to a cause, but instead of asking for money he asks me to share it on Facebook or other social media. Quite honestly I like that.
I hope the other democratic candidates don’t forget that it was Mr. Bloomberg who poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the 2018 House races, most of them won by women that he supported. I hope the other candidates don’t forget that he almost single-handedly turned the Virginia Statehouse blue for the first time in decades. I hope the other candidates don’t forget that he has also spent hundreds of millions of dollars fighting climate change and fighting for gun safety in every town in America. All progressive policies.
I like Mike 2020!
20
Folks, it's fair to ask questions of / about all the candidates. But ultimately, the math on this is pretty simple. Winning is the goal. Mike's your best shot at winning. Full stop.
6
It may change, but right now, Bloomberg is helping Sanders. Maybe they should run as a team.
1
I certainly have interest in seeing Mr. Bloomberg on stage without his handler’s, marketers, and algorithms. I am more interested on the reaction from his opponents on stage. It seems that everyone on the left is rallying around Mike, and for many reasons. Mr. Biden who everyone has seen in the throes and ravages of old age. The two socialists will never be elected nationally. is this what the progressives in the Democrat party really want? Is it not ironic that for months they’ve been railing against billionaires and now are in bracing the richest man of all.
@Mitchell myrin
That centrist "liberals" are quick to rally around a Republican billionaire who panders to the polls with a Madison Avenue media blitz in an attempt to buy the nomination, is telling. This shallow, media-vulnerable brand of liberalism is what has come to define a corporate party that has run to the left only to govern from the center-right for decades at great cost to working class Americans.
We have an authentic candidate with integrity who is a front runner in spite of constant attacks from corporate media and the DNC. We cannot afford to support anyone else knowing that the neoliberal economics of the last 40 years must end and that corporate corruption must be overcome to povide universal healthcare and to deal effectively with the climate issue. Bernie Sanders 2020.
6
@Al M
I was at an event last night with a wide range of political views. The vast majority of individuals are relieved that Bloomberg will probably take down Bernie and then take down Trump. There was a sense of relief in the air. The greater sense of relief is that he will knock out Bernie as people are legitimately concerned as to what a Vermont Socialist would do to the economy -- thank goodness.
5
@Taylor
Sadly this crowd will most likely take down the Democratic party and the country in their unjustified fear of someone popular who actually takes seriously the rhetoric Democrats have pushed. Many of us are unlikely to vote for Bloomberg.
3
The term trying to buy the presidency is really getting old .
Bloomberg got into the race late because it became obvious after several Democratic Debates none of the candidates had a chance at beating Trump .
There is so much at stake in the coming election . Bloomberg will address solutions to climate change , infrastructure collapse , and renew our alliances with our allies.
And he’s the only candidate that understands that you have to fight fire with fire .
Sanders chants about buying the election are beginning to sound like “ lock her up “ .
14
Bloomberg isn't "running" for President. He isn't meeting with voters, he hasn't faced questions, he's not on the ground. He's "marketing" for President. Shame on us if we're buying.
15
The moral bankruptcy of the DNC is the real story.
Worshiping money is the religion of the Establishment.
The DNC cannot get its collective noses out of the trough.
The country needs a Great Awakening. Not clear what that will take.
Perhaps Lenin was right: "The worse, the better". Suffering the misery and injustice of inequality and a rigged system must get worse before we become angry and determined enough to rise and fight for the needed transformation.better
6
There is a bit of an irony to those sporting Bernie’s progressive credentials. You do realize like all those other white males, Bernie is a millionaire White Male, who told Hilary, and then Elizabeth Warren that women cannot win. Why did he not get behind Warren, for example, whose policies are not dissimilar. He is 78 and had a heart attack, so it would have been plausible to let her carry the banner. He kept running for the same reason Bloomberg entered the race, they feel most capable. My sense is however that if A y were to skyrocket in popularity Bloomberg would be quite content to help her win. Do not be so fast with the Bloomberg has a big ego point, when Bernie is essentially exhibiting the same behavior.
9
Beyond how Bloomberg comes off in this debate or what his TV ad campaign says, he has a record which is much more revealing of the man and of what we can expect. His record and the baggage he carries make him a weak candidate for Democrats and a poor choice for the presidency. He may be able to buy air time, sign-wavers and the favor of pundits but he can't buy the votes.
13
I like every single one of those who will be on stage this evening. My first priority is who can beat trump. I believe Bloomberg can do it. I lived in nyc during his time as mayor. Stop and frisk was wrong, very wrong. He has admitted his mistake however opportune it was for his campaign. At this point we need someone who can oust trump et al. We need a restart, for all our sakes.
17
Bloomberg is a guy who think he is smarter than everyone else. And he thinks rationalism is the best route to wise policy. He is wrong on both counts.
Plenty of people are smarter than Bloomberg, especially about politics. And experience is a far better guide to wise policy than pure reason.
One problem with pure reason, is that folks who think they excel at it can be closed-minded about taking suggestions and criticism. If I were a debate moderator, I would ask Bloomberg some questions testing how far he would go when he knew for sure he had the best answers.
6
@S.P. Logic and data does not tell what are your values and goals. Like "How can we dominate the world more effectively" versus "What should be our role in the world". Bloomberg gives impression that he would pursue the first without any though on the second. When he run a city, the value of real estate grew, the availability of housing for those with average income or lower did not, I suspect that he used "pure reason" to increase the "value", prices and rents, this is a normal goal for a finance man.
1
Perhaps the whole nomination process is too long and really turns into a long gotcha scenario which really hurts candidates. Least us not forget all the money Bloomberg has given to liberal causes.
3
Here’s a comparison: Biden is walking around asking for everyone’s money for his candidacy. Past experience indicates that while in office, he will use his power to enrich himself and his family. After all, he’s done nothing else for longer than I’ve been alive. Bloomberg, meanwhile, isn’t asking for anyone’s money and there’s no evidence that he has used governmental power to further enrich himself. I’m so tired of the self-righteousness.
19
@J
Joe did not enrich himself as a member of the Senate for 36 years. Check your facts.
1
Mike Bloomberg has already proven that he is willing to ignore term limits and the will of the people of New York City. Like Trump's Ukraine stranglehold, that is enough to show he should not be allowed to hold the office of president.
13
The editorial says that he has sowed fears. This is false. The fears were there before, especially since Warren changed into a Sanders wannabe and Biden proved hollow. I’m sorry but the democratic party’s decision to allow an independent like Sanders run, combined with their attempt to anoint an even weaker candidate than Hillary (Joe Biden) brought this on us.
10
@J "democratic party’s decision to allow an independent like Sanders run"... tough decision, how to prevent an "independent" (loyal member of the Democratic caucus) and disallow a political chameleon?
1
@J The DNC's decision to allow Sanders to run as a Democrat was probably a pragmatic effort to prevent him from running as a third party candidate. Sanders could have easily become a spoiler that would guarantee another term for Trump. If he wins the primary I will vote for him, but with trepidation.
1
@J Let me get this straight. You’re OK with a stop and frisk Republican running for the Democratic Party nomination but you’re not OK with an Independent. That’s some fancy rationale there.
1
Bloomberg is trying to buy the election. Bernie is trying to win it the old-fashioned way, by presenting great ideas and tirelessly campaigning. Let's the Old School way prevails in this one.
23
Bernie’s ideas were never great and only would work in small. Countries. Also, he never explained if he stopped being a genuine communist or not (SWP elector 1980)
It's pay to play whether you use your own or somebody else's money and broadcasting the Bernie Sanders myth is a very costly endeavor. Even though he knows from a lifetime in politics that nothing will get done without compromise, Bernie has to be consistent in his messaging otherwise the spellbound won't continue to buy into it.
Elizabeth Warren wavered and fell from grace.
1
A couple of points here:
1. If the media would at least mention that .15 % of 5 million people searched under Bloomberg's tenure as mayor resulted in the surrender of 6,500 weapons and 13 times as many drug related arrests, I think many people would re-evaluate its effectiveness. I know that doing the math made me reconsider. As a victim of multiple violent crimes in NY and LA, I can tell you that 1 confiscated weapon makes a Big difference.
2. Having been Stopped-and- Frisked multiple times, framed for drug possesion on one occasion, and dragged from my front door and thrown in jail overnight as the result of an inaccurate lead, I would "gladly" go through it all again if it meant that one weapon that might later be used in a murder was taken out of circulation. For 6,5000!
3. Sanders was cited in the Mueller report along with Trump. Sanders as a nominee would render the FACT of Russian interference irrelevant.
3. Is it reasonable to attribute the Russian's desire for a contest between Sander's and Trump completely to Putin's grudge against Clinton? Might it be that to weaken the US, Putin would employ the same tactics that Reagan did in order to Bankrupt the (former!) USSR?
3. Are there current Bernie supporters who were also former Bernie Supporters? Is it possible that a number of Bernie supporters have continued to support Bernie even though they became Bernie supporters in part due to Russian misinformation? It might explain their commitment to a Trump/Sanders race.
4
The author seems to forget that Bloomberg was mayor of NYC for 12 years. He has a successful track record in political service, not to mention building a multi-billion dollar business from scratch. B
It's not like he just popped out of thin air like, well, Barack Obama did when he ran for the presidency after being in the Senate for only two years.
I get that many on the Way Left resent Bloomberg's money (and most everyone with money). But simple electoral math shows Sanders can't beat Trump. Biden is done. Buttigieg has all the appeal of an introverted accountant. It's either Bloomberg or Klobuchar and hopefully both on the same ticket.
The Way Left needs to decide whether they want to beat Trump or spend the next four years writing angry columns about him.
39
@Jack Sonville I couldn’t disagree more. First, you haven’t cited the “electoral math” you refer to. Perhaps you’re unaware that Hillary won the primary (and the delegates) in irrelevant states like South Carolina, a red state we Democrats have no chance of winning in the general.
Meanwhile, Bernie won the primaries in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the Blue Wall states which proved to be pivotal.
It seems voters like you and the Democratic establishment are determined NOT to trust democracy. You and they seem to think that you know better than the voters who should represent the party.
How did that work out in ‘16? How has that worked out so far this year for the “electable” Biden? Not well!
Trust democracy by nominating whoever wins the most delegates on the first ballot in Wisconsin.
1
@Jack Sonville Totally agree!
1
I cannot get past the notion that 78 is way past prime for a high stress job and it hardly seems democratic to have a playing field that's not even close to level when it comes to campaign spending - (reform needed).
My concern is ending up with a decent administration, which should be the focus. My money is going to Amy as the best choice.
Given that what we have now is getting more dysfunctional by the day, a victory in Nov should not be as difficult as it has been made out to be.
9
Interesting to see that Bloomberg is described as a 'billionaire businessman'. But Jeff Bezos -- equally rich -- is described as 'Amazon founder and CEO'.
In fact, every time Bloomberg is described its as a 'billionaire', as if he's done something dirty and illegal. Here's a guy who started his own business at 39 and turned into an empire. Now he's at the point where he can and does donate hundreds of millions to good causes and fund his own Presidential-run campaign. To my mind that is the American Dream personified.
And while it's true that he entered the race late, that was because he couldn't see a candidate who he felt could potentially beat Trump. So he decided to go into the race himself.
Perhaps the reason his popularity has soared is not because of the amount he's spent but rather because a) his story is inspiring b) his generosity is admirable c) his policies are reasonable and solid d) his track record on progressive issues is impeccable and e) he's taking the fight to Donald Trump.
But we believe what we want to believe.
46
@Mark Crozier Bloomberg’s record with issues like stop and frisk as well as redlining are far from impeccable. Indeed, they are party line Republican.
4
Here's my question for Bernie supporters who say Bloomberg is "buying" the election: If Bloomberg was willing to fund Bernie as the nominee, would you feel that Bloomberg had bought Bernie? Or that Bernie had sold out?
29
@Leaving Bloomberg would not be able to fund Bernie as Bernie does not accept Super PAC money. Bloomberg can keep spending on behalf of the DNC, but not for the Sanders campaign itself. Bloomberg could give Bernie the maximum personal limit of around $4,400.
10
@Pete
On November 19, 2019, 5 days before announcing his candidacy, Michael Bloomberg made 3 separate contributions of $106,500 each to the DNC. This $319,500 bribe was not meant to fund anything but the rule change that would allow Bloomberg to participate in the Democratic primary debates, but not before he'd managed to inundate the public with his unchallenged campaign propaganda.
9
We do not need his boatload of money to beat Trump. We need a message and a messenger, one that can bring the country together. Bloomberg is the wrong messenger. Just ask the 5 million minorities that were stop-and-frisked. Bloomberg also sends the wrong message: Trust me, I am the better oligarch (a real one, as opposed to Trump). That is a Faustian bargain.
He is creating this chaos because he wants a brokered convention so that he can buy out the others. And at the end of the day, he just does not want to pay more in taxes, which is why he is really running. Wrong message; wrong messenger.
13
@PB "at the end of the day, he just does not want to pay more in taxes..." I believe what Mr. Bloomberg pays in taxes would be minuscule compared to the millions and millions he willingly gives in support of issues of so much importance to liberals. No.... more money is hardly a motivator for him. Bloomberg is deeply concerned about the future of everyone in this country and knows he is the most qualified candidate to remove Trump. Bloomberg, with his proven record of support and action on so many issues of importance to me, has already received my vote.
17
@ainsworth20001
Anybody who has observed Bloomberg concludes that money isn't a motivator; it's the only motivator. He can try to buy votes with his latter-day Andrew Carnegie routine, as a way to insulate himself from the rest of his record, but that well-worn gig wears thin quickly.
He knows nothing about foreign policy. And by the time that he learns it, he will be eighty years old. We do not need another seventy-plus-year-old trainee. The last one did not work out so well, in case you did not notice.
As for the best candidate, he is far from it. He is just a dollar sign seeking to lower his tax bill. We do not need a battle of the authoritarians. The difference between Trump and Bloomberg can be summed up by some commas in their net worth. It is always about the commas with both of them.
You can vote for him. The rest of us will not. Any of the rest of the existing candidates can beat Trump. We do not need him.
9
@ainsworth20001 — Among his other attributes, Bloomberg is notably better at math than most Americans. Warren's 2% wealth tax would cost Bloomberg more than a billion a year—notably more than he will probably spend on his entire campaign. Certainly far more, after a few years.
1
I hate the influence that money, via advertising, has on the choice that voters make on choosing a presidential candidate. So far, it seems the $400 million Bloomberg has spent is working. If he would commit to spending $2 billion in the general election, I would definitely get behind him. Yes, it’s a Faustian bargain, but I can live with that.
10
@Ash
I have not watched one Bloomberg ad. I cannot stomach political ads. Yet I am intrigued by Bloomberg after studying his policy proposals on his website, as I have for all the other Democratic candidates.
As such, I am kind of insulted by people saying he can buy my vote.
18
@Jules
You may be insulted, but the fact is that Bloomberg is currently polling at 19%. Obviously the advertising is working for him as I doubt most voters have had a chance to study in-depth his policies. Being sanctimonious will not defeat Trump, advertising will. I don't like it either, but that is the way it works now days until private money is removed from election financing.
2
Some random thoughts.
1. Nobody complained when Bloomberg used his money to help candidates elected.
2. Does the charge that he is buying his election imply that voters can be bought?
3. We have come a long way from the time when candidates refused to campaign to candidates going all out to get elected.
4. Has the Supreme Court in their reason-blowing decision ruined politics forever?
16
I honestly don't get us (US electorate). Do we do nothing but watch TV? This is the only reason I can think of for what seems to be the meteoric rise of MB's polling. It reflects poorly on us that someone can rise so far and fast simply by tossing $s at us.
Living in the EU, I'm immune to the media blitz, and what little I know of MB, I'm not keen on.
The last thing (well, next to the last) I want in the White House is a Republican-lite president that will have no interest in marshalling the fundamental changes that need to be made.
11
@Texan in Italy - It's my understanding that Bloomberg entered the race because he had data indicating that none of the democratic candidates could beat Trump. I'm guessing that he also had data indicating that he had a good chance of being the nominee and winning -- otherwise he would have not bothered to run.
He was a democrat until 2001 and he's donated a lot of money to support gun safety, the environment, address climate change, support Emily's List, Planned Parenthood, and much more. Not sure if that makes him Republican-lite.
13
@Leaving his policies make him socially liberal and fiscally GOP
1
Good! I for one can wait to see him take on Bernie.
Bernie, who voted FOR the crime bill.
Bernie, who voted AGAINST every single gun control measure.
Bernie, who REFUSED to finalise his FEC filings from 2016, refusing to disclose who his donors are or how he spent the funds.
Bernie, who immediately after 2016 started a PAC, which also refuses to disclose its donors or spending.
Go get him, Mike. The press gives Bernie a free pass. Hold him accountable.
29
@Lisa “the press gives Bernie a free pass,” is pure comedy. I haven’t seen a candidate more tarnished by the media than Bernie. If you listened to the media after the N.H. primary you would’ve thought Buttigieg or Klobuchar won. I agree with you that he’s not perfect, but the notion that Bernie of all the candidates gets a free pass is a joke. How about the mayor with no national political experience? How about Biden who has clearly lost three steps and does appear to have some suspect dealings with his son? How about Liz suddenly backing off of national healthcare and lying about her ethnicity? Please.
3
@Lisa
Bernie, has also been delaying the release of his medical records........uhm.
The sad fact, is that it often takes money, and then we are having to face the fact, that both of these billionaires, had a lot of tax deductions to get where they are at, and then both were serious women chasers, not a lot of what most of us want in any President. Amy Klobuchar was in a CNN Town Hall tonight, and she sounded ready to take on all the issues, that Mike Bloomberg espouses, gun violence, healthcare, immigration, dreamers, etc. The debate tomorrow night in Las Vegas should be good for the voters, if they don't get blinded by the elephant in the room, which is DT.
3
@MaryKayKlassen
Klobuchar has gotten a pass on her own record. She supports fracking and mining interests in Minnesota. She led a deplorable prosecution of a black youth, now conveniently calling for new evidence since she’s running for president. She has the highest staff turnover rate in the senate, due to her long history of abuse of her employees.
Funny nobody's mentioned this:
Bloomberg is 78 years old, only a few months younger than Sanders and a few years older than Biden. So which one will he be on stage? The feisty focused one or the rambling one, oblivious to the incoherent bore he's become? If your guess is as good as mine then it's a pretty good guess.
5
Biden is 77.
Why have elections anymore? Let’s just auction off presidential terms to the highest bidder. It would save time and it would be a lot more honest.
29
After 12 years as NYC’s mayor and more as an activist philanthropist it’s vacuous to claim that the debates will be the main method for primary voters to get to know Candidate Bloomberg. We already know more about him than we did Obama and we do many other candidates.
If Bloomberg opted out of the debates he’d also be fine: he is doing well without them. Trump will also likely opt out of most General Election debates so voters should get used to this new political stage.
20
You may know him well as a New Yorker, but to me he's just another suit.
1
Bloomberg can beat Trump. He scares fewer people than Sanders or Warren, but his current stance on important issues is similar to theirs. He is more electable than Biden who still hasn't explained his son's job in Ukraine or why he thinks he can work with Republicans when he couldn't get the Senate to give Obama’s Supreme Court nomination a legally mandated hearing. Both Amy and Pete are somewhat plausible, but they lack the big bankroll and good organization that will be needed to beat Trump.
28
@lvzee Bloomberg scares fewer people than Sanders or Warren? Have you heard his racist comments against black men? I as a black person cant fathom Bloomberg getting the nomination... he belongs in JAIL for what he has done with illegal stop and frisk... If he did that to Jews or Christians He couldn't show his face in public! He would be a slap in the face to the me too movement and has repeatedly insulted blacks and workers with his comments. He cant beat trump because he will keep young voters and minorities home.
You have captured the moment very well. I am wondering whether tomorrow night will be one of those memorable moments in American history — or a continuation of the disappointing tale of talking points and what passes for a little inspiration. I could not be more interested or troubled by what I see. What I want them to do is move past the issues to the challenge and who is most able to meet it. I just voted for Mike Bloomberg in our primary and was one of many who wanted Elizabeth Warren to run in 2016. I voted this way because I think the answer to your final question is yes.
I am keenly aware that I may be wrong which does not bother me at all because I will vote for the eventual nominee and would love to see it be Elizabeth or Amy. Yet, I keep thinking of the Big 10 Commissioner who used to tell sports writers: “The answer to all your questions is money.” The economist in me actually thinks money does buy elections. Mike Bloomberg has the money to fund successful campaigns for the White House and the Senate. Yet, he is done if he can’t hit the pitching tomorrow night.
He seems to have an appreciation for preparation, so I expect him to be ready for prime time. That’s what I think. What I wish I’d read in your column is what you think. I, for one, never doubted that ours is still a racist, sexist, imperialist country — which I pointed out to classmates 50 years ago. I did not, however, expect the government of the United States to become so obviously corrupt.
11
Bloomberg supports action to combat climate change. Bloomberg supports health insurance/health care for all. These are the two most vital issues for me. And I hope they are for everyone else, too.
Bloomberg is the one who can beat Trump. He is worth every penny, just for that one reason. And every penny for Bloomberg's campaign can come from Bloomberg himself! Special interests will not buy him off.
This isn't rocket science. Bloomberg can get the job done.
Let's let the process play out.
Let's let the voters decide.
31
@Blue Moon : Yes. Mr. Bloomberg may very well be the 'correct' person to bring stability, sanity and safety back to America by setting a firm tone and bringing in the best people and advisors from around the globe to bring America 'home to itself'
With everyone shouting and yelling at one another in public discourse or even at the dinner table, that alone would be a serious and welcome relief.
Remember at all times what Michael Moore said about this entire charade i.e. "Refrain from asking who can or cannot beat Mr. Trump later this year, however ask who can crush him.
8
If this were really a debate, questions would be posed about raising the minimum wage, how to expand health care, lowering presciption drug prices, building infrastructure, strengthening the EPA, protecting voting rights, immigration reform, improvong public education, raising teacher salaries, campaign finance reform, cooperating with our allies, protecting Roe v. Wade, and equitable trade, climate and mutual defense agreements. Instead, it will be about the moderators asking questions about past positions, pitting one candidate against another and and who has the most effective stage persona.
29
@Alan J. Shaw
Voters should also be given a chance to find out which candidate they support most by answering a detailed questionnaire that reveals to them the candidate who most aligns with their values.
@Alan J. Shaw
And gun legislation.
@Alan J. Shaw:
This sounds less like a debate, than a beauty contest.
Bloomberg will follow Biden once he finds himself on the debate stage. Unless you have some magical powers like Bernie, it’s hard to be fast on your feet when you’re pushing 80. Bloomberg will falter on stage without a script and all that armor $400 million bought will fall off. This will be a race between Bernie and Pete as these two will champion the progressive and the moderate wings of the Democratic Party. Bernie has been building this campaign for the past five years, and Pete is the smartest candidate for the President since Barak Obama.
9
@UC Graduate:
Pretty sad that after even after pushing his grassroots campaign "for the past five years!", the best Sanders could accomplish was to match the newcomer Buttigieg in the first two primaries.
6
@UC Graduate
A Bernie/Mayor Pete ticket may be in the offing.
Yes, I've seen the ads, moreover I've seen the effect they have on people representative of the great majority who are barely paying attention to the race, who just got their ballots. Guess what armchair pundits: Bloomberg and one other usually Biden or Bernie, are the only names that are immediately recognizable to many. That's what $400 million bought—the crucial first step of name recognition. And what else did it buy? A belief that Obama supports Bloomberg. You've seen the ad. I've seen the effect.
When we see the candidates Wednesday, I hope Biden at least straightens out that point, though who watches debates or reads summaries or even headlines about them?
I fear we're going to end up with a mud wrestling Twitter match between two obnoxious New York billionaires. My long shot hope is that Bernie and Bloomberg oppo each other to oblivion first, leaving a feisty but civil woman to take the reins.
10
@Yojimbo We get headlines on every debate. Even early states that represent 1% of the total delegate count get headlines. Third-place winners become headline grabbers. Or are you not paying attention?
1
Bloomberg is popular among the crowd who think he’s electable. Obama promised hope and change. Bloomberg promises better than Trump. The Democratic Party has fallen to the very bottom.
I think I’ll vote for someone I can stomach. My standards haven’t fallen far enough to vote for Bloomberg.
30
@michjas
Vote Nader.
He's still one of the best.
2
The leading Democratic candidate for president and commander in chief of the USA is from all appearances a really extraordinarily angry man whose governmental executive resume consists entirely of being mayor of Burlington, Vermont. Is it any wonder that Mike stepped into the presidential race to prevent a total Democratic disaster in 2020?
34
@David -- with a 70% margin in Vermont, by Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and even Labor Party and Libertarians.
#BernieSanders crushes Trump by 18 points among #IndependentVoters and is ahead in the national polls by 10 points. Independents = 42% of voters, and the majority of those votes go to Bernie. He's the #1 choice of Hispanic voters, just picked up the endorsement of the largest Latino organization, is the choice of young voters, and young black voters. He's leading by 14 in Nevada and 14 in California.
Sanders was the senior member of the US House Budget committee and became known as the "Amendment King" for his brilliant ways of working around DC gridlock.
Sanders recognized that the "New Democrats," supported by the 1% corporate investments crowd, had moved the Democrats too far to the right. So he launched the Progressive Congressional Caucus, which is now the largest Democratic-voting block in Congress (100 members strong!)
In the 2016 Democratic Party primaries, a full 75% of all Democratic-voters under age 50 voted for Sanders.
11
It appears that America only pays attention to that which entertains.
Whether it be sports, films, and now (sadly) political figures, the louder and flashier, the better.
No attention span, not much critical thinking, confusing reality shows with actual reality.
I long for a leader who is smart, calm, deliberative, actually speaks rather than tweets, and is not prone to toddler tantrums and pathological lies.
Bloomberg will actually be able to get things done.
I don’t resent billionaires who earn their fortunes by hard work, seek to become highly educated, are philanthropic, and possess what is necessary to be a great leader.
Bloomberg would be a wonderful president if we are lucky enough to have him in these dangerous times.
Am sick of the hit pieces. Keep it up and we’ll get at least 4 more years of a Trump dictatorship.
You get the government you deserve.
38
In my mind, there is nothing more important than defeating Trump and his enablers. But we also need to take back the Legislature, and ensure no more dangerous ideologues get appointed to the Supreme Court. Two very important questions in this upcoming debate:
(1) If they get the nomination, how would they defeat Trump, take back the Senate and ensure that we retain the House?
(2) If they don't get the nomination, how would they ensure that the nominee and the Democratic Party succeeds?
5
OK let's now see the candidate.
In the debate someone needs to ask Bloomberg, point blank, what are his views on international law and international human rights as they relate to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
6
@Greg
Bloomberg would probably keep Jared on as his middle east point man.
These are difficult times, if Bloomberg’s money can beat Trump, I’m all for it. I can’t see any of other democratic candidates beating Trump in November. Do we want another 4 years of a dictator, criminal who thinks he is above the law and can do anything he wants? I see nothing wrong with Bloomberg using his money to campaign, Trump is giving money to black people if they attend church, and be preached to vote for him, and they’re promised more money, if they com back again. If Mike was successful 3 times as mayor of NY, he can’t be all bad. Anyone who can beat Trump is okay with me.
21
@BB You do realize that Mike also thought he was "above the law" and the only reason he served 3 terms as Mayor was because he strong-armed (ok, acutally paid off) the City Council (in particular Christine Quinn, the Speaker) so that the laws would be rewritten in his favor? That is the same playbook that Trump uses.
Oh, he’s buying the election … like all the rest aren’t buying the election with either money or influence or both. Give it a rest. He’s had experience actually governing a huge economy. Judge him on that. There’s plenty of grist there.
21
Bloomberg supporters sound just like Trump supporters. “Who cares if he’s corrupt? All politicians are corrupt.” No thanks!
Except I’m not a Bloomberg supporter. I just happen to think the money is a bogus argument.
What I’m saying - if you’d take a moment to reread my actual comment - is that you can judge Bloomberg on his time as mayor. There’s plenty to like or dislike there. (He’s also spent tons of his own money on actual charities, unlike Trump.)
And if you think the other candidates aren’t using money and influence to buy votes, you’re not paying attention.
No longer at home in Trump's criminal-empowering GOP, Bloomberg is attempting to buy the Democratic Party to ensure that it continues to benefit the ultra-wealthy. But did millions of Americans sacrifice their lives, health, or livelihoods so we could be governed by a "benevolent plutocracy"?
After governing NYC as a Republican:
Endorsing George W Bush in 2004 (after Bush started the Iraq War by making up "weapons of mass destruction");
Funding the GOP's flip of the US Senate in 2010--2 years after Obama's election-- by raising funds for GOP Mass. Sen Scott Brown against Eliz Warren;
Opposing minimum wage increases;
Supporting cuts to Social Security and Medicare;
Now he says he's a Democrat!
If you believe this, you've probably seen a lot of his ads.
In head to head polls against Trump, Bloomberg polls the worst of all of the Dem candidates. No surprise there.
Trump ran against the "establishment" (though he's governed for them). He surely relishes another campaign against a REAL "Wall St. Billionaire who's trying to buy the election and buy the White House." This time, he wouldn't be lying.
20
Focus.Focus.Focus: It's only about removing Cadet Bone-Spur from office. All or any of the potential Dem candidates are worthy of becoming president.
Only one goal: Win in November. Do whatever it takes and vote for whomever is nominated.
Keep your eye on the ball!
Victory!
19
@mrfreeze6 Vote for the other guy because you do not like the one currently in the office is called blind voting. American voters are not that blind.
@mrfreeze6
Just Not Biden!
NYC’s schools and housing are thoroughly segregated. Its police and prisons are among the worst in the country. Its income inequality is unmatched. And there are areas in the Bronx where you just don’t go. All of this was true or on the horizon when Bloomberg was mayor. New Yorkers were also enamored of Giuliani. The rest of America should not listen when New Yorkers talk of their great mayors.
16
@michjas
After Bloomberg changed the mayoral term limits so that he could run a third term, and won, many more New Yorkers began to loathe him. As a public high school teacher, I never voted for him nor supported his policies which put me on the road to 3 years of homelessness in NY.
1
Those not wedded to Sanders want someone to coalesce around so they can come together and win. There may be Bernie or Busters, but I don't know of any Warren or Busters, or Klobuchar or Busters, or Buttigieg or Busters. Apart from Sanders fans, I think most are open to Bloomberg, warts and all, including many who might otherwise vote for Trump. There are some pretty big warts on Bloomberg. But there are also plenty of beauty marks. Most important, he carries a big, fat, anti-Trump stick.
29
I am a Never-Bloomberger. I will vote for any other candidate. I will not vote for a corrupt authoritarian racist billionaire. That includes Bloomberg as well as Trump. I don’t care if that means four more years of Trump. I don’t see enough difference to care, and I despise Trump and everything he does. That’s how much I hate Bloomberg. If Bloomberg gets the nomination America loses either way.
@Ben, enjoy. I think you'll find yourself standing with your arms crossed, alone.
1
Mike will be fine. He’ll fend off the attacks and he‘ll persevere because he has experience and more importantly he has purpose. Everyone is ranting about how he is “buying the election”. I don’t see it that way. I see a man spending his own money to help his country find its way out of a stinking pit. It takes a ton of money to run for the presidency. He has it.he has also led the nation in fighting for sensible gun control. An issue that has oddly been ignores this cycle while the real carnage has continued unabated for years. Bloomberg is stepping up. He sees a need and he is showing up like any good citizen should and would do. His self financing erases Trump’s huge money advantage. Bloomberg has my vote. I hope he goes all the way.
50
@Tim Prendergast Anyone who has amassed wealth like Bloomberg did so by exploiting the working class. This fact will always preclude any of his "good deeds".
"Mike will be fine" sounds like a Clinton-esque final breath from a candidate utterly incapable of inspiring the Democratic electorate to vote. Grassroots mobilization will always be more effective than pumping endless money into TV ads. Watching TV doesn't take the sort of effort canvasing, fighting for change, or voting does, unfortunately.
9
@James
"Anyone who has amassed wealth like Bloomberg did so by exploiting the working class." That's NOT a fact. There are good people in this world that happen to be rich. He's an easy target that way.
2
@Tim Prendergast If $400 million isn’t buying an election it’s a heck of a down payment.
I moved to NYC from Pittsburgh in early 2001, before 9/11. I lived through all of Mike Bloomberg’s administrations. He did a fine job. The city was well-run & I was impressed. Bloomberg will do a better job of running the country than the person in office now. That’s all that matters.
41
The battle between Bloomberg and Sanders is really a battle between broadcast media and the Internet . . . . With broadcasting, rich capitalists destroyed democracy, by bankrolling television advertising campaigns for pro capitalist politicians. Candidates needed TV, TV cost money and only the rich could pay for it. It was a great scam while it worked . . . No one anticipated that the Net would revive Socialism in America by making funding of candidates by millions of small donations from workers possible. . . Bloomberg's candidacy, the capitalist answer to the Socialist threat, is an ad campaign so vast it is a TV commercial war of annihilation. But it is all in vain . . . . Even if he wins the nomination, Bloomberg loses, for he cannot save capitalism! His "victory" in July would only split the Democratic Party--and turn a generation of hopeful, Democratic Socialists into a generation of angry, Revolutionary Socialists.
10
@Red Allover
.... and perhaps that is the intent after all.
The Democratic party should set out 10 important topics, national and international, and have each and every candidate write their views on each and every of the topics in under 40 words.
Then, and only then, will American Democrats know who to vote for. Take the money out of the picture.
8
@Greg Sorry, no. The way to judge a candidate is by their ACTIONS---their record and history. And what they said BEFORE running for president.
Power reveals.
"Candidate views" in writing are meaningful only when compared with the above.
7
@Kraig
It should be the responsibility of the other candidates to make the comparisons you talk about. Exposure of inconsistency should take its toll.
2
@Greg
But wouldn't a 'spreadsheet' be nice?
What's necessary from all of the candidates is 5-10 priority issues and positions. Or a set 10 that the public thinks important. If the candidate is for other than the status quo how is he/she going to get his/or hers policy passed.
The lack of knowledge of News folk about policy issues and data is largely appalling. Its no wonder its hard to choose a candidate, the Press cannot ask a intelligent question on issues where there is a significant difference between candidates.
19
While I could see the debate going very poorly for Bloomberg, it won’t matter. His money makes him impervious to opponent attacks and any misstatements / outright gaffes of his own. He will continue to spend and spend to control the narrative and employ others to defend and rewrite his record. It’s really a sight to behold. Any pretense of democracy or a government of and for the people gone a little more each day and with each new, huge ad buy. Beware of the billionaire (real or self-proclaimed) who wants to be President. They seem to find a way to get want they want and it usually doesn’t end well for the American people. A funny thing about billionaires, they tend to look out for themselves first.
16
As someone who has spent many hours volunteering and many hard-earned dollars donating to Mr. Sander’s campaign, I am extremely offended that the DNC is allowing Bloomberg to buy his way into the debate. I’m not alone. Bloomberg has no business on the stage and shame on the DNC for giving in to the almighty dollar. Who do they really stand for?
26
@Daniel In The Lion’s Den
You're offended? I am extremely offended by you Bernie-or-bust people.
Who are you, not to trust my analytical capabilities, or any other voter's?
I have read all the candidates' websites in detail, and their policy proposals. While I tend to vote quite left, I found several of Bernie's proposals both problematic and unpragmatic. I am supporting either Klobuchar, Warren, or Bloomberg.
Bloomberg got into the debates BASED ON POLLING. These are voters interested in Bloomberg, and thus he has every right on the stage.
32
@Daniel In The Lion’s Den
Daniel, stating that Bloomberg has bought his way into the debate insults my intelligence and that of many others. I have carefully studied the candidates' plans and their track records. Bloomberg is the right person for the Presidency now. I hope I am wrong about this, but it strikes me you Bernie or Bust people would rather burn it all down (= Trump 2nd term) than support whomever is nominated and get the turkey out of the white house.
29
@Daniel In The Lion’s Den
Daniel, I feel your outrage and dismay. As a delegate pledged to McGovern in ‘72, I couldn’t imagine that people would re-elect a crooked Nixon. McGovern won 1 state! Trump must go, and We need to be ruthlessly pragmatic about pulling that off. Bernie is the new McGovern; there is no way he can beat Trump. I will be watching this debate to see if Bloomberg is as good as his ads. He brings a lot to the fight to save this country from 4 more years of Trump.
1
Mike has extremely successful experience as mayor of NYC for 12 years where many things improved enormously during his tenure, and he has donated enormously to gun safety, environmental, educational, and civic causes. I don't see the other candidates having that kind of track record. Bernie is extraordinarily angry, that is his trade mark, but what has he actually done in terms of running a large organization successfully (other than his own political campaign).
58
@David
If he even just got gun control solved, ONE thing, I'd be satisfied by his tenure in office. That's how low the bar is.
Overturning the SC's ruling that corporations have the rights of humans would be nice too. Those corporations will be run by AI's one day; lets not give them a head-start.
It was reported that Mike Bloomberg’s campaign had provided food and beer at his rally in Virginia. I guess some candidates will do anything to fill the room. I heard that there were some Republicans there for the food alone. They mentioned the menu and it sounded delicious. I would never vote for Bloomberg but I would go to his rally for the food. It is free after all.
8
Can we just please fast forward to a Bloomberg/Korbucher ticket and get on with annihilating Trump with both the popular and the electoral college vote in November. The sooner we Democrats get an appealing ticket to put forward, put the nomination process behind us and coalesce to get this done the better we will be. Yes we need to move our government to the left, but this is not the year to do this. We need to re-establish some governing norms, re-establish Americans’ faith in democratic representational government, and the world’s respect for the type of democracy we practice in America. Then we can try to educate America on why the progressive platform is a better path than the isolationist, nationalist, oligarchy that Republicans led by Trump put forward.
Bloomberg certainly has his faults. All I want is a ticket that will get those few middle path voters in those five essential states to want to choose over Trump. A hard left ticket will simply not win. Go with a moderate ticket now and move to the agenda to a more progressive path over the next eight years. Bloomberg/Korbucher 2020.
99
@Johninnapa Actually, Bloomberg's positions are fairly left. They are concisely laid out at his website. If he were to win and do what he says, he would be the most left-wing president in history.
19
@Johninnapa
Amen brother.
1
Bloomberg/Booker would be better.
1
If three terms as a major city mayor and over a decade of serious philanthropy is setting the bar for potential billionaires thinking of running then I’m okay with that. May they all follow his example.
109
What's with all the wailing about Bloomberg's money? He has publicly stated that if he doesn't get the nomination he will throw his money behind the nominee.
Democratic voters need to stand behind someone rational who can beat Trump. I don't think that's Bernie Sanders. From what I've seen of him, he's just a ranting angry old man who will alienate a large chunk of the Democratic voters.
80
@LauraF
So we just let the billionaire with the most money who can run TV ads every hour of every day do his thing until he wins the nomination and call it a day?
That's buying the nomination.
Maybe next time we can just sell the nomination to the highest bidder? Say everyone all that time and effort.
24
When Sanders is holding rallies with 12-15 thousand attendees you would hardly think he is not liked by Democratic supporters. I’m just curious where you watched him to make your personal observation.
21
Billionaires can run ads but they don’t get votes without a record and a plan. Bloomberg has both. That’s why he’s rising. Steyer is spending a lot but hasn’t had the same rise.
36
It makes my stomach churn when I read the comments section in a Bloomberg related article or Op-Ed here and in the Washpost. I just cannot understand why so many people want a rich "daddy" to take care of them because he may or may not beat Trump in the general election. Grow up, people. Read his record, the man will not change overnight. Trust his record, not his words.
Mike is looking out for himself. Do we need a real multibillionaire plutocrat who will only look out for himself and his fellow plutocrats and throw crumbs to the great unwashed 99%? Trickle down theories have been debunked ever since Reagan days, time for you all to get real.
38
What record are you looking at? He has put his fortunes to work for minorities, climate change, gun control and many other progressive goals. An impressive record in business, public office and philanthropy.
66
Bloomberg probably pays a lot of them. And a lot of them are probably old people who are scared of change and just want Trump to be gone. They don’t have any other goals or ambitions for this country beyond that.
2
@Gary Valan
Hey, first he bought influence and down ticket races, then he bought a political party that was being offered, slightly dinged up, at a discount. Now he's buying a nomination, next the Presidency. If it's all for sale, then let the richest man win. That's the American Dream, right?
/S
1
Ho hum, just another part of the Time's newly adopted anybody-but-Bloomberg agenda, which follows their let's-nominate-Warren agenda, which followed their anybody-but-Biden agenda. What the paper doesn't seem to realize is that in the process they have committed the ultimate media sin: they have become boring.
As to Cottle's latest iteration of the agenda: she writes, "Rarely has a candidate come so far while revealing so little of himself..." I'm tempted to ask what planet she lives on, but then I remember she is a member of the punditocracy whose idea of genuine experiential diversity is to interact with the twitterati and commentariat. Anyone who has been Mayor of New York for twelve years has revealed, even if not intentionally so, more about himself than any other candidate. Other than President, Mayor of New York is probably the most visible, highly scrutinized political position in the country. It also provides a way to measure a candidate's executive ability, something a Member of Congress, Senator, small city mayor, or agency head simply has not had to deal with, especially in terms of accountability.
85
As a resident of NYC for 47 years, when he became mayor, there was a two-term limit on the office, which had been voted into effect by the people of the City.
To run for a third term, he set that law aside, against the will of the people, and managed to buy the election one last time. (I was inundated with calls and mailings from his campaign, something for which he could afford to pay.)
But, despite all the money he spent, he had become so unpopular that he only got 51% of the vote that last time.
He's a Trump for middle-of-the-roaders and for liberals. Let him buy your vote, like he tried to buy mine 3 times. That's what the US has become, anyway...something up for sale...by lobbyists, by "corporate individuals", and by billionaires. The US Supreme Court told us so in "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission".
37
Well said. This should be the top comment.
1
@DaveG - He offered you money? If not, he wasn't 'buying' your vote.
I will vote for Bernie Sanders if he is the candidate of the
Democratic party in the 2020 election. I hope that I won't
have to, because it will mean that Trump will be re-elected.
Mr. Sanders is very long on conviction and very short on
practicality. If somehow he were elected how in the world
would he govern. His most effective selling point is his energy;
his least are his ideas.
34
@howard williams You're wrong, but time will tell you that.
He will beat Trump like the proverbial drum.
@howard williams Then vote for Warren who has the ideas and plans to achieve them.
1
@howard williams — Sanders has a constituent-funded campaign rich enough to win—a practical advantage Bloomberg can't match. That is why Bloomberg had to pay the Democratic Party more than $300,000 to change the debate rules.
If Michelle Cottle or anybody else in this conversation wants to understand what Bloomberg was trying to say about "Red Lining", they should read The Big Short by Michael Lewis.
The end of "Red Lining" was an unfortunate description of what happened. The end of "Red Lining" came about for financial reasons because the banks lowered their criteria for making loans. The rating agencies such as S&P went right along and rated the resulting bonds as AAA.
These sub par loans went to areas that were previously unsuitable for mortgage loans, primarily in minority areas and the predictable defaults occurred.
I believe that is what Bloomberg was saying, and he was absolutely correct.
Red Lining by Zip Code ended decades ago. Defaults were not sensitive to race creed or color and came about because the borrowers did not meet their obligations.
27
@Upstart Startup
You left out the part where the financial collapse was due to the securitization of these mortgages and being bundled in random pieces and mis-rated by the ratings companies as AAA when they were no such thing. In other words, the banks were selling a product under false pretenses and the companies that insured these securities were deceived as were the people who bought these securities.
The banks were also giving anyone who walked into their office a mortgage with absolutely no qualification at all.
It was these phony securities that caused the financial meltdown.
The redlining was wrong. Had the banks been honest in their dealings the financial collapse would have never happened.
17
@Upstart Startup
Thank you for writing what I have been thinking all week!
@Upstart Startup — Sounds like you struggled to understand The Big Short. Lewis shows convincingly that the lowered mortgage standards were an effect of Wall Street financial manipulations, not their cause. Had the mortgage market trickery not been in place, not even small quantities of sub-standard mortgage would ever have been sold. It was the manipulations which caused the crash. That is why no one was ever prosecuted. Prosecution would have established who was actually guilty, and Wall Street had the political clout to prevent it.
The end of redlining is a different issue—one which Bloomberg and other wealthy Wall Streeters seized on for PR, while dodging public blame for the crash. You fell for it.
It was a good thing that Michael Bloomberg did not make the usual campaign stops that most other presidential nominees do because the voters would see the real Mike Bloomberg. He is a cold fish devoid of all personality. No wonder he needed to spends millions to advertise his campaign. He needed to keep secret as long as possible his true self which is anything but pleasant. They will get a real look tomorrow night during the debates and will not be impressed.
16
@KMW
I don't care if he looks like he just stumbled out of Madame Tussauds, is he capable of getting the job done and is his heart in the right place? I truly believe the answer is yes to both questions.
1
@KMW
Perhaps another reality show host would be more to their liking?
I listened the podcast in WP about Bloomberg and his company's sins against sexual harassment and think those histories of 25 years ago mount to a hill of beans compare to Trump. So he's like Steve Jobs, somewhat vulgar toward women and single minded toward his business. I suspect others will want him to void the non disclosure agreements during the debate, but I suspect Bloomberg will prevail on the debate and jump in the poll.
24
All of that is easy to excuse when you’re entitled enough to not have been on the receiving end of his racist policies and sexist behavior.
1
Nothing in Bernie's record suggests he could actually deliver on his agenda. He simply doesn't stand comparison with Bloomberg's demonstrable ability to get things done.
Plus, Michael knows where Trump's skeletons are.
159
@We'll always have Paris
You can't say that without knowing what Bloomberg's agenda is and we don't know that yet.
Neither candidate will get anything done if the Republicans maintain control of the Senate.
I prefer someone who sets goals that reflect the needs of the entire American people and will work toward those as much as can be possible.
13
@LibertyLover I think his goals are pretty clear if you take the time to read about where his giving pledge has been honored and what his future policy proposals are.
His commitment to climate action is clear. I'm looking forward to his continued planting of thousands and thousands of trees and standing up for women's rights. His educational goals stand out as well. Our democracy sorely needs some attention in this area.
Do some research and see for yourself whether his proposals have something to meet all of our needs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg
https://twitter.com/MikeBloomberg
19
@LibertyLover A politician who can set goals that reflect the needs of the entire American people? With respect, you're talking about a mythical creature that no longer exists, or can exist, in the present polarized political environment.
4
He is a chameleon. You can't read him. His campaign is amorphous. He has few second thoughts or doubts about himself, which is troubling. He seems to run on the same ego driven level as Trump. He would be the second billionaire master of the universe from New York in a row to be president. He seems to crave attention and power. He seems to demean those he works with, potentially showing he is not a good leader. He seems to want to be president very badly and does not have a clear policy agenda. There is something fishy about it all.
15
@David don’t you really mean that Bloomberg would be the only billionaire from NY to become President?
5
@David
Clear policy agenda: get rid of Trump
That’s the only important issue in this country today.
@David
Sorry, David, you don't know Mike Bloomberg. Please try further education on his website as well as abundant record as business leader, NYC Mayor, and philanthropist. He's not perfect, but he is nowhere near your characterization.
If the debates were about having a serious back and forth on the relevant issues Mr. Bloomberg might face scrutiny. But they're not - they're about standing out from the crowd with sound bites. Mr. Bloomberg doesn't need to be witty to stand out - he stands out with his money and the ads that it buys. If he is asked an uncomfortable question, like most of the other candidates, he will likely duck it.
3
Will billionaire status become something of a new pre-primary candidate winnowing process? You have to show that you're qualified to be president by virtue of your moneymaking prowess--only those who have made it to the top and have the wealth to prove it, and are willing to use some of it to self-fund their candidacy, deserve to be in the primaries. Less well-off candidates are allowed in, but the really rich ones can skip the early campaigning and fundraising and go right to the front rank, they can even, at a late hour, choose party affiliation as it appears most advantageous to them. If people are worried about Mr. Trump's effect on American democracy they should be paying more attention to the candidate selection innovations being tried out by their opponents, the Democrats.
4
If, as you say, Bloomberg is looking to "disrupt the entire nominating process" well, good for him! Everyone has written that the process has serious flaws as it has for years. Iowa? New Hampshire? Perhaps we have found someone smart enough to go against a system that even the contenders admit doesn't work! He's spending HIS OWN MONEY that he earned through hard work, not inherited from his daddy. All of the Democratic contenders, except for Mayor Pete are millionaires, Bernie included. Bloomberg is simply too smart for any of them.
53
@Mike That fact is EXACTLY why I'm supporting Mike. He came in Out Of the Box - the box of antiquated, time-wasting, non-representative caucuses. Why is all that money and time wasted in Iowa and New Hampshire? Nobody seems to ask.... did it do anything for our current field of candidates? Nope.
I do care about policy. I do care about solid progressive plans. HOWEVER - we must keep our eye on the prize and that prize is taking back the Senate and the Oval Office. In other words, saving the Republic from the lawlessness of the current occupants.
I am a little bit weary of the accusation that Mr. Bloomberg is "buying" the election . The difference between him and other candidates is that he would be buying it using his own money, whilst many others are buying it on the installment plan by using other people's money and making promises they know they will never be able to keep unless their coattails, should they win, include an overwhelmingly Democratic Congress agreeing with such things as Medicare for all (whatever that means), "free" college tuition etc... How likely is that ?
As to Mr. Bloomberg's record, both good and bad, it is no mystery . He served three terms as New York City's Mayor . One could certainly compare that to Mayor Pete's own mayoral record . One could also compare it to Senator Sanders' no-record record in more than a quarter century congressional presence and Senator Warren's only major achievement (before she was a Senator) with the Consumer Protection Agency .
His record should also include the many contributions he made, from his own pocket to a variety of causes, dear to all Democrats . It could be said that others talked the talk about these issues, but only he walked the walk .
This does not mean that Mayor Bloomberg is the only candidate worth supporting . It does mean that his standing as a Presidential candidate should not be disregarded simply because he is fabulously rich and others are less so .
164
Well said sir!
1
@pgd
I am sick to death of multiple daily appeals to “chip in” once again for a candidate. Until we change the way we fund elections, I’m (regrettably) okay with self-funding.
2
@pgd
So why doesn't he run in the Republican primary? It would be more honest.
"Bloomberg has emerged as a top-tier contender."
Bloomberg's an ordinary top-tier oligarch, nothing more.
13
@Kip Leitner "an ordinary top-tier oligarch." How can a "top-tier oligarch" be ordinary?
7
The only thing that matters is SCOTUS. Bloomberg should hammer on that and on the GOP. There is nothing to be gained by getting sucked into the petty attacks he'll see in this debate.
18
The survival of the Union depends on our unity.
It means the unity is of the utmost national importance.
What is the worst contemporary threat to our national unity?
That would be the internal division and polarization created by two political parties - the Democrats and the Republicans.
Section 6 of the US Constitution claims:
No Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time: and no person holding any office under the United States, shall be a member of either House during his continuance in office.
If we checked the dictionary:
civil officer - a person who exercises authority over civilian affairs.
civil authority - persons who exercise (administrative) control over others
Based on those two definitions, the political parties could be construed as the civil office for exercising the control over their members and imposing the real administrative obligations upon them.
Based on the aforementioned, no member of the Congress is constitutionally allowed to belong to of any political party while serving the people.
Dear elected lawmakers, quit your political party to protect our country!
Emoluments clause could be interpreted as prohibition of any elected official to promote any political party while serving all the people.
1
When will he release complete copies of his personal state and federal income tax returns?
When will he release copies of his state and federal business tax returns?
If elected, will he sell off his commercial assets or place them in a blind trust?
11
@John Grillo HE will sell his investments.I am not worried about tax returns the IRS is doing it .
3
@John Grillo
Do you honestly think that Mike Bloomberg is concerned with having to preserve his personal wealth? He has given boatloads away to causes that he (and I) believe in.
1
@John Grillo
Who, Trump?
Answer to first question: Never
Answer to second question: Never
Answer to third question: Never
Bloomberg is the complete opposite of Trump.
Do a little research, please.
The Democrats' desperation is now in the open. None of their candidates stand a chance against Trump so they may allow Bloomberg to buy his way to the nomination. In plain English, the Democrats are demonstrating to the entire world that they have no ethics, no morals and no agenda. May the richest candidate win!
7
The Democrats poll well against Trump and they all stand at least a chance of unseating him. Bloomberg is viable for many reasons apart from the fortune he has successfully assembled through his industry. The Democrats have ethics and morals, but can also compromise as all in politics and government must, and their agenda is to defeat Trump. It's too bad that you resent wealth so much. I wish you good fortune.
8
Bloomberg is bribing Democrats to win the nomination.
“Our form of democracy is bribery, on the highest scale... We are the United States of Amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing.” — Gore Vidal
@Joe: You really believe that an Ayn Rand fan resents wealth??? @JGalt=John Galt, the protagonist of Atlas Shrugged. A super-wealthy guy who runs away from the world which is mean to him and starts a new paradise for rich people. That is who the poster named himself after. I seriously doubt he “resents wealth.” Maybe it isn’t just Bernie Bros who think Democrats are total hypocrites for embracing Bloomberg the Billionaire as their new messiah.
It is an insult to the electorate's intelligence and autonomy to simply bombard us with ads in an attempt to subvert our rational minds. That is literally the definition of advertising, and how we would let ourselves get coerced by another oligarch just because he's supposedly on our end of the ideological spectrum is just unbelievable to me.
Just please don't forget that someday we really still could take democratic control of our politics through critical thinking and informed consensus. It's sad that we're so blinded by the bright orange lights that we're letting ourselves walk into the 'lesser of two evils' trap, yet again.
8
@Boaz
When was the last time ?
“ Presumably, he will come ready to answer the most overarching criticism: that he is trying to buy the presidency.” In the age of Trump, the answer is: “of course I’m trying to buy the presidency. And I’m succeeding. Get over it.”
Bloomberg is rising because he knows that, before we became post-truth, we were already post-shame. He knows that, before the president who told 16,000 plus lies was elected, there was super grifter who knew that no publicity is bad publicity.
So, the more shameless Bloomberg is on the this week’s debate stage, the better he will likely do.
And I will gladly vote for him, too, if he is the last man standing, because he is not an undisciplined incompetent like Trump, even if he is not an inspiring figure like Bernie Sanders.
... I just listened to a Townhall with Bernie and was shocked to find myself agreeing with 90 percent of what he said. unfortunately, his numbers don’t add up.
One thing you can say for Bloomberg is that his numbers probably do add up. And if Bernie pulls him far enough to the left by the time he wins the presidency, he might actually enact some good policies.
30
Bloomberg, unlike Trump and Sanders, does not put on a show. Audiences will be bored; they may fall asleep. It never happens with Trump's smears and lies, delighting his audience or with Sanders yelling and waving his arms as the crowd imagines utopia. Both appeal to those who like to feel their gut aroused. The more cerebral Bloomberg may bomb in his first debate when visceral standards set by Sanders and Trump are used as comparison. Even 100 million only goes only so far if a candidate lacks the ability to entertain.
6
@blgreenie
Your president isn't there to entertain you. He or she is there to lead your country.
If you're looking for entertainment, watch American Idol or the Bachelor.
Bloomberg's character must be exposed.
Two questions that he should face:
Is it true that you have been supporting the people responsible for the human rights abuse of the Palestinian people.
Is it true that you have voiced support for the indiscriminate attacks on the civilian population of Gaza, those attacks now being investigated for war crimes?
13
@Greg Um this is exactly what The Occupant is doing.
Indiscriminate means unprovoked. Pretty sure Israel could show you a few thousand rockets that have been launched from Gaza at their civilians that would say otherwise.
2
And Mr Bloomberg will excel in this debate as the man he always has been. A man of high personal values, integrity and exceptional abilities.
In other words the polar opposite of the morally bankrupt and corrupt conman trump.
Vote my friends Bloomberg 2020.
57
He stands accused of sexual harassment by many women
His Stop & Frisk was a disgrace, traumatized and destroyed many young lives.
He made NYC an oligarch’s paradise, destroying neighborhoods.
He gave himself 4 more years as mayor just like any dirty dictator.
How is that for integrity?
Money, money, money....
2
"... [Debaters must reach] a certain level of fund-raising support. The Democratic National Committee jettisoned that rule last month, enabling... "
... anyone, but Sanders.
The word 'Democratic' is rght therre, right in their name. They don't mean it anymore though... And then, I remember: they're a private (as in, non-democratic) corporation.
On the other hand, let's us Bernie supporters hope Bloomy's as ridiculously lousy at spending his billion (or whatever) as was our our very own Jeff Bezos, with his recent attempt to purchase the Seattle City Council, for a cool million -- which did more to repel than to convince voters (to Bezos' credit, he claims he's gonna spend Ten Billion of his unfathomable wealth, on repairing the Planet).
Other than fattening many many wallets in the Campaign and TeeVee Businesses, how will Bloomy's billion be helping this -- Our-- Panet?
Or is that just not up to us to ask?
2
@Willy P
Have you been reading the news at all? Because it sounds to me as though Bloomberg has been donating rather a lot of money to charities for a number of years.
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/23/michael-bloomberg-donations-fighting-tobacco-073112
How's Bernie doing in that regard? Not so well.
And I would like to remind you that Bernie is not a Democrat. He only joined the party so he could run. So let's not get too self-righteous about Mr. Sanders.
2
@LauraF -- Thank you.
I have now heard of Bloomy's immense charitable giving to Progressive causes. Amy Goodman's Democracy Now! had an instructive segement this morning on the very subject -- of which I'd been (previously) (&,obviously) totally ignorant.
But here's the Good thing -- ignorance can be cured:
"How Billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s Deep Pockets Have Let Him Win Friends and Buy Influence"
https://www.democracynow.org/2020/2/17/michael_bloomberg_unprecedented_campaign_spending
1
I have had my over fill of the monotonous, useless debates. If you do not know by now who you like, you never will. Bloomberg is a Trump doppelgänger and therefore is not under consideration as a presidential candidate. He is blinding the electorate with his money.
7
We are being destroyed as a democracy by a false prophet who poses falsely as a billionaire. If we have to be saved by a fairly decent real billionaire because nobody else has the fierceness to tackle the criminal in chief, I can live with that. Money doesn’t make you presidential, but it doesn’t disqualify you either.
77
Bloomberg is a New Yorker. As such he has had a ring side seat and personal knowledge of Trump's history of cons, lies and illegalities. He I believe would know how to go after Trump's jugular and has the money to swamp Trump in ads and give him a taste of his own medicine.
But Democrats led by Sanders have made a large point against big money and its dangers. Which way will we go in our quest to beat Donald Trump? Perhaps tomorrow will give us a little clarity or possibly just a train wreck.
13
This seems like a hatchet job. "Sauntered" into the primaries? If we are to learn who Michael Bloomberg is and what his message is during the upcoming debate, please respect your readers' intelligence and trust our ability to discern for ourselves.
41
Let's drop the media nonsense Bloomberg is buying the election. He is offering himself as an alternative to the other candidates. It would be ludicrous for MB to ask me for a $25 donation so he could have met the initial criteria for access to the debates. Money won't sell a shoddy product. He'd better come with ideas and how they might work and cost. That might sell!
23
Mr Bloomberg's opening debate comments should reflect the following points on his administration.
We will defend our constitution and we will always put our country before our party.
We will develop policy to decrease income inequality by focusing on increase in minimum wages, women pay equality ,infrastructure and climate change initiatives.
We are not racists and nor are we sexual predators .
And lastly my ultimate like all thee other candidates on this stage is to remove The Criminal Con Man in Chief from our White House the people's house.
And Bernie will you be my Chief of Staff
7
@libel
Warren as VP.
1
Bloomberg could be very simply eliminated from any chance of ever being president if the American people understood Louis Brandeis' famous quote:
“We can either have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.”
BTW, the polar opposite of democracy is not republicanism, but EMPIRE.
Fortunately, the need for providing a fast, compelling, entertaining, but deadly comprehensive political education for 'we the American people' is to simply watch Warren Beatty's 1998 film, "Bulworth".
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=bulworth+videos&t=ffnt&atb=v187-1&iax=videos&ia=videos&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMgEcINKV5Xw
4
@Alan MacDonald Brandeis would appreciate Bloomberg's commitment to the "Giving Pledge" then.
The Giving Pledge is a campaign started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet "to encourage extremely wealthy people to contribute a majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes."
He is also in favor of strengthening the inheritance tax, so all in all, your argument seems pretty weak.
11
If you really want to get a more "intimate" sense of the Democratic candidates, watch them being interviewed by any of the popular talk show hosts: Maher, Kimmel, Meyers, Colbert. They are all easily accessible on YouTube.
6
"A disgrace." Where oh where have we heard that before? It gives one pause. At least it gives this one voter pause.
3
It is time for Senator Warren to withdraw and openly endorse Senator Bernie Sanders.
7
@Malek Towghi
It goes the other way around: Sanders withdraw, and openly endorse Warren.
14
@Malek Towghi Warren will endorse Bloomberg.
@NotKidding Warren has zero chance in the general election>She is dishonest and will be destroyed by Trump.She is nasty and her poll numbers are sinking.
1
Is Bloomberg (Bloom)better of today than he was 3 years ago. He must be. Who in a democracy throws 400 million $s on Ads instead of on good causes? Only a filthy rich person who made easy money in a system that allows a person to build wealth. So he faces scrutiny of a debate for the first time in a presidential election year. Big deal. He will do what he has been doing. Apologize for his words and his arrogance and the press and his supporters will just melt. Where do most dems live? In cities. Who do cities even in red states vote for? a democrat. Which party has the most mayors in megacities? Democrats. So who are the mayors of most urban America going to circle their wagons around? Mayor Bloom. Checkmate. Endorsements don't matter, debates don't matter. Ads don't matter. Money talks and name and fame talks. Bloom will be the nominee of the democratic party for the 2020 presidential election. He may fall short when it comes to standing upto Trump but at least he does stand tall against any of the Democrats.
That said what can the Dems do that will erect an opposition to the the Bloom wailing wall of wealth? Biden and Warren need to drop out of the race and their supporters need to move to Bernie or Butti or Klobuchar. Let the delegates get divided between the socialist Bernie, the centrists Butti or Klobuchar and capitalist Bloom. The race will then begin and the winner will emerge. Right now the race is muddy and mud slinging will not help the dems. Bloom will be okay.
1
@Girish Kotwal Michael Bloomberg has given many hundreds of millions to "good causes'" if you looked tat the NYTimes of a few days ago you would have seen all the money he has given to great causes.
I think you guys should vote Donald Duck over Donald Trump if that's what it takes. The intent has to be ridding the USA (and to the relief of all of us) of Trump. Whatever it takes.
32
“Promoting himself with the help of his personal fortune.” Well yes, but all the other candidates are supported by other people’s personal fortunes. So what’s your point? Unmonied candidates fade like unwatered flowers.
49
I was talking today to someone who has already mailed in her ballot for the California primary. She voted for Bloomberg. I told her that Bloomberg has spent 100's of thousands $$$ on advertising to tell people only the things he wants them to know about.
I mentioned that Bloomberg supported Bush-Cheney in 2004: Iraqi War with no WMDs, housing crash, and Great Recession. That Bush-Cheney. (My friend lost her house to foreclosure under that presidency, BTW.) Then I talked about Bloomberg's history of racist and sexist remarks and/or actions. This was news to her. The other top leaders for the Democratic nomination have their work cut out for them.
7
@DJY
I already knew all that, and more. And I still voted already.
6
I’m not looking for someone to marry. I’m looking for someone to defeat the gravest threat to our country since Jefferson Davis. And that person is Mike.
102
“ I’m a New Yorker and I know a con when I see one “. Bloomberg, about Trump. Now, imagine that on the Debate Stage. Trump is terrified, no way would he agree to actually debate him. Coward.
Bloomberg and Klobuchar.
72
@Phyliss Dalmatian
Klobuchar would be my first choice for VP and with Bloomberg being 77 she could be the first female president.
2
@Phyliss Dalmatian
Now you're talking! That's a winning ticket!
3
I’d be surprised if a New York mayor couldn’t counter slings and arrows flung his way.
19
Well Ms. Cottle does not like Mr. Bloomberg. No big surprise. She seems to favor the "progressives".
Four days ago she wrote: "For now, Mr. Sanders’s progressive vision has the upper hand."
It would be interesting for someone to do a study of debating skills in relation to leadership skills and success.
A good speech or a witty retort does not always good leadership make.
Ronald Reagan was the Great Communicator. I doubt he would be on the list of Ms. Cottle's favorite presidents.
The Holocaust was perpetrated by an absolutely fabulous orator. Great speeches; murderous policies.
Winston Churchill, on the other hand, used his oratory to bolster Britain and save it and then got dumped after WW2.
So yes, ask Mr. Bloomberg questions, but ultimately it proves very little.
16
Another negative Bloomberg story from the NYTimes (yawn). It’s no wonder he refused to take part in your endorsement process - though I’m a subscriber, the Times is not offering impartial news about Mike Bloomberg. This version of their anti-Mike screed had no mention of his many accomplishments as mayor or businessman.
There are 101 ways the NYTimes and other Democratic contenders want to criticize Mike’s financial success - seems like economic discrimination to me - I say, let all Americans, rich and poor compete for public office - stop demonizing Mike for his economic state / success.
There are three powerful forces that are desperate to stop Mike and nominate a left wing extremist (like Sanders or Warren):
1. Trump/Republicans (who know this would allow them to hold the White House & Senate)
2. Left-wing politicos who want revenge for the last four years and care more about that than uniting our country around sensible progress
3. The news media (like the NYTimes) which profits off of selling stories about bitter partisan warfare.
All this to say: the NYTimes is biased against Mike Bloomberg and the potential national unity agenda he offers (combating climate change, common sense gun regulations, and restored rule-of-law). Vote Bloomberg!
43
@S Quinn My attitude is to wait and see who to vote for in the primary. I don't rule out Bloomberg. But I get suspicious when I see one after another hit pieces on Bloomberg. I don't see much about the negatives of other candidates. I know they all have them because I've searched them out. Some are ugly, some potentially election-losing.
There are inaccuracies in a number of current articles, suggesting he was a Republican till recently. Out of his long life only 8 of those years were as a Republican, and a very liberal one, to boot.
I've started to look at other sources of information, perhaps from other countries. I just don't trust what I'm seeing here.
It seems like two extremes, NYT or Fox. Neither like Bloomberg. Fox seems to favor Sanders over Bloomberg, as does Trump. So maybe a contrarian vote against who Fox/Trump like?
Part of the difficulty in making a choice is sorting through so much predictable and inaccurate information. Enough with the hit pieces on one guy. For pity's sake, just write both pros and cons of each the candidates. Substantial pieces. Update them periodically. Then let voters make up their mind.
15
@Kathleen Fox seems to favor Sanders over Bloomberg as does Trump?
Well of course they do. They would definitely prefer to go up against Sanders because they will call him a socialist. Bloomberg, on the other hand, will expose Trump's insecurities and financial faults.
They fear Bloomberg which is why they prefer Sanders.
3
@S Quinn The NYT is not impartial, especially in this polarized age; in fact, the partiality of biased but generally respectable news media like NYT is to blame for the rise of Fox News as an alternative.
He's got my vote, anyone with the best chance to beat Trump has it. If Bloomberg is not nominated, I will support the Democrat that is nominated. Even if it's Bernie, who will never get done one-tenth of what he proposes, especially if Democrats do not wind up controlling the Senate. I don't think many Democrats in "swing states" will be able to ride Bernie's coattails to a Senate win. Trump must be defeated!
31
"During his mayoral runs, he participated in at least eight debates. He tended to come prepared, data at hand, although he could be prickly and awkward at times. His last turn on a debate stage was in 2009."
This big risk for Bloomberg is that he will come off as the "Wizard of Oz." TV viewers who have been bombarded with slickly crafted ads showing a heroic version of the candidate will now see him in real time with no place to hide. Perhaps he will perform well. But if the disparity between the live and canned versions turns out to be stark, the bubble will burst. His campaign will tank.
Politics has changed in the last ten years. Bloomberg is a bit of a control freak and seems not to handle a good curve ball. The Democratic debates thus far have been rather polite affairs. But it will be a surprise if the evening passes and no one has tried to rattle the upstart.
3
Sanders: "Billionaires and millionaires cannot buy this election."
Bloomberg: "When the security of the Republic, the Constitution, the rule of law, democracy and freedom are at stake, this can't be about ego. I'm not spending my money for personal gratification, but for the future of our nation."
Sanders: "The Democratic Party cannot be the Party of Goldman Sachs or the wealthy. It must represent the 99%."
Bloomberg: "Trump proclaimed he was worth $10 billion, so he would self-fund and could not be bought by corporate interests.
Not surprisingly, he lied and took all the money he could domestically and internationally.
If there is to be any progress against a would-be despot, unchecked by the GOP Senate, it will require all patriotic Americans - including billionaires, millionaires and any corporation that shares those values."
Warren: "It is impossible to fight for climate change, health care, education, basic research, Social Security and address wealth inequality if you benefit from the system."
Bloomberg: "Both you and Senator Sanders are millionaires and part of the 1%. But you have the empathy to see past your own exalted positions. I do as well. Importantly, the Democratic Party cannot unilaterally disarm in resources if you want to overturn Citizens United and protect voting rights, for instance. It's naive and ineffectual."
Biden: "Some of your comments and policies have been very offensive."
Bloomberg: "Compared to Trump?"
49
@David Parsons where is this discussion from. Did it actually take place? If not, please make sure bloomberg sees it. It's the most lucid piece i've seen.
2
@David Parsons This is frightening. The future has arrived, folks! Welcome to your plutocracy where all that the moneyed elite need to do is run against a scary Republican candidate. Do you really think Trump will be the worse candidate the Repuplicans ever run?
Next cycle we’ll have Bloomberg v Koch. Then Koch v Bezos! Won’t it be grand! Bread and circuses.
1
If Democrats nominate Bloomberg, they split the party for good. He's about 5 bridges too far for the massive and growing progressive portion of the base. They'll be a significant third party challenger and soon enough a viable third party.
The fact that democrats are so willing to nominate a racist NY billionaire who also has dozens of sexual misconduct allegations just goes to show that it's a value-less aesthetic game for so many. As if the (D) next to his name can wipe how who he's shown us he is for decades.
8
And if they nominate Sanders you alienate a large portion of moderate Democrats, and any independents and moderate Republicans turned off by Trump. I live in a formerly republican district that we flipped blue in 2018. I knocked on doors. Nominate Bernie and we’ll flip right back to red. Please, please, take a good honest look at how we flipped the house.
15
The survival of the Union depends on our unity.
It means the unity is of the utmost national importance.
What is the worst contemporary threat to our national unity?
That would be the internal division and polarization created by two political parties - the Democrats and the Republicans.
Section 6 of the US Constitution claims:
No Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time: and no person holding any office under the United States, shall be a member of either House during his continuance in office.
If we checked the dictionary:
civil officer - a person who exercises authority over civilian affairs.
civil authority - persons who exercise (administrative) control over others
Based on those two definitions, the political parties could be construed as the civil office for exercising the control over their members and imposing the real administrative obligations upon them.
Based on the aforementioned, no member of the Congress is constitutionally allowed to belong to of any political party while serving the people.
Dear elected lawmakers, quit your political party to protect our country!
1
Thus far, Bloomberg's attempt to buy an election seems to be working. Not very democratic, but if it will help in placing another nail in Trump's political casket, so be it. Money speaks, no question about it...but money corrupts, however much we try to justify it's need, to bypass a direct conversation with the people...and face urgent questions about prior actions where ethics was awol...and the need to ask for clemency if truly repentant.
1
Some democrats may disapprove of his party flip flops, but that will attract alot of voters who are turned off by both parties and & their ideologues. The primary process attracts extremists and skews the nomination process, which is precisely why Bloomberg's rising in national polls despite his entry. Maybe the silent, long-suffering majority can finally have a say!
4
All the points you raise are good, but you left one of the most important out: his age. He will turn 79 years old a few weeks after inauguration day.
Do we really want to elect a president whose term will last until he is nearly 83 years old? Is it really a good idea to trust the responsibilities of the presidency to someone his age? No matter what we think of his record and his character?
Is it possible that one reason he avoids retail campaigning is that he fears that voters wouldn't like what they see?
The Democratic Party has better choices. Let's hope that someone younger, who really is a Democrat--which excludes him and Bernie Sanders--emerges eventually as the consensus choice.
6
What is interesting is whether “retail politicking” matters?
The current President did not do it. Avoids it at all costs. Too risky. Prefers a stage with an adoring crowd. And, tweets. Many, many tweets. He spent less money than the other candidates and got more votes in 2016.
Mike is doing a similar approach. Avoiding the unplanned moments. National focus.
6
@Michael Harburn Our elections should not be for sale. Who does he really represent? Who is clamoring for this man with a history of racist policies and sexist and homophobic comments? What hope does he offer for the working class when he’s fought against minimum wage increases? He’s essentially Trump with manners and some bones to throw to progressive causes.
1
This week, my Husband told me he would HAPPILY Vote for Bloomberg. He is truly an Independent, and Voted for HRC.
Now, multiply THAT by 10 million.
Seriously.
64
“Rarely has a candidate come so far while revealing so little of himself...”. This is just plain nonsense. Bloomberg has a very established executive governance history as Mayor of arguably the most powerful city in the world. I would also say his well documented style of utilizing data driven and merit based organizations is a model of efficacy and competence. His negative policy decisions are also well documented. To say therefore that he is less of a known entity than Sanders or Klobuchar in how he might govern is completely misleading and factually false. If anything the question should be what a Sander’s governing style would look like in the real world.
47
@Jan Peter Schuring
I love how Bloomberg is lionized as a data-driven man, not ruling from the gut like that guy in the White House. Well, let's recall that, pretty much by fiat, he appointed Cathie Black as Schools Chancellor, her only qualifications being that they attended the same cocktail parties and she probably pretended to laugh at his lame jokes. Please tell what the difference is between this and Trump's choice of Betsy DeVos? This episode also served to illustrate Bloomberg's cavalier attitude towards the NYC public schools, which graduate hundreds of thousands of kids who are not college bound. What they would be doing to earn a living was of no concern to His Majesty.
7
@stan continople The Cathie Black whom he dismissed after three short months on the job?
Bloomberg then promoted the former head of the New York chapter of the Urban League, Dennis Walcott, a son of immigrants from Barbados and St. Croix, to the position.
You really should read more instead of jumping to such wild conclusions.
It has been many years since I read Shakespeare but if memory serves me, don't heroes essentially fail by hubris, overweening pride?
That someone (Bloomberg) essentially thinks he can buy the presidency, is an act of hubris. I don't think Bernie supporters will back someone who has outspent by ten times any other candidate when it comes to buying ads, essentially buying the media. Nor do I think they'll support someone who essentially bribed the DNC to waive the donor quota to get into the debates.
Bloomberg may be a hero to some, but too many will want to see him fail from hubris. He will not defeat Trump if he is the nominee.
22
@Innisfree
Bloomberg had a lot of studies done before the entered the race. He found that Biden was vulnerable and that Bernie might win the nomination. He thinks Trump would beat Bernie. He got in the race because he thinks he has a better chance against Trump than Biden or Bernie.
22
@BigGuy In my opinion, Bloomberg does not want a Sanders presidency for financial reasons.
8
@BigGuy Oh, isn't he so selfless? Not buying it. He doesn't want Sanders president for obvious reasons.
2
The long knives will be out for Mr. Bloomberg. The fangs will be dripping with venom. I am curious if he can survive much less stage a counter-attack.
I must admit, I did not bother to watch the last 2 debates. They were just rehashing the issues and rehashing them again.
I will watch this debate with great interest.
23
Very much looking forward to this debate. With Bloomberg's presence, it should be a departure from a recitation of platitudes. My hopes are that it wont descend into a series of gotcha questions and accusations, but instead be more focused on how are you going to fix this or that.
One of the things I hate most about political battles is when people change positions, they are automatically accused of selling out. What matters is that they embrace the positions that help correct for current problems. If people never changed positions, we would still be living in caves.
Likewise, it is just as bad for people to never change positions. Adhering to dogma in order to satisfy purity tests also keeps us cave bound.
What I want to know most of all are specifics concerning their proposals. It's easy to say I'm for combatting climate change, but how? Easy to say expand government healthcare, but how?
Bloomberg is now on the spot. He bills himself as the can do guy. OK, Mr. Bloomberg, this is your chance to fill in the hows. That is, if the moderators steer the evening down that path or go for the gotchas. Otherwise, the election boils down to who has the best commercials.
19
You note that Bloomberg's "apologizing for the [stop-and-frisk] practice as he began his campaign struck many as a tad cynical. At the very least, he’ll most likely face some follow-up queries, such as: What took you so long?"
That particular query will have to come from someone other than Joe Biden, who waited till the eve of his latest run for president to attempt an apology to Anita Hill.
Bernie Sanders has a bit more breathing room on the subject of his shift to solidarity with the victims of gun violence, but not a lot. It took long enough to look self-serving.
10
I see Bloomberg's rise in the polls as a backlash against Sanders, the Bernie bros, and AOC and the squad. I think many of the Democratic voters supporting Bloomberg are looking for someone with enough funding to defeat Sanders. In any case this upcoming debates seems like must see TV. Bloomberg certainly has a lot of baggage to be in this primary. His performance in the debate may be critical for his chances of winning moving forward.
26
@Bob
I absolutely agree. I am revolted by the Bernie Bros and their attacks on Women. He is NOT making any serious attempts to stop them. Very bad idea, as MOST democratic Voters are Women.
16
Is Mr. Bloomberg my first choice? No, that would be Elizabeth Warren (former Republican herself by the way) who I think exceeds every other major candidate except in terms of wealth and perhaps charisma, about which I couldn't care less. If we were looking at everything from experience to intellect to integrity to understanding of the key issues, well she should be way ahead of everyone else. And unlike both Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Sanders, she isn't soon to be an octogenarian.
But if Mr. Bloomberg (or any of the other democratic contenders for that matter) proves victorious in securing the nomination, I will be 100% supportive. Unless Ms. Cottle is secretly hoping for a reelection of our current president, I would suggest she keep her eye on the prize: a democrat winning the election the election in November. And each and every ad hominen criticism of any of the democratic contenders makes that just a bit less likely.
Mr. Bloomberg seems to have done a nice job of avoiding criticism of the other candidates. As a member of the editorial board, it is absolutely your place to raise such concerns about any of the candidates. But if it were me, I would temper that with a clear statement that all would be a vast improvement over our current President.
56
@wkb
Well said! I would only add that Bloomberg has now attacked alleged Bernie trolls (but not MAGA trolls) in one of his ads, without verifying that the comments are from actual Bernie supporters. In fact, it makes me wonder just how many of the supposed Bernie trolls are actually opponents posing as Bernie supporters, to make him look bad. Food for thought.
5
Bloomberg based upon his obvious success in his private and public accomplishments is well qualified to depose Trump. But he cannot buy the presidency. If he cannot successfully debate his Democratic rivals than his billions will not save him.It will be interesting to see how he handles aggressive questioning from his Democratic rivals. They will be rough and tough.And they should be.If Bloomberg does well there will be no stopping him.Call it make or break Wednesday.
18
I wouldn’t worry too much about how he’ll perform.
Since his last debate over 10 years ago I’m sure he’s learned a lot, he is older and wiser, and has undoubtedly got the best handlers money can buy.
“During his mayoral runs, he participated in at least eight debates. He tended to come prepared, data at hand, although he could be prickly and awkward at times. His last turn on a debate stage was in 2009.”
16
I am somewhat glad that there are people that are able to spend their personal fortune to promote themselves. I am quite sick and tired of people approaching us for donations when all they do is cannibalize on the others in their own party.
Every candidate in the fray needs to explain themselves on their past issues and policies as does Mike Bloomberg.
Joe Biden needs to explain why he was opposed to busing and why he so enthusiastically backed the war on Iraq. Liz Warren needs to explain why she tends to bash business when she prepared pro business speeches as a Harvard professor. She needs to explain why she lied about her native American heritage. Bernie Sanders needs to explain why he keeps running as a Democrat after repeated elections to the senate as an Independent. And so on.. And they all need to explain why they cannot be more forceful in their arguments against the pro-lifers and the gun rights activists.
And i am glad that a person who spends his own money also does so to help to fight the tobacco lobby and the gun lobby. I am happy that he puts his money where his mouth is. Can you say that about the others in the fray?
101
@Plato , yes, Bloomberg is not scrounging, or begging for money.Great.why doesn’t the media investigate his abilities and deficiencies. The money aspect is old. He’s very rich. Did he get there honestly? Those facets of Bloomberg’s life are what the public is entitled to know.
8
@Plato Sen. Warren did explain why she "lied" about her Native American heritage -- it was part of her family lore that she'd heard while growing up. My dad who was Scotch-Irish, but who looked more like an Apache, made the same claim. DNA research yielded the same .1% Native American for me as it did for Sen. Warren. Go figure. I suspect any explanation she could give wouldn't be good enough for you, especially since she couldn't explain away being a woman and a progressive.
7
And you will find a man, Micheal Bloomberg, with high personal values and integrity.
In other words the polar opposite of the corrupt morally bankrupt trump.
3
I eagerly await tomorrow night's debate, primarily to observe how Mr. Bloomberg handles himself on the debate stage. He will certainly be criticized by the other candidates and how he responds will probably have a major impact on his ranking in future polls and state caucuses.
10
@Richard Phelps Bloomberg has 12 years experience as the Mayor of NYC; am sure he is much more battle-tested than any of the other candidates and should do well.
15
In addition to what I just said, charisma doesn't play well with me. So, I'm not looking for charisma.
A big part of what I'm watching in a debate, by seeing the candidates "in person." is if they appear trustworthy the person.
Very often trust and charisma are at opposite poles. People think Biden doesn't have charisma, for instance. I find him trustworthy. Warren is seen as not having charisma since she's a nerd. Again, that's a plus in the trust column. She thinks things through. You can tell that when she answers questions, pausing to think. Not glib. But people don't like that.
We are used to celebrities, and people have been conditioned by that. So I sort it very deliberately. Celebrity. Not what I want in a president. But that's what we have.
35
Here are the issues raised against Bloomberg. First there is stop and frisk. Bloomberg will say that he's already apologized for the policy. Then he say how most of the Democratic candidates have made similar past indiscretions against minority communities. Are Klobuchar, Biden and Buttigieg going to press this issue and raise attention to their own past gaffes against people of color? Then there is the accusation that Bloomberg is buying the election. I don't think he'll have trouble with that one either. One of the moderators is bound to say, "Mike Bloomberg says that even if he doesn't win the nomination, he will still spend ten billion dollars to defeat President Trump. Senator Klobuchar, would you refuse his offer of help?" I suspect only Bernie will say no. Then there is the charge that Bloomberg isn't even a Democrat. I predict that he will talk about unity and that fact that Sanders has never run as a Democrat. I won't even address the workplace issue because it's one of those news events embellished by the.media. See you tommorow night.
13
@Roger T
Why in the world should Bernie say "No". I hope he doesn't. To paraphrase what Nader said, only the super rich can save us now.
2
Enough with the "was once a republican" or "supported this republican or that one". If you support his policies and think he could do an effective job as President as well as beat the current incumbent than give him your vote. I actually like the idea of a centrist and perhaps his record of having supporting different policy ideas and political parties shows an openness to different ideas as opposed to a blind ideology which is something most politicians these days sorely lack.
98
@RBR -- "If you support his policies and think he could do an effective job as President as well as beat the current incumbent than give him your vote. "
Excellent reasons to vote for Sanders.
5
My fear is that Bloomberg and the other candidates lack focus.
I think the focus should be on a new democracy wave in 2020.
Trump pushes us to dictatorship, so we need more democracy.
"Democracy is coming to the USA" (Leonard Cohen)
4
Mike Bloomberg back in 2008, while still a Republican, had a chance to run against John McCain and others for the GOP nomination and, should he have won, possibly have faced off against Barack Obama. He chose not to.
Mike Bloomberg, back in 2016, had a chance to play the Ross Perot role, probably a lot more effectively given his experience and deep pockets, to run as a 3rd party candidate against Hillary and Donald, thus possibly splitting the vote and throwing the election to Hillary or even having it go to the House. He chose not to.
Mike Bloomberg now decides he needs to be the savior of the Democratic Party and the US by using his billions to helicopter in to a presidential race that is the most existential decision about how we'll be going forward as a country since 1932 or even 1860.
I choose not to support Mike Bloomberg in his vainglorious attempt to 'save' the US.
51
@Common Sense
Why ?
1
I'm eager to hear what he has to say. Will he address the legitimate concerns with his history well?
I'd also like to hear Elizabeth Warren and hope she can make a comeback in this debate. I'd love to see her do what Amy K did in the last one. I'd hate to see it over-focused on Bloomberg because the other candidates need the time, too. We already know what the attacks will entail, there's been mega reporting these issues.
While the media can get very caught up in fighting, that's not why I watch the debates. If no one else gets substantive time, I'll have wasted mine.
I don't mean that Bloomberg shouldn't be asked hard questions, he should. But the debate needs to be about more than that. Lots of people still don't see a candidate they want to vote for. It's been a muddle in the first two primaries, with no clear frontrunner and only narrow margins between the top two.
Nevada has different demographics, so hearing from all the candidates will be important. This is a new race and very much up for grabs from what I can see.
14
Haven't we already heard from other candidates? It is time to catch up with Bloomie's programs
Has he released his tax documents yet? To contend with Mr. Trump, the mayor's returns for the past X decades should have been all ready to air the day he announced.
Anything else and it gives the Trump camp some snark. Even announcing they'd be ready on some future date lets Mr. Trump claim it vindicates him and his opaque tax returns.
18
@grennan Though he probably won't show his taxes, he will sell his company, Bloomberg LP. At least the taxpayers won't heavily finance his holdings in direct and obvious flaunting of the Emoluments Clause. Nor will we have to deal with the enormous expense of making his offspring rich.
So let "potus" throw snark -- though unless and until he actually releases his tax returns (who would believe any announcement that he might after all these years of refusing to?), Bloomberg has way more to fling back.
At least we know what Bloomberg is worth, as opposed to a self-claimed millionaire whose businesses declared bankruptcy six times due to his inability to meet required payments and to re-negotiate his debt.
Except, of course, for his shady dealings with Deutsche Bank, which loaned some $2.5 billion to Trump's projects (as well as Kushner's), and which is still writing him nine-figure checks even after he defaulted on a $640 million obligation and sued the bank.
And despite a report in the NYT itself that anti-money-laundering specialists at Deutsche Bank internally flagged these continued loans.
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/02/18/us/politics/18reuters-usa-election-bloomberg-company.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/business/deutsche-bank-trump-kushner.html
1
Yep. All his NDAs will be ammo too. He will get hammered for hypocrisy.
1
@sboucher
And of course the other sleeping bombshell is his parents' estate taxation and ensuing trusts.
But we need to hold Michael Bloomberg to the same standard to which we'd like to hold Mr. Trump.
Without total disclosure from Democratic candidates and the eventual nominee, Mr. Trump will pounce like a hyena on this example of do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do.
We need less obfuscation from Mr. Trump, not provide him with an excuse for more.
As a native New Yorker, I've lived under Bloomberg's mayoralty and I can say with total conviction that he was one of the best mayors this city's ever had. I didn't vote for him his first term, and I was wrong. He accomplished many things, including being DECISIVE in cajoling recalcitrant Republicans in Albany to support same-sex marriage, banning smoking in public places (which became nation afterwards), calorie counts on menus (benefiting our health) and bringing bicycles to a city that never thought they'd work thanks to what most thought was intractable chaos on the streets. Of course crime went way down, helping minorities more than any other group since they were the main victims of crime in the city, but this seems to go unnoticed by those that blindly criticize stop-and-frisk. No doubt there were excesses in implementing the policy BUT there are always going to be sacrifices in the name of public safety, which we've come to learn after the horrors of 9/11 and the increase in surveillance that came afterwards but has mostly kept us safe. And as to money, let's get real. Running for president has always been expensive. Is it better to take donations from companies and big donors OR be able to fund one's own campaign and be indebted to no one? Moreover, there is only ONE issue in the upcoming election that I am NOT willing to compromise on, and that is that Trump, our gangster-president, MUST be defeated. Spend what it takes to get the job done, Mike!
493
Isn't it better to have millions people supporting you rather than just to have the big money?
18
@ManhattanWilliam
I’m with you, William. Defeating Trump is paramount. Without that, everything else is redecorating a burning House. And Senate. Pun intended.
38
@yulia The VOTERS will be the "millions of people supporting him or not" and frankly I don't feel a need to make a donation to a candidate if that candidate, like Mike, can compete and win without my help. Donating to a campaign (which I've done for Buttigieg) doesn't make a candidate any better or worse than the others. The issue is MOOT for an informed voter who listens to the issues and decides.
31
The public debates really tell us very little about any of the candidates other than how they look on stage. Americans are big on the hype that surrounds them... a superbowl of sorts... but not much more.
6
Instead of promoting himself during the Superbowl and on every t.v. show across America, just think if Bloomberg had put "that kind of money" to work undermining the candidacies of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Joni Ernst, Susan Collins, Lindsay Graham ... even my so-called representative Steve Daines, who doesn't even bother to meet with his constituents.
We could potentially have a surer path to the presidency and, equally important, a bluer than blue Senate in the works right now.
Instead the nation looks forward to the prospect of one billionaire squaring off against another so-called billionaire. May the best billionaire win? Not exactly what I would call a democratic process.
145
@adrvs
The midterm election results that gave Democrats back control of the House was largely due to the financial support of Mike Bloomberg. He uses his vast fortune for what he sees as worthwhile causes, and for that I am very grateful.
247
Are you joking? He gave loads of money to Toomey in PA. Thus helping the Republicans keep control of the Senate.
22
@Marta He supported Toomey because he was one of the only Republicans who supported background checks for gun purchases.
Bloomberg has supported candidates of both parties who are in favor of sensible gun legislation.
And incidentally, Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who suffered a serious brain injury after being shot in 2011, also supported Toomey for the same reason.
26
Isn't it true that all political candidates tout themselves to the public? While granted, spending millions to become president is outrageous, finding a path alternative is fleeting under our current system that includes, wealthy donors, PACS, individual donors, and now as of 2016, foreign social media nonmonetary contributions. That is just a start; wed now have small radion stations and their American ownership broadcasting Russian propaganda on the airways, and being paid for it.
In 1971, my grandmother said, "PACS and super PACS will undermine the vote of the individual through their monetary influence to the point that the individual voter in time will fell like that their vote won't count." The prophecy seems correct now looking back on her thoughts.
Sady, The Beatles song lyrics "Money can't buy you love" but it sure can buy you votes in the 21st Century.
6
Bloomberg gave the DNC $320,000 to change the rules so he could be in the debates, ignoring the other candidates who were eliminated from the debates because of the rules. The DNC is a private organization , not a government organization , so it does it’s best to look after its own interests which are the mega wealthy elite, and taking out candidates representing the working class. The DNC’s Donna Brazile gave Hillary debate questions before a 2016 primary debate, so they are perfectly able to give Bloomberg help in the this debate - since they want anyone but Bernie.
158
@steve -- There is no way that the Democratic Party will not implode if the DNC rigs the primary again, as they did when they gave control to Clinton insiders to fight against Sanders via a smear campaign coordinated with mainstream media from inside the DNC plus a k-zillion other "shenanigans." -- 85% of Bernie supporters voted for Clinton. That will never happen again.
Bernie Sanders was elected 8 times in Vermont, sometimes with a 70% margin in Vermont, by Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and even Labor Party and Libertarians.
#BernieSanders crushes Trump by 18 points among #IndependentVoters and is ahead in the national polls by 10 points. Independents = 42% of voters, and the majority of those votes go to Bernie. He's the #1 choice of Hispanic voters, just picked up the endorsement of the largest Latino organization, is the choice of young voters, and young black voters. He's leading by 14 in Nevada and 14 in California.
Sanders was the senior member of the US House Budget committee and became known as the "Amendment King" for his brilliant ways of working around DC gridlock.
Sanders recognized that the "New Democrats," supported by the 1% corporate investments crowd, had moved the Democrats too far to the right. So he launched the Progressive Congressional Caucus, which is now the largest Democratic-voting block in Congress (100 members strong!)
In the 2016 Democratic Party primaries, a full 75% of all Democratic-voters under age 50 voted for Sanders.
16
@steve Well said, Steve! Perez should resign! This is another betrayal of working people, women and minorities.
6
Yea he was the only one aside Yang to give $ to dnc, but isn’t it kinda insulting to the dnc to imply they would change the rules for a lousy $400k? The guy has the dinero and he wants to spend it to beat Trump. Go man go.
It would take more ‘splainin’ on the part of the dnc why they did not provide a forum for the rest of the candidates to hammer on national tv a competitor that in some polls is #2 and others tied with #1.
Regardless of how you feel about Bloomberg, ya gotta admit you want to see how he does in a debate. Dnc did the right thing.
4
You are wasting your ink. The best thing to do is really listen and not mischaracterize what he has said.
103
@USNA73
I DID listen to what had said:
** "if women wanted to be appreciated for their brains, they'd go to the library instead of Bloomingdale's"
** “You can just take the description, Xerox it, and pass it out to all the cops,”
** "I could teach anybody, even the people in this room, no offense intended, to be a farmer,"
** "The question is do you want to pander to those people?"
I used to be a die-hard #VoteBlueNoMatterWho until Bloomberg showed up.
2
OMG. A self made 60 Billion $ man who has already given $3B to Johns Hopkins and a wide variety of progressive causes. Was mayor for 12 years and made 1000s of on the record comments and remarks about the 1000s of decisions he made during his > 4000 days in office. And he said some wrong and politically incorrect things - about the same number and severity in those 12 years as Trump does before noon on any given day. Please, Trump is not fit to carry Bloomberg’s checkbook!
527
Well, considering that out of 12 years, 4 years were against the law, Trump's analogy is not so far from target. What if Trump will run for third term? Would you support it?
21
@yulia 4 were "against the law"? Just what are you talking about? Term limits? Because the City Council LAWFULLY modified the Term Limit Law and Bloomberg ran, was elected, and governed very successfully during his last term. As a native New Yorker, I know this fact very well. "You're entitled to your own opinion but you're not entitled to your own facts", as Mike says.
57
@yulia: The law was changed, because laws are not set in stone... It was against the law not so long ago for a white and a black person to marry for instance... And Bloomberg still needed to be elected for that third term, and it was the voters who decided that.
46
This columnist seems to have a combatitive attitude about Bloomberg already. Perhaps we should at least listen to what he has to say. He is a bright man who has always bucked the odds. He likes the challenge. He did earn his own money. He has to have faced tough customers in NY. Lets listen to what he has to say and then we will know more. He will fight for climate change action, and gun control action. That alone is a big deal.
355
@joyce
My fear is that Bloomberg and other candidates lack focus.
I think the focus should be on a democracy wave in 2020.
Trump pushes us to dictatorship, not more democracy.
"Democracy is coming to the USA" (Leonard Cohen)
1
@joyce
"Perhaps we should at least listen to what he has to say."
When Amy Goodman tried to interview him he ran away. He only wants to us to listen to his ads, he doesn't want to be vetted. If nothing else worries you -- and how couldn't it -- that should.
17
@joyce
Democratic-leaning editieuals had been using this combative tone. Casually saying "buying elections". Unfoetunatwky, that's America.
I am very well aware of his name. And don't know much about his policy proposals. Let us all see what he saysand how.
But it's cheap to write cliches
4
I'm sure Mr. Bloomberg would make an excellent president, but should the Democrats be selling themselves to a rich political opportunist who is making an end-run around the political system by self-funding his campaign? Does this set a precedent? In future will only billionaires be considered for the presidency because they can pay their own way? In that environment what use will political parties be? and, well, in the end, who even needs the voters?
17
@Ronald B. Duke How is he making an "end run" around the system. He has to compete for votes and delegates like any other contender. He has a perfect constitutional right to spend his own money on his own campaign (and not because of Citizens United).
1
Yes. We need to do whatever it takes to defeat Trump. Every single Democract running would be better than the President we have now. Don’t over-think it.
I have seen him talking in his Ads, he doesn't sound convincing and honest in anything he says in those Ads, he doesn't even look directly at camera properly, he mostly sounds like someone reading memorized lines.
I think 2 debates will reveal true Bloomberg and end his campaign.
55
@Vks "Doesn't sound convincing"? What's important is 'substance'. All the other Democratic candidates have been saying 'look what I've accomplished'. Even Biden. And rightly so. They ALL have impressive accomplishments, in their own, different ways.
But now lay them out against Bloomberg's accomplishments. Bloomberg's list just goes on and on.
Okay, sure, he's had a lot of power and limitless money, and that makes it easier to have a long list of accomplishments. But many (if not most) of his accomplishments were not particularly self-serving; and most of them are things fairly high on the Democratic list of priorities.
I agree that being able to speak publically, convey your thoughts, demonstrate honest empathy, inspire, and share a realistic vision/plan for the future are also important. So we will watch and see (and compare). But for me, the bottom line should always be 'substance'.
1
Too bad journalists like Ms Cottle didn't apply this kind of scrutiny to Trump in the run up to 2016. Instead treating the campaigns like a horse race for years or a reality show (in the case of Trump) just to drive eyeballs like the rest of the clickbait media. And now here we are. No big fan of Bloomberg but kind of a fan of his end around the DNC. Hey with his ad spends you guys made big money off of him anyway. Whats your beef?
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@Renaldo Morocco Well said. The Times bears more than a little responsibility in Trump's victory. But this isn't way to make that right.
2
It's somewhat commendable all Bloomberg wants to achieve is a Trump-less White House 2020. I'll watch the debate open minded. Critical Thinkers aren't easy bait--I hope to be the beneficiary of NYT Op-ed Bloomberg debate scrutiny.
20
@That's What She Said
Critical thinkers review evidence and make informed decisions. Perhaps you should look up Bloomberg's record.
Amazing. After three decades of triangulation, the Democrats' brand is so weak that their top two candidates aren't even Democrats.
174
@617to416 Its fitting though, yes? One one hand, the unrestrained urges of the left wing, frustrated by years of compromise that never went far enough, deciding that if they didn't press harder, meaningful change would never come. On the other, the natural centrists who have too much of a conscience to vote Republican, scarred witless by the ascendant left wing, rallying around old guard men who have never held federal office.
7
@617to416 Only one of them is not a Democrat: Bernie Sanders; Bloomberg is a registered Democrat.
1
And the top Republican is it a republican either. So what? All that matters is winning.
Standing in for Bloomberg at tomorrow's debate will be a bowl of cold oatmeal, or at least it will seem that way.
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@stan continople
Let's hope both (the man and the cereal) are steel cut.