If Mike Bloomberg is the Democratic nominee, will you vote for him in November?

I know he has no actual delegates yet but the number of Dems unquestioningly declaring total confidence in this guy out of the blue is really alarming. It took many months for voters’ impressions of Biden to change and he didn’t have Bloomberg’s kind of cash. Time and money are both factors.

Then perhaps you haven't noticed that lots of Democrats are oldschool Republicans who pay a little more lip service to social tolerance.

… and what they most often object to about Trump is his incivility.

yeah but Sam Donaldson: https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/14/opinions/michael-bloomberg-democratic-candidate-endorsement-donaldson/index.html

well, first i got angry that the question is even being asked. that's not milo's fault, though... it's bloomberg's. moving on from that... no.

none of the candidates running are good enough for me, because i believe the problems that exist today are beyond what can be solved by any one person, no matter how princpled, charismatic, or talented. i also believe that the fairness and transparency of democracy in america has fallen below a standard whereby i can honestly describe elections, on a national level, be described as fair, free, and open.

i continue to vote, not because i believe my vote matters, but because voting is important to me as an act of radical intersectional solidarity.

the people i would be supporting by voting bloomberg are not, fundamentally, people i trust to have as allies. i believe there is a minimum standard of fitness to lead that must be met before i can, in good conscience, vote for someone. i do not believe that is a high standard, but i believe that standard is higher than "not donald trump". i do not believe bloomberg meets that standard.

i do not believe that my unwillingness to vote for bloomberg carries with it any commensurate personal responsibility for any actions that may or may not be undertaken by whoever is in power in february 2021. i remain willing to engage in positive acts of political change as opportunities may arise.

Skip Gates hurts.

Among all the candidates, the person who I believe could stand toe-to-toe, strongest and longest with Donald Trump is Mike Bloomberg.

Why? Who do you think his constituency is?

I know Mike Bloomberg socially. Every summer I go to a dinner on Martha’s Vineyard with Mike Bloomberg. I’ve argued with him about policies that I didn’t like. He is enormously intelligent and capable. When he was mayor, I watched him. He could wear it lightly. It’s not like Jimmy Carter with the weight of the world on him. I think that he’s tough, and I think he could take on the bully Donald Trump. Very few people can stand up to a bully. Mike’s got some bully in him. I think he’s good.

As someone who has basically trusted the Democratic establishment (or at least its "progressive" wing) for much of my adult life, I'm finding the contrasting attitude of elites toward Sanders and Bloomberg to be plainly revealing of their skewed priorities and incentives. That probably makes me sound naive, but I do wonder about the potentially radicalizing effects of this moment.

apparently dinner on Martha's Vineyard is the place to be

I will put the man who sexually harassed my mom in power before I'll let poor people get healthcare pic.twitter.com/W5aYlGAiXy

— Amy Klobuchar is a Cop (@blunted215) February 14, 2020

I voted yes in the poll but after thinking about it for more than ten seconds I’m actually closer to Morbius. Nobody running as the Dem nominee needs my DC-dwelling help in the general, and I ain’t ticking the box for this asshole. Sadly I’ll still probably have to go stand in line for local races.

As someone who has basically trusted the Democratic establishment (or at least its "progressive" wing) for much of my adult life, I'm finding the contrasting attitude of elites toward Sanders and Bloomberg to be plainly revealing of their skewed priorities and incentives. That probably makes me sound naive, but I do wonder about the potentially radicalizing effects of this moment.

― jaymc

i would say i have certainly been radicalized. i don't trust bernie - no, that's not right, i do trust bernie, i don't trust a lot of bernie's _supporters_ - and i don't think bernie has a hope in hell of accomplishing the stuff he says he'll do, but at this point politics is openly about personal allegiance, not policy, and every time some liberal elite goes out of their way to disparage bernie or his proposals i am more and more convinced that i am going to vote for him. (go ahead and try a "not so different" response comparing me to a trump voter. i fucking dare you.)

as far as bloomberg goes? you cannot fucking shame me into voting for mike bloomberg. full stop.

If the Democratic Party's nominee fails in their primary obligation to earn your vote by offering some identifiable, positive reason for you to support them, write in the name of someone you would be happy to see win. Not voting is another option, but I think it's less satisfying than casting a positive vote. It may be just as ineffective in the practical dimension, but not in the psychological one.

NO.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8007521/Mike-Bloomberg-wants-Hillary-Clinton-running-mate-say-sources.html?fbclid=IwAR057JISGvPfeJd0GcsWbXY693n7keekV5b3--azo6JAXbQzWgO2sUUblpg

(I voted "no" just now, but would've voted no even before this news emerged.)

I'm not fond of Pete or Joe but I'd pull the lever for either of them in a heartbeat over Mike.

I voted no, but I’m not sure where I’d come down with a gun to my head between Pete or Mike. The things that are bad about them (most of it) are pretty equally bad?

And as for the things that might be good, eg believing climate change is actually real, maybe Mike would be better suited for pushing through his agenda?

(which, for all the fanfare he gets as a Republican who believes in climate change would probably still suck out loud)

Joe is a whole other kettle of brain worms

I would say that I aspire to a kind of "zoomed-out" perspective that I have imagined people with a lot more education than I have, or far more knowledge of history, political science and sociology might attain... but which probably requires oracular levels of foresight, actually.
And I do feel quite powerless, not because I live in a state where one guy is going to win, but most of my hopes are tempered by a sense of inevitability on this ridiculously grand scale. I tend to want to limit my influence, rather than further it anyway, because I don't think I'm really smart enough to predict the consequences of what I might be inclined to do (though I do realize this is going to go down like a lead ballon).

I probably prioritize the preservation of American democracy over other issues at the moment, which is to say that I do believe it's under threat. I have tended increasingly to place "protest votes" for longshot candidates far to the left of "Establishment" Democrats in local, statewide and national elections, perhaps moronically. But I do not think I've been radicalized and do not even consider myself to be liberal, honestly. My very limited understanding is that in order to prevent the erosion of democracy, I should hope for leaders to be elected who do not regularly violate political norms. Both Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg have shown a frightening willingness to violate them and in my view, present a serious threat. I also prioritize political stability and for this reason favor incrimental progress, or for progressive changes to establish a secure foothold, over revolutionary action that threatens the stability of a government or political system. That's a pretty big deal, and it's something that I think most people in this country take for granted.

My refusal to vote for Bloomberg is not based primarily or exclusively on desired ideals, individual needs or personal experience. I worry that American voters are willing to give up the forest for the trees, but I also recognize a very real need to localize my own perspective and come down to earth a bit. Or a lot.

glad we got this out the way, let's relitigate this again at the DNC

i will def be voting Bernie in the FL primary in a few weeks.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/15/us/politics/michael-bloomberg-spending.html

It was during his 12 years at City Hall that Mr. Bloomberg wrote the playbook for propping up allies and co-opting opponents with a mix of political and charitable giving. Even as he spent $268 million on his three campaigns and made $23 million in campaign contributions to others, his philanthropy gave away $2.8 billion, much of it to civic and cultural groups around New York.

In all, by his own accounting, Mr. Bloomberg has given away nearly $9.5 billion since 1997, at an annual rate that has increased more than a hundredfold. In 2018, the year before he announced for president, he spent nearly $770 million. Last year’s $3.3 billion figure probably included a $1.8 billion donation to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University, announced in November 2018. Even without it, his charitable giving roughly doubled.

Asshole

Voted no. I’m in a real immanentize the eschaton mood this weekend!

I have absolutely no idea, but if I don’t vote for the person who gets the democratic nomination, I’m still showing up to vote for every candidate on the rest of the ticket

That could be the worst effect of a terrible pick for the presidential candidate nomination, suppressing turnout on house and senate elections.

‘Orientalizing’ Bloomberg with the epithet ‘oligarch’ is what’s really going on here.

— Jeff Stein (@SpyTalker) February 15, 2020

Othering Bloomberg

I still haven't seen anybody actually endorse Mike Bloomberg besides Mike Bloomberg, @FuckJerry/@KaleSalad/etc, and Barbra Streisand apparently

Lucy McBath.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/politics/8550216/john-mellencamp-mike-bloomberg-endorsement

I guess the thrill of living was gone

Anyway, yes. I live in a swing state. Bernie or Mike, Liz or Pete, Joe or Amy, I don't care, I will sprain my wrist pulling the lever for them.

*ominous voiceover*
"BERNIE SANDERS"
*unflattering picture of Bernie*
"HE SAYS HE'S NOT DONALD TRUMP. BUT HAVE YOU EVER SEEN HIM IN THE SAME ROOM WITH DONALD TRUMP?"
*music mood change/picture of Michael Bloomberg golfing with Trump*
"Michael Bloomberg is the only candidate we can be sure is not Donald Trump."
*Michael Bloomberg facing the camera*
"Hi, I'm Michael Bloomberg. And I'm the best candidate to take on Donald Trump. Because I'm the only candidate who is definitely not Donald Trump."

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Mind boggling some people are willing to take % of risk towards another four years of Trump.

again this question is premature

but as a 'solution' to Trump, this is mindboggling

on immigration, criminal justice reform, and foreign policy, bloomberg might be a more competent trump as president

its a moot pt bc this shriveled piece of shit will not win the nomination

El Tomboto wd also be more competent

The single most bizarre thing Bloomberg did is get the city charter changed so that he — but only he — could run for a third term, with the previous two-term limit coming back once his twelve years were done.

— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) February 16, 2020

It's crazy and worrisome to see the universal meltdown over Bloomberg. I choose to be optimistic and take it as a sign that his sudden rise is a flash in the pan and that voters are primed to vote against him. But if he can buy his way to a nomination, the Democratic party will truly be broken.

its a moot pt bc this shriveled piece of shit will not win the nomination

― majority whip, majority nae nae (m bison), Sunday, February 16, 2020 7:50 PM (six minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Said this a lot in 2016

I can get over being outvoted by a real rival candidate. But out of all outcomes I can’t abide some Republican waltzing in and buying the party off.

If it makes you feel better, Republicans don't think he's a Republican and never did

If no one can beat a shitty old billionaire in the primaries maybe no one was apt to beat the even worse shitty old billionaire in the general.

Well they’ve been allowed to drive most of the political messaging in this country, might as well let them assign party membership.

republicans also think they're not racist, what republicans think doesn't matter

its a moot pt bc this shriveled piece of shit will not win the nomination

― majority whip, majority nae nae (m bison), Sunday, February 16, 2020 7:50 PM (six minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Said this a lot in 2016

― ℺ ☽ ⋠ ⏎ (✖), Sunday, February 16, 2020 6:57 PM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

sure, the difference is that trump led in the polls non-stop within 2 months of announcing by appealing directly to the gop base and getting a boatload of "earned" media coverage. bloomberg punted on the early states and is hoping to win big on super tuesday by blitzing the airwaves where he is polling 3rd or 4th in every state, and he's facing a headwind of negative oppo research that alienates the dem base. im not saying its impossible, its just come on...

i'm less concerned about potential the effect on the 2020 election than about the longer-term effect of the example bloomberg is setting to anyone who still believes that electoral democracy is a form of government worth pursuing.

I still haven't seen anybody actually endorse Mike Bloomberg besides Mike Bloomberg, @FuckJerry/@KaleSalad/etc, and Barbra Streisand apparently

― like, I’m eating an elephant head (katherine), Saturday, February 15, 2020 8:00 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-endorsements/democratic-primary/#MichaelBloomberg

If George W Bush is the Democratic nominee, will you vote for him in November