This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis.
Former New York City mayor, ninth-richest person in the world, and candidate for president Michael Bloomberg has been rising in the polls in recent weeks and just recently qualified for his first debate of the primary season. As the candidate with a net worth of $61.7 billion takes his agenda to the national stage today, viewers may be surprised to hear him assert that addressing inequality is one of his top priorities. While Bloomberg gets some important points right about tackling inequality, there are some very important things that he either misses or doesn’t address when it comes to this critical issue.
If he were serious about inequality and helping people on the bottom half of the income range, he wouldn’t have treated Occupy like they were Al Quaeda. Suddenly he’s the champion of the people. Sure.
“It’s a good thing that Bloomberg wants to make fixing inequality a top priority. But it would be a strange quirk of history if the only way to address extreme inequality is by relying on one of its most famous beneficiaries.”
Any port in a storm. What the hell does it matter Bloomberg is a billionaire if he wins and his policies close the inequality gap?
Imagine being so gullible you believe Bloomberg wants to close the inequality gap. He’s spent his entire professional career defending and endorsing income inequality. When candidates show up who really want to fight inequality, he bankrolls their opponents. Ask Warren. He bankrolled Brown against her in 2012. This isn’t even the distant past. This is the era where he wants all the credit for pointing things out to Obama after Sandy hit and for ‘reducing’ stop and frisk (when in reality he lost in court and threw a hissy fit saying blood would be on the judge’s hands). Hell, he’s only running now to make sure Bernie or Warren don’t get the nomination and actually make his buddies pay taxes.
I don’t know about you but I am pretty leery of any billionaire who claims he wants to make it tougher for billionaires especially a billionaire who is big into marketing and media.
Michael Bloomberg wants to reduce inequality by cutting Social Security and Medicare, i.e., “shared sacrifice.” Taking him even remotely seriously on this issue requires a level of gullibility that I cannot fathom.
ETA: “If Donald Trump Is Serious About the Rule of Law, He Should Add These Principles to His Platform.”
We need to stop the damage being done to Rule and Law in this country. I don’t care who runs against him in this crop - even Bloomberg. Don’t fall for this purity test. Trump is too damaging to take any other stance.
Just because Bloomberg mouthed the words “income inequality”? Folks have so given up on nominating a Democrat that they wishfully attribute policies they like to a republican. Sad.
You actually expect the man who compared the teachers’ union to the NRA to strengthen unions?
Imagine making this argument about A Wet Fart. I mean, I would vote for A Wet Fart over Trump (not that there is any meaningful distinction there). But it’s still A Wet Fart.
Who said anything about a purity test? All of the top Democratic nominees poll very well against Trump. Bloomberg doesn’t poll any better than Sanders.
I want a candidate who can win and who will change the direction of our country. .
