Axios: Bloomberg's big bet on the power of money

[highplainsdem]

https://www.axios.com/bloomberg-spending-2020-election-2ceac839-1efc-4914-afe2-66016ac20faf.html

Michael Bloomberg’s prolific spending aims to make him as legitimate and familiar as his rivals. It also confronts two realities: President Trump is out-raising all the other Democrats with ease, and the Democratic National Committee is anemic.

-snip-

He’s blowing through cash to create a parallel (or bigger) unofficial, uncoordinated party infrastructure in case the DNC can’t help the eventual Democratic nominee enough in states that should be competitive with Trump.

-snip-

His campaign announced Tuesday that they will double their ad spending, which is expected to put it around $600 million for TV and digital ads alone.

That spending alone is over 9x all of the money the DNC raised in 2019.

-snip-

Lots more at the link, including graphs.

The graphs also show that Sanders greatly outspent his other Democratic rivals, and outspent the Trump campaign, in total campaign spending last quarter, and in digital and network ad spending so far this year (in case you wonder what's fueling Sanders' improvement in the polls).

Anyway, it's an interesting article.

[LakeArenal]

1. If he ends by supporting Biden. I don't care how much he spends.

[bluewater]

3. Bloomberg is weakening Biden.

Donors are holding back on Joe since Bloomberg announced. Bloomberg undermined confidence in the Biden Campaign.

It's gotten to the point, that it is reported Joe is so low on funds, that being able to fly to all 14 Super Tuesday states has become an issue.

Mike isn't doing Joe any favors in all this.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. My answer

The question is, will the anti-capitalist base of the Democratic Party reject a billionaire because of his very ability to self-finance, or could Democrats rally around the idea that it will take a billionaire businessman to beat Trump?



"If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favourable reference to the devil in the House of Commons."

[highplainsdem]

4. Dems need to remember that with Bloomberg funding his own campaign, they can donate more down-ballot

[LakeArenal]

7. Personally I don't want a billionaire

changing the rules so he can buy an election.

I think it’s cheating.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. Be happy he's not running as an indy.

If a certain candidate gets the nomination he could easily top Perot's twenty percent.

[LakeArenal]

9. Still changing rules is wrong.

[JudyM]

5. Crazy. We can and will win without him.

He enthusiastically supported the reelection of George W. Bush. He implemented the humiliating and violent stop and frisk of over 4 million innocent black and brown New Yorkers. 4 years ago he spent $12M to re-elect the Republican Senator in PA whose (very close) victory ensured Mitch McConnell maintained control of the Senate.

If he really just wants to get rid of trump, he can put his money into defeating trump instead of totally dissembling our values by twisting us into fearfully voting for him as some kind of savior.

Don’t be fooled. If you claim to have Democratic or progressive values, there’s simply no justification for supporting this man’s efforts to buy the presidency.

[LakeArenal]

6. I just sent Joe $50. No big donor but it's a lot of money for me.