Biden Bloomberg florida 2020 race
The man with all the money and some old guy. (AP Photo/John Locher)

By Larry Keane

Billionaire gun control crusader Michael Bloomberg must have done some fall house cleaning and discovered spare change between the sofa cushions. The failed 2020 Democratic presidential candidate announced he will spend an extra $100 million towards gun control in Florida ahead of November’s presidential election.

The tenth-of-a-billion-dollar announcement means more gun control spending from Bloomberg, adding to the $60 million he pledged earlier to help Democratic nominee Joe Biden in addition to the $1 billion he burned through on his own fleeting presidential candidacy. Well, in fairness he did win American Samoa and its delegates.

Showdown in the Sunshine State

Bloomberg believes his checkbook can carry the day for gun control to buy the White House and Congress for his vision of destroying gun rights in America. He’s facing strong headwinds in the Sunshine State though. Florida’s 29 electoral votes are key to winning the White House and President Donald Trump won them in 2016. Biden, with vice presidential nominee U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), holds a slight advantage by most polls, but the margin is narrowing. Biden and Harris comprise the most antigun presidential ticket in modern history.

Joe Biden angry old man
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Less than 50 days from the election, Bloomberg and gun control allies have recognized the shifting landscape and are acting fast. Bloomberg advisor Kevin Sheekey described the dire straits to the New York Post, saying “Voting starts on Sept. 24 in Florida so the need to inject real capital in that state quickly is an urgent need.” They are concerned and for good reason.

The ongoing national surge in firearm sales isn’t stopping. The coronavirus pandemic, rising violence and rioting in U.S. communities and calls to defund the police have led more than 13.8 million Americans to purchase a gun so far in 2020. More than 5 million have done so for the first time. In Florida, that equates to 3.5 times more firearm purchases this year compared to historical trends and nearly 430,000 first-time gun buyers.

Erin Palette, a Florida resident and founder of the gun-rights group Operation Blazing Sword, summed it up to the Washington Free Beacon. “I’ve long said that gun owners become gun voters. These mass purchases of guns for self-defense indicates an unprecedented level of distrust by the average American of the government’s ability to keep them safe.”

Florida isn’t an outlier. Battleground states Wisconsin, Minnesota, Arizona, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania have seen similar gun-buying bumps. Bloomberg’s first $60 million pledge aimed to assist Biden and gun control to buy more Congressional seats in those states but gun control groups are even leaving guns out of their TV ads in some of these states. 

Bloomberg and Gun Control: A Record Not to Run On

The former New York City Mayor displayed his misunderstanding of the Second Amendment while a candidate and voters noticed. During a Fox News town hall, Bloomberg had an infamous “do as I say, not as I do” moment. The billionaire fielded a question about his hypocritical platform to ban guns while employing armed bodyguards, asked “Does your life matter more than mine, or my family’s, or these peoples’s?”

michael bloomberg angry
(AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)

Bloomberg dismissed the questioner, stating “Alright, look… I probably get forty or fifty threats every week…That just happens when you’re the mayor of New York City, or very wealthy, or campaigning for the president of the United States. You’re gonna get lots of threats.” For Bloomberg it’s gun control for thee and not for me.

Bloomberg’s antigun wish list includes expanded background checks and closing loopholes that are just the Second Amendment, as well as banning modern sporting rifles. MSRs are the most popular-selling centerfire rifle in America with more than 18 million of them legally-owned. He’s openly said Americans cannot be trusted to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

Bloomberg’s priorities are in sync with Biden and Harris and Biden tweeted his desire to ban so-called “assault weapons” and fully half of all magazines this week after a criminal used a handgun to ambush two Los Angeles Sheriff deputies. The Democratic National Committee platform passed last month and included those gun control priorities and more, including a goal of crushing the firearm industry and with it the Second Amendment. 

#GUNVOTE on November 3rd

Bloomberg and his pet groups Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action continue to pour millions into more gun control ahead of November’s election at the same time millions of Americans are voting with their wallets to purchase firearms in record numbers. Education and action are critical for gun owners both new and old and NSSF launched the #GUNVOTE campaign to provide important resources to voters so they don’t risk their rights at the voting booth.

 

Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

 

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68 COMMENTS

  1. Dear people from New York, please forget that Florida exists.
    Sincerely, everyone who is actually FROM here.

    • Only way you’d reclaim Florida at this point..
      (1) Change rules of residency to 9 months out of the year minimum spent in Florida.
      (2) Make owning a second home in Florida an uncomfortably expensive proposition.(No penalty on a primary residence in Florida, of course)

      Sadly I think Florida’s Government would view these measures as too dangerous to revenue to ever pass them. I’m afraid there are too many snowbirds and refugees who escaped from their liberal containment centers for Florida to be conservative again.

      Which is sad. I’ve always enjoyed traveling through the Gunshine state and stopping in at your various gunstores, pawnshops, etc. Always found something neat.

      • Florida needs to play up on the lefts paralyzing fear of “climate change” and “Florida man” stories.

        Continue to pump news up north that Florida is a Jurassic Park like Thunderdome of methheads and world ending science fiction like hurricanes. Keep the northerners too afraid too move there.

        • Florida is a Jurassic Park like Thunderdome of methheads and world ending science fiction like hurricanes

          In other words keep telling the truth.. FL Man story’s usually turn out to be some Yankee junkie from NJ (that never gets reported) and after all the crybaby shit they did in NJ, NYC over that little thunder storm they called Sandy a normal afternoon deluge in FL should be enough to keep em on the run… 2nd home taxes are already stupid high…

        • If the homeowners insurance rate in the high velocity windzone don’t scare the Yanks, nothing will.

          Regarding voters, in our county over half of the registered voters checked the Hispanic box on their reg, it’s a huge mix, but the majority have come here from rural Puerto Rico.
          Most of the Puerto Ricans I know are die hard Trump supporters.

    • John in FL. Hooray for the FL Cracker! Trump should have built his wall from Jax to Pensacola first. A minefield wouldn’t have been a bad idea either. Guard towers with belt fed weapons. And a FL border patrol to round up the yankee carpet baggers already here. Throw them into the sea. Let ’em swim back north.

  2. SCOTUS’s Citizens United decision will be the death of this Country. Billionaires like Bloomberg, Soros, Gates, Steyer and the rest control the political process now. It’s disgusting as hell.

    • That ruling Overturn that bastardous McCain-Feingold Campaign Law; that law was worse than the Citizens United Ruling.

      What’s gonna be the death of the USA is the fact that these Fat Cat Billionaires profit from the Slave Labor of Communist Countries and are actively working in conjunction with them to undermine us.

      That needs to be dealt with.

      • JP Ruiz,

        Spot on. Bloomberg and Soros believe they they are far superior to this countries founders while they are doing the bidding of their ChiCom masters.

      • JP Ruiz,
        Absolutely right. All “campaign finance reform” does is limit political advertising to those who do it full time – the left-wing media.

        Anyone concerned about what “big money” does (and doesn’t do) in politics should google Jon Corzine.

      • Isn’t it amazing how loose people can be with their money when they are trying to become King of the World? The US was never one to put up with this over history- look at the money Hillary spent vs Trump in 2016. So long as Americans will vote and at least understand that even though their rights come from God someone down here is more than willing to destroy them, people will continue to waste large sums of money for power. Go ask Jeb Bush about the 3 delegates his billions cost…

  3. It is Bloomberg’s money to use or miss use as he sees fit. However Obama might be right in this instance when he said “at some point you have made enough money”.
    Whom ever or what ever the Bloomberg advertising supports should be countered with the fact that these are all from an out-of-state billionaire who wants everyone disarmed.

  4. der fuhrer mini mike bloomberg throws a rope to sinking Jim Crow Gun Control Joe. Two sick Gun Control sleazebags with a despicable agenda rooted in racism and genocide. What Filth.

  6. Just like he tried to buy his way into the election. A fool and his money..Florida is going to run him out of town.

    • ACAB,

      I hope you are correct. As minorities are arming, they do not want to hear that they cannot be armed. The Hispanic vote is critical in FL.

      • I’ve been going out of my way to source guns, ammo, FFL transfer locations, and training for Hispanics.
        Then I make it clear that ANY gun control eventually leads to TOTAL gun control.

  8. In light of the assassinations and attempted assassinations of police officers, I’m wondering when some of these far left assholes might be targeted for assassination. A little bit of “what goes around comes around” might change some attitudes. Of course, assassinations for political causes are by definition terrorism. I hope “our side” doesn’t sink to the same level as “their side”.

    • It could be as much from other far left factions as allegedly right wing groups.

      Bloomberg knows if he doesn’t control the revolution he will be one of the higher profile victims in the show trials. So he knows he will have to purge the more extreme elements to gain standing with the proletariat.

  10. Mini Mike spent $100 Million on the 2016 Presidential election cycle with a major portion of that going to Hilda Beast. Hilda Beast spent $1.9 Billion dollars on her failed campaign. President Trump spent $650 Million to WIN. During the 2019-2020 Democrat Presidential primary Mini Mike spent $1 Billion on his failed bid to be the nominee. This shows that it takes more than just $$$ to win the Presidency. It also takes Ideas that people agree with and results people can appreciate. Above all it takes having a personality above that of a ground slug. Something Hilda Beast, Senile Uncle Joe, John McCain and Mitt Romney lacked. All Losers by the way. Even Obama had charisma and being Black didn’t hurt. So while money can be a contributing factor in getting elected. It is far from the most important. Keep Your Powder Dry

  11. Be easier if he just paid for the votes directly, Like $1000 for every Biden vote. People will jump over backwards to do it. Instead he’s just putting money into the media’s hands, Ever thought where that goes?

  12. Hey, you folks in FL – Take the money and run. Grab all of Bloomy’s gusto you can. Then, vote your conscience.

  13. Two “Billionaires” (Soros/Steyer) tried to buy FL for Andrew Gillum, fortunately they failed.. I think Little Napoleon’s involvement combined with the promise of making “Beto” the “gun confiscator in chief” and Biden’s promise to ban “assault” weapons AND raise taxes will put the Biden question to bed in FL and it won’t end well for Creepy Uncle Joe and the Giggler…

  14. The wealthy political consultants and advertising execs sure are glad to see little Mike again. They didn’t get nearly rich enough during his last pointless $1 billion run in three months.

  15. Kamala told people in FL: “A Harris administration together with Joe Biden as the president of the United States,”

    If Bloomberg’s money, Beto’s gun grabbing and Biden’s obvious “brains on permanent vacation thing” doesn’t scare the hell out of everyone, THAT should at least get your attention (including you Creepy Uncle Joe)…

          • They have an aversion to communism.

            That’s what the folks from Cuba and Venezuela told them.. Many of them had traveled across from Miami to say hello to Creepy Uncle Joe waiving their TRUMP 2020 signs wearing their MAGA hats, bet he felt all warm and fuzzy inside, IF he was actually aware that they were there or that he was in FL or what day it was…..

        • he thought it stands for mexicanos ain’t going away.
          happy independance day, amigos.
          we got car flags waving for days now.
          the boys want a little 400 conejos.

  17. Instead of complaining, why don’t you make a contribution to the Trump campaign as well as any other Republican candidate that needs help? Talk is cheap. You need to act now to protect your rights. If all you’re going to do is complain, and not do anything about it, then you deserve to lose your rights.

  18. The left is the enemy. They deserve nothing. They are subhuman scum. They are a cancer, that must be eradicated.

    • So what does all that money get Bloomberg if Biden wins?

      A boost to an already overinflated ego… Little bitch has got to at least feeelz big..

      • Bloomberg should be cursed, I curse you Joe Biden. Anyone with all that money , with, homeless, fires, floods, so he donates money for an election. A True American, with that kinda money, would help their country. So now possum thinks, this man, with this money, doesn’t help his fellow citizens. He is no good. Politics aside

        • So now possum thinks, this man, with this money, doesn’t help his fellow citizens. He is no good.

          The possum is blessed with wisdom above and beyond the animal kingdom(and most humans)….

  20. Please note: A lot of seats for Trump rallies are empty because they were spoken for by Sanders , now Biden supporters. They’ve been playing a game since the last election. This information comes from someone who does that.

  21. Just dont care anymore. Trump lied its on the woodward tapes. Worse than Nixon its on the tapes. The pandemic he lied and still lies. Called my own father a loser and a sucker for fighting in our countrys wars. Trump betrayed us and has to be stopped.

  22. All I want is Sleepy Joe keep opening his mouth out with a teleprompter and make Bloomberg much more poorer.

  24. The FBI reportedly raided the home of Jerry Harris, a Netflix star who appeared in a video with Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden where he encouraged young blacks to vote, for allegedly soliciting sex from minors…

      • And was apparently a very astute study, but should have paid more attention to the “The Creepy Uncle Joe Method to Not Get Caught” section…

    • Noise, don’t care. Think if you searched the news enough you wouldn’t find some supporter of a politician who was arrested for a vile crime? Any politician on any side?

  26. I WISH HE WOOLD FALL OFF THE PLANET ! .
    ALONG WITH ALL HIS MONEY OR SHOULD I SAY MONEY FROM YHE TAX PAYERS , HE ALWAYS BRAGED, ABOUT HOW HE BROUGHT NEW YORKERS OUT Of 911 > baloney

  27. Bloomberg you are throwing money away! If you thought for one minute Biden could win, you would not be throwing your money away. No body wants Biden for president!!!!! Maybe only you.

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