"Democrats can't afford to make this election anything other than a brutal referendum on Donald Trump."
Rick Wilson, Republican campaign strategist
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| Endorsing Bloomberg |
"That's the one person Donald Trump doesn't want to face. He's scared of Michael Bloomberg."
Greg Meeks, US Representative, announcing his support for Bloomberg
Donald Trump understands this election must not be a referendum on him. He wants to make it a choice of him versus someone else, whom he will mock by calling a wacky Socialist with open borders and free stuff for everyone.
That might not be the choice.
By election day, 2016, a majority of American voters disapproved of Donald Trump, but a significant number voted for him anyway. Why? They disliked and feared Hillary Clinton even more.
Democrats who support Biden, Buttigieg, and Klobuchar may hope to make this a referendum, with them as the less controversial peace and harmony alternative. Trump won't fall for that trap. He will make it a choice.
Bernie Sanders fully recognizes that this will be a choice election and he is fine with that, betting that Americans are ready for a candidate advocating another New Deal to re-divide the pot more fairly. In worked in the mid-1930s, maybe again. But we were in recession in 2008-2009 and even then Democrats did not have the votes for single payer health care. The New Hampshire votes for Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Biden suggests Democrats are not yet sold on a big progressive movement.
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| Bloomberg |
He may win anyway, because the path of wins is leading to Sanders. Sanders defeated Warren, and he has staying power. Buttigieg and Klobuchar defeated Biden, and divide the vote, and neither has Sanders' staying power. It will be Sanders.
Except for Bloomberg.
Bloomberg, at the debate next week will have the make or break test. He has political status as the three term mayor of New York, money, and fame. What we do not know is if he can stand on the stage amid Democratic opponents and be credible as a presidential when attacked. If he can, then Bloomberg likely becomes the voice of moderate Democrats.
Bloomberg gives Democrats a binary choice against Trump. Our billionaire versus Trump, their billionaire. Some leftists will defect, but the fact that Sanders announced that he would support Bloomberg (and Bloomberg announced that he would support Sanders) means that there is good chance for a unified Democratic Party.
The binary choice of Trump or not-Trump forces voters' hands. Christian prudes voted overwhelmingly for Trump, right after hearing him brag about grabbing pussies. Why? Trump would give them the judges they wanted. They got something they wanted.
Bloomberg wants gun registration--Trump opposes.
Bloomberg wants to expand health care access--Trump wants to reduce it.
Bloomberg supports reproductive rights--Trump is now anti-abortion.
Bloomberg says climate change is a problem--Trump says it is fake.
Bloomberg admits 'stop and frisk' was discriminatory and apologizes--Trump is muddled.
Bloomberg gives something real to Democratic policy groups, and he also has a message to the American working class that he will grow the economic pie and they will share in it.
Bloomberg represents the aspirational and self-reliant message that had been a traditional part of the Democratic Party story. It represents opportunity, for poor people, working people, immigrants, to work hard and get ahead. If you do then the sky is the limit. It rejects a zero-sum notion of money and power, with class struggle between the haves and have-nots. It assumes social mobility. The New Deal was about opportunity. Social Security and Medicare were earned benefits.
The reality is that the opportunity society has not worked as well as predicted, which is why there will be a struggle within the Democratic nomination. Wealth is not trickling down as well as expected by either party. There are people who want way more change than Bloomberg will offer. Progressives won't be satisfied.
Still, there are tangible benefits to Bloomberg, plus he defeats Trump. Reason enough.
Bloomberg is moving the needle. He and his ads are standing up and trashing Donald Trump. Trump is tweeting and complaining and calling Bloomberg small and weak:
"Mini Mike Bloomberg is a LOSER who has money but can't debate and has zero presence, you will see."
Within twenty minutes Bloomberg tweets back:
DonaldTrump - we know many of the same people in NY. Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown. They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence.I have the record & the resources to defeat you. And I will."
That doesn't sound like a loser. He seems confident and self assured. He mocks Trump right back. In the pecking order of who is who in New York City, Bloomberg is a titan and Trump is a tabloid playboy and poseur.
Everybody knows who the big guy is. Bloomberg. More importantly, Trump knows it.
7 comments:
"Sanders announced that he would support Bloomberg"
Hmmm...couldn't find that anywhere. He did say he'd back the nominee which to my mind suggests the kind of lukewarm "you go girl" he did last time.
No matter. The Trump/Bloomberg catfight will be entertaining, but Bloomberg better be ready to come out with lawyers, guns and money because he will soon be accused of a crime and the DOJ is now an arm of the GOP.
So the media will have a field day with this tit-for-tat which will inevitably escalate it perhaps to the exclusion of anything of substance. I suppose it's a necessary "fight fire with fire" tactic, but dangerous.
How low is Bloomberg prepared to go?
So, if you go on Allegiant Airlines to book a flight you will find the poster child for our pay-to-play culture that has been on steroids these last few years. Want to bring a bag on the flight, that'll be an extra $25, stow a bag, another $25. Want the best seats? Ka-ching, the good seats..ka-ching...the poors seats...ka-ching. Everything in our world is a la carte which translates to social class. So this is what we the people have been reduced to: fighting money (fire) with money (fire) and choosing the most expensive candidate; is that really the best we can do? I have to believe that boots on the ground, awareness and a conscience can Trump money, "nihilist" that I am.
Peter, you said "But we were in recession in 2008-2009 and even then Democrats did not have the votes for single payer health care." Single payer never got voted on and the reason for that is because it never made it to the table for consideration and the reason for that is that Max Baucus was Finance Chair and Max Baucus received 800k from the Healthcare Industry for his senate campaign. Your statement also infers that you do not think we are in a recession now; I wonder what makes you draw that conclusion?
Andy Seles
My lizard brain says that Bloomberg is a shoo-in against Trump. I LOL giggled at Bloomberg's stinging retort to Trump's tweet calling him Mini Mike.
This election seems to be all about lizard brains. I don't think engaging in smart rational thought or having a coherent or liberal policy position is part of the deal this election, sadly. I love most all the Democratic candidates for varying policy reasons, but all they are bringing to this fight is intellectual sanity. We need weapons. And Bloomberg is bringing a gun to a gun fight.
America, welcome to the WWF'ing of our politics.I'll bring the popcorn.
Andy, the fact that those two senators were in place—plus Ben Nelson in Nebraska and Joe Lieberman in Connecticut and Arlen Spector in Pennsylvania— is my point. Get real. If there were a huge market for Bernie’s ideas we wouldn’t have a Republican President and Senate, and the Democrats are pretty conservative. Done blame the politicians or the people. Blame yourself and Bernie. He hasn’t sold it to a majority. And if there were a big progressive body waiting to give Bernie a landslide they did not get the memo in Iowa and New Hampshire.
You haven’t convinced your neighbors, Andy. Your ideas sound ok to me, but you haven’t done the sales job. Nor has Bernie. Where were the big masses?
I agree that money has not trickled down well, but in fact the GDP is not in decline. You can try to sell the idea that we are in recession right now, but if we were then maybe those angry out of work progressives would have showed up in Iowa and NH.
Yikes. I've posted under this name occasionally for at least a couple of years. The "Bloomberg is a racist" post is from a different poster. I will not comment under this name again. Hard not to think this was deliberate.
Commenter formerly known as Sally
My R billionaire turned D is better than your D billionaire turned R!
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again.
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