Bret Stephens: Run Mike, Run

[crazytown]

Bloomberg has the never trumper vote.

Run Mike, Run

Mike Bloomberg should run for president, for two reasons that ought to be dispositive. First, he would be a very good president, potentially a great one. Second, he stands a much better chance of beating Donald Trump than anyone in the current Democratic field.

The main question is whether Democrats are inclined to allow the former New York City mayor to save them from themselves.

Until last week, the conventional wisdom was that they weren’t so inclined. Then came that New York Times Upshot/Siena College poll showing Trump competitive with, or ahead of, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in the six battleground states that will likely decide the 2020 election.

If Trump is this strong now, in the midst of his impeachment woes and all the general distaste for him, where is he going to be in 11 months in a contest against opponents with nicknames like “Sleepy Joe,” “Crazy Bernie,” or “Uber Left Elizabeth Warren”?

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/08/opinion/bloomberg-running-for-president-2020.html

[Me.]

1. Bret Stephens

Consider the source

[crazytown]

2. I have - never trumper!

[Me.]

4. Not Quite

walks the line

[Cha]

9. Hi Me..

What didn't you like about Bloomberg as mayor?

Just curious.. I don't want him as potus.

[Me.]

15. A Number Of Things

I really disliked how he disenfranchised NY voters by doing a backroom deal to get himself a third term even though the city had voted for term limits. That type of behavior would worry me if he became president. What wouldn't he do to get what he wanted? Aren't we going through that right now?

I feel his economic development policies while Mayor were too pro-development and pro-developer. He was defeated on some of his ideas but not enough. Some of that is having to be corrected now.

Very autocratic/controlling...there's a reason he was called the nanny mayor.

I also find his pronouncement that the candidates now running aren't good enough to be way out of line. I don't think he has a chance and neither does Marjorie.

Howya doing?

[Cha]

18. I diidn't know he said that.. that's off

to a really bad start. Now I think even less of him.

Marjorie?

Hangin in there, Me.. You?

[Me.]

20. I Am

I am finally getting a sense that the big crumple is beginning to happen. How long is still the question but as Dr. used to say...

"How long? Not long, because 'no lie can live forever."

"How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

aloha

[Cha]

21. It will be

a miracle when it happens.

Mahalo nui loa, Me! Aloha

[Me.]

22. One Last Word

[Cha]

23. Love Sam Cooke!

Mahalo, Me

[dhill926]

3. Fuck this shit...

[crazytown]

5. and the turd he rode in on.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Ha! Bret Stephens.

Well, you know what they say about opinions...

[Cha]

7. The red flag.. ..

"The main question is whether Democrats are inclined to allow the former New York City mayor to save them from themselves."

I don't see Bloomberg as the white knight.

[highplainsdem]

8. Tom Nichols is a better example of a Never Trumper and he does NOT like Bloomberg running.

Nichols is also much more intelligent than Stephens.

A few of Nichols' reactions on Twitter:


He tweeted this

Link to tweet

and he also tweeted about a Rick Wilson thread

Link to tweet

and he tweeted about Charlie Sykes's "Mike Bloomberg Should Go Away" opinion piece in The Bulwark:

Link to tweet

https://thebulwark.com/mike-bloomberg-should-go-away/


NeverTrumpers -- the smart ones -- will vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is.

But they want Biden because he has the best chance of beating Trump.

The conclusion of that piece by Charlie Sykes:

Donald Trump is heading toward being impeached with an approval rating now hovering around 40 percent one year from Election Day. He trails Joe Biden—who is still his most likely opponent—by 15 points nationally and in every important swing state. The Republican party was beaten at the ballot box, again, just three days ago.

It has been a very, very, very bad couple of months for the president. Mike Bloomberg’s flirtation with a primary run is the first news in a long time to give him reason to smile.

The people I've seen expressing the most happiness about Bloomberg running are Warren and Sanders supporters who hope Bloomberg will hurt Biden. Not all Warren and Sanders supporters seem happy about Bloomberg jumping into the race, but some of the reactions I've seen are absolutely gleeful.

Editing to add that many Trump supporters also seem gleeful about Bloomberg running because they hope he'll hurt Biden's chances of getting the nomination and they'd much rather run against Warren, Sanders or Bloomberg than Biden.

[crazytown]

13. Morning Joe could hardly contain themselves.

What message does it send to the world - another old billionaire buying the U.S. presidency?

[highplainsdem]

16. Yeah, I saw that and commented on it this morning:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=339646


I still say Nichols, Wilson and Sykes are representative of Never Trumpers. Much more so than Stephens.

They want Biden, but they'll vote for Warren if they have to, to get rid of Trump.

[ritapria]

17. Morning Joe believes he has a real shot to win

Consider the Source …. Joe and Mika probably travel in the same social circles as Bloomberg and Joe is kissing his ass …...

[Perseus]

10. Where does he get that trump is "this strong"

He is not, the only ones creating that perception are the enablers from both houses, and his base which is about 30% and moving down rapidly.

I have to think that those in both houses from the GOP hate trump's guts, but they are compromised and cannot find an easy way out.

The GOP are corrupt SOBs.

[ritapria]

11. "Uber Left Elizabeth Warren" ?

That is a crappy nickname of derision for Elizabeth ….The NYT/Siena Poll posits the loony tunes hypothesis that it's 2016 all over again ..... Unlike 2016 there was a massive wave of turnout for Democrats in 2018 … The Dems won the House Popular vote by 8.3%….In 2019 the Dems had a huge turnout in KY and Va. ...Big Victories ...Weak Turnout in MS and LA …..Not so Good ………. There are more Dems and Dem leaning Indies in the US than GOP'ers and GOP leaning Indies ......... All we need is a Huge Turnout and Trump is doomed .....

[crazytown]

14. "Uber Left Elizabeth Warren" ?

Jacobin Mag et al. would beg to disagree.

[yaesu]

12. If he makes it official, I will give him the benefit of the doubt like all candidates

and will see what he has to say, I don't care how wealthy he is, does he have what it takes to be a good president? well, let him make the case.

[aidbo]

19. Old bed-bug Bret Stephens!