Sanders hits Bloomberg for trying 'to buy the presidency'

[RandySF]

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Sunday went after his Democratic primary rival Michael Bloomberg, accusing the former New York City mayor of trying to "buy the presidency" with millions of dollars' worth of TV ads.

During a campaign appearance in Nevada, Sanders pointed out Bloomberg's absence from the early primary states while knocking the billionaire former mayor for spending more than any other candidate in the 2020 race on TV advertising.

"Hey guys, how do you buy the presidency? Well, you buy the presidency, at least he's going to try to buy the presidency, by spending hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars on TV ads," Sanders said. "I didn't see Mike in Iowa ... I didn't see Mike in New Hampshire. ... Hey, you know what? I didn't see him here in Nevada!"

"Well, I got news for Mr. Bloomberg, and that is the American people are sick and tired of billionaires buying elections," he added to applause.




https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/483330-sanders-hits-bloomberg-for-trying-to-buy-the-presidency

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Focus, Bernie, focus.

You'll see Mike soon enough.

[George II]

6. Satchel Paige: "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you."

[George II]

2. Bloomberg hasn't paid for a single vote.

[HerbChestnut]

3. Bernie's not wrong.

[George II]

7. What has he bought?

[HerbChestnut]

8. Quite a bit.

Without doing any grassroots organizing or fundraising, he's bought an entire national campaign staff (the largest of all the candidates, I believe) and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of TV advertising. He is the poster child for the need for campaign finance reform.

[TheCowsCameHome]

11. So those of us who like him have "bought"?

I. Don't. Think. So.

I like that he is taking it straight to the enemy - Donald J. Trump. Trump knows this guy spells BIG trouble for him.

If that's being "bought", sell me some more.

[George II]

13. He's paying an entire national campaign staff, not buying them. Sanders pays his campaign staff....

...too.

His advertising isn't buying votes, it's giving his positions on the issues, just like any other candidate.

So, if he wasn't running, Sanders would be the highest spending candidate, does that mean he would be "buying" the election? Money is money - Bloomberg's is the same color as Sanders'.

Sanders and his supporters are just upset because his title of #1 spending has been assumed by Bloomberg.

[LongtimeAZDem]

4. Spending your own money on ads is not "buying the presidency"; promising freebies and giveaways

to gullible voters is "buying the presidency".

[Rorey]

15. This!

Exactly

[Green Line]

23. +1

[onenote]

5. It's going to take millions of dollars of ads to defeat trump

I don't know whether Bloomberg will get the nomination or not. I'm still undecided as to who I think would be our strongest nominee. But his ads aren't attacking other Democrats and are making the race about defeating Trump, so I have no problem with them.

[jalan48]

9. Plutocracy

Definition of plutocracy
1: government by the wealthy
2: a controlling class of the wealthy

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plutocracy

[SWBTATTReg]

10. Over $100 Million was spent in Iowa alone, the campaign which Bloomberg sat out, and ...

some campaigns are already blaming Bloomberg for his campaign spending? rump has already spent in excess of $200+ million (and who knows how much he stole of this too).

[Fresh_Start]

12. promising potential voters "free ....whatever" is also buying the election

only using future dollars that belong to other people

[CatMor]

14. Everyone running are in a way buying the presidency ...

all with other peoples money except Bloomberg who is using his own money.

[Bayard]

16. I have a problem with all the ad-buying anyway

Are the American people so fickle, or uninformed, that they will vote for whoever runs the most ads? Without knowing that candidate's policy positions, and no vetting?

[jmg257]

17. Yes. AKA Facebook, actual Russian interference techniques, etc. /nt

[gollygee]

18. Most people are easily swayed by advertising

which is why it's profitable to spend so much on it and why Russia has spent so much on doing it here. It simply works.

And not just in the US. It's a human nature issue, not a US issue.

[msongs]

19. oh the hypocricy it berns lol. like bernie is not spending millions nt

[Vivienne235729]

21. Isn't that the truth?

[UniteFightBack]

20. Says the guy who's been non stop campaigning for 5 years. Says the guy who was annoyed having

to SHOW UP TO HIS JOB..THE SENATE for an impeachment trial. I can't wait for his toxic politics dressed up in sheep's clothing GO THE FUCK AWAY.

[LongtimeAZDem]

22. "Sanders spent a whopping $50 million in the last three months of 2019"

I guess it's OK if you're using dark money.

[jcgoldie]

24. Bernie is correct

In fact the only thing I have heard from Bloomberg folks in support of their preferred candidate is that he has a lot of money. Well thats a nice feature I suppose. I have a lot of issues with Sanders mostly as a result of how he handled 2016 and the people he has chosen to run his campaign, but at least I never doubt that he shares my ideology. Bloomberg does not at all.