Bloomberg has a straightforward message

[Fresh_Start]

beat Trump.

Not wasting time beating up on democrats.
Not wasting time saving the word socialism
Not wasting time insulting the 75% of Americans that live in the center.

He really can take both the nomination and the general

[Amishman]

1. Nope nope nope

My party is not for sale, no billionaires

[Fresh_Start]

4. he's not trying to buy the party, he's trying to save the party from itself

not my first, second, or even third choice.


But I can see the appeal.

[sarisataka]

12. I disagree, he is not trying to save the party

because he couldn't care less about the party. He has shown allegiance to a party is a matter of convenience.

He wants to be President and hates Trump, therefore he proclaims himself to be a member of the biggest party opposed to Trump.

What he wants to buy is attention and name recognition. For non-politically savvy Americans, which is most of them, that can be enough to get their vote.

[Fresh_Start]

14. He has attention and name recognition...

and you are probably right that he doesn't care about party labels.
He cares about goals and he cares about beating Trump.
Who says that its non=politically savvy American's who would support Bloomberg?
It looks to me like many politically savvy people will support him because once again the democratic party can't get out of its own way.

This intra-party BS (not a reference to Sanders) is why many people chose to be independent

[sarisataka]

33. A candidate can never have

Too much name recognition.

I am bombarded by Bloomberg ads on TV, on radio, on YouTube, even on DU. If fact the only other candidate I can recall seeing an ad for was Bernie asking me to "do him a favor". I think I have seen that ad twice; I see/hear Bloomberg at least a half a dozen times a day.

I agree many people are not happy with the circular firing squad we often see and want someone who is not involved in that. I can understand but I refuse to give my primary vote to a person who has helped the likes of Tom Cotton and other Republicans take and maintain a majority in the Senate. If not for Bloomberg's efforts it is possible that Democrats may have controlled the Senate when Obama nominated a SCOTUS justice.

[Fresh_Start]

35. He supported candidates that assisted him on goals important to him

and its clear that gun violence is very high on his list so it made for some unlikely pairings.

I understand why you are concerned...
But Bloomberg didn't vote for those people, the people in their states did.

[sarisataka]

45. True he didn't vote for them

But I cannot give a pass to someone who is supporting Republicans with outside money while condemning others like the Koch's who are doing the same.

The irony of Bloomberg's support for Republicans over guns wasn't even that those he supported were with him on guns. If fact the opposite was true, so he didn't gain any support for gun legislation.

He supported those Republicans because the Democrats they faced had not been anti-gun enough. It was done out of spite and the ripple effect from that support has cost Democrats and their policies greatly.

[YOHABLO]

31. Bloomberg's using the Democratic Party to ingratiate himself.

In 2001 he ran as a Republican to become mayor of NYC. Trump has been in and out of the Republican Party as well. Funny how Bloomberg and other Democratic candidate supporters will cry out that Sanders is not a real Democrat. It's all laughable.

[Fresh_Start]

32. Bernie also using the democratic party to ingratiate himself

Bloomberg has been a democrat for a lot more years than sanders.

And yes, both of them are using strategy.

Only one of them really thinks of themselves as a messiah, though.

[YOHABLO]

38. Sanders is not running as a Democrat to ingratiate himself. You are totally wrong.

I suggest you take a good look at Bernie Sanders' accomplishments.




http://addictinginfo.com/2016/02/19/heres-a-long-list-of-bernie-sanders-accomplishments-with-citations/

I don't know why Bloomberg is running to be honest.

[Fresh_Start]

40. Bernie is running as democrat to ingratiate himself with democratic voters

and to use the democratic party to get on the ballot in 50 states

I've read bernie's accomplishments from his fans...and i've inspected bernie's accomplishment in govtrack and other sources...once you get out of fandom...there really isn't much to crow about

[sarisataka]

47. It is interesting how much heat

Sanders gets (not saying it isn't deserved) but Bloomberg gets excused for his past.

[YOHABLO]

48. Yeah, Interesting.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. so you're fine with $999,999,999.99 but not a penny more?

How about we get everyone on board to fix the breakages in our system?

[33taw]

13. I am not concerned about Bloomberg's money.

I just feel billionaires should pay their fair share and decent wages. I am more concerned with who they are. FDR was rich, but he supported programs that lifted up the less advantaged. Trump is an asshole and I want him out. Bloomberg is not the Koch Bros or Donald Trump.

[Fresh_Start]

18. He has shown a commitment to working on climate change

2nd to none.

I think it's the most important issue on the table not just for the USA but for all species on the globe

[brush]

23. Good comment. Bloomberg has used is money for good causes...gun control and enviromental.

His ads are off the chain too in digging at trump. If Biden doesn't recover in SC, he's poised to take that lane.

[YOHABLO]

34. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs into law the Social Security Act on August 14, 1935.

Oh those horrible socialist programs.

[Fresh_Start]

39. it was a democratic program, not a socialist program

sort of like Trump taking credit for Obama accomplishments there

[YOHABLO]

41. Okay, now that I see what I'm dealing with, I'm out Fresh_Start.

I beg of you to further your education in political science.

[Fresh_Start]

42. i beg you to look at history and facts

there has never been a majority or even significant number of democratic socialists in congress. therefore they have never passed any laws.

[YOHABLO]

43. I'm sorry but I can not do this with you. My blood pressure is rising.

[Zolorp]

2. I LIKE MIKE!!!!!!

I like Mike, you like Mike, everybody likes Mike.

Throwback to '52.

[PatSeg]

6. Except for the candidate!

And most people really don't "Like Mike", they like his money and beating Trump. Everyone genuinely liked Ike!

[Zolorp]

10. Bloomberg is my second one choice

Love the guy.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

11. not everyone liked Ike ...

Alice Allison Dunnigan
[snip]

She was barred from entering certain establishments to cover President Eisenhower, and had to sit with the servants to cover Senator Taft's funeral. When she attended formal White House functions, she was mistaken for the wife of a visiting dignitary; no one could imagine a black woman attending such an event on her own. During Eisenhower's two administrations, the president resorted first to not calling on her and later to asking for her questions beforehand because she was known to ask such difficult questions, often about race. No other member of the press corps was required to submit their questions before a press conference, and Dunnigan refused.

[snip]

[PatSeg]

16. It was a different time

I am speaking in terms of voters in a presidential election. Both the republican party and the Democratic party wanted Eisenhower to be their candidate. He was an enormously popular person after World War II. That is not to say that the 1950s didn't have some horrific race problems and most of our leaders lacked racial sensitivity. Like I said, it was a different time.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

25. She covered Truman and Kennedy -- bracketing Ike...

In 1948 Dunnigan was one of three African Americans and one of two women in the press corps that followed President Harry S. Truman's Western campaign, paying her own way to do it. Also that year, she became the first African-American female White House correspondent, and was the first black woman elected to the Women's National Press Club.

[...]

When Kennedy took office, he welcomed Dunnigan's tough questions and answered them frankly.

[Laelth]

54. That's really interesting. Thanks. n/t

-Laelth

[marybourg]

52. Mmmm, no. My Dem

parents didn’t like and didn’t vote for Ike.

[dalton99a]

3. His anti-Trump attacks are much needed as a counterweight to the Trump-infested media

[k2qb3]

5. And that message is..

"All the crime comes from 15-26 Y/O black kids, so frisk them and throw them up against the wall."

I do like money though, we should hang out.

[Fresh_Start]

8. Bernie "Aren't most of the people who sell the drugs African American?

In 2015, Sanders was asked why there were a disproportionate amount of POC in jail for nonviolent drug offenses.

Two people present said Sanders asked: “Aren’t most of the people who sell the drugs African American?

[Quackers]

9. I've never heard that before.

Wow

[k2qb3]

15. The difference there is Sanders wants to decriminalize.

I don't think it's particularly controversial to suggest AA youth are more economically vulnerable or more likely to be involved in the drug trade.

To me, at least, that's a whole different thing than being worried about getting stabbed with a pot needle while you're hooking black kids up.

[honest.abe]

17. Yes, its clear, unambiguous and easy to understand for the less informed voters.

He matches up very well against Trump. It will be impossible for Trump to claim that Bloomberg will ruin the economy if elected which is what he will be able to do against someone like Sanders or Warren. Also, Bloomberg is very good at getting under Trump's skin with his attack ads and appears willing to outspend Trump to win this thing.

If Biden doesn't do well in SC and NV, I am ready to jump to the Bloomberg ship.

[Fresh_Start]

19. why insult them by calling them less informed?

sure some of them are less informed on some topics than you or I...but that doesn't make them less informed on the issues facing them or the country.

[honest.abe]

21. Are you not aware there are less informed voters out there??

That's not an insult, that's reality.

[Fresh_Start]

24. yes, there are less informed votes...

but you can't say that bloombergs support is coming from less informed voters
it could be from well-informed and thoroughly fed up voters

[honest.abe]

26. Oh yes of course, I didnt mean to imply that at all.

Just that I think he can appeal to wide cross section of voters. Sometimes as Democrats our message can be a bit complicated and many just don't get it if they aren't that tuned into politics.

[Fresh_Start]

28. I know we are on the same side

the people that I'm interfacing with regularly are not uninformed...
they truly have a single overriding priority, beat trump and the GOP into pulp.

And they think Bloomberg can make that happen.

[honest.abe]

29. Agreed.

[vlyons]

20. I read Bloomberg's web site

It seems pretty much supporting Dem issues. My #1 issue is getting dark money and money corruption out of politics. Bloomberg is a decent guy, unlike the current vulgarian in the WH. I could easily vote for Bloomberg if he gets the nomination.

[Fresh_Start]

22. I read his website too

still not my choice candidate...

but I can see him winning.

[roamer65]

27. I am warming up to the idea of Mike Bloomberg as our president.

[sweetloukillbot]

30. I'm increasingly thinking it will be Bloomberg or Biden

And I don't really care for either, but I'll support either in the general.

[KPN]

36. Bloomberg has a shot at this if Biden falters

further. Can Buttigieg or Klobuchar beat him? From what I’ve seen, his ads have been pretty powerful. I’ve looked at his campaign website and find his positions on most of the issues to be palatable if not pretty darned good. My only question is would he walk the talk if elected?

[Fresh_Start]

37. his has a mixed history

he will walk the walk on climate change...he's already 9/10th of the marathon there compared to the other candidates

he has walk the walk on choice

he has walked the walk on taxing the wealthy

and no one can say he is beholden to special interests...(and it bothers some that he isn't beholden to the special interests of their choice)

I think he will evolve on marijuana...but its not a top 10 issue for me.

BTW, there is a clip going around with Bloomberg saying taxing the poor is good because it has more influence on them...backstory, its the taxing of sugar beverage being discussed and he wants to influence behavior leading to obesity and diabetes. not overly fond of it...but it has a good goal at the heart of it

[KPN]

49. I'm sure we'll be seeing and hearing more and more about his record now that he's gainiing

significant traction. I look forward to that.

[redqueen]

44. He's also a racist. nt

[Tarc]

46. He takes pretty much anything he wants esp. if a stop and frisk is utilized

Yea, he has a less-than-zero chance now.

[Fresh_Start]

50. I'm 100% sure that if bloomberg loses the nomination he will step aside

and not disrupt the convention...and cause hurt feelings which will spoil the election following this one.

[SWBTATTReg]

51. Amend. I wish him the best. NT

[Laelth]

53. It's entirely possible.

I can't immediately reject a person who's willing to put $50+ billion behind beating Donald Trump in November. Bloomberg must be taken seriously, and he's no idiot. His campaign strategy might just work.

btw, I can imagine a Bloomberg/Buttigieg ticket. That wouldn't hurt my feelings.

-Laelth