Is this what we want from our presidential candidate?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

Link to tweet

The degree to which Michael Bloomberg is using his fortune to fundamentally alter & manipulate U.S. politics to his personal advantage extends way beyond ads. I've worked against him, covered him as a journalist & worked with his top aides. Here’s their playbook:

Let’s start with endorsements. Background: Bloomberg was a GOP mayor & Rudy Giuliani ally, whose police stopped innocent black men so often his tactics were ruled unconstitutional. So how did he possibly get key Democratic endorsements in NYC? Here’s one way:

Link to tweet

/

But come on, it’s not like he can do that in *this* campaign. Sure he’s compiling a ton of random endorsements nationwide despite merely being a former mayor. But that’s because they loved his soda ban. Or his speaking style. Or...

Link to tweet

/

In 2018, Mike spent $110 million to boost 24 candidates now in Congress. Turns out, giving people $2 million can be the start of a beautiful friendship. Then there are mayors: Want a grant from Bloomberg for new programs in your city...?

You may also see “community groups” back Mike's candidacy. As mayor, non-profits supported him when he reversed a voter referendum on term limits & made a backroom deal to help himself get a 3rd term. How’d that happen, you ask? He applied himself.

Link: Charity backing Bloomberg 3rd term got millions.

You may also see fewer critics bash Mike's candidacy than you’d expect. After changing parties from GOP to Independent in 2007 as mayor, the local GOP rarely attacked anything he did. How'd he pull that off? I’ll give you a million guesses...

Link: Bloomberg gives record million dollars to state senate GOP

It goes on. Read the whole thread.

Just because this man is not Trump does not mean he is better than Trump.

[mercuryblues]

1. I won't vote for him in the primary

but If he is the candidate, I will vote for him before 3rd party or trump.

This is how low we have sunk as a nation. I would vote for a dead rabbit before I would vote for trump.

[Dem2]

2. After the Trump debacle, Democrats still have standards

[redstateblues]

5. At this point in our Democracy winning is everything

As long as we keep going to a knife fight with a beanbag we will stand by and watch Trump and his minions transform this country. There is a good chance that we will lose the House if we don't pick the right candidate

[Dem2]

9. I agree

I was posting the words knowing there's a certain irony to the holier than thou words of those who seek to shiv Bloomy.

[msongs]

3. I bet bernie and others are also using money to manipulate outcomes. nt

[cherryinpa]

4. Mess

Bloomberg has made a mess of the primary.

Resources and support that should have been aligning and unifying behind Biden, Klobuchar or Warren is split and fragmented.

[left-of-center2012]

7. Huh ?

You said:
"Resources and support that should have been aligning and unifying behind Biden, Klobuchar or Warren is (are) split and fragmented".

So without Bloomberg, resources and support would have united?
How?
For which candidate?

[loyalsister]

45. The late entries did nothing but damage

The candidates who jumped into the already crowded field, after we had a well established field of wide variation have been nothing but counterproductive.

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. That should have been asked about Trump in 2016.

Now we're stuck with it until November.

[Sympthsical]

8. It crosses a dangerous line for our Republic.

Money has always influenced politics, but only to a certain degree. You could donate to campaigns to curry favor with a politician, and that has been accepted (at least in the circles of power - common folks aren’t super fond of it).

But if we turn our democracy into an outright, overt bidding war between the ultra rich, we’re surrendering something vital to our institutions’ survival. The social and political cohesion - already deeply frayed - required to make our system work will unravel into a threadbare, alienating system that will cause deep economic and social unrest.

The whole point of the Democratic Party is that we’re not Republicans. If we let a billionaire buy our nomination, not only are we throwing away our principles, we will shatter the party. People will feel pushed even farther out of the system. They will feel even more excluded. A democracy requires the opposite. It requires participation.

I understand the urgent expedience people feel under the threat of Trump - I share it. But this is dangerous. Once you use the dark side to fight the dark side, you are corrupted by it. And the path back into the light is neither an easy nor certain one.

[delisen]

29. We are more than "not Republicans"

[BusyBeingBest]

10. He's better than Trump. I feel very comfortable saying that.

He is a Democrat, BTW.

[calguy]

13. Yes. He's a democrat

Bernie can't say that.

[MoonlitKnight]

37. Bernie has caucused and voted with Democrats

Bloomberg has ran as, voted for and contributed to Republicans.

[calguy]

41. Bernie not a Democrat

[Kaleva]

11. As you'll be voting for him in the fall if he's the nominee, he far better then Trump in your opinin

[Kaleva]

14. Our core principal is to support and vote for the nominee. On that we do not compromise.

[fleabiscuit]

15. Yup nt

[fleabiscuit]

17. I don't miss the Assange support. nt

[calguy]

18. If this "cesspool of centrists" pisses you off that much

You can probably find a better home at some pure socialist website.
Since you just "joined" today and this is your first post, I am very suspicious that you fit the model of a Republican or russian troll.

[Dem2]

24. I found that wording over the top

I'm not unhappy that the post was removed.

[calguy]

30. I think it was a troll attack

Only one post on an account created today. Checks a couple boxes right there.

[radius777]

16. Bloomberg can beat Trump easily

where I don't think most of this field can do so, especially not Bernie who would get crushed and bring down the House and Senate with him, as most of the reason we took back the house were seats in moderate districts.

Bloomberg would win over the moderates and independents and soccer moms, as he has a blend of positions that are appealing to those groups.

He's a better politician than many realize, having been the longtime mayor of NYC, a place with a diverse population of 8 million people - which is more than I can say for most of the remaining candidates who mostly interact with rural white people.

[Amimnoch]

19. Right-wing style attacking talking points coming from Bernicrats? no that's not what I want.

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.

[calguy]

20. I suspect we've been attack by a couple of trolls here

[Amimnoch]

22. yeah. well coordinates spam attacks passing out the BS agenda

post by post. I see one come from his campaign in my email, and it's posted here within minutes.

is EXTREMELY similar to the way Tramp's propaganda machine works. Could be they're both being backed by the same Russian propaganda machine yet again?

[calguy]

31. Republicans and Russians are pushing Bernie's propaganda guerrilla war too

They want him to win the nomination in the worst wat.

[MH1]

34. Hmm, ya think?

[Zolorp]

23. Bloomberg only attacks Trump

He hasn't made a single attack on any of his primary opponents.

That alone makes him the top of the field, IMO.

[Amimnoch]

25. Exactly!!

Exact reason why I support him. He's targeting the actual enemy.

[Zolorp]

26. Thanks, time to take the plunge...

Heck with it. It's time to go with Mike and stay there.

[Zolorp]

21. I LIKE MIKE!

The more you attack the guy who isn't attacking any Democrats, the more you push me to his side in the primary!

He hasn't attacked ANY of the other Democratic candidates, so anybody who attacks him has just made themselves null and void in the primaries as far as I'm concerned.

The rest of the field could take an lesson from him. He is 100% about attacking Trump and is winning me over because of that, ESPECIALLY with all the petty attacks from his primary opponents.

[calguy]

32. I'm getting there fast myself

[Zolorp]

33. I was convinced minutes ago.

Changed my preference.

[calguy]

35. My state doesn't vote until Super Tuesday

,so I still have time to see what Joe in the next two states. Joe is hands down the best man qualified repair and restore the damage trump has caused. But.......if he fails to catch fire with voters.....this ain't no time for underperformers.

[rzemanfl]

27. Wasn't this same exact thing posted last night? n/t

[emmaverybo]

28. We can beat Trump without sacrificing our principles and risking our constitutional rights.

[PETRUS]

38. I think your candiate (Biden) would fare much better in the rust belt than Bloomberg.

Some of those states made a critical difference in 2016's outcome.

[emmaverybo]

39. I take comfort from that. I will be glad if any of our candidates will beat Bloomberg.Thank you

for response,

[totodeinhere]

43. Absolutely. Joe Biden has been on the right sight of issues his whole political life.

I'm not saying he has never stuck his foot in his mouth in the past forty years, but all of our candidates especially stop and frisk Mike have done that. Joe Biden is the real deal. I'm supporting Bernie but I would gladly vote for Joe.

[emmaverybo]

44. And I know Bernie has the best interests of America and our planet in his mind and heart. If

Joe doesn’t make it, I will join the revolution!

[MoonlitKnight]

36. Something fishy going on

If Bloomberg gets the nomination and we see some campaign sinking October surprise we will know too late that we have been played.

[emmaverybo]

40. If the Democratic Party nominates a man like Bloomberg we have played ourselves no matter

any other forces. We will have no moral authority, no credibility for a very long time. He is a one man constitutional rights shredder. The FBI had to halt his extensive and widespread anti-Muslim operation. Being on the right side of a few issues and throwing money around gives him leverage with liberals while he also supports Republican causes and Republicans.

Our main argument against Trump—that he is a racist and does not uphold constitutional rights— is dead if we nominate Bloomberg. He is a liar too.

[totodeinhere]

42. It is not what I certainly want.

We can do much better than another billionaire who represents the moneyed interests in this country and we can still win in November.