Since throwing his hat into the ring Nov. 24, 2019, 78-year-old former New York Mayor billionaire Michael Bloomberg spent $333.7 million in TV and radio advertising, surpassing the record set by former President Barack Obama in 2012. Bloomberg opened his campaign spending $35 million, with no limit on cash spending out of his $58 billion fortune earned from Bloomberg Inc, a media conglomerate similar to Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Enterprises, including Fox News. What’s known for sure is that Bloomberg has no limit on what he expects to spend to win the Democrat nomination, something so unlikely, it’s worse odds than rolling the dice in Las Vegas. Polling at 15.2% nationally, Bloomberg has moved up rapidly against his Democrat rivals, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former Vice President Joe Biden (D-Del.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-Ind.)
Bloomberg’s political advertising painted a very different picture than the man who showed up on the debate stage in Las Vegas Feb. 19. Bloomberg was mobbed by all five remaining Democrat candidates, especially Warren. Warren attacked him viciously for alleged statements made to women employees, alleging sexual harassment and workplace discrimination. Bloomberg looked blindsided, unable to respond to Warren’s attacks, largely on MeToo-type allegations. When asked to end the Non-Disclosure Agreements [NDAs), Bloomberg said the agreements would remain in effect. But apart from Warren’s low-blows, Bloomberg looked weak, unprepared and lacked energy responding to moderators’ questions. With his political ads showing a dynamic, energetic and decisive candidate, Blomberg’s debate performance was anything but: Mike looked old and tired.
Bernie said it best that the American public wouldn’t tolerate a billionaire trying to buy an election. Yet judging by Bloomberg’s rise in national polls to 15.2%, there’s no indication that things will stop. Based on his debate performance, the former New York City Mayor should have called it quits. Yet whatever 20 million NBC viewers saw, many others were not paying attention. If they did, they’d see a very different Bloomberg than the one portrayed in his ads. “Democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another,” Warren said, hoping her campaign can regain traction. Now polling nationally in fourth place at 12.7%, Warren’s campaign has been sinking steadily over the last month. Warren polled at 26.6% Oct. 6, 2019, only to watch her presidential bid falter. Warren hit Bloomberg the hardest Feb. 19 but it’s an hour-late-and-dollar short.
Bloomberg poses grave problems for Biden whose wheels have come off the campaign cart, hitting 41.4% May 9, 2011, now sinking to 17.3%. When Biden finished fourth in Iowa Feb. 3 and fifth in New Hampers Feb. 10, his campaign continued to unravel. Now expected to lose Nevada by a big margin to Bernie, Biden’s campaign has hit the skids heading into South Carolina Feb. 29. Biden left New Hampshre abruptly for South Carolina, hoping to get saved by what he calls South Carolina’s diversity. But a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC Poll showed Bernie splitting the black vote in South Carolina, bad news for any comeback for Joe. Expected to lose in Nevada today by a large margin, South Carolina voters will be watching closely. Another big loss by Joe could finish his flagging campaign. He looked old-tired-and-gaunt in the Feb. 19 Las Vegas debate.
Bloomberg looked even worse than Biden, paving the way for Bernie to cement his front-runner status. Democrats left-leaning primary voters like what they see in Bernie. No other candidate offers to retire $1.5 trillion in college debt, Medicare-for-all and free college tuition. Bernie’s Bros look poised to finish what they started but were robbed by the Democratic National Committee [DNC] in 2016 when he faced former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Bernie’s loss to Hillary to gave him the momentum for a historic comeback in 2020. Bloomberg has taken the middle lane from Biden, leaving Bernie attracting more left-leaning voters. Judging by Bernie’s overflow crowds, he’s the only Democrat candidate generating excitement. Bloomberg only generates excitement in contrived campaign ads, picturing a very different person than the one that showed up in Las Vegas at the debate.
When you consider that Bloomberg spends $4 million a day on TV, radio and digital ads, his campaign won’t go away anytime soon. Thank the Supreme Court’s Jan. 21, 2010 ruling in Citizens United, giving billionaires like Bloomberg unlimited buying power to purchase elections. “We are giving a voice to people we are sick and tired of billionaires like Mr. Bloomberg seeing huge expansions to their wealth while a half-a-million people sleep out on the street tonight,” Bernie said at the debate. As long as Citizen’s United rules the day, billionaires like Bloomberg have a shot to steal the presidency, at least the Democrat nomination. While Bloomberg won’t appear on the Nevada ballot today, he’s still stealing votes from other Democrat candidates, especially Biden. Opening 150 field offices and hiring 2,400 staff, Bloomberg plans stick it out until the bitter end.
