The Democratic Party presidential candidates are so unimpressive that several newcomers may enter the race. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who served during the Obama administration, is reportedly looking at launching a presidential campaign. In addition, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has been talking to key Democratic Party insiders to evaluate a potential candidacy.
While Holder and Patrick may not join the fray, it seems likely that former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will officially launch a presidential campaign. Bloomberg has qualified for the Alabama Democratic primary and will look at some of the other states electing delegates on March 3, 2020. His adviser, Howard Wolfson, said, “If we run, we are confident we can win in states voting on Super Tuesday and beyond, where we will start on an even footing.”
Bloomberg will forgo the states such as Iowa and New Hampshire with early contests and focus on Super Tuesday, when voters in 15 states will be electing delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
Bloomberg has flirted with a presidential race many times but ultimately decided not to run. In 2016, he again considered launching a campaign, but did not enter the race. Instead, he gave a rousing speech at the Democratic National Convention for Hillary Clinton.
For the 2020 campaign, Bloomberg made a very public decision several months ago that he would not become a presidential candidate. However, the dynamics of the race have led him to change his mind. Bloomberg is reportedly very concerned with the possibility that ultra-progressive U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) will win the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, but not be able to defeat President Donald Trump in the 2020 general election. According to Democratic pollster Jef Pollack, Bloomberg’s move “reflects a feeling that the field cannot beat Donald Trump.”
With a weak front-runner, former Vice President Joe Biden, and a group of socialists and inexperienced candidates, such as 37-year old South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Bloomberg may believe there is an opening in the Democratic race. However, he is facing a very short window of opportunity with the Iowa caucuses less than three months away.
In addition, Bloomberg has a checkered past politically. He has been a Republican, an Independent and a Democrat. As Mayor of New York, Bloomberg was given credit for helping to keep the city safe but was criticized for trying to implement a “Nanny State” and dictate beverage and food choices for his citizens. No one should forget his ridiculous campaign to ban “Big Gulps” and buttered popcorn in a quest to improve public health.
He also is a strident campaigner against gun rights. Proponents of the Second Amendment view Bloomberg as a big hypocrite, because he has utilized protection from armed guards. Overall, Bloomberg is a solid liberal on most other issues, such as climate change, abortion, etc., but he does have more reasonable views on economic issues.
His consideration of a campaign shows the real concerns Democrats have about Biden. His latest fundraising totals were anemic. His gaffes on the campaign trail are becoming legendary. His son’s questionable business dealings in Ukraine and China are drawing unwanted scrutiny to the former Vice President’s role in protecting these financial arrangements.
While the liberal media continues to claim there was no problem with Joe Biden’s pressure on Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who was investigating the company that hired Hunter Biden, Americans have a different view. According to a recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, the vast majority of respondents believed that Hunter Biden’s Ukraine and China deals were the result of “bad judgment.” In fact, poll co-director Mark Penn states that “about half the electorate believed Hunter Biden should return all the money has received from these ventures."
These news stories and his own unforced errors are harming Biden tremendously, giving the more liberal Democratic presidential contenders a chance to win the nomination and possibly giving Bloomberg an opening to enter the race.
A potential Bloomberg entrance into the race is certainly not worrying President Donald Trump who said that he “doesn’t have the magic to do well.” According to the President, “Little Michael will fail…he has some personal problems…there is nobody I’d rather run against than Little Michael, that I can tell you.”
Some of his supporters note that the billionaire Bloomberg may win because the billionaire Trump was elected President in 2016. However, there are major differences between the two men. Trump has much more charisma than Bloomberg.
While Trump can attract tens of thousands of people to an arena, lining up outside hours in advance, Bloomberg will have difficulty attracting a few dozen people to a speech. Trump has an energized and dedicated following, while Bloomberg would have to create supporters and do it in very little time. Even for a billionaire, this challenge will be significant, and Bloomberg will soon realize that money cannot buy the White House.