╌>

Michael Bloomberg launches 2020 presidential bid

  

Category:  News & Politics

Via:  tig  •  5 years ago  •  567 comments

By:   Ali Vitali and Stephanie Ruhle

Michael Bloomberg launches 2020 presidential bid
The ad promotes Bloomberg's record as mayor and then promises "to rebuild the country and restore faith in the dream that defines us."
He is in.

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T



MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially entered the 2020 race Sunday, ending several weeks of   will-he-or-won’t-he speculation   about a late entry into the already-crowded Democratic primary.

Bloomberg’s entry was preceded by news of a massive television ad buy — $31 million,   according to Advertising Analytics , which told NBC News it was the single largest single week expenditure the firm had ever tracked. A $30 million buy in the final weeks of the 2012 race for then-President Barack Obama held the previous record.

The ad promotes Bloomberg's record as mayor and then promises "to rebuild the country and restore faith in the dream that defines us: where the wealthy will pay more in taxes and the middle class get their fair share; everyone without health insurance can get it and everyone who likes theirs, keep it; where jobs won't just help you get by but get ahead. And on all those things, Mike Bloomberg intends to make good."

It’s Bloomberg’s deep pockets and willingness to spend that could help him make up the difference of getting in several months after most of the already-established Democratic field. But his strategy to win is a risky one:   skipping the early four nominating contests   and instead running what longtime Bloomberg aide Howard Wolfson called a "broad-based, national campaign."

He’ll also come up against a field stacked with strong competition, some with similar messaging to his own — like former Vice President Joe Biden, who has also hinged his candidacy on his ability to beat President Donald Trump next November — and progressive Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, who are running on platforms of more structural change. And they’ve all been running for months, building organizing machinery as they go.

Still, Bloomberg Communications Director Jason Schecter said it’s not too late, citing polls that show Democratic voters have yet to firmly make up their minds on which candidates to support. Schecter said Bloomberg "has the skills to fix what is broken" and was motivated to run by concerns about "the possibility that we could lose next November" to Trump.

"We can’t afford another four years of this," he said.

Bloomberg declined to enter the race last March. At the time, sources close to him told NBC News that   they didn’t see a path to victory with Biden in the race . But consternation from certain Democratic circles about the strength of the field — Biden has lagged while Warren surged throughout the summer and early fall — reignited talk of a Bloomberg run.

Perhaps the clearest signal that he had decided to run was   Bloomberg’s recent disavowal of the stop-and-frisk policy   he implemented as mayor and fiercely defended for years. Speaking at a black megachurch in Brooklyn, New York, last weekend, Bloomberg said: "I got something really important wrong … I want you to know that I realized back then, I was wrong — and I’m sorry."

A key South Carolina politician — Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin — was in the crowd that day and told NBC News a few days later that he was "moved" by the humility in Bloomberg’s apology. He said he planned to endorse him if the former mayor decided to officially run.

Other 2020 hopefuls who have been running for months, however, have reacted forcefully against Bloomberg’s foray into the field, even before Sunday’s official announcement.

"I don’t think a person, just because they have billions of dollars, should sit back and say, 'you know what, yeah, I think I’ll run for election right now and drop $100 million,'" Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., told a crowd in Concord, New Hampshire, on Saturday.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., also in New Hampshire on Saturday, said she doesn’t "believe you get the best candidate when there's such a bias in terms of money. I don't believe that's how this works."

Klobuchar,   who has joked   that she raised   $17,000 from her ex-boyfriends   during her first Senate run, joked Saturday of Bloomberg’s record ad buy: “Man, I’m not going to be able to make that up with the ex-boyfriends.”

Meanwhile, Warren — who hasn’t held back her feelings on billionaires, or Bloomberg — told said Saturday night “this election should not be for sale,” later adding that she doesn’t think the race “is going to be about TV ads versus TV ads” but instead about “grassroots movements.”


Tags

jrDiscussion - desc
[]
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1  seeder  TᵢG    5 years ago
"We can’t afford another four years of this," he said.

This is a game changer.    Bloomberg is a strong candidate who enters the race very late with a massive war chest and an electorate with a substantial minority holding a grassroots mentality.

If he wins the nomination, he seems to have the means to beat Trump.   I cannot say that for any other candidate on the D side.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.1  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  TᵢG @1    5 years ago

I'm with you Tig. He is smart, honest, and articulate and not extreme. A fiscal conservative and socially aware. The fact that he made his own money from being super smart is a credit to him, and while others talk he does. This year alone he gave 1.8 billion dollars to Johns Hopkins for financial aid, which is the largest endowment ever to a university, so the man is also philanthropic with his money, which shows his character.  

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
1.2  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  TᵢG @1    5 years ago

I hope he chooses Mayor Pete as his VP.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.2.1  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Paula Bartholomew @1.2    5 years ago

Currently, I think Buttigieg would be considered.   But the ticket would be a weak draw for the important minority vote.

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
1.3  Vic Eldred  replied to  TᵢG @1    5 years ago
If he wins the nomination

I don't even think Bloomberg believes he can. Bloomberg seeks a brokered convention and he's placing a big time bet on it.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.2  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Vic Eldred @1.3    5 years ago

A respectable hypothesis.

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
1.3.3  Vic Eldred  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.1    5 years ago

#metoo is but one of a few issues. He did good for NYC with "stop & frisk", but then again, that's a bad thing with the radical left!  He's also a billionaire and that's another boo-boo.

 
 
 
Dean Moriarty
Professor Quiet
1.3.4  Dean Moriarty  replied to  Vic Eldred @1.3.3    5 years ago

The way Bloomberg was using stop and frisk was ruled unconstitutional. He violated thousands of people’s constitutional rights. 

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
1.3.6  Krishna  replied to  Vic Eldred @1.3.3    5 years ago
He did good for NYC with "stop & frisk", but then again, that's a bad thing with the radical left! 

I assume you are referring to people such as Dean-- who has always been such a strong defender of the rights of the downtrodden (especially when it comes to the victims of stop and frisk-- who were overwhelmingly Black and Hispanic!)

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
1.3.7  Vic Eldred  replied to  Dean Moriarty @1.3.4    5 years ago

I do like the article you linked. It is a controversial program with many Conservatives claiming that it violates the 4th Amendment. Keep in mind it was ruled unconstitutional by a single judge.

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
1.3.8  Vic Eldred  replied to  Krishna @1.3.6    5 years ago
(especially when it comes to the victims of stop and frisk-- who were overwhelmingly Black and Hispanic!)

Minorities were "overwhelmingly" the subjects of "stop and frisk" and minorities were "overwhelmingly" the beneficiaries of the program. To put it simply: When any group has become so "overwhelmingly" represented in violent crime statistics such programs become vital for the protection of minority neighborhoods.

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
1.3.9  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  Vic Eldred @1.3.3    5 years ago

I like that he is personally financing his own campaign, unlike Trump who claimed he would but has been pimping himself to anyone with a spare buck in their pocket.  What he will be spending will barely put a dent in his net worth.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.10  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.1    5 years ago

Gotta love your righteous indignation about both Biden and Bloomberg abut women while backing a guy that bragged about Pussy grabbing and was a multiple cheating husband. 

Ain't politics great?

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
1.3.11  CB  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @1.3.10    5 years ago

Donald moved on a friend's wife, "Like a bitch" while Baron was "precious cargo." I think that is the way it occurred.

 
 
 
charger 383
Professor Silent
1.3.13  charger 383  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.1    5 years ago

thank you for pointing that out

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.14  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.12    5 years ago

This isn't vetting. It is character assassination. One you only seem to do to Dems, while completely missed the same flaws of your favorite candidate. I just find it ironic. 

Carry on. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.18  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to    5 years ago
So you admit that little Mikey has flaws?Because I know Trump does but one of his flaws isn’t drink size regulation.

Are you equating trying to bring down health costs due to the diabetes epidemic in NYC, to a cheating, foul mouth man? Really? And really, pointing out that Mike is short? How about Trump being fat?

I'm sick of this one way street, using women and male grossness to knock any male dem. You can't do it if you are supporting one who is pretty bad himself. 

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.19  seeder  TᵢG  replied to    5 years ago

How does one compare 'drink size regulation' (you presume this is all bad) to falling flat on campaign promises such as eliminating the national debt in 8 years?   If Trump is going to accomplish that promise he is going in the wrong direction since the national debt has already increased $3T on his watch and deficit spending has increased as well.   And his progress towards his over-the-top-stupid campaign promise of building his wall and having Mexico pay for it should speak for itself.

For me, I focus on important factors such as being presidential and representing the office of the presidency with dignity rather than engaging in juvenile name-calling tweets.   It would be nice to have a PotUS who does not appear as a clown on the world stage.

 
 
 
katrix
Sophomore Participates
1.3.21  katrix  replied to    5 years ago
So you admit that little Mikey has flaws?Because I know Trump does but one of his flaws isn’t drink size regulation.

One of Trump's flaws is spouting out childish insults - a flaw his base has wholeheartedly adapted. MASA. Make America Stupid Again.

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
1.3.22  sandy-2021492  replied to    5 years ago
I call him little Mikey I mean it more like he has short man syndrome.

How so?  I've always seen that as shorter men who went around looking for fights (sounds like Donald, huh?) just to prove they weren't weak.  I don't see that in Bloomberg at all.  He seems sure of himself.  I see Trump picking fights, and Trump afraid of looking weak, with really no reason at all to do so (except perhaps that he actually is weak).

 
 
 
katrix
Sophomore Participates
1.3.23  katrix  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1.3.22    5 years ago

Yes, Trump certainly has "short man syndrome" which really just describes someone who tries to act tough due to insecurity. Trump is full of insecurity; he's never measured up to a real man and he knows it, and he hates it.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.24  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  TᵢG @1.3.19    5 years ago
For me, I focus on important factors such as being presidential and representing the office of the presidency with dignity rather than engaging in juvenile name-calling tweets.   It would be nice to have a PotUS who does not appear as a clown on the world stage.

Exactly!

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.28  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to    5 years ago

How anyone can accuse Bloomberg of being greedy is beyond me. He has donated the single largest endowment to a university ever, over 1 billion dollars, never mind all the charities he gives to. Who does Trump give to?

And for the record, he didn't change the rules and NYers overwhelmingly voted for him, as an independent. Try again.

 
 
 
katrix
Sophomore Participates
1.3.29  katrix  replied to    5 years ago
Hey that is also a insult you and Trump two peas in a pod.

Pointing out that Trump is Making America Stupid is merely stating a fact.

But the incels love him.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.30  seeder  TᵢG  replied to    5 years ago

Hardly, I stated two abysmal failures per his own campaign promises.    Is there nothing that you accept as legit criticism of Trump?

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.31  seeder  TᵢG  replied to    5 years ago
I call him little Mikey I mean it more like he has short man syndrome.

Do you presume all short men have this syndrome?

 
 
 
Dean Moriarty
Professor Quiet
1.3.33  Dean Moriarty  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @1.3.28    5 years ago

Greedy Bloomberg would like to raise taxes, generous Trump allowed people to keep more of their money.  

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.34  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Dean Moriarty @1.3.33    5 years ago
Greedy Bloomberg would like to raise taxes, generous Trump allowed people to keep more of their money.  

Based on what are you saying that about Bloomberg? In fact, I am paying more taxes with Trump than I did under any other president, and I am not rich. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.35  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.32    5 years ago

Oh please. I have known many short men who don't fit any of those descriptions. Kind of sad that in this day and age we have to go there.

 
 
 
Dean Moriarty
Professor Quiet
1.3.37  Dean Moriarty  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @1.3.34    5 years ago

Is that because greedy Bloomberg jacked up the property taxes there?

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.38  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.32    5 years ago

I asked if all short men have this syndrome.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.40  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.36    5 years ago

He is talking about the soda tax and his philosophy for it. NYC unlike a lot of other cities have city hospitals. We also have a diabetes epidemic and most of it is coming from the poorer communities, who have been themselves trying to fight sugary drinks due to the high mortality rates from obesity and diabetes. 

The title of this would lead you to believe he was talking about taxes in general, but that is quite purposeful since the youtube poster is anti Dem. 

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
1.3.41  Revillug  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @1.3.40    5 years ago
He is talking about the soda tax and his philosophy for it.

His war on sugar and war on cigarettes are just about the only things I like about Bloomberg,

I guess I like his stance on guns too. (I'm a New Yorker and I remember when this city was like the Wild West.)

But TBH, I think he has is own gun and carry license. And that is a window into understanding what he thinks he is entitled to vs. what the rest of us are.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.42  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Revillug @1.3.41    5 years ago

I am a New Yorker, too and I enjoyed the quality of life that he brought to the city. It is no easy job to keep a city of 8 million as crime free as he did and as pleasant to live in. 

I can find no information that he owns a gun. Not sure where you got that from.

But for the record, any NYer can apply to have a concealed carry permit for a handgun.

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
1.3.44  Revillug  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @1.3.42    5 years ago
But for the record, any NYer can apply to have a concealed carry permit for a handgun.

And good luck getting it.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.45  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Dean Moriarty @1.3.37    5 years ago

As opposed to hypocritical Trump, who hicked up our taxes by capping our property taxes and then conveniently making his new primary property in Florida so he doesn't have to pay them? 

Unlike Trump, Bloomberg who is a real fiscal conservative believes in a balanced budget, which was why he did that across the board. Trump, on the other hand, has run our deficit into the trillions, on a wall that Mexico was supposed to pay for and can be cut down with tools that you can buy at the home depot. 

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
1.3.47  Revillug  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @1.3.45    5 years ago

I really need to cut to the chase here with regard to how I feel about Bloomberg.

If the resulting outcome of a brokered Democratic Convention is a ticket with Bloomberg at the top I will leave the party after the November election.

I would remain in the party long enough to vote against Trump but then I would never again in my life register as a Democrat.

And Bloomberg will likely lose against Trump. The only idea I can think of which might even be worse would be to run Chelsea Clinton.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.48  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.43    5 years ago
We are free people and we certainly don't need a guy that lives in an ivory tower telling us whey we should eat, drink, smoke and that we should submit to random searches. This guy is a nightmare for the Bill of Rights and our Constitution.

He isn't telling anyone what to do. People still have a choice. He is taxing behavior. As a society, we moderate behavior all the time. Just look at our prisons. Loads of people in there for smoking pot. 

And you are exaggerating. He didn't stop anyone from eating anything. Smoking laws are everywhere. Don't put that on him. He didn't even get his soda law passed. Stop and frisk was wrong, and he has since apologized, 

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
1.3.49  Revillug  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @1.3.42    5 years ago
I can find no information that he owns a gun. Not sure where you got that from.

I might be getting him confused with Bill Maher on this point.

But Bloomberg definitely has armed guards.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.51  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Revillug @1.3.47    5 years ago

I am sorry you feel that way. Do you honestly think that there is another candidate that can beat Trump, because I don't think so, and I used to think it was Biden... 

As an independent, I accepted my 4 years of Trump with grace (other than my taxes going up) and I didn't want to go ahead with impeachment, but now I am done and I am looking for anyone who can have mass appeal. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.52  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.50    5 years ago

Restitution for what? If they didn't do anything, nothing happened. If they did, then they deserved it. 

The ideal of stop and frisk is what is in question, not the outcome.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.54  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Revillug @1.3.49    5 years ago

I checked that out, too and he does not. What he did call for was more armed guards at Johns Hopkins. We could debate that, too. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.60  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.53    5 years ago

This righteous indignation coming from a guy who states disproportionately kills blacks and Hispanics on death row. 

That's not racist?

I never approved of stop and frisk and I will not defend it, but I am glad he apologized. 

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
1.3.61  JohnRussell  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @1.3.45    5 years ago
Unlike Trump, Bloomberg who is a real fiscal conservative believes in a balanced budget, which was why he did that across the board.

I wouldnt go around bragging that Bloomberg is a real fiscal conservative,  if you want him to get the Democratic nomination. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.63  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to    5 years ago

You're just throwing out personal comments to get a reaction from me, instead of adding any content. 

But please carry on and mods, don't remove his comments. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.66  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.62    5 years ago

You are right, I shouldn't have made that comment personal to you. But let's talk about consistency. 

Are you against security at our airports? Let's start there. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.71  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.64    5 years ago
He is however a neocon interventionist.

Prove that.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.73  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to    5 years ago

Now this is funny. You insult me, I give you a pass, then you complain about being personally attacked (Not by me), and then you go in for part two. 

Priceless. 

Only made better by the hug from BF. 

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.76  seeder  TᵢG  replied to    5 years ago

Your experience as a bouncer dealing with troublemakers causes you to presume all short men have short man syndrome.

My opinion is that this is an ill conceived stereotype based on a skewed sampling.   You have applied this stereotype to Bloomberg to infer negatives based solely on a single physical metric ... his height.

SMH

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.81  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to    5 years ago
You consider that a insult maybe  I should have use your line you seem to like those were republican,NRA ,right wing  talking points right?

Wrong. Because I never talk about "Republicans", "the NRA", or "Right wing", ever. You can go through my whole comment history to see that I don't. So don't tell me those are my lines because they are not. 

And you won't get a pass on the next insult you make to me for that load of BS.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.82  seeder  TᵢG  replied to    5 years ago
Wow you really get excited about tiny Mike .

What prompts you to write something like that?

I have to wonder what your (et. al.) position would be if Bloomberg was running as the R candidate in 2016 (instead of Trump).   Would you have wrapped your analysis around his height and talked about 'tiny Mike'?    Somehow I doubt it.   

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
1.3.84  Kavika   replied to  TᵢG @1.3.76    5 years ago

Here are a few so-called short men that have been pretty important in the history of the world. 

Winston Churchill

Mahatma Gandhi

Bob Dylan 

Charlie Chaplin 

Martin Luther King

James Madison

Picasso

Voltaire

Beethoven 

There are hundreds if not thousands more but that's a fairly good start. 

Pretty sad when a person's height is how they are defined not by their accomplishments or character.

If one were to look at so-called tall people and apply the same negative stereotype you could say someone that is 6' 2'' is simply a huge pile of bullshit.   

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.85  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Kavika @1.3.84    5 years ago

Probably better to direct this to MUVA since he seems to think that a man's height necessarily determines his psychological stability.

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
1.3.86  Kavika   replied to  TᵢG @1.3.85    5 years ago

Sorry that was who I intended to address.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.88  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Kavika @1.3.86    5 years ago

jrSmiley_79_smiley_image.gif  

I suspect you might get a response along the lines that these men were driven to greatness because of their psychological angst at being short.

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
1.3.89  Kavika   replied to    5 years ago

Hmmmm, tiny Mike or Chump Change Trump. 

One is worth $50 billion and the other is simply Chump Change. 

Wow what a contribution I bet tiny Mike would agree.

Wow, thank you for that well thought out and articulate response.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.90  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.75    5 years ago

I think that it's funny that you go to a very progressive news source for that. Like they don't want someone like Warren over a moderate like Bloomberg.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.91  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Release The Kraken @1.3.67    5 years ago

No, that is not a derail. It's to show societal hypocrisy. 

Oh, the outrage over stop and frisk. Except, there were guidelines to stop and frisk and it did make our streets in NY safer. But stop and frisk didn't pretend that they were profiling. 

We got the TSA after 9/11 because of terrorism, specifically, Muslim terrorists and at first, they were the only ones profiled. Then to stop the outcry that it was profiling, we started to frisk grandma and little kids. But we all knew who and what they were still looking for. Just better optics.

Now who would get on a plane after 9/11 without airport security, but hey, that's OK in airports. No violations of rights there, but not OK in NYC because of no pretense that they were profiling. 

And that is societal hypocrisy.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.92  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to    5 years ago

And after you see that I am right, I am hoping that you are a gentleman enough to admit it. Btw.. that goes for you too Jim. I see you voted up the comment.  

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
1.3.97  Kavika   replied to    5 years ago
So it is net worth that that makes the man in your mind.

No, it isn't so I'll explain my comment to you...Trump has bragged many times how rich he is. The fact is that his daddy kept his head above water. Whereas Bloomberg is a self-made billionaire. Trump loves to name call so by his own standards he little more than chump change when compared to Bloomberg.

It seems as shown in your post that height is a really big deal for you. As I pointed out in another comment accomplishments and character mean a lot more than height to people that have a modicum on sense.

There ya go MUVA. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.98  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to    5 years ago

I am referencing another person's comment. That is not me talking about the NRA. Geeze, try again.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.99  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to    5 years ago

He does not want to ban guns. That disinformation came from the NRA. How else am I supposed to say that? I don't walk around bad-mouthing the NRA as an organization though. 

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
1.3.100  Revillug  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @1.3.51    5 years ago
I am sorry you feel that way. Do you honestly think that there is another candidate that can beat Trump, because I don't think so, and I used to think it was Biden...

I don't think Bloomberg can beat Trump.

But the rest of the Democratic field does have me nervous.

I honestly think Bernie has the chops to beat Trump but his willingness to raise middle class taxes to pay for Medicare for All sounds suicidal. He may have blown it with that.

That brings me back to Warren and whether the left can get out of its own way to listen to her ideas for how to scaffold to a Medicare for All attempt after basically "strengthening Obamacare." It's not a completely unreasonable position.

But Warren just had to go and talk up reparations for multiple groups and a complete cancellation of student debt. I don't consider myself to be a centrist but even I find the pandering offensive.

Michelle Obama, where are you when we need you?

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
1.3.101  CB  replied to  Revillug @1.3.100    5 years ago

Hi Gulliver Swift!  Mrs. Obama has done her fill of living a 'tortured' existence in the White House! On the other hand, her daughers would have a private  role model, female edition, to look up to with all the other young school aged girls.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
1.3.102  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Revillug @1.3.100    5 years ago

Nikky Haley, where are you when we need you?

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.103  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @1.3.102    5 years ago

See, I would have voted for her, but she wouldn't run as a dem and she won't go against her party. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.104  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Revillug @1.3.100    5 years ago

See, this is the problem. Most of the Dems are unappealing to middle America and I think that Warren and Bernie are the worst of the lot. The Dems needed a solid moderate and they are there, but not getting any coverage. Blame the press for that. 

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
1.3.105  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @1.3.103    5 years ago

I was just trying to echo Gulliver-Smith with a better and more realistic alternative, although she won't run in 2020 and I doubt will accept a VP appointment.  I don't know if I'll be around to see it, but I hope she's elected POTUS in 2024.

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
1.3.106  Revillug  replied to  CB @1.3.101    5 years ago
Mrs. Obama has done her fill of living a 'tortured' existence in the White House!

CB!

Michelle's got the talent, I think.

I remember the 2012 convention when Barack was a bit exhausted, her speech and Bill Clinton's speech pretty much turned things around.

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
1.3.107  Revillug  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @1.3.104    5 years ago
Blame the press for that. 

I also don't think people ever fully came to terms with why Hillary lost. She didn't lose because she was too centrist. She lost because people believed she was a corrupt tool for Wall Street interests.

And I say this as a person who spent the last three years thinking Hillary lost because she was too centrist and the people hungered for the real deal like a Bernie Sanders. Now I am confronted with the polling on Medicare for All and I have to conclude people want a more incremental approach.

But they don't want a Democrat billionaire. The reason they look the other way for Trump is because he represents a sledge-hammer taken to the Democratic Party's social agenda. (Obviously, many pages could be written to express this take on things, but it is clear to me there are limits to 2020 as being a watershed election for the Sanders and AOC wing of the party.)

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
1.3.108  CB  replied to  Revillug @1.3.106    5 years ago

Gulliver, you would be asking the irresistible 'niceness' that is Michelle Obama to take on the immovable provocateur in a series of debates. She certainly will go high, while he most definitely go low. . . .It's anybody's guess which one could cross the 'presidential' line after that!  We need a candidate that will go toe-to-toe with Donald Trump.

That is, you know the low-down, dirty, impeachable stunt that Trump sent Rudy and AG Bar to do all the way back in second quarter of this year in Ukraine?  You see how diabolically Trump is 'crushing' Biden with the mere mentioning of his son?  Biden has not even laid a political punch on Donald for that one! Even though, Trump has nearly politically 'castrated' Joe Biden before the first caucus or primary vote. 

Someone who is wiling to politically 'cut the balls' off this opponent and smash each one with a political mallet:

1. Start a public countdown of the days since the Ukraine telephone transcript was improperly placed on an secure server in the White House erroneously.

2. As Congress to hold public hearings on how AG Barr, the nation's leading law enforcement agent  could be outside the country breaking our campaign laws on behalf of his boss.

And run ads with a 'thousand' other meat and potatoes questions about the crazy, but dangerously truth matters Trump is using to build his doctrine on.

Trump has not tired of his own BS, that is one thing he stated about himself correctly. Trump is nothing if he is not an all-around BSer. He has never ever tired on being on television, radio, press, 'hard-copy,' and social media talking about his favorite guy: Himself.

We need someone who will at least come in saying EVERYTHING Trump does not . Whatever Trump won't say; say that and own it!

Donald Trump lives each day to come out energetically to share the lies, half-truths, and innuendo he has arrived at overnight. Our candidate will need to fight Trump by exposing the truth Trump has 'thrown away' or left on his cutting room floor!

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
1.3.109  Revillug  replied to  CB @1.3.108    5 years ago
Gulliver, you would be asking the irresistible 'niceness' that is Michelle Obama to take on the immovable provocateur in a series of debates. She certainly will go high, while he most definitely go low. . . .It's anybody's guess which one could cross the 'presidential' line after that!  We need a candidate that will go toe-to-toe with Donald Trump.

Seeing you say all this what I realize is that I see in Michelle the talent to actually be a fine president but not necessarily the particular talents necessary to run for president.

And Trump shows us that in this twisted country the opposite can be true. He had the talent to run for president but no aptitude to actually be one.

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
1.3.110  CB  replied to  Revillug @1.3.109    5 years ago

Interesting. Donald Trump is to politics what his gaudy and trashy lifestyle is. He is not ashamed, not abashed, to come to a microphone some day and hurl the most snarkliest lie he can about Michelle Obama's children in order for it to past through them and rattle her. If she were our candidate. He has done this to Joe Biden. Biden is stunned. "Who does that?" Who attacks a man damaged by life taking his wife/child/child away from him-only to have the political game he has known all his life reach out to grab and literally mess with the mental state of his last surviving son?

Trump is so cut-throat and dirty that I firmly believe though I can not prove it, he directed Lindsay Graham to turn on his "good friend" Joe Biden - if you like me, Lindsay. You're do this for me. Go investigate Joe for me. They say I can't do it through Ukraine, so you do it for me. Make-keep me happy, Lindsay.

I can imagine it going something like that a "king" detailing an activity to a knight. A boss talking down to a flunky.

The person who needs to take on Trump has to go for his political throat and clamp off the words. Deliberately and purposely counter every lie with contemplated truth. Whatever Donald is hiding >> go get it somehow. And throw in down on the table for all to see.

Back to Joe Biden. If Biden gets this nomination, you can bet your money that whatever 'shadow' Hunter Biden has produced in his life publicly or privately, his "sins" will be sitting in a set of seats directly across and in front of any Biden-Trump debate.

Now then, Biden would not do that to Trump. Why not? Biden is no Trump. Trump is no Biden.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.113  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to    5 years ago

Yes I would like you to find where I initiate nasty discussion. And while you are doing that, please count up how many comments I make where I say nothing of the sort, since you seem to think: 

You consider that a insult maybe  I should have use your line you seem to like those were republican,NRA ,right wing  talking points right? 

Btw.. before you do that... maybe you should understand what an independent is. We have no loyalty to any party. Now your party happens to be in right now, but I was not always pleased when Obama was in either and I said it. 

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.116  seeder  TᵢG  replied to    5 years ago

Making a reference to the NRA is not the same as talking about the NRA.   It is unreasonable to interpret Perrie's statement to mean that she has never ever made a reference to the R or D party, etc.   Unless one is trying to play a weak gotcha game, most people would interpret Perrie's comment to mean that she does not make critical comments on the R or D party, NRA, political wings, etc. :  

Perrie @1.3.81 Wrong. Because I never talk about "Republicans", "the NRA", or "Right wing", ever. 

Talking about something is different than referencing it in a comment.   One can reference the R party in a sentence without talking about it.   For example:

Bloomberg is more of an R than a D but he will get no support from the NRA.

The above references R, D and NRA but does not talk about any of them (in fact this sentence talks about Bloomberg).   In contrast, consider this:

The R party is torn with Trump as PotUS because while he does support some of the platform, his demeanor and history flies in the face of the stereotypical 'family values' R politician image they seek to dishonestly promote.

The above is talking about the R party.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.117  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  TᵢG @1.3.116    5 years ago

Thank you Tig for explaining what should be obvious!

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
1.3.118  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to    5 years ago

MUVA,

I am not angry. I am shocked that you don't get the difference. 

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.120  seeder  TᵢG  replied to    5 years ago

That is twice in a row that you have rejected a clear (and obvious) explanation and instead insist that the author is a liar.   It is that kind of tactic that motivates me to illustrate the obvious and call out the cheap tactics.

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
1.3.121  Kavika   replied to    5 years ago
You hate Trump I get it .

No, you don't get it at all. I don't hate people because of their politics that would take way too much mental energy and be a total waste of time. I'll leave the hating to you. 

I explained the comment in the simplest terms I could and you choose to be willfully ignorant on the subject. 

That's on you MUVA.

Cheers

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
1.3.122  Revillug  replied to  CB @1.3.110    5 years ago
Trump is so cut-throat and dirty that I firmly believe though I can not prove it, he directed Lindsay Graham to turn on his "good friend" Joe Biden - if you like me, Lindsay. You're do this for me. Go investigate Joe for me. They say I can't do it through Ukraine, so you do it for me. Make-keep me happy, Lindsay.

I think you are onto something there. A few years ago I read a bunch of the popular books on sociopaths. The checklist books, the sociopath next-door type books, etc. One of the hallmarks of getting entangled with a sociopath is that they will separate you from whatever is most dear to you.

Now then, Biden would not do that to Trump. Why not? Biden is no Trump. Trump is no Biden.

I think I remember Hillary arranging to have some of Trump's accusers in the audience. Considering how well all that worked out, I'm not sure I would repeat the tactic.

It's not clear to me who the Democrat is that we need to send up against Trump. The most important thing they need, IMHO, is that they come across as genuine.

That may sound strange considering "genuine" is on of the last things I would say to describe Trump. But he IS a genuine asshole.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
1.3.124  seeder  TᵢG  replied to    5 years ago

Convoluted?   That suggests you do not understand the difference between referencing X and talking about X.    If so, this is a great time to solidify the difference in your mind.   I would offer clear examples, but I have already done so.

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
1.3.125  CB  replied to  Revillug @1.3.122    5 years ago

Actually, it was the opposite outrage:

Trump Uses Bill Clinton's Accusers As Debate Stun t
original

The women blamed Hillary (as well) for her actions more or less during those years against them, too. So they lent themselves to this.

An example of the In your face approach or "assiness" of Donald Trump. If Michelle Obama were to run, or whomever the democratic candidate is, she or he will have to be willing to go WWE 'foul' with the truth as thier stagecraft.

Trump respects nothing else. You have politically put some 'woo-eee' bumps on his fake blond head, right out the gate, and not allow him space to breath afterwards. He gets mileage out of every break in the political heat.

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
1.3.126  Revillug  replied to  CB @1.3.125    5 years ago

Thanks for that refresher.

I think what I might be remembering is a Trump accuser or two speaking at the Democratic Convention back in 2012.

There's so much water under the bridge at this point.

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
1.3.127  Revillug  replied to  Revillug @1.3.126    5 years ago

...err..back in 2016...

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
2  JohnRussell    5 years ago

People like Bloomberg have it on their "bucket list" to run for president of the United States. There is likely some truth to the belief that is the reason Trump ran in 2016, he wanted to do it before he died. 

Bloomberg's "path" to the Democratic nomination goes directly through the other moderates, Biden, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Harris. For Bloomberg to go up in standing those others will have to go down, raising the likelihood that Warren and/or Sanders will go up. 

I dont object to Bloomberg , at all , and would vote for him ahead of any Republican in 2020, even a Republican other than Trump.  But frankly, no billionaire should be president of the United States , and there is no doubt his wealth will be a big point of contention in the Democratic primaries. 

Compared to Trump, he looks like FDR, and would be a huge step forward. I guess it's all relative. 

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
2.2  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  JohnRussell @2    5 years ago
... even a Republican other than Trump

For me, I need to see the candidate.   Bloomberg over Trump is easy.   Bloomberg over any R makes no sense to me.

But frankly, no billionaire should be president of the United States ...

Why?   

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
2.2.1  Krishna  replied to  TᵢG @2.2    5 years ago
For me, I need to see the candidate.   Bloomberg over Trump is easy.   Bloomberg over any R makes no sense to me

Well, at this point (barring any very unusual unforeseen circumstances) the Republican nominee will be Trump.

IMO its still to early to make any accurate predictions as to who the Dem nominee will be... I think the odds are still slightly in favour of a Biden nomination, but that's by no means certain).

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
2.2.2  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Krishna @2.2.1    5 years ago

I agree.   Trump is almost certainly the R.   Biden is the most likely D at the moment.   What remains to be seen is how Bloomberg fairs.   Very unusual entry and too soon to tell.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
2.3  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  JohnRussell @2    5 years ago

John.

I have no problem with a self-made billionaire who has done good works with their money. There is no sin in being rich as long as you are thoughtful with your money. 

And yes he is a moderate like Biden, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Harris. You know I was supporting Biden or Klobuchar, but Biden is slipping and doesn't have the money, Buttigieg has a major problem with black voters, no one notices Klobuchar and Harris is disliked. I am looking for a winner here. 

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
2.3.1  Krishna  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @2.3    5 years ago
and Harris is disliked.

FWIW, interesting article in today's news:

Kamala Harris aide says in resignation letter: 'I've never seen staff treated so poorly'

"This is my third presidential campaign and I have never seen an organization treat its staff so poorly," wrote state operations director Kelly Mehlenbacher in the Nov. 11 letter, which was obtained by   The New York Times

"While I still believe that Senator Harris is the strongest candidate to win in the General Election in 2020, I no longer have confidence in our campaign or its leadership," she added. 

."

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
2.4  Krishna  replied to  JohnRussell @2    5 years ago
But frankly, no billionaire should be president of the United States

I used to be politically active-- and a self-described "leftist". (At one point, many years ago,event when I was a very innocent young thing, I was proud to describe myself as a Socialist, LOL! :-)

But I've noticed a change in the Left in recent years-- for some reason a large segment of "progressives" have an unmitigated dislike of anyone who is personally very successful in life. (Its almost as if they feel anyone who knows how to be successful in their own life would be incapable of being a good leader).

I can't help but wonder...WHY???

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
2.4.1  CB  replied to  Krishna @2.4    5 years ago

I can tell you what I think is happening. The two-party system is heaved up on both sides In every 'fight' scenario know throughout the history of the world, people (who are behind it systems) grow tire of speaking and talking to each other. Then comes into play yet another form of the struggle. Call it: When "Ying tries to mop the floor with Yang" And, vice-versa. Both sides have proponents yelling in the ranks: "Just do it already!"

All the trivial, trite, and familiar political game strategies have not dislodged what either extremes are long for, and so the 'combatants' in a series of elections have removed the "agreeable middle" and thrown up battlements and are preparing siege irons and holding camps for the captured.

We are in the dug-in stage. However, our extremists everywhere are threatening to attack. . . .

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
2.5  Krishna  replied to  JohnRussell @2    5 years ago
he looks like FDR

Of course Roosevelt was a really nasty racist-- but as you just mentioned, its all relative.

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
3  Texan1211    5 years ago

I would venture that Bloomberg has less than a 10% chance at winning the Democratic nomination.

Might be interesting to see if he donates to the eventual Democratic candidate.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
3.1  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Texan1211 @3    5 years ago

Bloomberg's entry is about as much about the over 40% independent vote as it is about the democrats and I know a whole lot of indies like myself who want a moderate with a smart head. 

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
3.1.1  Texan1211  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.1    5 years ago
Bloomberg's entry is about as much about the over 40% independent vote as it is about the democrats and I know a whole lot of indies like myself who want a moderate with a smart head. 

I can see that--if he were entering as an independent. But I don't see enough Democrats backing him, especially coming late to the dance.

And if he isn't the nominee, but enters as an independent, Democrats, I feel, will scorch him for it.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
3.1.2  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Texan1211 @3.1.1    5 years ago

Let's be real, Texan. If there was an independent party I would agree with you, but the two parties have made sure that there are only two parties. 

As for Dems backing him, only time will tell. If he is last man standing (so to speak), they will back him.

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
3.1.3  Texan1211  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.1.2    5 years ago
As for Dems backing him, only time will tell. If he is last man standing (so to speak), they will back him.

I see no path for him to get the nomination.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
3.1.4  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Texan1211 @3.1.3    5 years ago
I see no path for him to get the nomination.

And I remember when people said the same thing about Trump. 

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.1.5  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.1.4    5 years ago
james-thurber-touche.jpg Touche
 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
3.1.6  Jack_TX  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.1.4    5 years ago
And I remember when people said the same thing about Trump. 

Trump was the media attention frontrunner from the first moment he announced.  He's good entertainment.

Bloomberg isn't.  

I like him, and I would definitely consider voting for him, but I'm not sure I see him getting past the looney left in the primaries.

 
 
 
Revillug
Freshman Participates
3.1.7  Revillug  replied to  Texan1211 @3.1.3    5 years ago

"I see no path for him to get the nomination."

The Democratic primaries award delegates proportionately. If Bloomberg can get himself to the convention I can think of 50 billion reasons that whorehouse would put him on the ticket.

It may be a long shot but it's not ridiculous.

Winning the general election? I could see him easily losing to Trump.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
3.1.8  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Jack_TX @3.1.6    5 years ago

I would say this will be as different a paradigm as Trump was. 

Bloomberg doesn't want to be entertainment. He wants to eat Trump for lunch. How do I know? Hey, it was an almost daily event here in NY. Bloomberg always won. 

But the major part of the paradigm that is different is that I am getting the feeling from his press conference, is that he knows the Dems have a loony left to deal with, and his way of dealing with them, is not dealing with them at all. He said that if he doesn't make the DNC qualifications for being on the debates, he will take the message directly to the people. That makes him the master of his own destiny. It could be interesting.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
3.1.9  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Revillug @3.1.7    5 years ago
Winning the general election? I could see him easily losing to Trump.

Why?

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.1.10  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.1.9    5 years ago

One issue voting mentality.   Depending upon how many voters base their votes on the economy (very critical for 2nd term votes), if the economy is still good then Trump has a major advantage on top of incumbency.    That is, their top priority might be not rocking the boat.    Not sure many people realize how little positive effect a PotUS has on our economy.

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
3.1.11  Jack_TX  replied to  TᵢG @3.1.10    5 years ago
Not sure many people realize how little positive effect a PotUS has on our economy.

But they can certainly have a very negative effect.

Trump has managed not to derail the train, which I agree would favor him in the general election no matter who the opponent is.

However unlike Sanders and Warren, Bloomberg certainly engenders the confidence that the economy would be in safe hand were he to win the WH.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.1.12  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Jack_TX @3.1.11    5 years ago
But they can certainly have a very negative effect.

Agreed!   Glad to see you carefully read what I wrote.   Appreciated.

However unlike Sanders and Warren, Bloomberg certainly engenders the confidence that the economy would be in safe hand were he to win the WH.

I agree.   I do not see Bloomberg causing suppliers or consumers to grow cautious (and thus slow the economy).   Proposed radical changes per Sanders and Warren (even though there is no chance that they will achieve their goals) would dissuade economic growth.

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
3.1.13  Jack_TX  replied to  TᵢG @3.1.12    5 years ago
I do not see Bloomberg causing suppliers or consumers to grow cautious (and thus slow the economy).   Proposed radical changes per Sanders and Warren (even though there is no chance that they will achieve their goals) would dissuade economic growth.

Exactly.

You understand completely.

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
3.1.14  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  Jack_TX @3.1.6    5 years ago

We don't need "entertainment".  We need someone who will put the country first and not himself, his family, and foreign dictators like Trump is doing.

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
3.1.15  Jack_TX  replied to  Paula Bartholomew @3.1.14    5 years ago
We don't need "entertainment".  We need someone who will put the country first and not himself, his family, and foreign dictators like Trump is doing.

Do explain that to the "news" media who spent 18 hours/day covering him, and gave him enough free publicity to put him in the WH.

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
3.1.16  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  Jack_TX @3.1.15    5 years ago

As if they would listen.

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.1.17  Krishna  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.1.4    5 years ago
And I remember when people said the same thing about Trump. 

I don't think henhas a chance.

There are two things going against him:

1. He's too intelligent-- the najority of voters are turned off by that.

2. He's too sucessful-- a significant segment of the Democratic Party has fairly recently developed a real hatred of people who are sucessful (well, with the possible exception of show business celebrities and athlete).

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.1.18  Krishna  replied to  TᵢG @3.1.10    5 years ago
Not sure many people realize how little positive effect a PotUS has on our economy.

Have you checked your IRA since Trump was elected? 

Has there not been any significant change? I suppose that's possible...???)

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
3.1.20  Jack_TX  replied to  Krishna @3.1.17    5 years ago
1. He's too intelligent-- the najority of voters are turned off by that.

Yes.  But I think it depends on how he presents himself.  If he's direct and plain spoken, he won't have a problem.

When you consider the last non-Ivy League president was Ronald Reagan, being "too intelligent" is clearly an obstacle people manage to overcome.

  • Trump - Wharton School of Business (Penn)
  • Obama - Harvard Law
  • GWB - Yale
  • Clinton - Yale Law 
  • GHWB - Yale
2. He's too sucessful-- a significant segment of the Democratic Party has fairly recently developed a real hatred of people who are sucessful (well, with the possible exception of show business celebrities and athlete).

The Democratic Party is struggling through finding an identity right now.  The weakness left by the Hillary campaign has opened the door for the radical nutjob left to move into the vacuum.  Biden, Bloomberg, Pete and Amy understand that the WH will be won by the party who best communicates with the rational center.  The intelligent people are currently prevailing, so that bodes well for Bloomberg.

The question becomes whether or not he's a better candidate than Biden.  I think he probably is, but I realize a lot of traditional Democrats won't agree because he's coming in from "the outside".  

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.1.22  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Krishna @3.1.18    5 years ago

Do you attribute stock market growth to Trump?   (That would surprise me if you did.)   Also, the stock market is not the economy so the question is a little off.

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
3.1.23  Jack_TX  replied to  XDm9mm @3.1.19    5 years ago
Another factor is he has already essentially told, like Beto did, that he's coming for their guns.

Has he?  Or is he just supporting background checks?

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.1.24  Krishna  replied to  TᵢG @3.1.22    5 years ago
Do you attribute stock market growth to Trump? 

That's an interesting question. And the answer is not as simple as it might at first seem to be.

In most discussions here, the answers people give are based on their political biases, not any knowledge of the actual facts. Not surprisingly, most Democrats say any current rises in the market are mainly the results of earlier actions, i.e. Obama's policies set the market up for continued success-- its wasn't because of Trump. And some people actually claim that the market did better under the Obama administration than it does under Trump. 

Republicans, not surprisingly, say the opposite (its rise is due to Trump).

None of which surprises me-- because in most discussions, most people's views (On most political topics!) are shaped by their innate biases-- not by actual facts. Because most people online are fairly uninformed about most topics.

And that doesn't stop them from expressing their opinions (which more often than not they sincerely believe are actually facts-- even though they may not be factual.

Its a matter of values, actually. For some people its more important to prosteltyze. their polirical biases than to discover the truth-- the actual facts. For others (a minority) discovering the actual facts is the priority. 

And why not? There's really no downside on social media in posting things that aren't true. No matter what political POV you express, on sites such as NT that allow participation of people with varying opinions, no matter what you claim, there will inevitably be people who jump to your defense. 

Because the predominant vibe here is to prostelytize one's own political biases-- and not to discover the truth.

(cont'd in next comment).

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.1.25  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Krishna @3.1.24    5 years ago

My position is that the PotUS has a weak and indirect influence on the stock market (and on the economy for that matter).   The most potent thing a PotUS can do is always negative.   That is, a PotUS can screw things up, but making things better is largely just being lucky to be the one in office during the up cycle.

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
3.1.26  Jack_TX  replied to  Krishna @3.1.18    5 years ago
Have you checked your IRA since Trump was elected?  Has there not been any significant change? I suppose that's possible...???)

The stock market is different from the economy, obviously.  

Trump has been excellent for the markets.  His influence on the economy has been very slight.

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.1.27  Krishna  replied to  Krishna @3.1.24    5 years ago
Because the predominant vibe here is to prostelytize one's own political biases-- and not to discover the truth. (cont'd in next comment).

So, given those factors-- is the rise in the market due to Trump's policies-- or Obama's?

Or-- neither?

Well, first of all let me say that I've actually studied the matter. And there's both good news and bad news for political partisans of both parties!

Simply stated, when Obama started his first term the economy was in pretty bad shape. Throughout his term, however, the market basically moved upward-- by the end of his presidency, the stock market was much higher than when he begun! 

But what about Trump? Well, ironically the pattern has been similar-- over time the market has kept moving higher over time. 

Finally, it should be noted that the slope of the line (the rate of rise of the stock market averages) has been steeper starting shortly after Trump was elected. 

In other words-- a few  key points:

1. For both presidents from the beginning of their presidency their market has trended upwards over time. (of course there are always occasional short term corrections, but the overall upward trend has been undeniable).

2. Under Trump the market has moved upwards faster than under Obama-- but the overall trend under Obama had also been positive.

3. Of course the actions of the president are not the only factor. Basically, the reason the market (and the overall economy) has done so well is the creativity, innovation, and intelligence of American capitalist entrepreneurs, not any government. Exceptionally intelligent creative entrepreneurs have had the freedom to express their creativity in a way that is possible in few other places on earth, if any!

(The main role a government seems to possibly have is to restrict this ingenuity being expressed-- as is the case in totalitarian governments elsewhere-- of both the Left and the Right).

4. Despite criticism of Obama from the right, Capitalism has done quite well under Obama-- and even more so under Trump.

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.1.28  Krishna  replied to  Krishna @3.1.27    5 years ago

(cont'd from comment # 3, 1, 27):

The reason the growth that the economy  has showed under Obama accelerated even more underTrump is mainly due to two factors under the Trump administration:

A-The Tax Cuts

B-Cutting of many regulations which hinder profits

(That being said, while I think both the tax cuts and the ending of some excessive regulations were basically good ideas, I take issue with the way in which they were done.

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
3.1.29  devangelical  replied to  TᵢG @3.1.25    5 years ago

I think the POTUS is in a position to manipulate the stock market at certain points for short term results to those in the loop. ie; chinese and WH public communications regarding trade/tariff  negotiations and accompanying temporary effect on the market. 

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.1.30  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  devangelical @3.1.29    5 years ago

I agree but only to the degree that the PotUS can affect (vs 'manipulate' which implies control) the stock market.    It is indirect at best with no guarantee of achieving the desired results.   Kind of like trying to guide a N polarity magnet on a table using another N polarity magnet.   You will cause the magnet to move but the direction is almost unpredictable and your corrections will typically miss the mark.

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
3.1.32  CB  replied to  TᵢG @3.1.5    5 years ago

I take your meaning, Sir! Now that is a 'handicap.'

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.1.33  Krishna  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.1    5 years ago
Bloomberg's entry is about as much about the over 40% independent vote as it is about the democrats and I know a whole lot of indies like myself who want a moderate with a smart head. 

Of course by choosing to be an "independent" and not registering as a Democrat, those moderates don't have a say in whether or not Bloomberg gets the nomination.

And since he says he won't run as an independent, Bloomberg has very little chance of running. 

(The issue at this point re: Bloomberg is not the general election--  since he'llonly run if he get's the Dem. nomination. (And "independents" will be no help in that regard as only registered democrats can vots in the dem primaries-- at least in most states).

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.1.34  Krishna  replied to  XDm9mm @3.1.19    5 years ago

They will also note that he made is fortune trading on the work of the people he employed,

But you could say that about every business-- even a small one once the hire their first employee!

That's how a business works. Even one that starts as a "one man or one woman show" decides to expand so they hire a person. Without extra help they can't grow. But if they pay a decent wage and provide decent working conditions I don't se it as unfairly "exploiting' the person they hire. (In fact they are helping them bgy providing a job).

and more importantly on the people investing making and or losing their own wealth.

I own apart (a tiny part) of several businesses. I.e. I own ther stocks. As a stockholder I don't feel unfairly exploited-- in fact I am happy to have the opportunity to invest in well run businesses. Which means choosing to risk some of my money by investing in a well run business which also provides the opportunity to share in the profits. Over the years I've invested enough so that now they've given me the opportunity to increase my income by investing in their companies (they do all the work-- I just invest some money!) 

Its my choice to invest-- no one is forcing me to buy their stock! (But I am grateful for the opportunity they've given me to increase my income as well as my net worth.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Texan1211 @3    5 years ago
I would venture that Bloomberg has less than a 10% chance at winning the Democratic nomination.

Bloomberg is charting an original course and at this point I do not know how the D electorate will react.   Thus I will wait for some data before making any predictions.

 
 
 
Dean Moriarty
Professor Quiet
3.2.1  Dean Moriarty  replied to  TᵢG @3.2    5 years ago

If you consider polls to be data he's starting out weak. 

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.2  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Dean Moriarty @3.2.1    5 years ago

We need to let this news disseminate and give people a chance to digest it.   Critically, we need to see Bloomberg respond to media questions and to engage in at least one debate.   At that point the polling data will start to be relevant to me.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.4  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.3    5 years ago

Brilliant analysis:  all based on soft drinks.   Well, that will certainly open eyes - such a valuable (and predictable) contribution.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.6  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.5    5 years ago

Less is more only if your 'less' offers information.  

I just distilled  down Bloomberg candidacy to a simple joke.

Yes, a joke; no analysis just simplistic snark.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.8  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.7    5 years ago

Fabricating claims ... another slimy tactic of intellectual dishonesty. 

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.9  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.7    5 years ago
Maybe I should’ve thrown in the distaste for billionaire assholes from New York.  Maybe that would’ve put me over the top in your view.

You presume I have something against billionaires in general?   

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.11  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.10    5 years ago

I am against a-holes regardless of their wealth and regardless of their origins.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.13  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.12    5 years ago
Well I'm definitely not [against a-holes].

Now that I believe.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
3.2.14  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.10    5 years ago
NO!   And it's billionaire a-holes from NY.

As opposed to fake million a-hole from NY that you seem to have voted for?

I'll go with the self-made billionaire every time, from anywhere, if he is qualified. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
3.2.16  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.15    5 years ago
Yeah but you’re from New York and anybody from New York is automatically  disqualified in my opinion, but beyond that some old fucking white billionaire Democrat from New York, not a fucking chance DOA.

Then you didn't vote for Trump then, right?

And if you're going to talk to me, stop with the potty mouth.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.17  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.15    5 years ago
anybody from New York is automatically  disqualified

Life is much easier if one thinks in terms of large simple blocks rather than deal with details and analysis.    Reasoning via stereotype ... brilliant.

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
3.2.18  Tessylo  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.15    5 years ago

So you didn't vote for tRump because he's not a billionaire.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.21  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.20    5 years ago

My comment was regarding this (which I quoted to you for clarity):

FW @3.2.145 - anybody from New York is automatically  disqualified

You come back talking specifically about Bloomberg coming late to the party.    That does not explain your automatic rejection of anybody from New York.

See?   

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.23  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.22    5 years ago

If you want to express your personal opinion distinct from your political analysis then you should actually do so in words.    This, which I explicitly quoted in my comment for clarity on what I was referring to, ...

FW @3.2.145 - anybody from New York is automatically disqualified

... is stereotypical and simplistic.   If you wish to retract or amend your comment that is fine with me (in fact, I recommend it).   But pretending you did not write this is not going to fool anyone.  

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
3.2.24  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  TᵢG @3.2.21    5 years ago

I love how you cause FW to keep onjrSmiley_76_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.2.25  Krishna  replied to  TᵢG @3.2    5 years ago
Bloomberg is charting an original course and at this point I do not know how the D electorate will react.

I have a pretty good idea. 

One major problem for him:isthe recent increase of hatred towards successful people amongst many Dems.

(Not t mention the oiverwhelming influence Black voters have in Dem. primaries-- much, much more than they have in the general election BTW). And what many of them are talking about now is Bloomberg's policies (and comments!) about "Stop and Frisk" when he was mayor. 

(Yes, he's apologized--but that won't cut it with most Black voters)

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.2.26  Krishna  replied to  TᵢG @3.2    5 years ago
Bloomberg is charting an original course and at this point I do not know how the D electorate will react.   Thus I will wait for some data before making any predictions.

I agree-- its too early to make accurate predictions as to who will win the Dem, nomination.

But it pays to keep a few things in mind-- factors that will hurt Bloomberg's chances to some degree:

1. While the percentage of African-Americans in the overall population is relatively small, its large amongst Democrats. Blacks play a significant role in the Dem. Primary. And the vast majority of them prefer Biden (because he was picked by the first Black president to be his V.P.).

2, In addition, many Blacks remain upset by Bloomberg's support of "Stop and Frisk" policies while he was mayor. (They disproportionately targeted Blacks and Hispanics).

3. There is a strong (and recently increasing) level of dislike-- even hatred-- in the Dem. Party against successful people. 

4. While anti-Semitism is not not nearly as prevalent in the U.S. as it is in many other cuntries, its definitely been increasing in recent years. (IMO while this country was open to electing a partly African-American as president, we are not yet ready to elect a Jew).

In other words, while I could be wrong, the odds of Bloomberg winning the Dem. nomination are close to nil.

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
3.2.27  CB  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.5    5 years ago
You know it wouldn’t be too hard for you to recognize the accuracy of my comment and the manner in which I just distilled  down Bloomberg candidacy to a simple joke. 

That you did! And it is a warning to the aware (I hope Bloomberg has 'got' wind of it) that 'oppo' research, talking points and soundbites about Bloomberg are deliverables already! ("Arise Sarah Palin! there is work for you and your "Nanny state' repertoire.")

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.2.28  Krishna  replied to  TᵢG @3.2    5 years ago
Bloomberg is charting an original course and at this point I do not know how the D electorate will react.   Thus I will wait for some data before making any predictions.

Between the three of them, Sanders, Warren and Biden currently have the bulk of Democratic support. Sanders and Warren supporters won't like Bloomberg for the same reason they don't like Biden-- too moderate for their tastes.

And while much of Biden's support comes from peoplewho prefer a moderate that's not the whole story-- much of his support comes from Black Democrats who like him because he was Obama's pick for V.P. And most Black voters do not like Bloomberg at all (they still haven't forgiven him for "Stop and frisk). 

Finally, in many states self-declared "independents" who might like Bloombergs more moderate policies have given up their power to influence the outcome becasuer only registered Democrats can vote in the primaries. (While these "independents" might want to vote for Bloomberg in ther general election, they won't be able to do that unless he wins the Dem primary. (he's said he wopn'trun as an independent and I totally believe him).

So basically his odds of getting elected are closed to zero.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
3.2.29  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Krishna @3.2.28    5 years ago
"Sanders and Warren supporters won't like Bloomberg for the same reason they don't like Biden-- too moderate for their tastes."

The ignorant will vote for whoever promises the most (that will be impossible to fulfill).

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.2.30  Krishna  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.10    5 years ago

 And it's billionaire a-holes from NY.

OK. So you hate Bloomberg and Trump.

But how do you feel about billionaires from other places? Say, for example, Billionaires from Texas?

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.2.31  Krishna  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.15    5 years ago
but beyond that some old fucking white billionaire Democrat from New York

So you're not a Trump supporter after all!

(And he used to be a Democrat-- here's is is at a wedding of some of his very dear Democratic friends-- he and Hillary are all smiles!):

320

320

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.2.32  Krishna  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.19    5 years ago
Well why don’t we just stick to the topic.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.34  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @3.2.33    5 years ago
Always amazed that people can never pick up on any of the nuance that I lay out there

You are amazed, eh?   Well let me clear up your confusion.   

You are the only one who knows fully what you mean.   If you express your meaning in a vague fashion you have left out critical information necessary for your readers to disambiguate — to narrow down the many possible meanings of your comment.   They will naturally ask you to be more specific.   Your typical response to that is to imply your readers are stupid.   I think most here know that this is not a result of stupid readers but rather intentional ambiguity so that you can slither out of a challenge.

 
 
 
PJ
Masters Quiet
5  PJ    5 years ago

It's too late.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
5.1  seeder  TᵢG  replied to  PJ @5    5 years ago

Perhaps.   But this is far too complex to be certain of anything at this point.

 
 
 
PJ
Masters Quiet
5.1.1  PJ  replied to  TᵢG @5.1    5 years ago

I don't think it's that complex.  It's timing and I think the window of opportunity has closed.  Its going to take something extraordinary for him to slip in and take the lead.

Sadly the Dems do not have a solid group of candidates that have remained standing.  I personally liked Bennett.  Pete is another candidate I could get behind because he isn't extreme but he hasn't catered enough to minorities, according to the minorities.  Then again, Trump won without a majority of minorities so......

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
5.1.2  Texan1211  replied to  PJ @5.1.1    5 years ago
 Pete is another candidate I could get behind because he isn't extreme but he hasn't catered enough to minorities, according to the minorities.  Then again, Trump won without a majority of minorities so......

I agree. If Pete can't get the minority vote, no way could he win an election. The Democrats' base would surely vote for someone else.

 
 
 
PJ
Masters Quiet
5.1.3  PJ  replied to  Texan1211 @5.1.2    5 years ago

Trump didn't get the minority vote and he won

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
5.1.4  Texan1211  replied to  PJ @5.1.3    5 years ago

And the GOP base isn't comprised of that many minorities. 

I don't see any Democrat winning a national election if they are unable to capture a significant share of the minority vote.

I don't know if you can show me a single election since 1960 where the Democrat who won didn't do that.

 
 
 
PJ
Masters Quiet
5.1.5  PJ  replied to  Texan1211 @5.1.4    5 years ago

Maybe but I do think those who are not absolute racists want to start distancing themselves from Trump.  They will move over to a moderate candidate and away from Trump.

The voting trend is changing.  I suspect we will have a handful of elections remaining that can be won without majority minority votes but afterwards it will require the majority.  just my opinion.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
5.1.9  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @5.1.8    5 years ago
Yeah you’re missing it because there’s a real reason behind the Trump 2016 victory and it’s because they could see how screwed up the Dems were

Actually, it could have just as easily gone the way of the Dems. You seem to forget what really lost the election. It was Hillary's arrogance and not doing her due diligence by going to the states she should have gone to, and insulting a whole other bunch of the electorate. Even with that, she won the popular vote, so really, Trump didn't win a mandate. He won technically. 

 
 
 
katrix
Sophomore Participates
5.1.12  katrix  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @5.1.8    5 years ago
it’s become so clear at the far left is influencing the moderate left

Same thing happened with the Tea Party taking over the sane Republicans.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
5.2  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  PJ @5    5 years ago
It's too late.

And I remember when Trump came down the golden escalator, everyone said that he would never be president. I don't forecast anymore. 

 
 
 
PJ
Masters Quiet
5.2.1  PJ  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @5.2    5 years ago

Bloomberg hasn't come into the race with any type of fanfare the way trump did.  But you're right.  I didn't anticipate the number of stupid and racist Americans here.  It was shocking and still is.

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
5.2.3  JohnRussell  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @5.2.2    5 years ago

What percentage of Trump's base is stupid and racist? Give us a workable figure. 

 
 
 
PJ
Masters Quiet
5.2.4  PJ  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @5.2.2    5 years ago

You are aware that I'm not running for office so I doubt I'll lose any votes over my comment.  Anyhow, the country is already fucked for generations to come because of Trump and his base.  jrSmiley_89_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
5.2.5  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  PJ @5.2.1    5 years ago
Bloomberg hasn't come into the race with any type of fanfare the way trump did.

Waving going down a golden escalator was hardly fanfare. We can look back at the past papers and see that most saw it as a joke. That was a mistake. 

 
 
 
PJ
Masters Quiet
5.2.7  PJ  replied to    5 years ago

Yeah....I disagree.  The economy doesn't improve in an instant.  It's based on steps and policies implemented sometimes years in advance.  We are simply surviving through sheer will but my comment wasn't referring to the economy.  It was in reference to the incivility and willful ignorance to accept facts.

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
5.2.9  Tessylo  replied to    5 years ago

Do you have your tRump supporters pay in advance?  I would

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
5.2.10  Jack_TX  replied to  PJ @5.2.1    5 years ago
Bloomberg hasn't come into the race with any type of fanfare the way trump did.

Well....nobody does anything with the type of fanfare Trump does.  

The question is whether or not Democrats have seen enough fanfare.

Bloomberg can manhandle Trump in an election.  It remains to be seen whether there are enough Democrats who are practical enough for him to get the nomination.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
5.2.11  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Jack_TX @5.2.10    5 years ago
Bloomberg can manhandle Trump in an election.  It remains to be seen whether there are enough Democrats who are practical enough for him to get the nomination.

Jack, I couldn't agree more. 

 
 
 
PJ
Masters Quiet
6  PJ    5 years ago

It was most definitely fanfare.  It was hyped up and the media was there to cover it. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
6.1  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  PJ @6    5 years ago

The media was there to mock it. 

 
 
 
PJ
Masters Quiet
6.1.1  PJ  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @6.1    5 years ago

Agreed but that doesn't make it less fanfare.  I'm not sure we are disagreeing here

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
6.1.2  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  PJ @6.1.1    5 years ago

Well if you talk about fanfare as media coverage, then I guess we are agreeing. Are you basically going with that there is no such thing as bad publicity?

 
 
 
PJ
Masters Quiet
6.1.3  PJ  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @6.1.2    5 years ago

Yes

 
 
 
bugsy
Professor Participates
7  bugsy    5 years ago

I see two things that are going to bite Bloomberg in the ass from the start.

First, he is a billionaire. That is a big no no for today's democratic party. You can see how well Steyer is doing. In addition, I understand in one of his commercials he is blasting billionaires by showing pictures of Trump Tower in NY. What he does not disclose is he is worth much, much more than Trump. People will catch onto that.

Second, he was the mayor that backed "stop and frisk" in NY, something that, from what I hear, disproportionately target minorities. He did go on an apology tour to say he was sorry for that, but it was 12 long years of minorities getting stopped for no other reason than they were minorities. The black and Hispanic population will not vote for him. If they want a white billionaire, Trump has done for more positive things for them than pretty much any other politician, hence his rise in minority approval.

It looks like Bloomberg approves of an older white billionaire for President. He may as well go ahead and throw his support for Trump, as that older white billionaire has a far better chance of winning than the one he wants to win.

 
 
 
PJ
Masters Quiet
7.1  PJ  replied to  bugsy @7    5 years ago

I agree. 

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
7.3  Jack_TX  replied to  bugsy @7    5 years ago
The black and Hispanic population will not vote for him. If they want a white billionaire, Trump has done for more positive things for them than pretty much any other politician, hence his rise in minority approval.

The Hispanic population is low hanging fruit.  All he needs to do is talk about intelligent immigration reform that actually welcomes new workers and recognizes their value to the US economy.  His grandparents were immigrants.  Easy connection to make, and he's more than smart enough to do it.  The fact that nobody else is talking about it makes it that much easier.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
7.3.1  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Jack_TX @7.3    5 years ago

Exactly Jack. 

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
7.4  Krishna  replied to  bugsy @7    5 years ago
It looks like Bloomberg approves of an older white billionaire for President. He may as well go ahead and throw his support for Trump,

Do you walk to school . . . or carry your lunch?

 
 
 
It Is ME
Masters Guide
9  It Is ME    5 years ago

If Bloomberg wins the nomination (which would really piss off the "Left" if that happens), does that mean the "Blue Dogs" can make a comeback again ?

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
9.1  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  It Is ME @9    5 years ago

My dad is a blue dog and he is voting for Bloomberg. Mom is an indie like me. They fight a lot, LOL! 

 
 
 
It Is ME
Masters Guide
9.1.1  It Is ME  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @9.1    5 years ago

Ain't Politics Great ? jrSmiley_91_smiley_image.gif

My Dad was a Reagan type conservative, and my Mom was a Kennedy type Democrat. They argued "Inflexibly/Flexible" with each other. jrSmiley_10_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
9.1.2  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  It Is ME @9.1.1    5 years ago

LOL.. sounds like my childhood. My parents fought over Vietnam endlessly. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
9.1.4  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to    5 years ago

Nah. She'll keep you anyway if you vote for someone else. Matt has kept me over the years when I've disappointed him.

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
9.1.5  Paula Bartholomew  replied to    5 years ago

Just don't make her mad or she might do to you what my mom did to my dad when he pissed her off....sewed the flys shut on all of his underwear.jrSmiley_9_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
9.2  Krishna  replied to  It Is ME @9    5 years ago
Does that mean the "Blue Dogs" can make a comeback again ?

And what about the Blue cats? (Especially the Russian Ones!)

Are they disloyal to America? (I bet Fox news would label them Socialists . . . ???

 
 
 
Dean Moriarty
Professor Quiet
10  Dean Moriarty    5 years ago

Not sure how Trump was able to avoid it but he doesn’t have the annoying accent Bloomberg has. That alone will turn off much of middle America. And he makes low energy Jeb look like the energizer bunny. 

 
 
 
katrix
Sophomore Participates
10.1  katrix  replied to  Dean Moriarty @10    5 years ago
Not sure how Trump was able to avoid it but he doesn’t have the annoying accent Bloomberg has. That alone will turn off much of middle America

Trump's accent is horrible. Apparently accents don't matter that much to middle America.

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
10.1.1  Kavika   replied to  katrix @10.1    5 years ago
Trump's accent is horrible. Apparently accents don't matter that much to middle America.

Well, covfefe to that.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
10.1.2  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Kavika @10.1.1    5 years ago

LMAO!!!!

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
10.1.3  sandy-2021492  replied to  katrix @10.1    5 years ago
Trump's accent is horrible. Apparently accents don't matter that much to middle America.

The accent doesn't bother me.  That sing-songy cadence to his speech makes my right eye twitch, though.

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
10.1.4  Jack_TX  replied to  sandy-2021492 @10.1.3    5 years ago
That sing-songy cadence to his speech makes my right eye twitch, though.

I listened to about 5 minutes of his speech to the UN before I had to turn it off.  

I can't stand listening to him.

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
10.1.5  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  katrix @10.1    5 years ago

Maybe he was channeling his inner Madonna.

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
10.2  Krishna  replied to  Dean Moriarty @10    5 years ago
Not sure how Trump was able to avoid it but he doesn’t have the annoying accent Bloomberg has. That alone will turn off much of middle America.

Its true-- with all that's going on in America (and the world) most Americans base their votes on really stupid factors.

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
10.3  Krishna  replied to  Dean Moriarty @10    5 years ago
And he makes low energy Jeb look like the energizer bunny. 

I just googled him and found out his net worth is over $54 Billion.

Yep-- that's Billion,not Million.

And unlike Trump, he earned it himself.

He ran for mayor in heavily Democratic NYC on the Republican ticket-- and won.(Three times!)

He's helped numerous worthy charities become increasingly effective through his charitable giving.

According to the  Chronicle of Philanthropy , Bloomberg was the third-largest philanthropic donor in America in 2015

If you consider that "low energy" ..I wish we had more politicians with that sort of energy!

Perhaps you value people more who talk big, but actually accomplish little?

 
 
 
arkpdx
Professor Quiet
11  arkpdx    5 years ago

And another loser is added to the Democratic mix.

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
12  JBB    5 years ago

Super Tuesday is on March 3rd. It is not "a year away". Time is really very short. Considering Bloomberg is late to both the race and to The Democratic Party his odds are actually quite low. Also, Democrats are not prejudiced against successful people so much as we are tired of extremely wealthy persons feeling entitled or thinking they can just just buy their nomination. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
12.1  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  JBB @12    5 years ago

He has already begun to campaign. Also, I am not sure when it became a sin to do well at the American Dream. Isn't that what the Dems are selling to everyone else? He wasn't born rich. He made his wealth and he is beyond generous with it. 

What the Dems have yet to come to terms with, is that to win the election, they have to get the independent vote. This is something that Trump tapped into. Unless you want a repeat of the last election, you better start to count your numbers. 

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
12.1.1  JBB  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @12.1    5 years ago

Independents cannot even vote in the NY Democratic primary. If you really want to support Bloomberg then you had better first become a Democrat. In reality Bloomberg has huge obstacles to overcome. Show me a poll where Bloomberg is beating Joe Biden then you can worry about him beating Trump...

All polls show Biden with a big lead over Trump!

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
12.1.2  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  JBB @12.1.1    5 years ago

First of all, many indies are forced to join a party in NY, since the party system made it impossible for them to vote in primaries, which is wrong, in my opinion. 

Yes, Bloomberg is facing an uphill battle. I am not worried. 

And polls mean nothing, or have you not learned that from the last election?

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
12.1.3  Krishna  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @12.1    5 years ago
Isn't that what the Dems are selling to everyone else?

Lately, not so much.

Lately there's been a push with some (not all) to solve problems with government handout rather than empowering people to suceed on their own.

Sort of a case of it "being better to give people fish" than "teaching them to fish"

(Of course this trend is not just with Democrats-- Trump has been giving money to Soybean farmers*-- due to his stupid tariff policies which prevent many farmers from succeeding by their own efforts)...which is what most farmers prefer.

--------.

*Trump has been giving money to Soybean farmers. (Some people would call that "Socialism"..)

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
12.1.4  Krishna  replied to  JBB @12.1.1    5 years ago
Independents cannot even vote in the NY Democratic primary.

Why should they? Democrats should be able to pick the candidates they want to run on the Democratic ticket (a right Republicans and other parties should have as well).

But IIRC, some of the state systems are crazy-- in some states both Democrats & republicans can vote in the other parties primaries!

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
12.1.5  Krishna  replied to  JBB @12.1.1    5 years ago
If you really want to support Bloomberg then you had better first become a Democrat.

Yes. In fact, if you want to support Warren, or Sanders, or Biden...in fact if you want to support any Democrat for the Democratic primary nomination...you have to be a registered Democrat!

Makes sense to me.

Why do you find that strange? 

 
 
 
The Magic 8 Ball
Masters Quiet
12.1.6  The Magic 8 Ball  replied to  JBB @12.1.1    5 years ago
All polls show Biden with a big lead over Trump!

 

for president. currently, I have.

  • trump = 13
  • bloomberg =  3
  • warren  = 1
  • biden = 1

how that translates in the democrat primary? I don't know.. and have no interest.

but for president?  I have nailed every presidential election including /  since 04

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
12.1.7  Krishna  replied to  The Magic 8 Ball @12.1.6    5 years ago
for president. currently, I have.
  • trump = 13
  • bloomberg =  3
  • warren  = 1
  • biden = 1

But how did you conduct your poll-- did you ask 18 of your friends?

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
12.1.8  Krishna  replied to  The Magic 8 Ball @12.1.6    5 years ago
I have nailed every presidential election including /  since 04

Well aren't you special! jrSmiley_4_smiley_image.png

(That's nothing-- I nailed every presidential election since 1492-- and that was before they even had presidential elections! )

 
 
 
The Magic 8 Ball
Masters Quiet
12.1.9  The Magic 8 Ball  replied to  Krishna @12.1.8    5 years ago

so you knew trump would win also?

good for you

LOL :)

 
 
 
The Magic 8 Ball
Masters Quiet
12.1.10  The Magic 8 Ball  replied to  Krishna @12.1.7    5 years ago
But how did you conduct your poll

it is not a poll

basically all im saying is trump is just a tad over 4 times more likely to win than bloomberg and just over ten times more likely to win than biden or warren

simple math.  and thanks to internet betting   I also get paid every 4 yrs.  honestly, I keep expecting it to fail at some point but that has not happened yet. so "let it ride.. lol

I don't expect anyone to believe me and that is what makes it so fun.

have ya seen the movie magic town ? it exists online in a weird sort of way.

cheers :)

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
12.1.11  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  Krishna @12.1.8    5 years ago

In my younger days, I nailed half of the 7th fleet.jrSmiley_9_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
12.1.12  CB  replied to  Paula Bartholomew @12.1.11    5 years ago

Paula??? ???

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
12.1.13  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  CB @12.1.12    5 years ago

I was kidding. 

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
12.1.14  CB  replied to  Paula Bartholomew @12.1.13    5 years ago

Whew! (Smile.) That was worth waiting to get a clarification!  I mean, reallllyyy! (LOL!)

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
12.1.15  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  CB @12.1.14    5 years ago

I tend to have a warped sense of humor.  In actuality it was like one sailor.

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
12.1.16  CB  replied to  Paula Bartholomew @12.1.15    5 years ago

You're my kind of woman, Ms. Paula! Do it till you satisfied . th?id=OIP.zgWAjWDssKxuLc2_Z-lPCwHaHa&w=100&h=100&c=8&rs=1&qlt=90&pid=3.1&rm=2 That one is one for you and "Mr. Goody."  (Smile.)

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
12.1.17  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  CB @12.1.16    5 years ago

jrSmiley_13_smiley_image.gif

 
 

Who is online







74 visitors