If the town hall doesn't sink Bernie, Bloomberg's run will.

[PyaarRevolution]

Well most of us who support Bernie have thought the town hall coming on Monday will be the attempt to ply a Dean scream out of him, to get some soundbite that he can't rebut because it's not a debate.
It looks like the Plan B is to see Bloomberg run independent and act as a spoiler or to see a Corporatist win between Bernie, Trump and Sanders if that is was the general election looks like. NPR was talking about his popularity among voters of all stripes including Bernie supporters.
I know most of my fellow Bernie supporters are informed but let me be clear to anyone who has a rosy outlook towards Michael Bloomberg, the adage "Ignorance is bliss" very much applies in this situation. They called him a moderate and I call him a Corporatist above because of two issues(but I'm sure there are more). I'm sure most of us remember Occupy and Zuccati(?) Park and eventually being pushed out by the police under Bloomberg's rule. Another situation was when the hurricane hit New York City and they had to make sure supplies were being received by people around the five Burroughs. Bloomberg was the man insisting on running the NYC Marathon despite the fact streets needed to be clear to help distribute aid. He backed down after tremendous pressure. His reason for running it was that he wanted NYC back up and running. I'd say he wanted it back in business.
I believe the reason Bloomberg wanted NYC running was that he was losing money every day NYC was closed, so to speak. Bloomberg has been the richest man in NY state unless things have changed recently.
I remember hearing something about him doling out government contracts to friends when he got elected.

Bottom line. Look at the record and you'll see most of what you like from him was designed to ruffle as few feathers as possible.

[retrowire]

1. Who the hell here likes Bloomberg? nt

[PyaarRevolution]

8. Maybe most here don't...

But I think the average person doesn't know enough about his record unless they're a New Yorker. I'm not one but finding out about those things I listed was enough to turn me away from the man utterly disgusted.

[zazen]

2. Jim Webb should/will run as an Independent--he'd draw a lot of Repub voters

[stillwaiting]

3. I don't think Bloomberg, if he decides to run, will beat Bernie.

His decision to run will be immediately transparent.

Bernie could be running against 2 billionaires.

I like his chances to be honest.

[still_one]

10. That won't be the point. Bloomberg won't win, but the election would be decided by the house of

representatives, which is under republican control, and they would choose Ryan.

Republicans can't stand Bloomberg, and most Democrats will vote for Sanders', but the independents will split, and the result will be not enough electoral college votes for anyone to become president, and thus it will go to the house.

[draa]

16. That's Democracy.

If he can win then those are the breaks. But he won't beat Bernie. If Clinton can't do it then no one can. And no one can.

[still_one]

24. I stated the rules wrong. If it goes to the house because no one gets the require 270 ec votes, the

top three candidates will be voted on by the house, which has a republican majority.

The premise doesn't even include Clinton. The premise is that Bloomberg would run as an independent in the GE if Trump and Bernie are the parties nominees. If it went to the republican controlled house, Trump would win. The VP would be determined by similar rules in the Senate. If the house is frozen on the decision, the VP choose by the Senate would be the President, until the house deadlock is resolved.

Unfortunately, the situation in this case would favor Trump

[draa]

26. Not likely.

But let's say it does get to that point. That's still Democracy and unless we change the rules that govern situations like that, and we never will, it's just the way it is.

We can talk about it as long as we want but until it happens it's all "what if." Not worth worrying about, especially since we can't change it.

[KingCharlemagne]

45. Sorry, but I don't see the EC math that puts this in the House. Bloomberg would

have to win a few states to pull this off. What states could Bloomberg possibly win????

[matt819]

4. Any democratish independent will result in a republican president nt

[EndElectoral]

7. Bloomberg would hurt Trump more than Bernie. The multi-millionaire class.

[still_one]

14. nope, the election in that case would go to the house, because no one would get the majority

electoral votes needed, and the republican controlled house will elect a republican. Trump in this case.

It would be a disaster.

[demwing]

55. You're assuming That Bernie misses the 270 mark

I don't see any evidence of that happening.

[JDPriestly]

56. Bloomberg. Has no following outside New York.

That is my impression in California.

How do African-Americans relate to Bloomberg?

[saltpoint]

5. Bloomberg has no national profile. The official

word going out is that he is "frustrated" over both parties' possibly nominating "extremists," by which I suppose he means Trump and Sanders, forgetting that if any candidate of any stripe wins a primary, then several primaries, then enough to win a party's nomination, that candidate's nomination represents the voice of the people.

Maybe Michael Bloomberg does things differently in his closed-door board room negotiations, but those meetings are not democratic.

He's welcome to run if he wants. He has the big bucks in his back pocket. But he has no national profile and to date no national support.

[PyaarRevolution]

12. No national profile.

This is part of my concern. I DON'T want this man being able to write a false narrative about how he behaved as the mayor of NYC. Look at how much undeserved support Rudy Giulliani got just because he was mayor of NYC at the time of the 9/11 attacks, let's not forget the treatment of police towards Black people at that time.

[saltpoint]

17. To me, Giuliani is essentially a

mobster. I read all the previous year how he was on the path to the presidency, and then screamed with delight when his campaign plopped in the mudgutter, ending once and for all in Florida.

It was a great day for America.

The national mood right now is kind of a mess. I think you are right that Bloomberg would try to write a "champion's narrative" of his time as NYC mayor. But I don't think it is going to persuade people in Cheyenne and Chicago to vote for him.

[PyaarRevolution]

27. Oh yeah, Rahm. -_-

No kidding, they're two peas in a pod but Bloomberg is slicker. Jeez, Hillary and the rest. Am I the only one reminded of Kafka's Metamorphosis? I wish their masks would come clean off.

[saltpoint]

28. Kafka! Appropriate association. Power

and influence as achievable goals, duly achieved, but revealed as hollow victories when one wakes up as an insect.

[restorefreedom]

6. bloomberg will guarantee bernie or trump

which one remains to be seen

[still_one]

25. I believe it favors Trump.

[restorefreedom]

32. probably. nt

[brooklynite]

9. Is there ANYTHING about this campaign season that isn't a conspiracy?

Did you worry that the one-on-one's with Rachel Maddow were a plot to "get some soundbite that he can't rebut"?

[PyaarRevolution]

15. It's the timing of both.

Like the saying goes "Timing is everything". If either event were at some other time I'd be less skeptical.

edit: Forgot to add the fact that the Town Hall seems spontaneous as well unless I'm missing something and you can correct me.

[murielm99]

20. Maybe they are afraid to have Bernie out in public?

He might say something unfortunate and hurt his chances? Interesting OP.

[libdem4life]

39. LOL. The Unknown Candidate who went from 0 to par and in the lead in just a few months?

Surely you can't be serious. As opposed to the one who went from, what 80 to under 50 now? Yes, indeed he may say something...but it may surprise as to whom it would be unfortunate?

[redstateblues]

53. Even when ahead Bernies supporters must be victims.

Must maintain the outrage

[kristopher]

11. I don't think that would hurt Bernie at all

70% of the voters agree with Bernie's policies and it is those policies his integrity is selling.

Let him run. It provide a strong affirmation that the election really, undeniably Is about a more fair economic system and that can only serve to bring the disaffected to Bernie's tent.

[mmonk]

13. Actually, a Bloomberg run would validate

the whole premise of the Sanders campaign. Who would win would be determined by how many voters get it.

[brooklynite]

22. What the OP is suggesting is that Sanders would be remarkably unpopular as Democratic nominee...

...because if he wasn't, Bloomberg wouldn't have an opportunity to beat him in any otherwise Democratic State.

Right?

[PyaarRevolution]

30. My concern is what I already said about a Bloomberg narrative above.

People's ignorance of Bloomberg outside of NYC allows him to possibly construct a bs narrative that I believe the MSM would run.

This is why I posted topic originally, to have anyone who knows someone who isn't clear about Bloomberg's record to read up on it.

[sadoldgirl]

18. Don't different states have time limits to register

to run even as an independent?

I heard during the early Trump run threats of
running as an independent, but that he would have
had to make his decision by December.

Does any one know the rules for this?

[Raine1967]

47. Good question.

I'd like to know it as well.

[emulatorloo]

19. FFS, Bernie will kick ass at that town hall, like he always does

The more people are exposed to Bernie, the better.

[farleftlib]

29. I know. Where is this meme coming from? Bernie excels at this.

He is going to walk away with this like he always does.

[Kalidurga]

57. Where is this meme coming from?

Hillary supporters.

[Arugula Latte]

21. I can't see Bloomberg being much of a draw for either side.

Yeah, he might pull a percent here or there, but it will probably be a wash. Not many people will vote for that guy for president.

[HereSince1628]

23. Well, that would require PARTY UNITY MY ASS... promoting that is a TOS violation

Besides most democrats support the idea that any Dem candidate is better than the -other- options? RIght?????

And then there is the -practical- math. Bloomberg would split the republicans

Against solidarity among Democrats and left-leaning Independents...that looks like a win for D's.

It's gonna be a helluva year.

Cubs are gonna make it to the National League Series and the New Dems are gonna get benched in the Big Show!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

31. I can't imagine Bernie supporter will vote for an oligarch more likely the GOP voters

[FloriDem]

33. Neither will sink Bernie.

Neither will sink Bernie.

[Jenny_92808]

34. Just think

of how many people who would still be alive or not have suffered if Nador was not a spoiler which allowed the supreme court to give the election to the candidate that actually lost the election.

[MisterP]

49. Nader didn't do Florida, that was all Harris and Jeb

[draa]

51. This.

The fix was in before the first vote was cast.

[MisterP]

52. I think even UNWR admitted as much as 2001

this brazen lie has only survived 16 years because it serves some very powerful (Lieberman- and Bloomberg-endorsing) factions

[GoneFishin]

35. If he runs it will re-affirm that the race was never between D's and R's, but the 1% vs. the 99%.

They are becoming more and more bold about their "insiders only" scam.

[Agnosticsherbet]

36. If Bloomberg runs, he will likely take New York.

That alone makes a Democratic win near impossible

[in_cog_ni_to]

43. Bernie was born and raised in NY. Bloomberg doesn't have a lock on NY.

Unless there's more 1%ers there than 99%ers and I don't think that's the case.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[Agnosticsherbet]

46. LOL

[Raine1967]

48. Bernie is not taking NY. Niether is Bloomberg.

This is a bigger problem than NY. Bloomberg is a problem WRT moderates.

[book_worm]

37. So you think Bernie can't hold his own in a town meeting?

and that it's some evil plan to derail him? What idiocy.

[libdem4life]

42. He's been doing this for decades. It's what he does. Unbelievable.

[in_cog_ni_to]

38. 99% > 1%. Bloomberg takes ZERO votes away from Bernie. He takes the other Billionaires' votes,

Trump's votes. No one now planning to vote for Bernie, the populist, would even dream of voting for 1% BILLIONAIRE Bloomberg! Not going to happen. Bloomberg gets in, BERNIE WINS, hands down.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[appalachiablue]

41. Bloomberg? Billionaire political suicide. Bernie will kick Trumpf back to the Heimat

and outrun any other GOP candidate.

[JRLeft]

40. This is a ploy to get us to vote for a corporate candidate.

[Ferd Berfel]

44. GOod, He'll pull votes from Hillary and Trump but NO from Bernie!

GO dooffas go

[Karma13612]

50. Seriously? Bloomberg (aka, l'll drop a Billion bucks)

Is not going to appeal to Bernie supporters. He will attract those not convinced about Hillary.

[tularetom]

54. RU kidding, bloomberg is the anti-Bernie, he appeals to a totally different demographic

Bloomberg will not take one vote from Bernie. That's just ludicrous.

[reddread]

58. poppycock