BLOOMBERG statement: “Three months ago, I entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump. Today, I am leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump – because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult."— J U A N A (@jmsummers) March 4, 2020
Michael Bloomberg tried to buy his way into the Democratic primaries because everybody said it could be done, it was just that nobody had ever tried to do it.
I remember back to the famous GOP convention in Houston, where Pat Buchanan (who? Ask yer grandpa, punks! Git offa mah lawn!) gave the speech Molly Ivins famously said sounded better in the original German. John Connelly ran in that year, for the GOP nomination. He was an old GOP hand, who had switched parties early because of LBJ's Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. Connelly saw before many that the South was going for the GOP, and he wanted to be part of it. He was also very well connected with the monied interests (even in those days, before we had ATM's to have the metaphor, Texas was a political ATM, especially as right wing oil men and bidness men saw 'socialism' comin' to get 'em. Never forget LBJ started Medicare and Medicaid, too.) Anyway, Connelly had more money than God that year, and he rolled into the convention with his money...and one delegate.
I learned then and there that money can't buy you a nomination.
Joe Biden last night won in states where, NPR was telling me this morning, he didn't spend any money. Now clearly money matters in politics: Biden was on the ropes after three primary fails, and the money he needed only started pouring in after South Carolina. Almost every other candidate (save Steyers and Bloomberg) dropped out because the money was drying up. But money can't buy you love, and it can't buy you victory in an election. Bloomberg bought his way onto state ballots in 14 states; but he got no further than that.
Money isn't everything; and it isn't the only thing. I'd still like to see Bloomberg finance ads against Donald Trump and for the Democratic Party nominee, because that will help. But it's a little encouraging to learn again that politics is not the province solely of the person with the deepest pockets; despite what Bernie Sanders says.
.@realDonaldTrump— Philippe Reines (@PhilippeReines) March 4, 2020
Don’t you worry little man, he’s got $62.3 billion left.
And it’s coming for you. https://t.co/xWD4lylNRq
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