Smart political analysis requires thinking outside the box. Mike Bloomberg is only polling around 14% nationally, as traditional media on both sides of the aisle see Biden, Buttigieg, Sanders or even Warren as the biggest threat to President Trump. However, Mike Bloomberg may actually turn out to be the biggest threat to the Trump re-election campaign and Republicans running for Congress. Conservatives may scoff at his money and campaign, but Bloomberg should be taken seriously.
Mike Bloomberg is politically savvy three-term mayor, and works in the shadows. Bloomberg is a big reason why Trump was impeached in the House; he spent $80 million in key House races in the 2018 midterms. Bloomberg’s PACs backed 24 House races and won 21 of them. These seats provided the Democrats the political clout to make impeachment happen in the House. Even if Bloomberg drops out of the nomination process early, he can use his capital to make winning and governing very difficult for the GOP.
Bloomberg is worth a staggering net $56 billion. To put this into context, there are 263 days till Election Day. If he used half of his net worth, he could spend $106 million EACH DAY to stop Donald Trump and the GOP. That equates to virtually unlimited TV, radio, YouTube and Google ad buys. Influencing House races as he did in 2018 (remember he only spent a total of $80 million and flipped 21 seats). He could tie the Trump campaign up in hundreds of frivolous lawsuits with expensive lawyers. Creativity is the only limit, and Bloomberg is creative.
Many wealthy candidates run and fail. What makes Bloomberg different? He builds networks of support long before he makes a political position. When running for mayor of New York City, he applied donations and contributions to key leaders within the community. From churches to non-profits, he was able to garner support from unlikely people to subtly influence his odds. As a result, all three of his campaigns were successful.
Michael Bloomberg still has a long shot chance at becoming the Democratic nominee, but he can cause far more issues beyond the surface level campaign.
