>>> MIKE BLOOMBERG STARTED AS A MIDDLE CLASS KID WHO HAD TO WORK
HIS WAY THROUGH COLLEGE, THEN
BUILT A BUSINESS FROM A SINGLE
ROOM TO A GLOBAL ENTITY CREATING
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF GOOD-PAYING
JOBS ALONG THE WAY.
HE COULD HAVE STOPPED THERE.
BUT WHEN NEW YORK SUFFERED THE
TERRIBLE STRATEGY DID I OF 9/11,
HE TOOK CHARGE BECOMING A
THREE-TERM MAYOR WHO BROUGHT A
CITY BACK FROM THE ASHES.
NOW, HE SEES A DIFFERENT KIND OF
MENACE COMING FROM WASHINGTON,
SO THERE’S NO STOPPING HERE.
BECAUSE THERE’S AN AMERICA
WAITING TO BE REBUILT.
MIKE BLOOMBERG FOR PRESIDENT.
JOBS CREATOR, LEADER, PROBLEM
SOLVER.
SOLVER. IT’S GOING TO TAKE ALL THREE TO
BUILD BACK A COUNTRY.
>> FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG AS YOU JUST
SAW THERE HAS OFFICIALLY ENTERED
THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL RACE.
HE ALSO MADE A $31 AD BUY FOR
TELEVISION COMMERCIALS WHICH
DWARVES THE ENTIRE ADVERTISING
BUDGETS OF RIVAL CAMPAIGNS.
HERE’S HOW SHF SOME OF THE OTHER
CANDIDATES REACTED TO MAYOR
BLOOMBERG GETTING IN THE RACE.
>> WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT
BILLIONAIRES HAVE THE RIGHT TO
BUY ELECTIONS.
BUY ELECTIONS. THAT IS WHY MULTI BILLIONAIRES
LIKE MR. BLOOMBERG ARE NOT GOING
TO GET VERY FAR IN THIS
ELECTION.
ELECTION. >> ELECTIONS SHOULD NOT BE FOR
SALE.
SALE. NOT TO BILLIONAIRES, NOT TO
CORPORATE EXECUTIVES.
CORPORATE EXECUTIVES. WE NEED TO BUILD A GRASS-ROOTS
MOVEMENT, THAT’S HOW DEMOCRACY
IS SUPPOSED TO WORK.
>> MONEY WILL NOT WIN THIS
ELECTION.
ELECTION. CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE WILL.
>> YOU KNOW, LISTEN, WE GOT TO
GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS.
LET ME JUST BE HONEST WITH YOU.
I MEAN, I GOT TO RAISE A TON OF
MONEY TO BE COMPETITIVE AND, YOU
KNOW, THERE’S SOME PEOPLE THAT
STARTED THIS RACE WITH
$10 MILLION.
$10 MILLION. >> SO, ADRIENNE, MAYOR BLOOMBERG
$31 MILLION OUT OF THE GATE.
OTHER CAMPAIGNS EYES POPPED AND
SAID $31 MILLION TO SPEND.
HE’S SKIPPING AHEAD.
HE’S NOT GOING TO PLAY IN IOWA
OR NEW HAMPSHIRE.
HE’S GOING RIGHT AT IT IN SUPER
TUESDAY.
TUESDAY. WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DOES MIKE
BLOOMBERG WHO IS POLLING AT 1%
OR 2%, WHAT DOES HE TO DO TO
THIS RACE?
THIS RACE? >> THAT’S LEFT TO BE SEEN.
HE’S RUNNING FIRST OF ALL
COMPLETELY UNCONVENTIONAL
COMPLETELY UNCONVENTIONAL CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. HE’S NOT PLAYING IN THE FIRST
FOUR STATES.
FOUR STATES. HE’S PLAYING COMPLETELY ON SUPER
TUESDAY.
TUESDAY. HE’S NOT GOING TO BE ON THE
DEBATE STAGE BECAUSE HE’S NOT
TAKING DONATIONS.
TAKING DONATIONS. GOING FORWARD THEY’LL TAKE MAKE
SURE THAT THE DONOR THRESHOLD
CONTINUES TO INCREASE SO IT
BECOMES MORE OF A CHALLENGE TO
GET ON THAT DEBATE STAGE.
IS WE HAVE TO ASSUME THAT’S NOT
GOING TO BE PART OF HIS PLAN.
BUT HE’S GOT UNLIMITED AMOUNTS
OF MONEY.
OF MONEY. QUESTION BECOMES, HOW DOES THAT
PLAY?
PLAY? CAN HE OVERCOME THE STEREOTYPE
THAT SOME -- THE CANDIDATES AND
VOTERS ARE ALREADY SAYING, WHICH
IS THIS GUY’S TRYING TO BUY HIS
WAY INTO THE RACE?
WHAT IS THE CASE THAT HE’S GOING
TO MAKE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?
WHY SHOULD I BE PRESIDENT OTHER
THAN THESE 17 PEOPLE WHO HAVE
BEEN RUNNING REALLY SINCE THE
SPRING, IF NOT BEFORE?
SO THAT’S WHAT’S GOING TO BE
FASCINATING TO SEE, IS CAN HE
ACTUALLY OVERCOME THE STEREOTYPE
ABOUT HAVING THIS BILLIONAIRE
FROM NEW YORK, NOW HE, TRYINGYOU
HIS WAY INTO THE ELECTION.
HE’S A VERY SUCCESSFUL TENURED
POST MAYOR.
POST MAYOR. HE’S USED HIS PHILANTHROPY IN A
POSITIVE WAY, GUN CONTROL,
CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES.
I ASSUME HE’LL BE RUNNING ON
THAT PLATFORM.
THAT PLATFORM. HE’S GOT A STRONG TEAM BEHIND
HIM, SOME OF THE BEST DEMOCRATIC
STRATEGISTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE
PARTY.
PARTY. I’M CONFIDENT THAT THEY HAVE A
PLAN GOING FORWARD THAT IS BASED
ON ANALYTICS, POLLING DATA, THAT
IS BASED ON A NUMBER OF REASONS
THAT MAKE THEM THINK THERE’S A
PATH TO HIM WINNING THIS
PRIMARY.
PRIMARY. >> THE CASE FOR MAYOR BLOOMBERG
IS COMPETENCE.
IS COMPETENCE. AND WHAT HE’S SAYING IS I’M
ACTUALLY THE GUY PRESIDENT TRUMP
PREENDED IT HE
PRE
PRE PRETENDED HE WAS.
NOT BEHOLDEN TO ANYBODY BECAUSE
OF ALL THE MONEY I HAVE, ET
CETERA, ET CETERA.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF
DEMOCRATS, AS YOU KNOW, WHO ARE
SAYING THAT’S GREAT, WE COULD
USE ALL THAT MONEY YOU HAVE, BUT
YOU DON’T HAVE TO GET IN THE
RACE.
RACE. GO AFTER THE PRESIDENT FROM THE
OUTSIDE, BUT DON’T TAKE FROM THE
OTHERS.
OTHERS. >> I THINK THAT IS EXACTLY
RIGHT.
RIGHT. THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE SAYING.
I THINK WHAT HE’S SAYING,
THOUGH, IS THAT HE THINKS THAT,
IN MY OPINION, THAT THERE’S
GOING TO BE NO CLEAR WINNER
AFTER THE FIRST FEW EARLY
PRIMARIES AND THEREFORE HE CAN
COME IN AND SORT OF LIKE THE
GROWNUP HAS SHOWN UP NOW AND
LET’S PUT THIS TOGETHER AND
DEFEAT DONALD TRUMP.
AND IF, IN FACT, YOU HAVE ONE
WINNER IN IOWA, ANOTHER IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE, ANOTHER IN SOUTH
CAROLINA AND NEVADA, THEN HE
FEELS CAN HE COME IN AND
DOMINATE AND SHOW THAT HE HAS A
CLEAR SHOT AND THAT HE IS ENOUGH
OF A CENTRIST TO WHERE HE CAN DO
THAT.
THAT. EVEN IN NEW YORK WHERE HE AND I
TUS WILL A
TUSSLED A LOT, WE COULD WORK ON
CERTAIN AREAS.
CERTAIN AREAS. I CERTAINLY OPPOSED THE STOP AND
FRISK, AND FINALLY SAW HIM ADMIT
13 YEARS LATER WE WERE RIGHT.
BUT I NEVER FORGET HE AND I MET
WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA AND
PRESIDENT OBAMA ASKED HIM AND I
AND NEWT GINGRICH TO TOUR THE
COUNTRY ABOUT EDUCATION.
AND BLOOMBERG PUT UP THE MONEY
FOR THE TOUR, PUT UP THE FUNDS
TO LOOK INTO THIS.
SO HE WORKS IN A WAY THAT IS NOT
GOING TO BE AS EASILY TARGETED
AS THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT,
PARTICULARLY WITH RIGHT VOTERS.
BECAUSE THE RIGHT HAS NEVER BEEN
RIGHT WITH BLACKS AND THE LEFT
HAS LEFT US OUT.
SO WE’RE OPEN TO AN ARGUMENT
THAT MAKES SENSE.
I DON’T KNOW THAT BLOOMBERG IS
THAT ARGUMENT, BUT I DON’T THINK
PEOPLE OUGHT TO JUST SAY THAT
SOUTH CAROLINA BLACKS OR ANY
OTHER BLACKS ARE GOING TO GO
LOCKSTEP WHEN ALL SIDES HAVE
REALLY ABANDON A LOT OF THE
INTERESTS THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS
CONCERNED ABOUT.
CONCERNED ABOUT. >> DAVID, UNLIMITED MONEY IS THE
WILDCARD HERE.
WILDCARD HERE. CAN HE DO WHATEVER HE WANTS.
HE’S WORTH $52 BILLION, SO THE
BANK ACCOUNT IS WIDE OPEN FOR
THIS RACE.
THIS RACE. BEYOND THAT, WHAT IS THE LANE
FOR THE 77-YEAR-OLD NEW YORK
BILLIONAIRE IN THIS RACE?
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. FOR EVERYBODY THAT IS LAMENTING
THE CRASH AND BURN OF THE HOWARD
SCHULTZ CAMPAIGN, WE NOW HAVE
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG WHO IS RUNNING
AS A CENTER LEFT INDEPENDENT
EVEN THOUGH HE’S RUNNING IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. I THINK IN THE DEMOCRATIC
PRIMARY THERE IS A MARKET FOR
SOMEBODY WHO IS CENTER LEFT
LIBERAL AND NOT FAR LEFT
PROGRESSIVE.
PROGRESSIVE. AND SO IT’S NOT LIKE THERE’S NO
CALLING FOR THAT.
I THINK THE QUESTION FOR
BLOOMBERG IS, ONE, CAN YOU EVEN
THOUGH WE’VE THROWN OUT
CONVENTION SO MANY TIMES, CAN
YOU WIN A PRIMARY, DEMOCRATIC OR
REPUBLICAN, BY IGNORING THE
EARLY STATES?
EARLY STATES? WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST
THAT YOU CAN SHOW UP ON SUPER
TUESDAY, NO MATTER HOW MUCH
MONEY YOU HAVE, AND GAIN
MOMENTUM AND ATH NATION OFIMAGIN
PARTY.
PARTY. YOU HE SHOSHOW UP ON SUPER TUESD
PEOPLE HAVE FORMED OPINIONS.
AND I THINK HE’LL MAKE AN
ELECTABILITY ARGUMENT, WHETHER
HE SAYS IT OUTRIGHT OR NOT.
BUT YOU HAVE TO ASK AS A MATTER
OF CULTURAL POLITICS, NOT
ECONOMIC POLICY OR SECURITY
POLICY, BUT ON GUNS, ISSUES LIKE
MARRIAGE, ISSUES LIKE ABORTION,
CAN HE COMPETE WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP IN THE RIGHT STATES WITH
THE RIGHT VOTERS ENOUGH TO EAT
INTO HIS MARGINS, PARTICULARLY
WITH WHITE WORKING CLASS VOTERS
SO THAT HE CAN DO DAMAGE IN
WISCONSIN, IN MICHIGAN, IN
PENNSYLVANIA?
PENNSYLVANIA? AND THE DEMOCRATS, AS WELL AS
THEY HAVE BEEN DOING, HAVE A LOT
OF TROUBLE RIGHT NOW IN WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA, IN WISCONSIN AS WE
SAW WITH THE NEW POLL, AND EVEN
MICHIGAN.
MICHIGAN. AND DON’T FORGET FLORIDA.
IF HE CANNOT MAKE THAT ARGUMENT
SUCCESSFULLY, THEN YOU HAVE TO
ASK OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT HE
WOULD BE A COMPETENT LEADER FROM
A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE, WHAT IS
THE ARGUMENT FOR BLOOMBERG?
>> YOU KNOW, SUSAN PAGE, THE
ARGUMENT FOR BLOOMBERG MIGHT LIE
IN ONE PARAGRAPH IN HIS
ANNOUNCEMENT STATEMENT, AND IT’S
SIMILAR TO WHAT THE FORMER VICE
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS BEEN
SAYING OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
WHEN BLOOMBERG SAID IN THE
STATEMENT THAT IF DONALD TRUMP
IS RE-ELECTED, WE MIGHT NEVER BE
ABLE TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE THAT
HE’S ALREADY DUP.
AND IF YOU GO OUT THERE
ANECDOTALLY WHAT YOU PICK UP,
I’M SORRY TO UPSET PEOPLE AT
HOME, IMPEACHMENT ISN’T THE
ISSUE.
ISSUE. BASICALLY THE ISSUE THAT IS
DRIVING THIS THING RIGHT NOW IN
THE MIDDLE STAGES OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN SEEMS TO
BE, HEY, FIX THE ROADS, WOULD
YA, FOR GOD SAKES DO SOMETHING
ABOUT HEALTH CARE.
DO SOMETHING ABOUT PRESCRIPTION
DRUG COSTS.
DRUG COSTS. SO WHERE DO YOU THINK MIKE
BLOOMBERG STANDS IN THAT PARADE
OF CANDIDATES EVEN WITH ALL OF
HIS MONEY IN TERMS OF, HEY, FIX
THE ROADS?
THE ROADS? >> SO MAYBE AMERICA’S LOOKING
FOR A MAYOR, YOU’RE SAYING.
SOMEBODY WHO DEALS WITH THE
PROBLEMS IN THEIR DAILY LIVES
AND CERTAINLY THERE’S SOME
HISTORY IS THERE.
I DO THINK THAT BLOOKMBERG IS
DOING SOMETHING NO ONE’S DONE.
GIULIANI TRIED TO DO IT, JERRY
BROWN TRIED TO DO IT AFTER THE
EARLY CONTESTS AND GET SOME
MOMENTUM TOWARD MAYBE A BROKERED
CONVENTION.
CONVENTION. I’M 100% IN FAVOR OF A BROKERED
CONVENTION BECAUSE I THINK THAT
WOULD BE FUN TO COVER.
BLOOMBERG HAS $31 MILLION THIS
WEEK, $31 MILLION NEXT WEEK,
$31 MILLION THE WEEK AFTER THAT
OR ADS.
OR ADS. BUT WHAT DO DEMOCRATIC VOTERS
WANT IN A PRESIDENTIAL CANNED
ZMAT THAT’S NOT IDEOLOGICAL,
IT’S AN ABILITY TO DEFEAT DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. IF HE MANAGES TO DO WHAT YOU
JUST SUGGESTED.
JUST SUGGESTED. IF HE MANAGES TO SAY TO
AMERICANS I’M THE CANDIDATE WHO
CAN DEFEAT DONALD TRUMP AT A
TIME WHEN THERE’S SOME
NERVOUSNESS ABOUT JOE BIDEN’S
STRENGTH AS A CANDIDATE, THERE’S
NERVOUSNESS ABOUT ELIZABETH
WARREN AND WHETHER SHE IS TOO
FAR LEFT FOR AMERICA, THAT IS
THE RATHER NARROW LANE THAT I
THINK MIKE BLOOMBERG IS TRYING
TO DRIVE DOWN.
>> THERE ALL VAD MAYOR IN THE
RACE, BUT HE’S THE MAYOR OF A
CITY IN INDIANA, NOT THE MAYOR
OF NEW YORK.
WE’VE SEEN 2015/2016, THIS IS A
NEW TWIST TO THIS ONE.
WE’VE NEVER SEEN A CANDIDATE
COME IN THIS LATE WITH ANY
SUCCESS AND CERTAINLY WE’VE
NEVER SEEN IT’S THE MONEY.
IT CAN’T OVERSTATED.
IT’S $31 MILLION DROPPING TODAY
IN THIS WEEK AND IT’S GOING TO
BE AN ONSLAUGHT.
HE’S A BILLIONAIRE.
BLOOMBERG COULD DRAWF WHAT HE
DID.
DID. AND WE’LL HAVE TO SEE IF IT’S
WALL-TO-WALL COVERAGE,
WALL-TO-WALL COVERAGE, DIMINISHING RETURNS, DO PEOPLE
TUNE OUT THE ADS.
AND CAN YOU RUN A PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN SIMPLY BY ADVERTISE
SOMETHING BLOOMBERG IS NOT GOOD
ON ONE ON ONE RETAIL
INTERACTIONS.
INTERACTIONS. NEITHER WAS DONALD TRUMP.
BUT TRUMP WAS OUT THERE NIGHT
AFTER NIGHT WITH THE RALLIES AND
FOLKS GOT TO KNOW HIM THROUGH
THE RALLIES.
THE RALLIES. BLOOMBERG WILL HAVE BE OUT THERE
IN SOME WAY FOR VOTERS TO KNOW
HIM AND TRUST HIM.
BUT IF ANYONE CAN DO IT WITH HIS
MONEY, IT’S HIM.
>> AS SOMEONE WHO RAN AGAINST
BERNIE SANDERS LAST TIME, HOW DO
YOU THINK BERNIE SANDERS AND
ELIZABETH WARREN ARE FEELING
ABOUT MIKE BLOOMBERG GETTING
INTO THE RACING A HERE’S ANOTHER
BILLIONAIRE WHO WANTS TO SPEND
ALL HIS MONEY AND SPEND ALL HIS
MONEY.
MONEY. IS THIS WHAT WE’RE RUNNING
AGAINST, THEY’LL SAY.
>> I THINK THEY’RE ENJOYING IT
BECAUSE THEY’LL GET THE CASE AS
TO WHY THEY’RE RUNNING.
WE ARE TRYING TO GET BIG MONEY
OUT OF POLITICS AND WE’RE TRYING
TO FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE.
THE TWO OF THOSE CANDIDATES IN
PARTICULAR HAVE RAISED A LOT OF
MONEY, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF
MONEY FROM SMALL GRASSROOTS
DONORS.
DONORS. SO THEY GET TO GO OUT THERE AND
SAY NOT OTHER WE RAISING MONEY
FROM A SMALL ARMY OF -- SMALL --
IN SMALL DONOR AMOUNTS, BUT
WE’RE ALSO ABLE TO BUILD THIS
ARMY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO
SUPPORT US AND SUSTAIN US
THROUGHOUT THIS CAMPAIGN.
WHEREAS MICHAEL BLOOMBERG TO ISI
TAKING DONATIONS FROM ANYBODY
AND HE’S USING HIS OWN MONEY TO
BUY THIS ELECTION.
IT’S KIND OF PLAYING RIGHT INTO
THEIR HANDS.
THEIR HANDS. BUT WHAT DO THE VOTERS WANT?
DO THEY CARE ABOUT IS THAT?
THAT’S LEFT TO BE SEEN.
>> REV.
>> REV. >> I THINK WE SHOULD NOT IGNORE
DEVAL PATRICK THAT COULD MAKE AN
IMPACT IN THIS SENSE.
IF THE IOWA GOES EITHER WAY,
WHEN YOU GET TO NEW HAMPSHIRE,
YOU ARE LOOKING AT HIS BACKYARD
WHERE HE WAS GOVERNOR AS
ELIZABETH WARREN WAS SENATOR.
IF DEVAL PATRICK COMES IN IN THE
TOP THREE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, IT
CHANGES THE RACE GOING INTO
SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE YOU HAVE A
FORMER BLACK GOVERNOR WHO PROVES
SOME ELECTABILITY IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE.
HAMPSHIRE. SO AS MUCH AS I AGREE THAT LIZ
WARREN AND BERNIE SANDERS MAY BE
HAPPY TO SEE A BLOOMBERG COME IN
BECAUSE IT GIVES THEM A GOOD
PUNCHING BAG, THEY’VE GOT TO BE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEVAL
PATRICK IMPACT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
THAT COULD UPSET BOTH OF THEIR
GAMES GOING FORWARD.
THAT, IF I WERE THEM, I’D BE UP
AT NIGHT LOOKING AT PATRICK MORE
THAN I WOULD BE CELEBRATING
BLOOMBERG AS MY PUNCHING BAG.
>> PATRICK STILL HAS A BIG CLIMB
TO GET UP THERE.
>>> COMING UP, JOHN BOLTON IS
BACK ON TWITTER CLAIMING THE
WHITE HOUSE LOCKED HIM OUT OF
HIS ACCOUNT.
HIS ACCOUNT. THE WHITE HOUSE HITTING BACK
SAYING BOLTON’S, QUOTE, ADVANCED
AGE MAY BE TO BLAME.
"MORNING JOE’S" BACK IN A
MOMENT.
MOMENT. TO BLAME. "MORNING JOE’S" BACK IN A
MOMENT.