The left smells a rat in Bloomberg, Patrick bids

[JoeOtterbein]

(Disclaimer: the article is co-written by this DU poster's daughter)

[link:https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/18/warren-sanders-establishment-plot-2020-071322|

Progressives charge latecomer candidacies are an attempt to crush an ascendant left wing.

By HOLLY OTTERBEIN and DAVID SIDERS 11/18/2019 05:00 AM EST

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Democratic donors say they want Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick to run for president because they’re petrified that a left-wing candidate can’t defeat President Donald Trump.

But progressives see a more sinister effort afoot.

Aides and allies to Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, among other liberals, perceive the eleventh-hour campaign launched last week by Patrick — and the prospect of an impending Bloomberg 2020 bid — as an attempt to crush an ascendant left wing that would expand government more than any other Democratic president in decades.

In their view, Patrick and Bloomberg are stalking horses for moderate Democrats, high-dollar contributors and bundlers desperate to halt the momentum of the economic populists at the top of the polls — and regain control of the party levers.

It’s no minor intra-party spat in an election where all wings of the Democratic Party will need to be working in concert to beat Trump.

snip

more at link

[Farmer-Rick]

1. The filthy rich are trying to buy out the Democratic party too.

Those filthy rich capitalist are constantly attempting to destroy the worker's political uprising.

[highplainsdem]

2. Oooh, a "sinister effort," and progressives "smell a rat" in Bloomberg and Patrick as

"stalking horses"...

No cliche left unturned, or metaphor unmixed.

Cue the "Jaws" music. Or maybe the "Twilight Zone" theme.

Can we get some super-scary FX in here, in case anyone missed how incredibly frightening this is supposed to be????

LOL!

Primaries often allow rival interests in a party to compete. God knows Warren and Sanders supporters think it's important to challenge less leftwing candidates for control of the party.

But that doesn't make challenges "sinister." It doesn't make them "rats" or "stalking horses."

That's just silly, melodramatic hype.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. I think maybe people don't realize

That nothing is a given or guaranteed.

Primaries Exist to allow the party members to identify the direction they want the party to take.

As you wrote - nothing sinister.

This is what competition looks like.

[StarfishSaver]

13. Thank you

This idea that people getting into a presidential race is all part of a plot is just foolish - and suggests that some people believe that certain candidates are entitled not to be challenged.

There's a reason we have filing deadlines for declaring a candidacy - so that people know when they need to register. And if the deadlne hasn't yet passed, voters know that other candidates can still get in the race. The idea that someone declaring they're running before the deadline passes is a sinister operation is just bizarre.

If the filing deadline is not operational, when is the REAL deadline for when it was appropriate or permissible for a candidate to declare?

[The Valley Below]

16. Is this from Politico or The Onion?

[Chambi]

3. Bezos reportedly asked Bloomberg to run

It's not hard to see the intention.

[CentralMass]

4. With the weakening of the superdelegates pre convention influence, they had to do something.

[crazytown]

5. A Rat?

The Rodent Genus has come out to play: beavers, chipmunks, gerbils, gophers. guinea pigs. hamsters squirrels, prairie dogs, porcupines. woodchucks, and, everybody's favorite - the lemmings.

[MBS]

6. Well, I'm certainly furious at both Patrick and Bloomberg.

At best, their runs are a waste of time and money that could be better spent on promoting the Democratic presidential nominee (which, needless to say, will be neither Bloomberg or Patrick), Democratic candidates in congressional and local races, and helping with causes such as voting rights and election integrity.

At worst, it could lead to political distraction, widening party rifts, and a loss to Trump.

[blueinredohio]

8. I won't vote for anyone who didn't get in the race at the beginning.

If they couldn't make up their mind I don't want them running my country.

[brooklynite]

9. So, you won't be voting for Biden?

He got in three months after Castro and Klobuchar. Certainly not "the beginning"

[blueinredohio]

11. I still consider that the beginning

Not to wait until after everyone else has been campaigning, raising money and doing all the "footwork" your own money won't buy you votes.

[Celerity]

12. so Delaney is your man

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Delaney_2020_presidential_campaign

The 2020 presidential campaign of John Delaney, the former U.S. Representative who represented Maryland's 6th congressional district from 2013 to 2019, was announced on July 28, 2017. Delaney was the first prominent Democrat to announce a campaign for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. If elected, Delaney would be the first Marylander to serve as President of the United States, and the second Catholic.

[StarfishSaver]

14. When was the "beginning"?

And when was your "deadline" for anyone getting in? January? April? August?

[crazytown]

21. By the first debate

would be a reasonable boundary.

[StarfishSaver]

23. So, no one should get in after the first debate?

How did you establish that as the cutoff date?

[crazytown]

24. I was trying to give a meaning to 'the beginning'.

[empedocles]

10. Seems more obvious, that MB, DP, and more in the wings, sense the huge gap

between the primary M4A leaners and the general election voters, and the real possibility that the electable Biden will get cut down enough to create the then recognized strong need for another more electable Dem candidate - namely a less bloodied MB-DP-etc.

We all recognize the at least the concept of the importance of a Dem win in November - and many recognize the importance of Dem winning as big as possible.

[Act_of_Reparation]

15. I don't think it's anything so nefarious.

The billionaires already have a candidate in Joe Biden. I'm pretty sure they talked Bloomberg into running because they're not sure Biden can win the primary.

[TheRealNorth]

17. I do see this as the Corporatists beginning to panic

That their taxes may go up, and probably some other donors that normally support Republicans but want to hedge their bets.

People forget Wall Street has a history of doing this. Wall Street gave a lot of money to Obama in 2008 because they knew McCain had no chance thanks to the economic conditions being left by Bush.

[backscatter712]

18. Pretty obvious attempt to kneecap the progressive wing of the party.

Biden's failing to reach critical mass. Other candidates like Hickenlooper or Tulsi Gabbard haven't gone anywhere.

They're seeing if Bloomberg can poach some votes. Personally I doubt it. I predict failure to launch for these campaigns.

[The Valley Below]

20. LOL. Biden is pulling way ahead.

And Biden leads the progressive wing of the party.

Progressive, as in actually implementing postive change.

[msongs]

19. one wonders why alleged progressives are so worried their message will be buried nt

[Hav]

22. Makes sense

All the Warren and Sanders supporters will run to Bloomberg. Together with the moderates in the race that will surely concentrate the anti-left vote on one candidate. Brilliant plan by those donors to keep the left wing small.