Dear Mayor Bloomberg, I would like to thank you for deciding to run for president. I know you are late to the game, but your decision is a welcome one.
To date, you have hired over 1,000 campaign workers and have spent approximately $125 million. Some people will say you have embarked on a fruitless effort and that there is little or no chance that you will succeed. I disagree.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, the Democratic Party was so distracted that by the time Hillary Clinton won the nomination it was too late for her to convey a winning message or dispel the doubts that her possible supporters had about her. The key to the success of Donald Trump was that the Republican Party had invested millions of dollars from the early stages and did a good job tearing apart her image.
All the declared Democratic presidential candidates are busy going from state to state trying to assemble pledged delegates.
For lack of a multi-million-dollar war chest, none of them is saturating the rest of the country with the advertisements talking about President Trump’s empty promises. But thanks to your ample funds and a great strategic plan, America is getting an early message about the danger of re-electing Mr. Trump.
Whoever I talk to whether they live in Arizona, South Carolina or Texas, is being inundated with Bloomberg ads talking about health care, gun background checks, small business needs as well as other hot button issues. You are laying out the case for why the voters should not give Mr. Trump another four years. Your campaign is the gift that keeps on giving for the Democratic Party.
Some wealthy people have from time to time spent a few million dollars to advocate for their pet project or for some preferred candidate. But no one in the history of this country has been willing to spend historic amounts of money to stand up for their beliefs about the dangers of a Trump re-election.
Many years ago, billionaire Ross Perot opened his wallet to try to win the presidential election as an independent candidate. He did get a few electoral votes, but his campaign fell flat.
Most political observers are firm in their belief that you can’t win the party nomination, but I see a different path for you that could surprise everyone.
Right now, Vice President Joe Biden is the national leader in the polls. He is doing well among key voting groups and he could make it all the way to the Democratic convention as the anointed candidate. But like everything in life, anything could happen and by June there may be no one person who looks like a sure winner.
On March 3, Super Tuesday, multiple states will be picking delegates and that’s where you are currently spending all of your money.
If you pick up a batch of delegates on that big day and keep amassing delegates in the remaining primaries, you could be a contender for the nomination. If your opponents run out of money by mid-May, you have the means to finish the job.
But let’s take a reality check. You have embarked upon a very challenging battle and face a lot of hurdles. There is no doubt that by June you may be far behind in the contest and will be forced to drop out.
But you have made it clear that you intend to spend as many dollars as it takes to defeat a Trump candidacy. You have pledged to stay in the fight for the long haul. This country owes you a debt of gratitude for taking on the fight of your life and standing up for your principals.
