And then there were three. Michael Bloomberg has also decided to suspend his campaign after a disappointing Super Tuesday. Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and – for now – Elizabeth Warren are the remaining candidates in the race.

Bloomberg’s Bold Strategy

Bloomberg’s campaign was transient. He entered the race in November, participated in only two debates, and was on the ballots for the first time yesterday. Bloomberg never made a secret of his strategy. He skipped Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, and instead allocated an unprecedented amount of capital towards a Super Tuesday surge. It did not succeed.

His approach, however, defined the competition’s – and parts of the public’s – issue with Bloomberg’s campaign: the money. Never before did a candidate invest so enormously into his campaign. Bloomberg spent millions of dollars in Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee alone. The result: no delegate in Virginia, one in North Carolina, seven in Tennessee. He won one of a total of 14 states yesterday, Samoa, which provided him with five delegates. Bloomberg’s overall delegate count ended at 44.

How Much Did Bloomberg Spend?

Bloomberg reportedly invested $550 million dollars from his November entrance until Super Tuesday, and thus spent 12.5 million per delegate – which is only surpassed by Tom Steyer, who paid a mountainous 200 million for zero (!) delegates. Hence, the adjectives to describe Bloomberg’s return of investment are arguably somewhere between lousy and abysmal.

With Biden’s comeback, there was suddenly no path for Bloomberg to succeed and also no need. Bloomberg had only entered the race as he assumed the Democratic field was inept. In his opinion, none of the candidates appeared to have the pedigree to defeat Donald Trump in November.

In fairness, Bloomberg made a valid point. Joe Biden’s results in Iowa and New Hampshire, in particular, were disastrous, his blunders during TV appearances borderline pitiful, and his debate performances a mix of absence and incoherence. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are socialists and thus unelectable. Pete Buttigieg was too young and inexperienced, while the rest simply never had a chance to begin with.

Biden’s Comeback Means Bloomberg’s Work is Done

A few weeks, the South Carolina primary and Super Tuesday later, however, Biden has transformed into what so many had hoped for: a potential Democratic nominee. Bloomberg’s decision is thus logical but also strategically wise.

Bloomberg’s chances of winning had become virtually nonexistent. However, Bloomberg had said from the start that his goal was to defeat Donald Trump. In an email to his supporters today, Bloomberg stated that if he continued his campaign, it would have made this goal more complex due to a fair amount of voters he and Biden were sharing.

Instead, he has not only joined forces with Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg but has also endorsed Biden, while pledging to do anything to make Biden the next President of the United States. Biden will now be the beneficiary of Bloomberg’s financial potency and philanthropic nature, a significant advantage against Sanders but also a feather in his cap in a potential campaign against Trump.

Bernie Sanders’ Floundering Campaign

Meanwhile, Sanders’ planned trip to the Democratic promise land has not only been put on hold but almost replaced by a not too far distant vacation at his lake house over these last days. Not only did Buttigieg and Klobuchar endorse Biden and thus provided him with additional voters. The fact that Elizabeth Warren remains reluctant to drop out has Sanders crashing into an establishment wall. If Warren had suspended her campaign prior to Super Tuesday and endorsed Sanders, the results could have looked different, indeed. Instead, the unfavorable news for Sanders continues to come with Bloomberg’s decision.

What will remain of Bloomberg’s campaign is the fact that, contrary to all accusations and defamation, he was unable to “buy” the election. It is a positive sign of a working democracy and water on the mill for any future billionaire seeking to become Commander in Chief, who will ever require a valid defense in favor of his wealth. After all, if Bloomberg was not able to “buy” the election, hardly any man ever will.

Most importantly, however, Bloomberg ought to be respected and commended for the initiatives he exerted and the time and capital he invested for what he believed was necessary to move the country into a different direction. He did not run for pride, nor for publicity or to promote his company. The immediate suspension of his campaign once it became evident that Biden is the man to beat Trump after all is a testimony to the latter. Chapeau, Mr. Mayor!

L'articolo Mike Bloomberg’s Run is Over But Will Not Be Forgotten proviene da InsideOver.

After being accused of leading a lacklustre campaign, Barack Obama’s former Vice President Joe Biden has secured the win he needs to rescue his chances of winning the 2020 Democratic nomination by securing victory at the South Carolina Democratic primary.

He achieved a 48.4 percent vote share from 255,660 electors, beating the favourite to win the Democratic primaries, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, into second place as he only achieved a 19.9 percent vote share among 105,068 voters.

Billionaire and environmental activist Tom Steyer has already responded to the former Vice President’s victory by ending his own presidential bid, after he won 59,817 electors.

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who performed so well during the Iowa and North Hampshire primaries, fell into fourth place in this race with an 8.2 percent vote share from 43,483 electors.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren secured a disappointing 7.1 percent vote share from 37,825 electors.

The term ‘comeback kid’ was once applied to former President Bill Clinton when he struggled at the beginning of the 1992 Democratic primaries and then went on to secure the nomination that year, and now it can be used to describe Biden’s miraculous turnaround on Saturday night. He is now poised to perform well during this week’s Super Tuesday race, where votes will be cast in 14 states and one territory.

However, Sanders is still the leading candidate to beat. He holds 57 delegates, but the former Vice President now has 51.

Buttigieg has 26 delegates so far, Warren has eight and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has seven.

Former New York Mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who was hoping to use his fortunes to shower voters with campaign ads that could turn the tide against Biden and position him as the only man who could defeat Donald Trump, has zero delegates.

This demonstrates that Biden has the potential to win black voters who supported Obama during his two presidential victories in 2008 and 2012. 60 percent of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina is black, but in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, where the former Vice President polled badly, the party’s electorate is mostly white.

For Buttigieg, his anticipated surge in black support never happened in South Carolina. He only managed to secure two percent of black voters in this state. His record of failing to tackle a rise in violent crime in South Bend portrayed him as a man who ignored black voters in his own town and that went against him.

If Biden performs well during Super Tuesday, then he will emerge as the only candidate capable of defeating Sanders. If Bloomberg, Buttigieg and Klobuchar are also serious about defeating the Vermont Senator, then they might have to follow Steyer’s lead and drop out the race to unite behind Biden. With the South Bend Mayor and the Minnesota Senator both holding 26 and seven delegates respectively, they have the potential to lift the former Vice President to victory.

If Warren exited the race, it would not boost Sanders’ fortunes much as she only holds eight delegates.

Even if all the moderate candidates unite behind Biden, he still faces other hurdles. The former Vice President needs to defeat the Vermont Senator’s delegate lead and he must raise some cash. Although his South Carolina victory will persuade donors to fund his campaign, Bloomberg still has a $55.1 million campaign machine behind him, whilst Biden has only raised $7.1 million and Sanders possesses a $16.8 million war chest.

Biden’s win is a relief to many moderate candidates, but now the other centrists in the race need to ask themselves if it is still worth running so that they can lend their delegates to the former Vice President and defeat the most radical candidate the Democrats have ever nominated since George McGovern in 1972.

L'articolo How should the other candidates respond to Biden’s South Carolina win? proviene da InsideOver.

Bernie Sanders has won the Nevada Caucus by a comfortable margin. With 60 percent of the voting precincts reporting their results, Sanders has now obtained a whopping 46 percent. Joe Biden, who has been losing considerable approval in the polls across most states, including Nevada, managed to exceed the latest grim expectations and received 19.2 percent and second place. Pete Buttigieg comes in at third place with 15.4 percent ahead of Elizabeth Warren at 10.3 percent and Amy Klobuchar at 4.5 percent. The number two in the national polls, Mayor Mike Bloomberg, did not participate in the Nevada caucus.

‘Beat Trump and Transform the Country’

Sander’s election victory in Nevada did not come as a surprise. Already four hours after the start of the caucuses, the major networks were able to announce Sanders’ victory based on indicative forecasts. In his victory speech afterwards Sanders proclaimed the expected: “let us win the Democratic nomination together, beat Trump and transform the country.”

After Sanders was defeated in the Iowa Caucus, he has now won two consecutive states with New Hampshire and Nevada and thus will take over the lead as the clear Democratic front-runner. What was a resounding victory for Sanders was yet another blow to all moderate forces within the party. Klobuchar was a complete non-factor and was unable to utilize her recent momentum. A solid performance in Nevada was urgently needed, however, to keep her donors motivated.

The Democratic Moderate Wing is Collapsing — Time for Biden to Step Aside?

Meanwhile, Joe Biden’s second place was a significant improvement compared to his previous two showings. However, it cannot be emphasized enough that he had held the lead in Nevada ahead of Sanders in January — and comfortably with 28 to 21 percent, respectively. Since then, both campaigns have run in diametrically opposite directions: downhill for Biden and high up in the sky for Sanders. In essence, Biden now has to win the South Carolina primary in which he currently leads on Saturday to even realistically remain a contender in this nomination race. If he cannot prevail against Sanders there, Biden needs to do the moderate forces a favor by conceding and thus open up the moderate lane for the sake of the party and, indeed, the country.

Warren Has Apparently Become Sanders’ Lackey

Similar observations apply to Elizabeth Warren, who suffered another major defeat and, according to the polls, will not stand a chance in South Carolina, either. After Iowa’s projections had been made public, Warren did not even concern herself with addressing the subpar performance. Instead, she was eager to digress from it and shift focus towards her debate performance as well as onto Bloomberg, whom Warren did not only attack regarding his character but — in line with the crude Trumpian way and far from her sanctimonious pledge of uniting the party — for his height.

What is even more telling was that Warren once again did not attack Sanders, although he de facto occupies her lane. Instead, she continued to attack Bloomberg, by now Sanders’ main rival. While this cannot be a winning strategy for Warren, it may indicate a post general election agreement between Sanders and Warren. Warren’s speech was indeed a testimony of it, as it was not one of a campaign fighter who is here to stay, but of one who has now become the front-runner’s personal Doberman.

Buttigieg Seems to be the Only One Left Truly Challenging Sanders

Meanwhile, Pete Buttigieg continued his quest for establishing himself as the only valid alternative to Sanders. Buttigieg criticized him and his vision for America harshly and did not get tired of emphasizing that his campaign has been the only one able to beat Sanders yet. However, Buttigieg has still not proven whether he can obtain the necessary amount of Latino and Black voters, and South Carolina will mark his first real test in this regard.

Although it appears Sanders is currently cementing the Democratic nomination, the next ten days will indicate where the candidates ultimately stand. The South Carolina primary on Saturday is followed by the most momentous day so far on March 3, Super Tuesday. Fourteen states will cast their vote on this day, and 33 percent of all delegates from the entire race will be allocated. Most importantly, Bloomberg will be on the ballot and demonstrate whether his recent surge has any staying power.

And while the moderate lane of Biden, Buttigieg, and Bloomberg continues to consist of two too many, the next ten days and Bloomberg’s results are going to reshuffle the cards — and indeed the field — tremendously.

L'articolo Bernie Sanders Wins Nevada Caucus: is the Nomination Now Effectively His? proviene da InsideOver.

For those who were hoping that the Nevada debate would be an opportunity for a centrist like former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to shine, there is no doubt that they are currently feeling disappointed.

Bloomberg was the Focus of Onstage Attacks

Bloomberg came under vicious attacks from both Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Warren urged the former New York Mayor to end his non-disclosure agreements with former female employees so that they can ‘tell their side of the story.’ Meanwhile, Sanders attacked him for his substantial wealth and for his record of donating to George W. Bush’s campaigns, as well as those of numerous Republican senators.

Even Barack Obama’s former Vice President Joe Biden lambasted Bloomberg for his record as New York Mayor when he introduced a “stop and frisk” policy that “targeted many black Americans.”

Warren’s Strategy in the Debate

After experiencing a disappointing start to her Democratic primary campaign, Warren was hoping for an opportunity to revitalize her fortunes, and the Nevada debate certainly did that. She took advantage of an unprepared Bloomberg who failed to produce any decent responses to her accusations of sexism. Warren even made the audience laugh when she mocked Bloomberg for claiming that he was “nice” to some women but not others.

Sanders is now the favorite to win the 2020 Democratic nomination. According to Newsweek, before the Nevada debate, ten polls released since Monday show that the Senator’s percentage of support ranges from the mid 20s to early 30s. Bloomberg’s entrance into the Democratic race has allowed Sanders to demonstrate how he is different to the former New York Mayor, with the former emphasizing that Bloomberg cannot “buy” the Democrats’ 2020 nomination. Whilst Warren proclaims her love for capitalism, Sanders portrayed himself as the only genuine democratic socialist standing in the Democratic primaries. Therefore, he has now become the man to beat as he rallies his energized, progressive base.

Moderate Voters are Desperate

Many moderates are now desperate for a candidate who can stop the progressive wing of the party from winning the Democratic nomination. Although Biden was once regarded as the man who could do that, his performance last night was mediocre at best and his results thus far in Iowa and New Hampshire have been severely underwhelming. He reminded the audience of his accomplishments as Vice President, but he was overshadowed by Warren’s and Sanders’ attacks on Bloomberg.

Buttigieg’s Bad Night in Las Vegas

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg did not have a good night in Las Vegas either. Buttigieg surprised many with his performances in Iowa and New Hampshire, and may still be the best candidate to defeat Sanders. He has impressed many with his similarities to Obama and his military background gives him a chance of tackling Trump on foreign policy issues. Nevada should have been the moment when a centrist candidate such as Buttigieg presumably should have shined.

Instead, Buttigieg got distracted with his attacks on Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. They clashed over the latter’s failure to recall the name of the Mexican President. He also focused on her Senate vote to make English the US’s national language and for voting to confirm Kevin McAleenan, Trump’s former US Customs and Border Protection commissioner, who oversaw the agency during the administration’s family separation policy. But the Minnesota Senator reminded the South Bend Mayor that she is “proud” of her work on immigration reform and disputed his attempt to characterize her as a hypocrite.

Buttigieg should have held Sanders to account for his radical policies and connected with the Nevada audience, especially as he is polling poorly in the state. The moderates were too busy fighting each other. They allowed the Vermont Senator to dominate the stage and emerge as the closest thing the party has to a credible candidate.

After Iowa and New Hampshire, the South Bend Mayor should have been the man to defeat Sanders, but instead he has only made the latter’s victory more likely. This is why the Nevada debate changed everything for Buttigieg — for the worse.

L'articolo How the Nevada Debate Changed Everything for Buttigieg proviene da InsideOver.

That the Nevada debate would be fervent was to be foreseen. The candidates lacerating each other in such a ferocious manner, however, was not what had been expected.

The Debate Was Brutal Right Out of the Gate

The hard-hitting standard was anchored rather swiftly during the first round of questioning. Anyone watching, and indeed the candidates, knew what they were in for at that point. Five Democrats attacked the surging Mike Bloomberg from the first minute repeatedly. Elizabeth Warren set the tone for what was to come and offensively described Bloomberg’s police tactics as New York’s mayor as racist as well as addressing allegations of sexism in Bloomberg’s company and non-disclosure agreements this conduct had warranted.

Target: Bloomberg

Later in the debate, Warren urged Bloomberg to clear up the allegations. Bloomberg did little but apologizing for his policies and alluded to the legal status as well as the validity of the NDA’s in question – which was not a promising first impression of the debate newcomer in front of a rather unfavorable Vegas crowd.

Pete Buttigieg, in turn, accused Bloomberg of seeking to buy the Democratic Party. At the same time, Bernie Sanders not only called Bloomberg’s wealth immoral and repeated his opinion that billionaires should not exist but utilized a lesson out of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto by declaring that Bloomberg’s workers had created his wealth, not the mayor himself. It was the standard the debate had reached.

Sanders’ dubious stance on economics did open the door for Bloomberg, however. As the first candidate to do so, Bloomberg omitted the label of democratic socialist regarding Sanders and associated him directly with communism instead, an ideology that had been tried before but “did not work.”

Other Candidates Also Fought for Dominance

These back and forth did not feature Bloomberg exclusively, however. All candidates on stage attacked each other viciously at times as well. Amy Klobuchar, for instance — who surprisingly finished third in the recent New Hampshire primary — was ridiculed for not being able to name Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador nor being cognizant of the key trade policies between Mexico and the US during a recent interview. While the faux pas was introduced by one of the moderators, the other candidates — Buttigieg, in particular — utilized the moment to shine and called out Klobuchar for apparent inconsistencies between her claims of possessing the pedigree of becoming president and not being cognizant of quintessential geopolitical facts. It was an interesting moment, as Klobuchar seemed visibly agitated and scrambled for explanations. The one she selected (i.e., “I got it wrong”) was, regrettably, rather misleading, as the difference between being wrong on and merely being ignorant of a topic is substantial.

Sanders on the Defense

Besides the back and forth exchanges attacking Bloomberg, Sanders also had to defend himself against the other, too. Joe Biden and Buttigieg repeatedly pointed out that Sanders’ plans for medicare for all were utterly unaffordable. Sanders’ response — perhaps the most under-addressed non-answer of the night — was to point out that the math in Buttigieg’s healthcare plan was not working either. This was an intellectually appalling non-answer. Klobuchar then added insult to injury when she asserted the indisputable reality that Sanders’ plan would never get through Congress, as even among Democrats, no majority can be obtained.

Biden, on the other hand, despite continuous struggles to produce eloquent sentences, finally managed to perform decently – which is much simpler with a lightning rod called Bloomberg on stage. It allowed Biden to focus on attacks while alluding to his achievements, and he did it well enough.

Warren’s Comeback Time

In this shark tank last night, however, it was Elizabeth Warren who made an impressive comeback on stage. With her campaign combusting, she had no other chance, but that one, she utilized — at times brilliantly. The attacks on Bloomberg and, in turn, his struggles to retaliate, will boost her momentum for the meantime and arguably carry her to Super Tuesday, the Nevada caucus result on Saturday notwithstanding.

Concluding Observations

As the man of the hour and the focus of much of the vitriol onstage, Bloomberg had a tough start into the debate for the reasons mentioned above. With Warren landing a haymaker in the first round, it took him a while to get back on his feet. Bloomberg seemingly felt more comfortable as the debate went along and landed a few impressive punches himself, particularly on Sanders. Nonetheless, the magnitude with which his opponents attacked him was surprising. If the president’s name was not Donald Trump, there is a chance last night could have damaged Bloomberg’s reputation so severely that he had become unelectable immediately. Allegations of racism and misogyny usually do the trick, especially among today’s politically correct and identity politics-based Democratic party.

Nonetheless, Bloomberg has the luxury not to rely on these debates to measure his success. His campaign is focused on his ads and commercials, and his average performance will thus have a limited impact on his campaign moving forward. The latter notwithstanding, Bloomberg will likely improve and be better equipped for the next five on one debate match.

L'articolo The Nevada Debate: Bloomberg Gets Hit Hard But Not Knocked Out proviene da InsideOver.

When the candidates take the stage in Nevada tonight, a few things will be rather different than in the previous debates.

For one, only six candidates will partake in the event. Andrew Yang suspended his campaign after subpar finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. Billionaire Tom Steyer and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii have not qualified for the debate. Both did not obtain delegates from the previous results, nor did they poll at least 10 percent in four DNC-approved polls between Jan. 15 and Feb. 18.

Fewer candidates equate to additional time for each of the candidates to elucidate questions. For some, it can be an opportunity; for others, it may pose a detriment. A detriment because the additional time of attention yields the prospects for increased attacks by the adversaries.

Typically, the candidates who lead the polls or the race are those who might be attacked the most. Most likely, Amy Klobuchar, due to her most recent success, will be one of the recipients. So far, Klobuchar had not been recognized as a legitimate threat by the opposite candidates. Following her previous debate performance and a great result in New Hampshire, the knives will now come out for her too. Questions regarding her treatment of staff have previously transpired. Today, she will be challenged and criticized not only for her alleged character flaws but also why she had called for a fence at the border to Mexico back in 2006, while throughout her campaign, she, just like everyone else, has chastised the Trump administration for the wall.

The idea that Pete Buttigieg will not be pressed on his mayoral record on minority arrests seems inconceivable, a newfound reluctance of his adversaries to critique his experience or lack thereof almost impossible. Moreover, how far can Buttigieg take his approach of copying the mannerisms and rhetorical tricks of President Obama (e.g., the long pauses in between sentences, the facial expressions and at times even the exact wording)?

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden are making an early arrival in the campaign casino. Both are in need to gamble – with house money at this stage. The upside is infinitesimal risk exposure, but lots of equity to gain. Excellent performances, particularly if Sanders and Buttigieg struggle, can revitalize their respective campaigns. One should thus anticipate Warren as well as Biden to actively engage while taking substantial swings at the other candidates. Warren, for one, has little choice but to go after Sanders, which could culminate in an exciting exchange that might resemble anything in between a Chomsky lecture and a bidding war of socialist promises.

However, the real, more pressing divergence at today’s debate will be Mike Bloomberg’s first appearance on stage and the immediate game-changer potential it generates. Participating in the debate is not without risk for Bloomberg, as he, without a doubt, is going to be the focus of all attacks tonight. On the bright side, it makes him the center of attention, and Bloomberg being Bloomberg can handle it. Any potentially controversial statement the former New York mayor ever made is going to be utilized. In essence, the rest of the field is set to throw handfuls of mud at Bloomberg, only to see what sticks. However, if Bloomberg’s alleged “weaknesses” are wealth, success, and the proclivity for upholding the rule of law, the rest of the field might be in for a long night.

The previous week offered a sneak peek of the topics Bloomberg could be pushed on, like his stop-and-frisk policy in New York. It is hard to imagine any boundaries at this stage, as everyone is cognizant that due to Joe Biden’s decline and the resources Mike Bloomberg possesses, he now is the man to beat.

However, Bloomberg himself is not looking at being defensive all night. He will fire right back and, in fact, has done so already when he published a campaign video that criticizes Bernie Sanders’ aggressive hard-line supporters, the “Bernie Bros” and their repugnant aggressiveness towards all other candidates. Meanwhile, Sanders has failed to condemn their behavior.

Both current front runners, Sanders and Buttigieg, are offering substantial angles of attacks (i.e., Sanders is a socialist and Buttigieg being entirely inexperienced). Biden has appeared weak, and Klobuchar struggles on the fundraising side. Bloomberg – though a former Republican and independent – symbolizes precisely what the majority of Democrats have been seeking since the race began: a strong, convincing, and experienced moderate candidate who is electable and thus capable of beating Donald Trump in November – nothing would reaffirm this notion more than a first stellar performance tonight.

L'articolo The Nevada Debate: Let the Bloomberg Show Begin proviene da InsideOver.

With the caucuses in Iowa and the primaries in New Hampshire for the Democratic Party now having been held, voters have started to show who they support in the 2020 presidential race. The first results were actually important to understand the tendency of primary state voters as the candidates were mainly split into two camps: progressives and moderates.

Following Iowa and New Hampshire, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for progressives and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg for moderates emerged as the top names for both wings of the Democrats.

Bernie Sanders: Progressive Savior of the Democratic Party?

The progressive savior of the Democratic Party, Bernie Sanders has always been a controversial figure over the past years. His leftist policies and physical challenges due to his age have been brought under the spotlight by his adversaries both inside and outside of the Democratic Party. However, this time the criticism against him has focused on a different element: that of “electability.”

Current candidate and former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden has primarily gone after Sanders by raising the electability issue over and over again. Since the beginning of his campaign, Biden has termed himself as “the only candidate who is able to beat Donald Trump”, stressing his electability. Since the former Vice President faced a huge loss after the first primary votes, he started to use his electability weapon against Sanders and others. Biden mainly questions whether Sanders could win against Trump, asking if the Vermont Senator was the right one to unify the Democratic Party.

In terms of media analysis, in some opinion pieces, Sanders has even been compared to Jeremy Corbyn of the British Labour Party, describing both of them as politicians who spent decades on the political margins. As Bernie Sanders is in a much stronger position than in 2016, he will eventually face harder attacks and it’s only up to him to convince voters to elect him and that he can actually beat Donald Trump. Despite the criticism, Sanders is gaining support from various influential individuals and has already been endorsed by strong names such as U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and New York City mayor Bill de Blasio.

‘Frankly I’d Rather Run Against Bloomberg Than Bernie Sanders’

The President of the United States, Donald Trump has also joined these debates amid the ups and downs that Sanders is currently facing. He attacked another democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg but defended Sanders by saying, “Frankly, I’d rather run against Bloomberg than Bernie Sanders, because Sanders has followers. Bloomberg’s just buying his way in.” Only days after his comments, Trump once again tweeted in support of his political rival by saying: “They are taking the Democrat nomination away from him, and there’s very little he can do. A Rigged System!” These were two obvious cases where Trump made statements in favor of Sanders, attacking the moderates of the Democratic Party. It is possible to read Trump’s tweets in two ways, as a political mind-game or genuine political empathy.

According to the first theory, Trump knows the danger emerging from moderate candidates and their capability of obtaining bipartisan support. In addition, he focuses on Michael Bloomberg because Trump thinks Bloomberg is a wealthier and more democratic version of himself, thus he is a greater risk against his presidency. On the other hand, Sanders will never get more support than Trump as he is already facing strong doubts within the Democratic Party and he won’t be able to steal votes from Trump’s pool. Trump’s main plan is to split more votes between Democratic candidates, causing more uncertainty and targeting moderate candidates as much as possible. This division would give Trump an advantage and give Democrats less solid ground and unity during the primaries. If we look at Trump’s past strategies against his opposition, his plan to split his adversaries is more than understandable and it may work due to unpredictability within the Democrats who will face him on November 3.

Another explanation of Trump’s actions – perhaps a more naiver explanation – can be related to both the outsider positions of Trump and Sanders during their political campaigns. Trump was involved with politics but he was never a full-time politician before his run in 2016. During his run within the Republican Party and against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, he was never considered seriously and was heavily criticized, due to many controversiesd surrounding him prior to and during his presidential run. Sanders is facing some of the same anti-populist critiques that Trump faced in 2016, and these are coming from the elites of the party as they struggle to see their parties represented by names who are not completely fitting to the ideal candidate profile that they have in their minds. Thus, again, it may be naive to say in this way but perhaps deep down Donald Trump has sympathy for a name which is facing against the established political system, which Trump himself has criticized on numerous occasions.

Feeling the Bern

Despite many attacks coming at his campaign, Sanders’ journey continues with strong momentum as he continues to have a strong position according to majority of the polls. As Donald Trump also witnessed, ‘electability’ was and is a political dilemma that parties question only during the election process. Not only in modern-day politics but also in the past, many leaders of the United States won the presidential race, despite the electability trap. For example, John F. Kennedy became President despite his Irish roots and Catholicism, Ronald Reagan despite his Hollywood background and divorce, Barack Obama despite being African-American. The electability concerns are just not enough to take down Bernie Sanders, particularly since if he wins he will already face a name that wasn’t more electable than him when he was running for the presidency in 2016: Donald J. Trump!

L'articolo Is Bernie Sanders Really Unelectable? And What Does Trump Think? proviene da InsideOver.

Following a disastrous caucus in Iowa, the Democrats are now on the next phase of their journey to face off against Donald Trump, who’s hoping for re-election in 2020. Dozens of names have been pushed forward for the party’s presidential nominee, but with the first hurdle now over, only a few names have remained solid.

The Democratic Frontrunnners

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar are the top tier candidates. None has any significant majority. Perhaps another name, billionaire Michael Bloomberg, may join them due to fact that he intentionally skipped Iowa but continues to have significant support.

Buttigieg: Growing Support But Still Lacking Enthusiasm Among African-Americans

Buttigieg was eventually declared the winner in Iowa, surprising many pollsters. So-called Mayor Pete was a lesser known candidate when he put himself forward for the presidential race. He was mainly overlooked due to his lack of experience and questionable support among African-Americans and minority voters. It is also important to remember that Buttigieg is the first openly gay politician to seek the Democratic nomination, and in the beginning, it was rather unknown how this factor might play a role in his run. Despite these factors, Buttigieg’s young age and energy, notable foreign policy knowledge, solid performances in debates and moderate approach to various policies has had a positive impact and increased his support. His real power will be tested in areas such as South Carolina and Nevada. Buttigieg’s lack of experience may be quoted more frequently during the remainder of the presidential race and more contenders, including President Donald Trump, will focus their attacks on him.

Sanders: Questions Over Health And Far-Left Positions

Obtaining second place during the Iowa caucuses, experienced policymaker and Senator Bernie Sanders will try again—like he did in the 2016 election—to become his party’s presidential nominee. Sanders hopes to rise from the ashes after his close combat with Hillary Clinton in 2016. A self-described democratic socialist, Sanders’ age and his slide to leftist policies are the main obstacles facing him. If elected, the 78-year-old lawmaker will be the oldest president in the history of the United States. However, the heart attack that he suffered in 2019 raises questions about his health. Sanders’ leftist political ideas are also questionable in terms of the appeal they might have on more moderate voters. His positions on war, healthcare and the economy will be constantly questioned by his adversaries the further he gets in the race.

Warren: Losing Momentum But Still A Strong Candidate

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was another dominant name during the second part of the Democratic presidential race. Her ambitious approach on Medicare, the economy and taxation faced both criticism and praise from electors. Warren’s anti-establishment approach—like Sanders’—faced criticism and was accused of being unrealistic. For instance, her “Medicare for all” plan helped her gain significant momentum in the beginning, but then the same plan was accused of being unrealistic due to how it would be paid for. Warren never backed down in strong confrontations with other candidates—especially Buttigieg and Sanders—but it is also difficult to say that she won either of her main duels. Despite these doubts, Warren remains the most powerful female candidate for 2020, especially after being endorsed by the New York Times. If Warren can overcome doubts about her “electability,” she can remain a top candidate.

Biden: Iowa Loss A ‘Gut Punch,’ But VP Is Still A Formidable Contender

Biden called himself the only candidate who can beat Donald Trump during his campaign. Biden dominated the polls soon after announcing his run for the presidency, but for the same reason he became an obvious target. His fourth place in the Iowa caucuses was a surprise for many and Biden himself called it a “gut punch.” With age being a potential concern for Sanders and Warren, it is also an important factor for some in considering whether to vote for Biden, who is 77. Biden’s involvement in Trump’s impeachment case through work activities that he and his son Hunter had in Ukraine became both positive and negative at the same time. Biden’s cold-blooded coolness during the impeachment case was praised by his supporters, but his opponents saw that as a way to emphasize all the unanswered questions around his Ukraine activity. Nonetheless, Biden is one of the best choices for Republican voters due to his moderate political views. He is still seen as the candidate that may “steal” the most votes from the Republican vote pool and among right-leaning independents in the Rust Belt and other areas. Biden’s foreign policy knowledge and experience will also continue to play an important part. Like his supporters claim, Biden may witness a significant boost once he participates in voting in states with major racial diversity where he enjoys strong support among African-American voters and minority voters, unlike Iowa, which is a state with mostly white voters.

Klobuchar: Struggling To Stand Out, But Lots Of Potential

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar took the fifth spot at the Iowa caucuses, but she continues her attempt to become the leading candidate of the Democratic Party. So far, she has failed to dominate any polls. Klobuchar is struggling to solidify her position as a strong moderate candidate and has had challenges in trying to distinguish her policies. Despite remaining in the grey-zone for a lot of the race thus far, Klobuchar has started to reinforce her position after being co-endorsed by the New York Times along with Warren. Nevertheless, as one of two strong female candidates remaining, Klobuchar has a lot of potential and her strong performance during the recent New Hampshire Democratic debate points to future success.

Bloomberg: Long-shot Candidate With A Bigger Chance Than You Might Think

Despite deciding not to participate in early caucuses and primaries, America’s eighth richest man, Michael Bloomberg, continues to have a solid footing in various polls. His policy to focus on primary races further down the line is seen as strategic for his supporters and some critics say that the Iowa disaster actually helped him boost his position. On the other hand, avoiding direct confrontation with other candidates by skipping both primaries and debates is perceived by some as dodging real debate. In the same way, Bloomberg’s ambitious campaign spending for his cause has been characterized by some as his attempt to buy the presidency. Bloomberg’s moderate policies coupled with his economic and international experience may put him ahead of other candidates to eventually face Trump.

It is important to remember that the schism between moderates and liberals within the Democratic Party is stronger than ever. Democrats need to heal their party divisions if they want to win the election, perhaps by bringing moderates and leftists together in a presidency and vice presidency ticket so that they can rally more Trump supporters, independents and undecideds to come to their side.

L'articolo After Iowa Which Democrat Looks Most Likely To Face Trump? proviene da InsideOver.

The upcoming election season promises to be the most expensive in American history. A study by Cross Screen Media and published at Politico estimates that $6 billion – a 57 percent increase from 2018 – will be spent. Currently leading the charge towards that $6 billion are billionaires Tom Steyer and entrepreneur and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. 

Can Money Buy Electoral Victory?

Of the $410 million already spent by all candidates, Steyer and Bloomberg account for 78 percent of that. This adds up to $320 million. Despite spending all that money, however, both candidates are mostly polling in the single digits. Steyer and Bloomberg’s expenditure has had very little impact on most voters. They’ve also been unable to compete with the top four front-runners of Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg.

So far it’s only been age – Bloomberg is 77, and the second-oldest candidate – that has allowed either to compete with the top tier Democratic candidates. However, Bloomberg’s highest polling is 10%, which allows him to squeak into the top four in the Utah Democratic Primary ,and Steyer has purchased enough ad time in South Carolina to work his way into second place in that state’s primary. The only stiff competition these two billionaires are facing is how to outspend one another.

Bloomberg’s Bizarre Political Journey

Meanwhile, the four front-runners are sharpening their elbows and their policies as the season kicks into high gear and the stakes become larger. All of this has left many strategists curious about what the two billionaires end game is. Former New York City Mayor Bloomberg has a long history of bouncing around the American political party spectrum. He was a lifelong Democrat, then became a Republican, then an Independent and now he’s back to being a Democrat. After being elected as the Republican Mayor of New York City, he became an ardent supporter of less than progressive ideas like:

• The discriminatory policing policy “stop and frisk” which largely targeted people of color.
• Financial deregulation
• Social Security cuts
• Campaigned to change NYC Mayoral term limits
• Supporting George W. Bush and his second term

“I Don’t Know How True All Of It Is”

As a man who honed his financial prowess on the testosterone-driven Wall Street of the past, Bloomberg’s lifestyle managed to roll into his entrepreneurial life too. Bloomberg has been accused of creating a “frat house” atmosphere as he was building up his namesake, Bloomberg L.P. This may prove more problematic than Joe Biden’s touching “issue” from 2019. Indeed, there are currently three active sexual harassment lawsuits against his company.

Given the sensitivity in America to gender relations, equality, and identity, this may be a larger issue for the candidate. In 2018, in the wake of the disgraced CBS news anchor Charlie Rose dismissal for sexual harassment, Bloomberg was quoted by The New York Times as saying: “I don’t know how true all of it is.” This prompted spokesman Stu Loeser to issue a statement saying: “He (Bloomberg) believes his words have not always aligned with his values…”

Steyer And Need To Impeach: “A Weirdo”

Fellow candidate and billionaire Tom Steyer’s history doesn’t carry the same baggage that Bloomberg history does. Aside from his investments, which include private prisons and coal, he could almost be an almost “progressive” billionaire candidate. Most notably, he’s never been a fan of President Donald Trump. So much so that he started the group Need to Impeach long before conversations began about impeachment in the U.S. House of Representatives. President Trump even took notice of Steyer by calling him “a weirdo.”

Steyer also has the type of pedigree that fast tracks a person to billionaire status. A Yale undergraduate who went to work for Morgan Stanley, then onto the Stanford Graduate School of Business before joining Goldman Sachs. From Goldman Sachs Steyer worked for a private equity firm before starting his successful hedge fund, Farallon Capital.

In a recent good-spirited, yet contentious, interview with The Intercept’s Medhi Hassan’s podcast, Deconstructed, Hassan asked Steyer repeatedly why he doesn’t take his money and invest it elsewhere. Hassan suggests things like using his wealth to conquer malaria or backing other Democratic state candidates to gain control of the U.S. Senate. Steyer emphatically retorted: “Because I think I can win.”

Income Inequality, Politics And Democracy

American politics is a menage a trois of income inequality, politics, and Democracy. And while it seems obvious to everyone but the two candidates, neither Steyer nor Bloomberg has a chance of winning the Democratic nomination this July. But maybe that’s not the point. Eric Levitz points out in New York Magazine that perhaps their message is really a visual dog whistle to other billionaires detailing that the real power and influence comes from running for office.

With a net worth of $58 billion for Bloomberg and +/- $2 billion for Steyer, the amount of money they spend on their campaigns will ultimately prove insignificant to their overall net worth. Considering the rates at which personal and business assets accrue, it’s more than conceivable that their net worth will increase during their campaign odyssey, no matter what they spend.

As George Soros and Sheldon Adelson represent, both Democrats and Republicans aren’t immune or new to billionaires purchasing influence. They and the other uber-rich billionaires have elected to avoid the front line of the political fray. Before Donald Trump, billionaires preferred to stay behind the scenes and not get dirty, while still reaping the benefits.

That was until 2015 when Donald Trump opened the floodgates on billionaires running for office. Trump created the template—both by actually winning and then creating his tax break of 2017. It was marketed as a boon for the middle-class but has proven to be everything but that. While the Federal Government ran a massive deficit, wealth inequality has “increased to its highest level in three decades.”

The latent message of both Steyer and Bloomberg is that ultimate power, win or lose, is on the campaign trail. Even if they don’t motivate their less vain and narcissistic billionaire brethren to jump into the democratic process, they’re proving that doing so won’t impact their wealth. It could be argued that they’re proving you can yield more influence by running than financially supporting a candidate.

But even more than that, they’re showing that should a political figure, like Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren or movement, like universal health care, threaten themselves or their ilk, the cost to get their voices heard is near zero.

With this political season on par to spend $6 billion, consider that the world’s richest man, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, makes $6.5 billion a month. Should Bezos ever decide to run for political office for any reason, the kind of money he has would make a formidable adversary to any politician or policy that he opposed.

On their current track, Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg will spend more than $500 million on a campaign that they have no chance of winning. The short-term impact these two candidates will have on either the Democratic party or the process will be negligible, if at all. The long-term impact will could see an increase in the number of uber-wealthy individuals attempting a run for political office.

So, by the time the Democrats open their convention on July 13, Steyer and Bloomberg will prove to their fellow billionaires to have won something more important and more impactful than public office…the power of influence…without the expense.

L'articolo Democratic Hopefuls Michael Bloomberg And Tom Steyer: Money For Nothing And Your Politics For Free proviene da InsideOver.

The Democrats are about to enter one of the craziest set of primaries in recent years. One party strategist told Politico that there could still be five candidates running after Super Tuesday on March 3rd. Some Democratic party chairmen are reported to believe that ‘Little Tuesday’ (March 10), where many smaller states like Minnesota and Michigan vote in the primaries, could determine who becomes the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate to a greater extent than ever before.

On March 10th, other smaller states that will be voting in the primaries include Washington, Mississippi and Missouri. On March 17th, Florida, Illinois and Ohio are up for grabs with more than 500 delegates at stake. David Pepper, the Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, said if multiple candidates are still competing in mid-March this year, Ohio could play a ‘tie-breaker role.’

But even Iowa and New Hampshire appear unpredictable compared to just a month ago. According to CNBC, polling averages in both states show Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) virtually tying with former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Ma) is not far behind them either. She has a robust ground operation with staffers flung out across the country for months in states like Missouri, Michigan, Washington, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Arizona and Pennsylvania.

However, the 2020 Democratic primaries became even more unpredictable when former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg entered the race. He has unnerved certain candidates like Warren and Sanders, both of whom have accused him of attempting to ‘buy the presidency.’

It is not worth underestimating the fundraising muscle that Bloomberg can bring to this contest. The former New York Mayor plans to match Donald Trump’s $10 million advertising budget during next month’s Super Bowl, and he has already secured a 60-second spot during that event. The advert is likely to be watched by more than 100 million people in the US, which makes the Super Bowl a golden opportunity for presidential hopefuls to broadcast their message.

Bloomberg has hired more than 200 staffers on the ground states that vote in March and April. He plans to open nine offices and 12 offices in Ohio and Michigan respectively, including five offices in Missouri, 17 in Florida and 12 in Illinois. He is taking the smaller states seriously.

Marlon Kimpson, a state senator in South Carolina, told the New York Times that Biden is still the most natural option for moderate voters. But Bloomberg could outmatch the former Vice President’s campaign. In October, Mr. Biden’s campaign manager, Greg Schultz, sought to allay growing concerns that he is facing a cash crunch and won’t be able to stay competitive with his rivals, thereby making it harder for him to win.

The chances of Bloomberg winning are slim, too, but his candidacy could split the moderate ticket and determine who eventually becomes the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. Neither Biden nor the former New York Mayor inspire much enthusiasm among moderates and there is a chance that none of them will win a delegate majority.

The Democrats’ new rules that were introduced in August 2018 mean that 764 superdelegates are denied a vote on the first ballot, yet they could still prove decisive at the convention stage if neither candidate has won a majority of delegates.

The progressive wing of the party would more than likely unify behind Warren because Sanders is despised by many Democrats, but if neither of the moderate candidates has achieved a majority of delegate votes, the question is: who would be their unifying candidate? It all depends on which type of voters Bloomberg and Biden attract, but it is unclear which one could unite a coalition of electors needed to defeat Trump.

Bloomberg’s entry and fundraising prowess has further complicated the 2020 Democratic primaries. He has made it harder for the moderates to unify behind Biden. South Carolina used to be the state that determined who would become a party’s presidential candidate, yet that looks less certain now. This will be the most interesting race to the White House the Democrats have had for a while.

L'articolo How Bloomberg Could Split the Democratic Moderates Further proviene da InsideOver.