Robert Reich: Bloomberg Wants to Buy Our Democracy

[BeckyDem]

( Love Robert )

Robert Reich
Contributor
Robert B. Reich is Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and Senior Fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies.

Bad enough that a tyrant is destroying American democracy. Now an oligarch is trying to buy the presidency.

Michael Bloomberg’s net worth is over $60 billion. The yearly return on $60 billion is at least $2 billion – which is what Bloomberg says he’ll pour into buying the highest office in the land.

I’m not saying that great wealth should disqualify you from becoming president. America has had some talented and capable presidents who were enormously wealthy – Franklin D. Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, for example.

The problem lies at the nexus of wealth and power, where those with great wealth use it to gain great power. This is how oligarchy destroys democracy.

So far, Bloomberg spent over $380 million on campaign advertising. That’s more than Hillary Clinton spent on advertising during her entire presidential run. It’s multiples of what all other Democratic candidates have spent, including billionaire Tom Steyer.

Encouraged by the murky outcome from the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries, Bloomberg has doubled his spending on TV commercials in every market where he is currently advertising and is expanding his campaign’s field staff to more than 2,000.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/robert-reich-bloomberg-wants-to-buy-our-democracy/

[MH1]

1. I like R Reich, but hasn't he noticed the giant 'For Sale' sign?

Somebody's going to buy.

In 2016 it was Trump.

In 2020 if it comes down to Trump or Bloomie, yes, we are better off with Bloomie.

If the Dems could get their act together and get behind a credible candidate who can win (note: won't happen with an avowed socialist), then we may not have to make that terrible choice.

Let's get it together, Dems!

[BeckyDem]

3. That is rather cynical, no?

I find Bloomberg to be the wrong choice on numerous levels.

[MH1]

11. Which part is "cynical"? The 'For Sale' sign? But that's reality.

Ever since the death of campaign finance reform. (Which started bleeding to death well before Citizens United.)

And I know that Robert Reich KNOWS that.

I would like to see us nominate a candidate who can overcome the mega-marketing driven nature of today's campaigns. But I don't see an Obama this year (yet). I was hoping Warren would catch hold - she's sure made a positive impression on me. Maybe she will yet catch fire with the wider public.

The reality is also that Bloomie is less evil and far less dangerous than Trump. So yes, we should keep him in our back pocket. That part is not cynical, it's prudent.

[BeckyDem]

12. I don't see it that way at all. The primary season is here for a reason.

I refuse to accept his history at this time.

[sandensea]

47. +1

Unless and until we can enact comprehensive campaign finance reform - like most democracies, besides tropical money laundries, have - we might as well learn to fight fire with fire.

[Locrian]

2. yep - pretty much

And it's amazing to see people lining up behind him to follow off the cliff.

[BeckyDem]

6. I don't get it either. His track record is horrific.

[Locrian]

24. I think it's similar to trump's appeal

People liked trump so they could "stick it to the libtards"
Bloomberg's appeal is similar: A (perceived / false) chance to "stick it to trump" but at, wow. What a price....

Selling your soul (democracy) is not a good deal.

Thing is - he'd lose. He has TONS of baggage and skeletons in the closet. He'd get slaughtered.

[BeckyDem]

27. Totally agree. +1

[customerserviceguy]

84. It flabbergasts the hell out of me. n/t

[BeckyDem]

100. You would think we had no other candidates to pick from, it saddens me a great deal.

Bloomberg is not who he says he is.

People, so THIS is the man you want me to vote for, a man who would vacillate on Trump’s racist birtherism while calling Trump his “friend” and a “New York icon”?! Not happening, EVER!!!

Link to tweet

[not fooled]

108. +++++++++++++

[BeckyDem]

112. Thank you!

[Kitchari]

115. Exactly. n/t

[BusyBeingBest]

4. I don't buy this argument--he's buying a campaign, like they all are, except he's

doing it himself instead of hitting up other people. He can't buy democracy, he can't buy votes, he can't buy loyalty, unless people let him. You can put the dog food in front of the dogs, they'll either eat it or they won't, LOL.

[SWBTATTReg]

5. It doesn't cost 1 dime to not vote for Bloomberg. Buying the election? What about the blatant...

interference by rump using Ukraine? What about the other illegal (and those still not yet known about) attempts to blindside the election with questionable doubts of candidates of good repute? rump is by far the worse, absolute worse tyrant ... Bloomberg's been exposed, his faults and no faults exposed for all to see, not hidden like rump has done pathetically w/ every part of his life, no tax returns (because of fake audit claims (which doesn't stop one from still providing the returns)), etc.

I don't think so. trump has already spent at least 300 mil (he has some money still left too), all of the candidates spent $100 mil or so in Iowa, that all that I know so far. It's expensive for anyone to run. We all know that. At least we don't have to spend any addl money in going after rump, Bloomberg is hitting rump everywhere, with some pretty decent ads.

[BeckyDem]

10. Why in the world would I pick a candidate I know has a horrid record?

[SWBTATTReg]

63. Then don't. I'm happy w/ Bloomberg and you can be happy w/ who you want.

[hangaleft]

39. "...with some pretty decent ads."

I’m not at all surprised, just chagrined that our democracy can be bought with an onslaught of advertising geared toward people who don’t pay attention to politics or what the candidate running those ads has done in the past.

We have far better options than Bloomberg. It’s my fervent hope that we’ll go with one of those better options (and I don’t mean Bernie, whose policies I support but whose candidacy would be a disaster).

[SWBTATTReg]

65. Bloomberg is one of the better choices and I'm happy to vote for him. You can vote for your

choice. Your right and my right to do so.

[hangaleft]

71. That goes without saying

I just won’t give my vote during the primaries to an oligarch who supported a heinous, racist policy for *years* and was still defending it as recently as 2015. Gabbard would be the only candidate I’d rank lower than Bloomberg in my choice for the Democratic nomination.

[Eyeball_Kid]

103. Bloomberg said he'd pour his billions into anti-Trump campaign ads

whether he makes a splash in the primaries or not. He's a good ad man, but a poor (IMO) choice for the nomination. So I'd gladly accept his ads if it gets Trump out of office.

[napi21]

73. If Bloomberg is able to gain the attention of people who don't pay attention to politics, I commend

him for accomplishing something very few have been able to do, EVER! If the rest of the candidates are smart, they'll copy the message & tactics that are working for Bloomberg and include them in their own campaign. Then when they get the same attention, convince the voters who is the best to vote for.

[hangaleft]

75. Give the other candidates $50B to play with and they'll get their messages out, too

[BeckyDem]

76. +1 Some do not see the difference.

[napi21]

82. I didn't mean all should run 1,000 TV ads! I'm talking about the wording, the manner they're

presented to the public. All the candidates are already running ads. Maybe TV, or the net, or radio, etc. The poster said Bloomberg was getting to the people who don't pay attention to politics. I think at least part of his presentation is what's getting through to the politically disinterested. If that's true, then copy that style!

!

[mdelaguna]

89. +1

[Zolorp]

7. I'm a bigger fan of Bloomberg than I am of Robert Reich.

[BeckyDem]

8. Noted.

[Kurt V.]

13. what?

[Newest Reality]

77. I would...

I would ask why that is? It is hard for me to process due to my own biases, really.

I would appreciate knowing what brought you to that opinion.

[Zolorp]

79. Reich can be a blowhard and he attacks other Democrats

Bloomberg is all about going after Trump. He has yet to attack a single one of his primary opponents.

[Newest Reality]

81. Oh, thanks.

I can understand that.

I tend to appreciate Reich for his presentations of information mostly, (and he has a good grasp on that) and I have a real problem with inequality and oppose/distrust oligarchy, as I have mentioned in other posts in depth. Though I do appreciate the salvos at Trump, too.

Heheh. We are two sides of the coin, it seems.

Appreciate the info, though.

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. ...and return it to the rightful owners.

Yup.

[Mr.Bill]

14. On election day in November, I'm voting for

the candidate who doesn't begin every day by spray painting himself orange. It's that simple. It's not a decision that requires a great deal of intellect.

[BusyBeingBest]

15. OK that made me laugh..

[Kablooie]

16. I agree that he's not the most desirable candidate...

but I expect him to at least be a president that respects the Constitution and the rule of law.

The only thing important in this election is to defeat Trump.
Nothing else matters for if Trump isn't defeated all other policies and proposals may never see the light of day.

In a normal election I would be disgusted with Bloomberg buying his place but right now it seems like he may be the best shot we have at retaining the country we hold dear.

[BeckyDem]

17. The same guy who wanted to extend his ability to be mayor is going to respect the constitution?

He is not Trump but his history is horrific. We can do much better.

[jr1118x]

26. Have you looked at his past?

What in his history makes you think he will respect the law. Did he respect Term limits? Did he respect the law when they made minimum wage on companies with govt contracts $10 an hour. He veto'd it, his veto was overridden then he sued the city lost his law suit and then on the way out sues them again. He seems like the rules dont apply to me type of person.

[zackymilly]

99. Crickets. n/t

[calguy]

18. He's not buying an election

If anything he's paying to get rid of trump. Whoever runs, it's going to take a whole shitload of cash to do it. By the time our candidate gets out of the convention, he (she) is going to be broke compared to the mountain of cash the R's are going start out with. It's not a pretty situation.

[BeckyDem]

19. Of course he is, there is no other way to describe it.

[calguy]

60. Wrong

He's buying attention. He'll have to earn the votes.

[Zeus69]

25. The money is buying him exposure, not a guarantee

Steyer spent more than all the candidates combined in NH and look how that worked out...

Bloomberg’s not forcing anyone to vote for him. In time, the issues and platform posters here think are disqualifying, will be vetted. If he’s last man standing, then that’s what we got.

The RNC has about 300 million in the bank and there will be at least 1 billion more dollars in dark money filtering its way to pursue Republican interests in November.

I know Mike has committed to support the Democratic nominee if it isn’t him. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I still have some pause how that will shake out if the nominee is Bernie.

[CanonRay]

20. It should go pretty cheap

There's not much left

[BeckyDem]

21. lol I needed a laugh.

Thank you!

[CanonRay]

102. Gallows humor

[BeckyDem]

109. yep

[left-of-center2012]

22. We're not voting for a saint

We're voting for someone who can defeat Trump.

[BeckyDem]

23. You can keep that low bar, if you want to.

[left-of-center2012]

40. I will

Defeating Trump is MY goal.

[BeckyDem]

50. With a man with a horrific record. ok

[lapucelle]

104. Bloomberg has a very strong record of leading the fight for sane gun laws.N/T

[LenaBaby61]

44. You can keep that low bar, if you want to.

I agree with you about not liking how low tRump and his party of putin have lowered the bar of politics et al. It takes a lot out of you trying to have a conversation with someone who doesn't understand or know that this country could be on it's last legs if tRump gets a whole 8 year term to finish us/our democracy off.

However, we're at a point in our democracy where if we get treasonous fat ass in the oval office for a whole 8 year term, this country won't exist as we knew it. There won't even be a low bar left. Just party of putin swill, lies, treason and lawlessness--and 'them' getting away with everything--and Dems/others having to accept/take it. The former GOP, now the party of putin, will be installed permanently. Who'll stop tRump/them from doing that? Susan "He's going to be a good boy now" Collins? You see what he and his fat, pardon-loving, lawless slug Barr have done today in further destroying the WHOLE apparatus of 'justice' in America. tRump/Barr are breaking the laws of our country in plain sight by weaponizing the DOJ. He & Barr are emboldened as all hell. Nothing from the party of putin on all of this lawlessness though. There won't be any Dem party if he/his party of putin get their way, and that's to have a one party rule of putin forever.

Who in hell wants tRump then him possibly appointing his rotten-ass, law-breaking, grifting kids in succession to the presidency, or should I say tRumputin Monarchy? Again, I'm not fond of nor would I vote for Bloomberg as POTUS if I had other better choices (Scary thing is that I don't think he wouldn't destroy every norm socially/politically of this county like tRump's doing). But if he somehow is the nominee, he'd have my lesser of two evils vote. I also appreciate the fact that he's not attacking any Dems and that he is spending HUGE monies to attack and take tRump and the party of putin, because we know that the new party of putin will be spending BILLIONSin Citizen's United/Dark monies to defeat Dems using their lies/smears/lawlessness/gerrymandering/flat out cheating this fall all across this country.

[BeckyDem]

51. The point is to keep Bloomberg from winning the nomination.

Any of the others would not govern as he would.

[left-of-center2012]

67. Except for Pete and Bernie, the others aren't winning

Bloomberg can beat Trump.

[BeckyDem]

70. The primary is not over.

[left-of-center2012]

72. Tomorrow

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way

[BeckyDem]

74. Cynic who sings. Interesting.

[LenaBaby61]

120. Bloomberg can beat Trump.

I hate to admit it, but I believe this 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻, because Bloomberg WILL fight back with that fool all day LONG if he has to because of his much deeper pockets and what could be one hell of a ground game.

I have many friends, ex-military of all stripes and colors, who tell me that they'd vote for Bloomberg in a heart beat if he gets the Dem nomination if it means keeping tRump out of the White House. I ask them about Bloomberg and all of his very noticeable warts, and they tell me in no certain terms that if tRump steals another election, this country is DONE. One friend is a friend of Malcolm Nance, so I know he's not talking out of his rear end, because Malcolm Nance has talked for several years about what tRump has been doing, and he's not been off on his facts much. He's been pretty damn accurate unfortunately.

[uponit7771]

122. We have candidates closer to sainthood than MB and can beat Trump, we're not that desperate

[dem4decades]

28. Get rid of Trump first, then deal with ther next mess.

[Progressive dog]

29. If it comes down to Bloomberg

vs Trump, it's an easy choice.
The Bloomberg ads I've seen are all anti-Trump, pro-Bloomberg which is a good thing. He's also pledged to continue his spending to defeat Trump even if he is not the nominee.

[BeckyDem]

31. I don't want it to come down to him.

That is why I am posting about him during the primary, he is unfit.

[Progressive dog]

37. Bloomberg is fit, IMO

He's not among my top three picks, but he is more acceptable to me than some.

[Kaleva]

30. The most important item in the article "His paid staff is already three times as large as Trump's,"

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/robert-reich-bloomberg-wants-to-buy-our-democracy/

[BeckyDem]

32. That's the most important item in the article? sigh

[Kaleva]

35. While other candidates are raising money to fight each other, Bloomberg is a juggernaut after Trump

In another part of the article, it says that Bloomberg has already spent more on advertising then Hillary did in her entire campaign.

"So far, Bloomberg spent over $380 million on campaign advertising. That’s more than Hillary Clinton spent on advertising during her entire presidential run. It’s multiples of what all other Democratic candidates have spent, including billionaire Tom Steyer."

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/robert-reich-bloomberg-wants-to-buy-our-democracy/

[BeckyDem]

36. That will never change his horrific record.

[Kaleva]

38. Check this out

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287518483

You may also want to research what's Bloomberg is doing regarding climate change.

[BeckyDem]

49. I've seen it, no thanks.

[Kaleva]

53. Pretty impressive record on gun control wouldn't you say?

[BeckyDem]

59. I'm sure you are sincere, and yet you do not understand my concerns. His track record, his history

is indefensible to me. We can and must do better.

[Kaleva]

66. Trump has proven himself to be a major threat to the nation and to the world.

Trump's record is horrific and we see that every day. Defeating him is priority number 1 with many of us. Of al lthe candidate, I believe Bloomberg has the finances, smarts and skill to bring Trump down.

Bloomberg has a staff that's 3 times larger then Trumps. Bloomberg can outspend Trump every day of the year without having to spend one minute fund raising. Bloomberg is donating millions to down ticket Democrats. Being self financed, Bloomberg will not be a drain on the parties funds. That money will be free to spend on down ticket races, increasing the chances of adding to our hold on the House and maybe even taking the Senate.

[BeckyDem]

69. No thank you.

[customerserviceguy]

85. If we need a billionaire

Tom Steyer's already done a lot on climate change. All without screwing over black people in the process.

[Bettie]

45. He's also making an effort

to keep large donors from donating to other candidates. He doesn't want their money, he just wants to clear the field by making it dry up for others.

Trading one authoritarian oligarch for another is positive in that Bloomberg appears to be sane and hates minorities less, but that's a pretty low bar and it is sad that it appears to be the way many would like to go.

[Kaleva]

46. The personal limit one can donate to a candidate is $2800.

How is Bloomberg keeping these "large" donors from contributing?

[SWBTATTReg]

116. Bloomberg is not accepting any donations (this is what I heard when I was going to do so, ...

the other day)...just FYI.

[Kaleva]

117. Yes, that's true. He's self financed.

[BeckyDem]

61. Thank you, Bettie.

[Uncle Joe]

33. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread BeckyDem.

[BeckyDem]

34. For you, of course.

[Traildogbob]

41. What democracy???

There is a discontinued sale, I am thinking. He is a Wall Street gambler, buy it at its lowest value. Right now it seems America places no value on democracy, 100 million did not even vote. The real money maker is Fascism. Guess we deserve what we get. MAGA

[warmfeet]

42. Yes, and the orange asshole is stealing it.

We just might have to make a stand to protect our Democracy and our very lives.

I really dislike boots stamping on my face - forever.

I can't wait to see what our response might be.

Interesting times we live in.

[yaesu]

43. Corporations & banksters have been buying our democracy for decades. nt

[aeromanKC]

48. Every campaign tries to buy the election.

[BeckyDem]

56. No they don't, they raise money. Who they raise it from is important, and Bloomberg is

buying himself a stage he has not earned.

[BusyBeingBest]

64. If he was merely a millionaire businessman and former NY mayor depending

on donations, would he be more entitled to run? Why has he not "earned" his stage?

[BeckyDem]

83. Do you think it was fair for him to be able to skip Iowa? New Hampshire?

The others spent a lot of money and their time, but he just bankrolls it and pays people to get around it.

I am stunned by the fact Booker and Kamala Harris are out but this guy keeps rolling in due to his money.

[BusyBeingBest]

86. Yes, it's absolutely fair. Many others before him ran unconventional

campaigns, usually it doesn't work and it's risky. He missed out on the first four contests, that's a pretty severe penalty for getting in late. Kamala and Booker had a longer time to introduce themselves and figure out a campaign (and for Kamala, lots of initial favorable press attention) and it didn't work for them.

[BeckyDem]

87. Unlimited money is not fair, not representative of the process the others had to go through.

[BusyBeingBest]

88. He did earn that money. He didn't inherit it. He didn't raise it through shady

donors or foreign interests or illegal means. Being able to bypass the donor circus doesn't mean he's inherently evil.

[BeckyDem]

90. Neither did Harris and Booker. They each worked at the attempt to win, not so with Bloomberg. Unfit.

Here’s How Much You Can Make if You Sell Out for Bloomberg

Have a few thousand social media followers? You can score $150. Willing to join his campaign? You can make a LOT more.
by Harry Cheadle
Feb 14 2020, 11:27am

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pkeze7/heres-how-much-you-can-make-if-you-sell-out-for-bloomberg

[BusyBeingBest]

91. Paying media and digital staff is what they all do, if they have any competence whatsoever.

Bloomberg, whether anyone likes him or not, is working at winning the nomination too. I don't see his campaign in a different light than anyone else's, except that he gets to bypass the money chase, which is an option he earned for himself. If he won't participate in debates, then I will think he is trying to bypass any kind of campaigning beyond advertising, and that would probably doom his campaign. But until then he's still a legitimate candidate, with the right to do exactly what he's doing.

[BeckyDem]

92. wow

[SWBTATTReg]

118. Absolutely. And Bloomberg is free to spend HIS money the way he sees fit, he's donated to...

many other worthy candidates in the past to help them get elected, he's spearheaded efforts for gun laws, he absolutely has every right to skip any primaries or caucuses he wants to skip, and one persistent thing that he is getting blamed wrongly for, is seemingly creating the practice of redlining and thus causing the 2008 market collapse. Utter nonsense. Bloomberg was no where around this disaster caused by the lack of republican oversight.

Redlining was done by Banks and the Insurance Industry. No one else. In their eagerness to generate even more income, these characters faked up the grading of a list of properties/real estate (made grades very good instead of terrible) that mortgaged backed securities were comprised of.

When a couple of companies went south (Lehman Brothers to start), the whole mess started to collapse and tens of thousands of properties, that backed $billions and $billions of dollars of mortgage backed securities were found to be worthless (when margin calls were made, the assets discovered were worthless in effect).

The faked ratings extended to the mortgage backed securities (to get a better price) dragged the whole market down. IMHO, not all of the bad players in these events have been caught and/or punished. They still have a lot of work to get these people who pushed for fake, positive grades for these mortgage backed securities.

With candidates running out of money and dropping out of the campaign? This tells me about their management skills, a little. Why run to begin with if you didn't have the money? It's not like rocket science to know that running for president in this country is expensive. Insanely expensive. Bloomberg has obviously proven that he's got the money (w/ all of the ads, the campaign staff, the accepting of no donations, etc.), rump in reality has proven NOTHING. All we get is a constant run around about his health, his finances, his businesses, everything. Constantly. To me, this tells me of someone who wants to hide the truth and tells me that in fact, he doesn't have any money that he's been claiming. So his so called vaunted skillset isn't so skilled after all, isn't it?

Bloomberg is an exposed, and known personality. There are some who no matter what, won't support Bloomberg no matter what the list of positives are provided (for Bloomberg). That's fine, but don't mock me or others for our choices. We all, as Americans, have every right to chose anyone we want for president and vote.

[BusyBeingBest]

119. I watched the "redlining" video to the end, and didn't find it all that objectionable--

and in fact was impressed by his grasp of what was going on back then. He's just always a business/finance guy, or a mayor (as with stop and frisk), I don't think he viewed things through other than those two lenses--didn't see civil liberty problems or discrimination, just saw law-and-order or bad loans. Hopefully he's sincerely changed, but I can see why Democratic voters may not want to give him the benefit of the doubt. That's fair enough.

[aeromanKC]

94. I'd rather have a self funding candidate than one who takes money from Super PACs and Corporations

Especially one who has 12 years of executive experience and who has been re-elected twice from a diverse electorate.

There are multiple ways to raise funds for a campaign. At least we know where Bloomberg's comes from. I'm pretty sure some candidates are getting a lot of donations from MAGAt's because they want that candidate to win the Dem primary. Not so much with Bloomberg.

[Amimnoch]

52. More attacks from the BS brigade. Bloomberg focuses on Trump,

Bernie and his brigade focus attacks on the Democratic Party candidates running.

This is why I support Bloomberg.

this is why I support ANY Democratic Party Candidate BUT Bernie 2020

[BeckyDem]

54. Yea he is totally awesome, right?

Link to tweet

Michael Bloomberg addresses his prior support for city's handling of Central Park Five case

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michael-bloomberg-addresses-his-prior-support-for-handling-of-central-park-five-case-2019-12-30/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/bloomberg-once-blamed-end-of-redlining-for-2008-economic-collapse

Why Is Bloomberg's Long History of Egregious Sexism Getting a Pass?


The surging Democratic presidential candidate and Bloomberg LP have fielded nearly 40 sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits over decades.

By Laura Bassett
February 13, 2020
Mike Bloomberg with antiwoman sign collaged on top of his image

[Amimnoch]

55. Yes he is.

Ain't biting any of this bullshit internal attacks against our candidates.

ANY Democratic Party candidate BUT BS 2020.

[BeckyDem]

57. Yea, stay solidly in denial. ok

[Amimnoch]

58. Will do.

[Amimnoch]

62. LOL another attack from the BS propaganda machine. No thanks.

Not giving ANY credibility to any of this bullshit being drudged up from the Russian backed Bernie propaganda machine that has been getting used to attack Biden, O'Rourke, Harris, and even his longtime agenda ally Elizabeth warren.

I support the candidate that's going directly for Trump. Not using his campaign money, campaign staff, and supporter surrogates to attack fellows in the Democratic party while only paying an occasional minor jab at Trump himself.

No thanks, and I don't give a shit whatever his propaganda machine comes up with.

Bloomberg 2020.. the one that knows he's running against Trump and not the Democratic Party.

OR

ANY of our Democratic Party candidates BUT BS 2020.

[BeckyDem]

68. Charles Blow is a Russian backed propaganda machine?

[Iliyah]

78. It is already bought.. . .

That happened years ago.

At this point in time, how can "we" who believes in freedom, take it back.

[BeckyDem]

80. Come on now. We should be able to agree it is pretty awful, especially after Citizens United.

But we do not have to support what Bloomberg is doing. How we take it back, one amendment at a time, and more replacements of Republicans, we crush them politically. I believe we can do this.

[Nanjeanne]

93. He's been buying all his elections.

2001 he ran as a R and had Guiliani’s endorsement. $73 million of his own money spent.

2005 still an R but this time he spent $78 million of his own money.

2009 he said he needed to extend term limits because of the financial crisis. That election was riddled with controversy. He spent over $100 million on that one. Read here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg

From The Atlantic in 2009

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/11/how-bloomberg-got-away-with-buying-new-york/347685/

Mayor

Michael Bloomberg of New York City has spent over $100 million on his reelection campaign against Democrat Bill Thompson. No candidate has ever spent more of his private fortune on a single political campaign. (This does not make it the most expensive campaign--President Barack Obama raised, and presumably spent, $150 million in a single month of his 2008 campaign.) Bloomberg, an independent candidate, has spent $245 million of his $16 billion fortune on this and his previous two mayoral campaigns. He has also come under fire for using political leverage to circumvent term limits that would have precluded the third term he is now all but guaranteed.

[BeckyDem]

95. I do not want to see him with the nomination.

He is not who he says he is.

[Nanjeanne]

96. You and me both. As a lifelong Sem because of what I perceive as Dem. values - it

sickens me.

[BeckyDem]

97. In solidarity for a healthy democracy.

[Nanjeanne]

98. ...

[randr]

101. This is just the way it is

No one gains any office, anywhere, without paying for it. We have long noted that the winning candidate is usually who spends the most. Citizens United put the nail in election reforms coffin and we are living in that world, we need to get used to it.
Our best chance is to have someone run with the dough to beat Trump and I think we have one.

[honest.abe]

105. When your opponent is throwing enormous sums of money at winning the election..

why reject someone on our side who can counter that??

[bullwinkle428]

107. Bloomberg is ultimately the loudest, most powerful "never-Trump Republican".

If it comes to me having to cast that vote for him to defeat Chump, I will do so, but from that point onward, will be dreading any future consequences that will come about as the result of that vote.

[honest.abe]

110. What about the future consequences of 4 more years of Trump??

I dread that.

[BeckyDem]

111. No he isn't. Why not spend your time advancing Pete.

Its a primary race right now.

[CanonRay]

113. It appears it's either going to be eliminated or bought

I prefer bought. I guess. If I have to pick one. Ugh.

[BeckyDem]

114. Charles M. Blow @CharlesMBlow If a billionaire is allowed to buy this election, we will

Link to tweet

[CalFione]

121. Isn't Sanders trying to "buy" the election by promising to forgive all student loans?

That's an offer of tens of thousands of dollars to lots of people. That's as much "buying an election" as anything Bloomberg is doing.