Greetings from Canada;interesting to dwell on the fact our leader Trudeau comes from wealth, priviledge too come to think of it and I believe he has done an adequate job. Whats in the mans heart?Just while we're at it,when is the last time a Dem has come from wealth instead of poverty?FDR seemed to have served his party well.
Bloomberg's numbers;middling, and style;bland ,are more workmanlike than statesmanlike.Staring down the barrel of a second Trump presidency must concentrate minds.
1
Mr. Bloomberg will do just fine. This is a calculated risk on his part. He has nothing to loose and everything to gain. Let that sink in a bit. This is politics and almost anything goes. This is politics and money talks. Tonight’s debate will be lots of theater and talking points. If Bloomberg seems like the candidate that can be Trump all will be forgiven even by those who will be attacking him tonight.
1
It would be very interesting to see Bloomberg and Trump debate. Bloomberg would not "cow down" to the Trumpster.
Expect to see Mr. Bloomberg with a cardboard cutout of Barack Obama standing beside him, so that we can recognize him from all those ads.
Sanders already had his minions smearing Bloomberg weeks ago as an “oligarch” (in the Guardian) and now “racist”. Not surprising considering his campaign’s bullying and harassment tactics. But I am really shocked at Warren. I was taken aback by her vitriol, based on taking stop-and-frisk out of context ( Black leaders supported it) and condemning someone for achieving enormous success all on his own. It seems these Democrats are more concerned with their own ambition than with fairness or getting rid of the monster in the White House.
26
All the people in these comments seem suspiciously unwaveringly in support of Bloomberg... How can you be a Democrat and not immediately disqualify him on his stop and frisk policy or statements about “placing police in minority neighborhoods, because that’s where the crime is” ?
3
Who would have ever thought that being a centrist would be so exhausting! Go get 'em tonight Mike.
Going back in history, one has to see that Bloomberg was first a Democrat, then a Republican autocrat at that and now a Democrat again. That's called opportunism, not evolution. He's in it for himself, and in just a few months he's bounced to number two. How sad Americans are such cheap dates. No amount of polishing up Bloomberg's worst transgressions are going to clean him up. And tonight, we will see if he can at least keep his temper when he's asked all those inconvenient questions -- and I do hope everyone asks them, they are fair game. It just seems like this liberal elite, as they are called, are so terrified of Bernie Sanders they will resurrect this misogynist autocrat. Take care what you pray for, you might just get it.
No one can undo the past, however a person with integrity who has apologized for his misdeeds should be allowed to move forward. Constantly rehashing the past only keeps us from moving forward. Isn't it odd that trump was given a "pass" on all his misdeeds and never once apologized and he racked up more misdeeds than all the Democratic candidates put together. Mr. Bloomberg is a self-made man, to his credit. He is an excellent business man and does a lot of good with his money. Unlike trump who went bankrupt 6 times and has 16,000 fact checked lies to his credit, Mr. Bloomberg is the complete opposite.
25
@Sari
The issue isn't whether Bloomberg has apologized for saying things that are considered "inappropriate" by many people. The issue is what he believes. He's made negative remarks about transgendered people and blacks; made financial settlements with women over inappropriate behavior, and refuses to release them from non- disclosure clauses; and just a few months ago, he was defending stop and frisk. He seems to be an opportunist who's using his fortune to create an inauthentic image of himself to attract voters. Which is exactly what Trump did to get elected...
“...Mr. Sanders, whose allies consider Mr. Bloomberg’s very biography an affront to people-powered democracy...”
Anyone who doesn’t consider Bloomberg’s attempt to buy the presidency an affront to democracy, has an abnormal definition of democracy, and is certainly NOT against big money in politics, or the Citizens United decision for that matter.
The author neglected to mention Bloomberg’s large donation to the DNC prior to their rules change allowing him into the debate. The abnormal definition of democracy extends into the upper echelons of the Democratic Party establishment.
26
He did.
But after the Democratic National Committee changed its rules to facilitate Mr. Bloomberg’s inclusion — past debates have required candidates to meet certain individual donor benchmarks, and Mr. Bloomberg is not raising money from others — aides recognized that he had little choice but to participate if he qualified.
1
@Ziggy He didn't.
I was referring to Bloomberg's $300K donation to the DNC prior to the rules change.
4
@Ed Watters That's because the DNC is a cheap date, desperate and terrified of Sanders. They get a real candidate who has been consistent, who is popular and honest, and they can't deal with it.
I really hope Sanders does not get suckered into attacking Bloomberg tonight. Just stick to the issues and the need to beat Trump. He is gaining momentum and I hope he doesn't feel the need to get into the dirt with other Democrats any longer.
America, land of the unlimited ego.
This will be quite the "match": once there are attacks on the Mayor, it might turn into a complete free-for-all among all the candidates. Bringing popcorn for sure!
I watched another of CNN’s town halls last night where candidates are given an hour of Q and A and you really get to know more about them. I find them invaluable. Bernie, Pete, and Amy were interviewed last night and Joe and Elizabeth are set for Thursday. I haven’t seen that Bloomberg is going to participate. I’m open to considering him but my biggest problem is I know very little about him except for being bombarded with TV commercials.
1
An advantage of his wealth is that he's not out to personally benefit from the office, as might be a temptation for others.
5
@Paul O
I can't stop laughing.
4
My guess is that on a debates stage with the remaining presidential hopefuls, he doesn't stand a chance.
1
Let’s hope Bloomberg has a winning performance at tonight’s debate. ‘ Flatfooted’ responses that this journalist calls Bloomberg’s debate performances show restraint. He won the office he ran for. With the gloves off a quick witted, honest and inspired debater can turn into a dragon breathing fire. Coupled with no worry over money, a bit of personal vendetta, and a world’s weight of knowledge that no less than his country’s Constitution, honorable diplomacy, and human civility is in peril, this man will win if given the nomination. Policy touted by Democratic candidates will mean nothing if the Democrats do not WIN in 2020. Bloomberg advertises that he is here to beat Trump. He is the only one to have expressed that his SOLE priority is to BEAT TRUMP. It should be ours as well.
Money is not intrinsically evil; how you use it determines it's "moral" value. FDR & JFK were wealthy, but you don't hear any of the candidates attacking them. Policies and actions matter. Any good candidate should defend past positions, admit past mistakes, explain current positions and present a vision for the future. If mayor Bloomberg is the best, I'll vote for him, if he isn't, I'll vote for the winner.
2
From your article I get that you’re not voting for Bloomberg. Correct?
Some are saying Bloomberg is the "smartest guy in the room". He is undoubtedly more sophisticated (not necessarily to his credit) than the others, and richer, and older, with a potty mouth to top it off.
Actually, I've no doubt that Buttigieg is the smartest guy in the room. Also poorer, younger, a veteran, and speaks eloquently.
I'm still planning on voting for Buttigieg on March 10 in Idaho.
1
He won't be able to pull this off.
Too late, too rich, too empty.
A crystal vase with no flowers.
4
I’m afraid he will be taking votes away from candidates I respect and believe in more: Sen. Warren and Bernie Sanders.
To me Bloomberg is an UNKNOWN. His tv ads don’t say what he really believes in and how he would go about making that happen.
Money is his only asset.
Not enough for me to trust him with the future of this battered republic.
4
@Manuela Bonnet-Buxton
Unknown?
He only created a 60 Billion dolllar fortune providing data and to become a brand on the toughest financial street in the world to survive long term. Ran the largest city in the U.S for 12 years and was an excellent mayor. I don't know which ads you are watching but he has put his own money into gun reform, ending coal as a fuel source, climate and environmental causes, womens reproductive rights but I guess you don't get those channels in the woods.
2
Lay your cards on the table, Mike. The nomination may be yours to win if you can stay out of the negative mud of the recent debates and focus on good policy. If other candidates bash you for being wealthy, show they why you have been successful. Focus on the future with a level-headed and strong argument for good economic, domestic social, foreign and environmental policies. Show me why I and others should think you are a good choice for all of us.
65
@Doug Unfortunately it isn't. I'm a Bloomberg supporter but have you seen the polls from this morning? sander's has a double digit lead in two reputable polls. That seems insurmountable.
2
@Pups
He does not inspire.
Let's hope that the media and the American public recognize that intellect should be judged foremost. This is not a high school football game. Mike Bloomberg is the smartest guy in the room. He know's it is not about him. I urge the American people to do what employers ( myself included) have done for the ages. Hire the person who can get the job done. Mike Bloomberg is that person.
99
@USNA73
You did not live in NYC the 12 years he was mayor, and unless your a fan of 50 story empty high rise buildings.
You wouldn't want to be here.
His record has 2 sides to it ...and NYCHA and the MTA both did not fare well under his regimen.
I know the MTA is Andy's
But Mike used it as a photo op and did little if anything to improve or maintain a system that was going to be tested to max as more and more buildings went up.
He truly made NYC a city for the 1% and many many
people are not happy.
16
@USNA73 There will be some who see the job not in the same way he might.
His prayer for getting the job done appears to include an alliance with the Clinton machine; that will create some nose holders who might not be able to find their way to the polls, or cause them to slip and vote re-election.
5
@USNA73
By "get the job done," I guess you mean replacing one oligarch with another.
And Bernie is the smartest guy in the room, BTW.
13
Micheal will easily school the field of contenders quickly. Too bad his robotic like demeanor will not inspire people other than the anything but Trump people.
1
@RCS They're a lot of "anything but Trump people" just waiting for Nov. But, does anybody really believe Trump will concede a defeat in Nov?
Imagine… questioning the woebegone antics of politically correct wunderkinds as they cunningly transform themselves into promiscuous wastrels with proclivities for self-serving mendacities gone the way of farcical dreams.
Imagine… questioning the likelihood or oddity that you might be waking from a dream, or residing in a Grimm fairytale where fairies, dwarfs, egotistical midgets and paramours practice the sly art of whimsical affection and elitist hypocrisy.
Imagine… practicing the sly art of elitist hypocrisy, while marginalizing American Farmers. Talk about farcical dreams, gone the way of political wastrels in search of precocious façades and tax-free donations serving their egotistical whims.
Imagine… paramours, trinkets and the whims of precocious wunderkinds doling out goodies from bulging Campaign Chest alias a Treasure Chest aka the US Treasury to friends, lovers and followers. Talk about Grimms’ fairytales morphing to Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale of cutthroat buccaneers, Pirates and buried gold.
Huh?
1
A lot of complaining by the other candidates about Bloomberg spending his money to "buy" the election. Will a single one of them turn away his vast fortune if they become the nominee? I doubt it.
8
I suggest Perez and Pelosi conference call each candidate. In that call, they should tell them to talk about their vision and not attack other Democrats. And close the call with a clear and direct threat of immediate revenge if they dont listen.
4
We need to hear from Mike Bloomberg and hopefully people will listen with fresh ears unbiased by this type of flawed journalism. As one example, Mr. Flegenheimer writes that this is the first debate Bloomberg "submitted" to. No it's not. It is the first he qualified for since the party changed it's rules. Yes, he ran campaign on own terms to extent that he does not take donations. Why is that such a problem in a Citizens United world? He decided not to participate in the Democratic Party clown show that is the center ring of a media circus. The Republicans have a lot of money and they are going to spend it. Ms.Cottle in an opinion piece notes Bloomberg bought a Super Bowl ad - so did the President. Bloomberg is competitive financially. That matters. Mr Saunders can rail against money and the Citizens United decision needs to be reversed; but Democrats need to compete. The debate size is now down to a manageable size with candidates that have clear differences in policy, positions and strategy. Let's hear from them.
14
The debate tonight reminds me of Roman times with the media and Bloomberg's opponents cheering on the Gladiators: Sanders, Warren and Biden as they rip Bloomberg to shreds. The media has had a major part in promoting the debate as a "They are going to get him", backed by tape bites and news clips from Warren and Sanders. To his credit, Biden has been less vicious and more issue focused.
I am an Independent and support Bloomberg because I believe he can unite the party through a moderate voice of common reason. I don't expect him to be able to fend off the shark feeding frenzy tonight -- the odds are stacked against him
11
@Lydia Tortora
Democrats are adept at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, and seem to be well on the way to doing it again.
Piling on with charges of insufficient political correctness is not the way to retake the White House or the country. Like it or not, the majority of people in the U.S. vote on other issues. Folks should remember that we are in our current disastrous situation to a large extent as a result of the media's proclivity for following and amplifying everything Trump did or said as a candidate to attack Hillary. It's time to be strategic. Pragmatic. Focus on who can attract the most voters with a message that doesn't alienate, which will then result in winning the most electoral college votes.
1
The Democrats are thinking of nominating an arrogant mysoginist for president? Don't we already have one of those? You want to elect another one?
15
No net?
Do you mean the other candidates aren’t prepped on what to say, how to say it and what not to say?
Do you mean the other professional politicians haven’t had their words sanitized, been “misquoted”, answers pivoted to their talking points, etc.? Do you mean Bernie Sanders never did say that comment about Warren? One of them is lying, I wonder which?
Let Bloomberg stand alone. I want to hear from him. I’m hoping to hear more honesty and criticism for that honesty. I hoping he does not apologize for some things he has said because they were the truth and politicians deal with anything but the truth. I’m hoping he explains those things he regrets. At the end of this debate I doubt he will implode. What he will do is provide another choice.
The thing about Mike- he doesn’t need the job. He doesn’t need your money. He has causes he unabashedly supports. He literally put his money where his heart lies, not my money, not yours unless you wish to contribute also. He also has the will and character to take on Trump and demonstrate this is not a reality show.
Bloomberg is not perfect by any means. None of the other candidates are either. But Mike is more real than they are. Plus he can expose Trump to be the fool he is. Mike gives the country a shot, whether he is ultimately the nominee or not.
22
This isn’t an analysis piece. It’s an unvarnished opinion piece and the author is completely against Mike Bloomberg.
Looking forward to his performance tonight.
11
Go Amy - She's the one who can beat Trump. She's done the best in recent debates. She's a proven leader. And, she's not Hillary.
3
“Wait, wait a minute. What are Americans talking about?”
In the aftermath of Storm Dennis, occurred just few days ago, if I were a British, wading my way through muddy waters to a high-up shelter, this is what I would have muttered.
This is to say, that it should be evident by now that the main USA Election topic has to revolve around the climate change.
Increasing jobs, Trump’s charades, Biden versus all, Barr’s eerie hesitations, etc. These are quibbles!
Because, when at the same time California will be ablaze, Central Plains and South-West Coast flooded, New York City underground flooded (all occurred) and... Therefore, what are WE talking about?
China is a clear example. Corona virus – as January 2020 locusts’ swarms in East Africa – were not concocted in a Wuhan’s secret laboratory, but, by the physical reactions of our planet to heat.
Imagine now how operative would be a Chinese aircraft carrier, stricken by the Corona virus. We though, still consider us belonging to Homo Sapiens, translated, if any, The intelligent man.
Now to reality: “Mike 2020” is not a slogan, but a Salvation Army jingle to awake dormant minds for the upcoming bleak ecological scenario.
Mike should now be "acquitted" by all for his past lightness.
In the end, the man, has realized, that when he will ascend to Heaven (hopefully, the latest the better), he cannot bring with him his 62 billions, therefore he will put some of them to good use, increasing his rating for the Last Judgement.
7
Can we just get rid of the whole sorry lot of them and start over? I suppose it's too late for that, though.
1
After running the City for 12 years I think he knows how to speak in public. That job is double tough.
4
Without much effort on my part, I've found unedited, straightforward videos of Michael Bloomberg this week where he's disparaged farmers and machinists, spoken about how he'd cut Social Security and Medicare, and described young African American and Hispanic men as a criminal class. None of these videos were from the distant past. There was also the GQ story released this week about Bloomberg's mountain of sexual harassment lawsuits.
I don't trust Michael Bloomberg to govern as a Democrat. I foresee him using his legendary competence to gut social programs, not strengthen public protections for ordinary people. All evidence from his record suggests a Bloomberg presidency would cement the Democrats as a political arm of Wall Street, with all that would entail. But good luck to Mr Bloomberg on the debate stage, where all his rivals will torpedo him for attempting to buy the nomination.
We can win without him, Democrats. In fact, once the general public learns about his record, he's probably lose to Trump.
9
The media has treated all of the debates as a gotcha festival. The moderators spend half of the time trying to set candidates against each other to see who had the "lines". I know that tonight's debate is going to be massively against Bloomberg, but I want to see Bloomberg say what his plans are for this country. There is no such thing as a perfect person. I believe that with all of his flaws, Bloomberg can win the presidency, help to win back the Senate and keep the house. Sanders is a yelling, delusional Santa Claus type promising everything with no reasonable chance of achieving those promises. The liberal media is helping to hand Trump four more years.
9
I have and will continue to support Amy Klobuchar, however I am very disappointed in the leadership of the DNC for what is going on right now. I am also disenchanted with the way candidates are played like personal pawns in the media. DNC if you are listening you had better get your act together or there will be people who don't vote, not every state is NY. The leadership, Perez had better get out there and either quit or explain his reasoning for letting Bloomberg cheat/buy his way in. Also how did Bernie get into the democratic party, wasn't he an independent. I'm guessing we need better leadership in the DNC at the moment.
I was with you until you attacked Bernie. Bernie doesn’t want to dilute the vote and hurt the democratic nominee. That’s why he’s participating as a democrat. That should be encouraged. The reason this is the situation is because of the drawbacks of a 2 party system that the way we vote creates. If we had rank choice voting, we wouldn’t be in this situation. So I think Bernie is doing Democrat’s a favor by running as a Democrat. If he doesn’t win in the primary, he doesn’t run in the general. And I think that’s laudable.
1
"Michael Bloomberg Has to Debate Without a Net"
No worry. Trump et al, Clinton & Co. and the other 1 per centers have hired hundreds of lackeys to lay down underneath the high wire, in the event that Mr. Bloomberg should fall and require a soft spot to land.
The best cushioning money can buy.
2
My advice to Bloomberg:
Be nothing but nice to the other candidates, complement them on their ideas, tenacity, and supporters.
Do not accept any characterization of your views by either the other candidates of the moderators, rather explain your ideas simply and directly.
And finally, be humble about all of your earlier decisions and policies. You were trying, no one actually knew what would work and what wouldn't. Some worked and some didn't - with spectacular failure, too. Accept it, own it, and move on.
8
@JFR
He's not Laurence Olivier.
1
Bloomberg's rivals, especially Warren and Klobuchar, should demand that he release women who settled suits against his company from their non-disclosure agreements. If these agreements are wrong when used by Trump, they are just as wrong when used by Bloomberg.
4
@Bruce A
Maybe.
Do the women Involved want them released? I haven’t heard them.
Bloomberg’s party affiliation went: Democrat - Republican - Independent - Democrat.
He switched parties to run for NYC Mayor because he did not believe he could win the Democratic primary. Too many voters concerned about purity tests and pie in the sky ideals about how things should be instead of the reality of how they actually are.
It seems the Democratic Party hasn’t changed much in the past 20 years.
3
The Democratic electorate is united in one overarching mission: to defeat Donald Trump in November. Compared to this, all of the policy differences among the candidates looks like little more than squabbling among children. Voters have both their personal preferances and their views on who is most electable. These views and preferences have turned campaigns into a circular firing squad, which is not a great strategy to beat Mr. Trump. Each candidate has weaknesess to attack, particularly those who have history in the political arena and have been faced with difficult decisions. Like other candidates, Mike Bloomberg has said and done things that are inconsistent with Democratic values. But, his primary crime appears to be that he is fabulously wealthy. Yes, he has used this wealth to support cherished Democratic goals such as slowing climate change and gun control, as well as helping elect Democrats to public office. All extremely wealthy people are not created equal. Michael Bloomberg is no David Koch. I hope that in tonight's debate, and in the campaigns moving forward, we can all look more to the future than to the past. Michael Bloomberg has dedicated part of his vast fortune to defeating Donald Trump? Why is that such a bad thing?
7
Lots of people seem to be treating Bloomberg like his campaign is normal. The Trump era has really changed what passes for normal or acceptable. The implications of a Bloomberg candidacy are neither.
14
Exactly. The bribing of the various organizations in order to get their endorsements? How is that OK?
Bloomberg will try to take the middle ground and appear to be the reasonable, uniting candidate in between the centrists and the progressives. I don't expect him to rail against Sanders, on the contrary he will acknowledge him and that the rich have gone too far. Bernie needs to be prepared for that, not be taken aback, and be careful not to come down too hard on Bloomberg.
I'm open to the idea of a uniting candidate, but the main problem at the moment is that we can't be sure how serious Bloomberg is about the proposals that reach out to the progressive side.
Given his history of switching parties to suit his ambitions and his historically moderate Republican views on economic and fiscal policy, we need more than proposals. He is simply not believable at the moment on issues like regulating Wall Street, raising taxes on the rich, ... It could all be just talk, like Trump who promised to fix healthcare. "Trust me" is not a thing in 2020.
So I'm looking for Bernie to point out the credibility issue, and how Bloomberg will respond to that tonight. Surely Bloomberg knows he will need to do more than float proposals to win over enough progressive support.
13
@Liz
Best comment in this thread, Liz.
Thank you.
4
Bloomberg will spend nearly $2 Billion dollars to become the Most Hated Man in the Democratic Party in History when this election is settled. He will not be President, probably won't even be the Nominee but if he IS, the gloves come off and the civil war becomes red hot. When it is all over there will be two parties standing in the place of what is today the Democratic Party. As a Trump supporter, have to admit, I do Like Mike.
5
The civil war fantasies of trump supporters are as juvenile as he is. Not only juvenile but anti American.
I don't support Bloomberg at this time but he's far from hated. His momentum seems to be steamrolling right over trump.
I'm starting to believe he will be the nominee. Then the new civil war will end when the wannabes are taken out by drone strikes.
@GregP We cant put emoji's or gif's in the comments section; so, just picture me sitting in a chair with my FACE in the PALM of my HAND, shaking it ever so slowly back and forth...
1
@Tamara
You will see it tonight. All of the others on that stage besides Bloomberg and Sanders are now irrelevant. They will attack Bloomberg furiously tonight. When/If he is the Nominee, it will be Open Civil War.
I'm not a US citizen, I'm German. But I will be affected by the outcome of this upcoming election as most people in the world do - so I try to place a comment here, certainly with limited English capabilities:
I agree with many comments here that No 1 priority has to be to vote the current President of the USA out of his office - for the benefit of the USA and the whole world.
It is certainly appropriate and necessary to scrutinize the current candidates on the Democratic side. But there is a clear difference between scrutiny and trying to damage a person as a whole regardless of the potential consequences. And, in my view a number of Op Ed columnists and also articles at the NYT are currently underway to vehemmently damage Mr. Bloomberg beyond any reasonable criticism.
Mr. Bloomberg is being characterized as "power-hungry plutocrat", "rogue for the democrats", "a centrist whose brain has been eaten by zombie ideas", and last but not least "Trumpian".
Honestly: I regard this as short-sighted and unfair up to disgusting.
Please, NYT columnists, ask yourself: whom are you doing to here? I'm sure Trump is delighted by the direction the NYT is taking currently.
55
@Max It's complicated. Bloomberg's financial independence is also a threat to the Democratic power structure. He would just do what he wants as President and ignore the DNC completely. Bloomberg floats attractive proposals at the moment, but historically political parties have just been vehicles for him to fulfill his personal ambitions.
How serious is he about committing to a liberal agenda? Wouldn't we just be electing a moderate Republican who forgets about his promises on 1/20/2021?
It's way too early to embrace Bloomberg as the white knight. Let's challenge him and see what happens.
6
@Max - Please don't pay any attention to the comment from SportsMedicine here.
@SportsMedicine
We Europeans are concerned about the world, climate change, peace, nuclear arms proliferation and equitable trade. Your current president does not seem to really understand these issues that do not only concern us, but also the US citizens.
1
Kind of like the billionaire H. Ross Perot putting up his 60-minute infomercials. No retail politicking, no meet-and-greet with voters, no question and answer sessions. Chairman Mao addressing a plenary meeting of devoted communists via video teleconferencing.
It worked for Perot - at least until his abrupt withdrawal and later reentry into the race showed him to be mercurial and unpredictable.
2
From the tone of this and many other articles on NY Times it feels there is a general dislike for this candidate amongst its reporters. Some of Mike Bloomberg’s policies may be perceived as racist but I feel has less to do with Xenophobia that is typically associated with racist policies and more of a plan to “fix” crimes gone bad. Stop and frisk, Fast and furious, arming rebels world wide are all in the same bucket. Hope editors of Times will tone the rhetoric down so that we don’t end up denying our next president the chance he deserves.
21
@T Thu They endorsed Warren and Klobuchar so the writers have to tear apart the opposition.
1
@T Thu - A "general dislike for this candidate"? It isn't dislike as much as the appalling act of buying the Presidency.
Admittedly, Bloomberg is no doubt a "real billionaire" as opposed to the Current Occupant, but I am against another old billionaire in the Oval Office.
1
@Pat Boice With the exception of Mr. Sanders' candidacy, presidency is being sold in 1000 pies and happily bought by Billionaires. Atleast Mike Bloomberg's spending shows he is willing to put money where his mouth is and the scale of it it demonstrates his commitment. As you rightly said he is a real billionaire, stepping into save the country from another 4 years of current occupant.
Bloomberg's campaign funding source (a perfectly legal one) alone should not be the sole disqualifier, and the reason Opinion writers on Times attribute racism, lack of debate skills, and anything else that they can throw to see if sticks.
I get it, you just don't like canapés.
12
The guy was mayor for twelve years. I'm guessing he'll be able to speak on his feet, in front of an audience.
24
A common ending theme of Michael Bloomberg's ads is a photo of him speaking to a child and earning the child's trust. In tonight's debate, the American people are effectively that child, and he has to break away from his scripted appearances and earn our trust. We will see if he can do so.
16
@Mark Lebow
Wow, a patriarch.
1
I disagree. I think the debate will play to Bloomberg’s strengths: racism and misogyny. Despite his media blitz - which seems to extend to these comment streams - his money will not be able to hide his track record. Democrat’s have not fallen for trump’s self-promoting media alt-reality. Why would we accept Bloomberg’s?
15
@K Marko Presumably you are a Warren supporter. All candidates have warts because they are politicians. The best chance of defeating Trump is selecting a candidate that can appeal to independent thinking voters. That is Bloomberg and only Bloomberg, warts and all. Match him with Klobuchar and you have the winning ticket.
19
You have to wonder how a stumblebum like this won three NYC mayoral elections in a row and is worth $70 billion. There is little doubt in mind that when it comes to intellect and executive ability Bloomberg will be by far the smartest guy in the room. This isn't an audition for some TV reality show. This is about choosing the person best equipped to beat Trump; provide down ticket coat tails; and deal with some of the serious problems the nation faces.
30
@John
New York City and the management of it is not a reality show!
4
@John
"This is about choosing the person best equipped to beat Trump" At what cost? A long term disengagement from politics from the youth will likely follow, after seeing their hopes crushed yet another time, purchased outright.
6
It is time for the Democrats to stop cannibalizing themselves. One of them is going to be the candidate. One of them is going to need the others to help beat the oaf in the White House (I remain unable to even say his name). Has Michael Bloomberg made unfortunate and inappropriate remarks in the past? Yes. Have we all? Yes. Let’s admit them for what they are - my advice to this and every other candidate - and move on. To quote: “Let you who are without sin cast the first stone.” I would sincerely like to see a debate free of rancor that focuses on policy and ideas rather than bash the competitors. Show me why you would be best and most able to beat the bad man who is ruining civility, friendships and worst, our country and Constitution. It might be Bloomberg.
47
@Robin FP This is hard to believe. We are not talking about a few bad comments or misjudgment in business, but overt abusive misogyny. I also have a hard time with anyone who thinks he can buy his way into elective office, who has bounced around parties and buys his way into a debate -- and the people who allow it because they are terrified by Bernie Sanders, an honorable man if not the most soft-spoken. We have had enough with Trump, we don't need a Democratic version of him, or the DNC once again doing sleazy things that end up losing the White House.
Perhaps you have forgotten all the rancor of the Republican debates of 2016. No candidate was left uninsulted. And, of course, the candidate doing the most insulting ended up winning the whole thing. I wouldn’t worry too much about presenting a united front just yet. Let the process play out.
May the best man or woman win because this country has gone low low and needs to be restored.
When criminals have been freed or declared they are just fine there is something very wrong. When public education has been cut to its knees something is wrong. When natural resources are decimated there is something very wrong. When military men and women have suffered TBI and written off as having “headaches” there is something wrong. When Vladimir Putin is lurking to control our elections something is wrong. When North Korea is declared as a best friend something is wrong. When people who are hungry are denied food stamps there is something wrong. When the elderly and disabled are threatened their Medicare and Social Security will be taken away there is something wrong.
The future generations are depending on someone to right those wrongs. Please! Help!
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The would be emperor will have no clothes for this debate,
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He does have a safety net - the other candidates. They've got to balance attacking him with allowing Bernie to surge. Bloomberg's ideas are no different from Biden, Klobuachar or Mayor Pete. Except he has the cash to blanket the airwaves with ads. He's been smart at building wealth - which impresses some folks.
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The fact that people can quite literally just buy their way into a race is frightening. It's arguable that other candidates have done similar work by taking donations from larger corporations, but to see it on this scale and to see people actually thinking Bloomberg is a good candidate is pretty scary imo. A campaign office (I think? all I ever see is a bunch of signs blocking the windows) was put up along my commute and I see it every morning. Frankly if billions of dollars can just buy you the democratic nomination, I've lost what little faith I have in the system, because clearly this guy isn't running on policy.
Either way, interested to see how the debate turns out. I'm curious whether the other candidates will focus on Bloomberg or each other, seeing which they deem more of a threat to their upcoming caucus votes. Other debates have kind of been a waste of time, at least this one might be entertaining.
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@maggie the US campaign financing laws have insured that EVERY elected position in the country is essentially for sale.
This is legalized bribery. As long as you obey the rules, we deem this bribery to be “OK.”
Bloomberg’s money works in reverse, though. Other politicians owe fealty to their donors, while recipients of Bloomberg’s largesse owe him. So the bribery and influence peddling is backwards.
This is unprecedented.
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@maggie
Oh stop it! You think NYC would have a mayor buy a race for three terms!
Lots of wealth there - he’s not the only one. It’s Trump’s home too, you know. :(
(not much longer though thank goodness)
We need more than entertainment, Maggie.
And I’m also from Wisconsin. See you at Convention to work and support a winning Dem candidate? Volunteer!
MIMA
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@maggie
I think you've already missed the point. Bloombergs money will NOT buy him the nomination. Take Tom Steyer for example, he blanketed the airwaves with his commercials to impeach trump for 2 years, it got him on the stage, now he's all but gone.
As far as Bloomberg not running on policy, have you looked beyond, metaphorically speaking, the campaign ad filled windows? One example (as you seem to be supportive of either Warren or Sanders based on a comment you made.) loophole tTaxes: He wants to raise the upper end tax bracket back from 37% to 39.6% AND add a 5% surcharge to incomes over $5Million. AND to get rid of the 20% pass thru loophole for Corporations AND the "for kind" tax loophole that allows real estate developers to not pay taxes indefinitely (listening Mr Trump?)
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Sure hope the debates are more interesting and have more to say than this article does. Personally, I care about seeing who will best run this country, attract the best people and fix the very foundations that Trump has been undermining. Right now Bloomberg is definitely worth listening to.
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