Fresh off his success throwing cash at the Old Dominion and turning Virginia’s legislature blue in order to further the cause of civilian disarmament, anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg is reportedly filing paperwork to get his name on the Alabama Democrat presidential primary ballot.
The diminutive mogul originally ruled out a run in 2020. But apparently sensing an unmet need in the current field of Democrats for an elderly white candidate who isn’t afraid to tell Americans how to live their lives, the former New York City mayor will no doubt base his campaign on gun control and his innate ability to relate to the common man.
Whatever his chances, one side benefit of a Bloomberg run could be a Hillary-like boost to gun sales that would be a boon to gun company financial statements between now and November, 2020. If nothing else, it will be interesting.
By Julie Pace, Associated Press
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, is opening the door to a 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, signaling his dissatisfaction with the current crop of candidates vying to take on President Donald Trump.
Bloomberg, who initially ruled out a 2020 run, has not made a final decision on whether to jump into the race less than three months before primary voting begins, according to advisers. But he is taking steps toward a campaign, including filing to get on the ballot in Alabama’s presidential primary. Alabama has an early filing deadline and is among the states that vote on Super Tuesday, named for the large number of state contests that day.
In a statement on Thursday, Bloomberg adviser Howard Wolfson said the former mayor is worried that the current crop of Democratic presidential candidates is “not well positioned” to defeat Trump.
With immense personal wealth, Bloomberg could quickly build out a robust campaign operation across the country. The 77-year-old would pose an immediate ideological challenge to former Vice President Joe Biden, who is running as a moderate and hopes to appeal to independents and Republicans who have soured on Trump. But the billionaire media mogul with deep Wall Street ties could also energize supporters of liberal candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, who have railed against income inequality and have vowed to ratchet up taxes on the wealthiest Americans.
“He’s a literal billionaire entering the race to keep the progressives from winning,” said Rebecca Katz, a New York-based liberal Democratic strategist. “He is the foil.”
Bloomberg is a former Republican-turned independent who registered as a Democrat last year. He actively supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 and blasted Trump, his fellow New Yorker, as a con man who overinflates his business success.
Bloomberg has long flirted with a presidential run but never launched a campaign. He seriously considered a 2020 campaign, traveling to early voting states and conducting extensive polling, but ultimately passed in part because of Biden’s expected strength in the field. Aides said they did not see room for two moderate contenders in the crowded Democratic primary field.
Bloomberg’s decision to reconsider suggests he shares the concerns of other Democrats who are increasingly worried about the former vice president’s fundraising and messaging, particularly as Warren’s popularity has risen. Although Warren is a favorite of liberals, some Democrats worry that she would struggle to appeal to moderates and Republicans who may be seeking an alternative to Trump.
“There are smart and influential people in the Democratic Party who think a candidate like Bloomberg is needed,” said Jennifer Palmieri, a senior adviser to Clinton. “But there is zero evidence that rank-and-file voters in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire feel the same. Absent a desire from voters for a Bloomberg candidacy, it can be hard to get off the ground.”
Bloomberg would have to swiftly make up ground to compete with candidates like Biden, Warren and others, who have spent months traveling the country meeting voters.
Warren on Thursday tweeted: “Welcome to the race, @MikeBloomberg!” and linked to her campaign website, saying he would find there “policy plans that will make a huge difference for working people and which are very popular.”
Bloomberg appeared to be taking the first step by moving to file in Alabama, which votes on March 3.
A spokesman for the Arkansas Democratic Party said a person representing a “mystery candidate” reached out Thursday afternoon asking about the requirements to join the ballot in the state. Reed Brewer, communications director for the Arkansas Democrats, said he walked the individual through the process — which simply requires filing documentation with both the state party and secretary of state, as well as paying a $2,500 fee — and was assured that the fee would be “no problem” for the mystery candidate.
There is no filing requirement for a candidate to run in the Iowa caucuses, which are a series of Democratic Party meetings, not state-run elections. It means a candidate can enter the race for the Feb. 3 leadoff contest at any time.
___
Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe and Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.
The shortest(pun intended) candidacy in all of history…
He would definitely galvanize gun owners with a (short attention span) into voting.
Well, to be certain, no one can accuse him of being short on cash.
Word on the street: Bloomberg is sure to make the Democrat Presidential Candidate short list.
The shortest list.
Will Daddy Morebucks just buy the Democrat party and save himself a lot of effort?
I think it boils down to whether or not Bloomberg falls short of the Democrat Party’s expectations.
It’s a tall order
If Bloomberg beats the other candidates and secures the Democrat Party’s nomination, will the other candidates feel short changed?
Democrats on the far Left argue that Bloomberg is short on substance and has no chance of standing above the crowd of candidates.
You’re on a roll!
😀
Thank you sir or ma’am!
I am honestly stunned that more people did not submit even more ridicule.
Maybe the Russians should start promoting big gulps in NYC and remind everyone what this jack ass stands for.
“But the billionaire media mogul with deep Wall Street ties could also energize supporters of LIBERAL candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders”
WHAT!? Warren and Sanders are the liberals? Only to the corrupt MSM and ‘associated press’ could those two far leftist cackles be defined as “liberal”.
The propagandist press is the enemy of the people.
In leftist newspeak the word “Liberal” means pretty much opposite of its classical meaning.
The Russians are already backing the Dems. Just as they backed Hillary more than they did Trump. Clinton foundation (her shadow campaign apparatus) got literally hundred of millions from Russian Putin government tied oligarchs.
Most gun control groups take foreign donations, in fact that is probably at 10x the rate given to the NRA. These groups don’t typically have to publicly disclose donors, and even if they do it is easy enough to hide
Has anyone heard anyone on the Left say *anything* good about a potential Bloomie candidacy?
Anyone at all excited at the prospect of him running?
Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Actually, I am… 🤣
Remember how *ecstatic* the Leftists were when Trump was nominated?
If what goes around comes around back on us, we have serious *problems*…
Fair point. But I just really do not see an old white NY billionaire managing to win in today’s woke sjw socialist party. I see this really splitting democrats in the ugliest way.
Bloomie will kill any enthusiasm for voting Democrat.
That was a part of what doomed Hillary, simply being old and white.
Add in that everyone Leftist is convinced that Trump will lose, that will help suppress Leftist turnout, since “nobody they know is voting Trump” may seal the deal for us winning…
Merle if he is entering he does have a goal that he expects to achieve. Remember a lot of his money was not made in politics like the rest of the circus so there is some connection to reality. This could be more targeting the Boomer demographic that would find his brand of leftism less insane and the rest of the party tends to go along no matter how their candidate gets robbed. With that said I hope he is outspoken nationally as he is locally on his views as they are plenty condescending to irk most voters.
Trump has charisma, is a good showman, and has the ability to talk to voters without talking down to them.
Bloomberg has a sideline working for NASA, sucking all the air out of satellite test chambers. The man has less charisma than Elizabeth Warren.
It’s also gonna be fun watching him tell the California-centric and race-sensitive modern Democratic Party that they need to line up behind yet another rich New Yorker and let him show them how it’s done.
The New Yorkers I know (all Wall Street, artsy types, or intelligentsia-pretenders) love him. He represents them. Will he play well outside of the globalist metropolitan tasting room progressive set? Doubtful.
They (Wall Street) love him because he IS them…. He was partner at Saloman Brothers and after a merger used his 10 million dollar buyout to create Innovative Market Systems which is a financial data services company which ultimately positioned him in the world of global financial markets… It would be interesting to see Trump and Bloomberg on a stage together, Trump at 6′ 2″ standing over Bloomberg at a whopping 5′ 8″, The Napoleon Complex is strong in this one…
I think the midget is more like 5’6″. I’ve seen him in pictures next to obama and trump and he’s definitely shorter than 5’7, his listed height.
So you think he actually falls “short” of the reported numbers.. I’ve seen 5′ 7″/5′ 8″ thought I’d give the little guy the benefit of the doubt, you can bet no matter how tall (or short) he is the cameras will do their damnedest to make him look taller… Platform shoes, elevated platforms behind podiums, stand him next to Klobachar ……
“
Ain’t kapo bloomberg the one that supported stop and frisk in NYC? Didn’t he make a statement that they stopped mostly black and hispanic subjects cause they were more likely to commit crimes?
Don’t seem like the kind of guy to motivate the socialist base of the donkey party.
The farther left wing of the party wants to put forward a Warren or Sanders because they think it’s the perfect time, what with the anti-Trump vote coming out, to put forward an otherwise kooky candidate. The more establishment elements of the party may suspect that doing so will just manage to lose what should be an easy stroll into office.
BOTH of the groups prog misfits are delusional.
Nothing new for Democrats, look at all the horrible things their hero FDR did.
“The diminutive mogul originally ruled out a run in 2020. But apparently sensing an unmet need in the current field of Democrats for an elderly white candidate who isn’t afraid to tell Americans how to live their lives, the former New York City mayor will no doubt base his campaign on gun control and his innate ability to relate to the common man.”
Brilliant.
I came to express the very same sentiment!
That is comedy gold. Thank you Dan Zimmerman for the good belly laugh!
I do what I can. Glad you enjoyed it.
and while he tells people how to live, no salt, no guns , give up your car, etc for climate change as he put tons of salt on his food (the waiters at the expensive restaurants in NYC said he puts enough salt to choke on), surrounded by armed guards, flying on private jets
He’s the epitome of a hypocrite
Yep, this is a good turn of phrase! Nicely done.
If you had to choose between being a mop at a nickel porn theatre or Michael Bloomberg, what brand of mop would you choose to be?
I’m stealing that ^
That analogy was *golden*… 😉
Or, dried sticky white…
Ewwwwww! 😉
There can be no question. Libman, MADE IN USA for 120 years!!!
https://libman.com/pages/about/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjtM98Q4KSQ
Wouldn’t choose to be either, but would definitely vote for the guy pushing the mop at the theater over bloomie. Not even a thought given.
you’d have to explain to lil’ mikey which end of the mop goes up.
might help if you called it a thingy.
I know absolutely nothing about Alabama politics, but, intuitively, it seems to me that Bloomberg could not have picked a more hostile state to launch a presidential bid.
That aside, I can’t think of a worse candidate than former Republican and always arrogant tyrant Michael Bloomberg– with the possible exception of Hillary.
He’s not launching there. Alabama has an early deadline for filing for the Super Tuesday primaries. He didn’t want to miss it, so is forced to file there first and can’t keep his intent to run a secret any longer.
I doubt he’ll actually run. He needs a delegate path to the nomination and then an elector path to the White House. In his case, neither runs through Alabama. So why bother tipping his hand early?
The answer is that the only thing more ego stroking than a full blown vanity candidacy is the hype, buzz and chattering class speculation as to whether he might actually run. Filing in Alabama is just to prime the gosssip pump.
Actually he HAD to file in Alabama as their deadline for filing is Friday 11/8 and if he missed that he could not appear on the ballot.. So he really did wait til the last possible minute to do declare his intentions…
Bloomberg was a “Republican” for exactly as long as it took to claim he was Rudy Guiliani’s heir, and not one single second longer. The New York Republican Party has a habit of running any far Left trash that comes along- as long as they’re “self financing”.
This!! I’ve been telling people the same thing for years. He was a democrat his entire life. He registered as a Republican only to clear out the legitimate Republican successor to Giuliani. Even by Northeast Republican standards, he was a leftist.
His real reason to run as a “republican” was because the democrat primary in 2003 had 8 people or something and the GOP side was empty. By running as an R, he skipped the 8 person primary and was one of the two candidates for the general election. The dem nominee that year was a loon and bloomberg outspent him badly.
Obviously he didn’t get the hint of what happens when your a anti gun candidate. Just look at Beto and Swalwell.
Those 2 had some charisma that Bloomberg lacks. But Bloomberg has substance and he has a track record for causing damage to gun rights.
Yeah Bloomberg has the personality and “charisma” of the aforementioned Nickel porn theater mop…
This is going to be an interesting year. I’ve always heard that ‘May you live in interesting times’ was a curse. If so I must have pissed a whole bunch of gypsies off.
Probably because you called them Gypsies and not Roma 🙂
~lamia~
An egotistical little twerp like this guy.
Probably will have the same length campaign as he has in height.
Very short.
I have a better chance of being president then this @#$%.
I wouldn’t rule him out for a rapid demise. The man actually has billions of dollars, unlike the present idiot in the White House. And unlike that idiot, Bloomberg is willing to spend his money on his causes. He has spent over $8 Billion on charity.
So, a man like that with all that money? He could swamp his opposition in paid media coverage, advertising, TV spots, bill boards, hired and paid campaign workers going door to door anywhere and everywhere, the works.
That adds up to a spoiler, if he truly commits.
Yes, he is crap and his message is crap but with all that money and his demonstrated willingness to spend it the man could be a real boat rocker.
His wealth is formidable politically, but so was Jeb Bush’s. I really have a hard time seeing this guy at the head of *todays* Democratic Party. He’s the epitome of everything the current democrat base is against. He probably would’ve done quite well in 2004, 2000, or 1992, maybe even 2008 if Obama wasn’t there.
Perhaps. But no Bush ever had Bloomberg’s billions. His money could be a massive crowbar if he spends it like he has on other things.
You can run ads 24/7 for feces, but you aren’t going to convince many people to buy it for dinner. He’s dead in the water as a Democratic candidate: old, white, male, rich, Wall Street, capitalist, previously Republican (in name), history of racist comments (needing to get guns out of the hands of blacks). He can tout global warming and gun control, but that doesn’t separate him from any of the other candidates.
“You can run ads 24/7 for feces, but you aren’t going to convince many people to buy it for dinner.”
****
Almost spit out my morning coffee. I’m going to steal that. 🙂
Boo hoo so you don’t like Trump. For another 6yr
enuf; He definitely could buy you off cheap; a happy meal (with toy) and say the word ‘communism’ thrice and you would be all in.
So beyond stripping people of their guns what other policies does he have?
There’s a long list here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg
so no different than the others just deep personal pockets.
I know it serves your purpose to claim Bloomberg flipped Virginia but Steyer and Soros spent more money.
Virginia flipped for reasons other than gun control.
So the USA is controlled by 3 or 4 billionaires????
It explains why they want people on minimum wage and fixed incomes, disarmed.
More than 3 or 4. The Northwest has its own set of homegrown oligarchs, too. Call it a dozen or so.
But you’re not wrong where it really matters; we are a plutocracy sliding into oligarchy, and it’s interesting how the very political party that wails so loudly about wealth inequality and has claimed for decades to be the party of the common man is run entirely by and for the wealthy few.
“So the USA is controlled by 3 or 4 billionaires????”
Fun tid-bit I recently learned, there are *75* billionaires living in San Fransisco…
There are 2000 (TWO THOUSAND) billionaires in the U.S…….
“Virginia flipped for reasons other than gun control.”
Very true. immigration from other states and countries had a huge part in it. They are turning VA in MD and Arlington into NJ. Low taxes and new housing developments were the draw and the DC paychecks created an elite class with the kind of ideas you see in other elite liberal areas.
Mass immigration from central america and mexico in particular washed all the natives away.
Should I understand that Soros likes public gun ownership?
doing what he does best—he lied—-like up north—fooled everyone saying he would take the job for 1 dollar—-but once in all the shady real estate deals made up for that—probably more than triple—-once in office anyone in politics will not appose him—or else they would be washed up—-laws broken, no one would do anything—extended the term limits, to stay in power, just to increase the chaos—–once president, his health care is free,—so you can guess what would happen to others—-pro 2A—he will rewrite the Constitution and sign it into law, he doesn’t need guns, has his own body guards—like others stated–just pay off anyone that opposes him—others wrote about a new civil war, well this will probably set it off——–and I am just saying the good things—
sorry–that should be oppose
—double sorry—-forgot to say pay for media—-too late –all ready owns it
Wow less appeal than Feel the Bern! What’s with the ego of these septugenarian Jews,fake Indians and senile ex-vice presidents?!? Drumph in a landslide😏Bloomie has said he wants to “buy” his way to heaven. All he’ll get is the SHORT bus to hell…
Well at least he’s taller than AOC so NYC may shortly get thore 35000 jobs back.
The whole reason Bloomberg is getting in. Is to capitalize on the potential impeachment trial in the senate if the house drafts articles of impeachment. A trial in the senate would require All Senators to be present during the proceedings. Which would take Biden,Warren,Booker,Harris, and Klobuchar off the campaign trail for at least 4 to 6 weeks. If the house does draft articles of impeachment it will most likely happen in early 2020. Just when the early primaries are starting. Thus giving him an open door for campaigning. I said right here on this site he would enter the race months ago. Don’t underestimate his ability to win the democrat nod. With his money and connection to the Clinton’s. He clearly has the ground teams in place and a well defined agenda. He can also give it out just as well as President Trump. He is by far the most dangerous opponent the President may face. Keep Your Powder Dry.
He does have his mistress and her minions at his bec and call.
Why would Impeachment hearings in the Senate pull “Creepy” Uncle Joe off the campaign unless he just wanted to watch and has a problem concentrating on more than one thing at a time….
You are correct Biden is not a current senator.
There isn’t going to be any Senate trial. Stop wasting your time at CNN.
He can’t lose his despicable nature. He has little chance. People are going to resent him.
The Demon from anti-gun hell unleashes himself upon the world. With the NRA in disarray and almost broke it looks like curtains for all us gun owners.
I just saw a Lindybeige video where he claimed that one of big reasons why French army performed so poorly in WWII was a poor moral and defeatism spreaded by communists on behest of Russians.
It’s not going to work here, honey!
Michael Bloomberg is a very “conflicted human being, although he is a lifelong Democrat he initially entered the race for Mayor of New York City as a Republican and spent over 65 million dollars of his own money to win that office. Bloomberg left office after three terms and doing irreparable damage to the city before turning over to Komrad DeBlasio who has finished the job.. Bloomberg reregistered as a Democrat in 2018 and proceeded to spend over 80 million dollars in the midterms to help get more Dems elected to the House. As far as Virginia is concerned that was a combination of several thing including an influx of millions of dollars by Bloomberg and Soros. It didn’t take a great deal of effort to turn Va. The liberal “creep” has been edging further south in the Commonwealth slowly turning my second home blue over the past 10 to 15 years. As home prices continue to rise in the Northern part of the state all those liberal dicks keep moving south in search of more affordable properties to exploit in hopes of the “big” payoff down the road. Problem is they are displacing those who have held on, keeping the state government in the red and combined with the growing population of “legal” immigrants (most of whom vote Democrat) scattered throughout the Commonwealth it was inevitable. Personally I started Wednesday morning looking for a new mountain top in N.C. or Tenn. I don’t want to stick around until Va. becomes another 3rd world, gun control, tax and spend failure like California and New York. I’m outta here..
Awful on guns but more reasonable than someone like Warren on a great many other platform issues.
Even the media is talking about short stack beating Trump in 2020, which means all of the far left already knows impeachment is DOA.
Bloomberg is like Andrew Cuomo – popular in NYC, but pretty much loathed everywhere else, even in the rest of New York State. That doesn’t bode well for a Presidential run for Bloomberg now or for Cuomo in 2024. Thing is, both are so arrogant and drunk on the power a reliable NYC constituency gives them, that they don’t realize what the rest of the nation thinks of them.
He’s not a Leader. He’s a Manager. Huge difference. This country needs a Leader, not another Manager.
Germans and North Koreans have already had Leaders. No thanks.
Interesting place to start. I can’t imagine there are a whole lot of people in that state who would vote for him…..
That doesn’t matter. He had to register there before today’s deadline or not at all.
On the other hand, he just bought Virginia…so maybe he has purchased AL also
Because a short, arrogant, New York, Jewish, billionaire President is just what the country was waiting for.
He’s just pissed that Beto got out.
Bloomie will run into a problem with the DNC’s new “woke” base.
The new “woke” base will tolerate a Jew who is a millionaire like Bernie.
The new “woke” base will not tolerate a Jew who is a billionaire like Bloomie.
The woke left wants to attack and impoverish billionaires – not help elect them. Then Bloomie has the additional problem that he’s very pro-Israel which is not a fashionable position on the woke left.
All true, DG. The fact is that Bloombag is mostly a moderate in matters other than gun control, and very pro-business. Moderation and pro-business are two things that can never be said about the communists who now run the Demon party. The again, Bloombag is no patriot, so he’s not completely objectionable to the hard left.
Bernie wanted to impoverish millionaires too, until he became one. Then he shifted to billionaires.
Most billionaires can afford tons of friends but even if he had a trillion dollars I don’t think Bloomberg could afford more than one or two, much less get somebody he didn’t buy to like him.
Something to point out to people.
Bloomberg’s gun control initiatives are actually a way for him to illegally buy off politicians in order to further his economic interests.
Bloomberg singled out Virginia in this election because of the Amazon headquarters is going to significantly increase housing demand over the next decade. Every Town and the other organizations he set up are actually PACs that contribute to political campaigns both directly and indirectly along with generating other forms of support for corrupt democrats and individual candidates.
Doubt me, he did it first in New York, then in San Francisco, Started with Washington state (Seattle Area) about eight years ago and now Northern Virginia. Just wait cities in Virginia are going to have drug and homeless issues ramping up in the next three years while housing shortages and rental prices increase through most of Northern Virginia which is already one of the hotest real estate markets in the country.
Exactly. and most of the money Spent by Bloombergs groups is tax deductible.
He has not a chance in hell of winning the Presidency. I doubt if he will even get the nomination. His record of nanny state programs in NYC will sink him nationally. Besides, this midget makes Mitt look like a blue collar bricklayer; sounds like Thurston Howell III for those of you who remember that character.
I told you so- way back before the 20-some amatuer POTUS wannabes got started…
My opinion? He will not do well against Trump. Would have to send the National Guard to round up people to attend any rally he’d try to hold. He’d not go well with us smelly Walmart types- even those of us with several advanced degrees… 😉
It’d be great to see him spend more of his own money and get his ass handed to him for his efforts.
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