Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumWhat is the difference between Mike Bloomberg and Bernie Sanders?
Last edited Fri Nov 8, 2019, 01:18 AM - Edit history (1)
Bloomberg is a registered Democrat.
https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-bloomberg-changes-voter-registration-to-democrat-2018-10
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
rpannier
(24,329 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
ZZenith
(4,121 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
True Blue American
(17,984 posts)He is a real billionaire going against a fake. He can only help the party.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ZZenith
(4,121 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Cha
(297,154 posts)switching parties when it serves his best interests..
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
I can't trust candidates who switch parties to serve their own personal interests no matter who he (or she) may be.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Cha
(297,154 posts)get it.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ZZenith
(4,121 posts)Other than about 50 billion dollars? Is that what youre saying?
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Funtatlaguy
(10,870 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Do you know of any politicians who have done that? I'd definitely have difficulty in trusting anyone who had a history of doing so. I think it's fair to conclude that anyone who plays those peek-a-boo games is doing so for his (or her) own personal benefit.
All I'm saying is that loyalty and commitment (rather than flip-flopping back and forth) are important to me and that's something I look for before deciding to support a candidate.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Funtatlaguy
(10,870 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Regarding evolving and labels,
Hillary was a Repub as a teenager because she grew up in a conservative home and neighborhood, especially her dad, and was already "evolving" to a label that aligned with her core self by the time she was a freshman in college.
Warren "evolved" to the Democratic label as you put it in middle age. But it'd be far more insightful and accurate to say she was and is socially liberal and moderately conservative economically and that it was the Republican Party that evolved into a RW socially and economicaly extremist party, and in the process created huge economic problems that caused her to call for much larger structural fixes. An "evolution" in what she sees as needed fixes for some issues, absolutely. But she's still herself, never an emotional invertebrate who didn't know what to think.
And Bloomberg? He's as self directed as the other two, not a weak sister chasing a meaningful personal identity by aligning with a leader or label, and as we've seen not even for public consumption.
Bloomberg true label is himself. Easy to see how one of the wealthiest men on the planet, who among other things owns a media empire, might be in the enviable position of being able to adopt or shuck the support of big-group labels others cannot. He just buys the votes he needs, buys term limits gone, and is a prime example of a huge problem we must fix.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Dem4Life1102
(3,974 posts)Running for the nomination isnt one of them. That is just to feed his ego.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
PatSeg
(47,399 posts)There are so many ways that he could use his money to make a difference. Running for president is just a vanity trip and pointless diversion. Also, we need true public servants, not businessmen/women in the White House.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Doodley
(9,088 posts)shown he cares about helping others or helping the environment and never put billions of dollars of his own money where he mouth is, you might be true, but that isn't the case.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Dem4Life1102
(3,974 posts)And let's remember that in 2004 during the GOP convention he had protesters detained so as not to embarrass Bush. He instituted the racists stop and frisk policy. Then overrode the will of the people to buy himself a third term as mayor.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
pangaia
(24,324 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
JoeOtterbein
(7,700 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BootinUp
(47,141 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
True Blue American
(17,984 posts)I did not leave the party, the party left me. Of course that was after he did not need the Union he led any more.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
melman
(7,681 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Buzz cook
(2,471 posts)And one is a billionaire center right kumbaya, can't we all get along and pass a moderate republican agenda, while gutting women's and civil rights in the name of comity, short sighted inside the belt way wonder kinde,
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Funtatlaguy
(10,870 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Devil Child
(2,728 posts)Bloomberg will only advance the interests of Wall Street and I doubt he gives a shit about us little people.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
BlueMTexpat
(15,366 posts)than mere voter registration for me to consider Bloomberg as a candidate that I would support.
He's WAY down at the bottom of my ranked choices.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Eric J in MN
(35,619 posts)Michael Bloomberg supported Congressman Dan Donovan (R-NY) and US Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) whom he spent $10 million to re-elect in 2016.
Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) was re-elected in 2016 by 1.5% points. Wed probably have a Democrat in that seat if Bloomberg hadnt spent $10M for Toomey.
https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-bloomberg-reasons-he-didnt-run-for-president-2019-2
Michael Bloomberg never served in Congress.
Bernie Sanders is a member of Democratic Senate leadership and has served in the Democratic Caucus since his Congressional career started in 1991.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Cha
(297,154 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Cha
(297,154 posts)smh
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Squinch
(50,949 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
PhoenixDem
(581 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
thesquanderer
(11,986 posts)and, BTW, Sanders has been much more supportive of the Democratic party, principles, and agenda over the years than Bloomberg has.
Actions speak louder than labels.
Yeah, I know, the post was a riddle/joke, but seeing the responses, I figured it was worth posting that...
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
samnsara
(17,616 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
samnsara
(17,616 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
evertonfc
(1,713 posts)Bernie is more liberal. Mike made his money in private sector, Bernie made his in govt. Both nice men and far superior to Trump. No reason to tear down either.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Funtatlaguy
(10,870 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
So the difference is one has a lot more money. Good for Mike. As long as he uses it for good things, I don't hate. I have nothing against rich people. I know several. Mike is on our side. I don't support him but I don't judge his character because he made a lot of money
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Funtatlaguy
(10,870 posts)The S word scares the s out of Bloomberg.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Doodley
(9,088 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Last edited Fri Nov 8, 2019, 01:10 PM - Edit history (1)
and Bloomberg won't either. They have more potentially in common than might be imagined.
Remember, Sanders has been famously trying to draw populists away from Trump in both elections. And vice versa. Remember trolling for followers on Fox and elsewhere? Most populists have at least a streak, and often a big one, of social conservatism to go with their belief in government programs that benefit them. Most trumpsters actually really want progressive programs for deserving people like them. The dominant social conservatism among populists would probably cost Sanders many/most of them if he gave AA what they wanted from him, and running to keep a woman out of the WH didn't exactly hurt him with these people. Remember, at the end a full 12% of Sanders' supporters, remaining populists who hadn't already left Sanders for Trump during the primary, voted directly for Trump in the GE.
So Bloomberg's past as a Republican will not hurt him with most populists. I'm predicting he will draw away at least some of Sanders' populists, though probably not his genuine far-left supporters, the ones who truly believe in universal solutions. It's likely that most would see Bloomberg as an opportunity to kick the Democratic "establishment" in the teeth, all if he targets that theme at them (a big if), whether they took it or not.
Being obscenely wealthy and powerful is no bar at all to most populists properly spun. Anti-establishment, anti-elite populists tend to choose leaders from the hated elites, ones they are taught to view as oppositional outsider elites. . U.S. Senator Sanders, billionaire Trump, and billionaire Mayor Bloomberg all fit that roll. Notably, though Bloomberg isn't nearly as widely disliked and disrespected by his peers as the other two, he has a better record of achieving his goals. Populists like winners. Money is power, and Bloomberg's something like the 14th wealthiest man on the planet.
Populists also typically like at least some strong-man authoritarianism in their leaders, and all three project that to various degrees. Populists like strong men who can kick up and down against groups they don't like. Bloomberg has a history to suggest he could be that for them.
Populists are typically repelled by too much socially liberal egalitarianism, even resentful (like those famous white working men), and even though they're both socially liberal, Bloomberg's record famously compares with Sanders in various offences against minorities, especially AA.
How many populists Bloomberg might draw (from Trump also) would depend on his strategy. He might choose to cast a net wide over the mainstream instead and just pick up some with collateral campaigns. But abandoning already weak principles and good sense to indulge resentment and antagonism makes populists very easy targets for those with big checkbooks and election pros who know just what buttons to push. Bloomberg's choice.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Autumn
(45,056 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
bluedye33139
(1,474 posts)After 2016, I no longer believe in ideological purity. I really hated 2016. I determined that I would support the Democratic nominee and that I would try to be kinder to candidates who didn't represent my viewpoint exactly.
If Bloomberg is the nominee, I will vote for him.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden