Apparently it's not illegal for Tom Steyer to "buy" endorsements, but it sure looks shady,dirty,wrong from where I'm sitting.
https://twitter.com/AP_Politics/status/1192495269981687808 …
Posted on 12/15/2019 11:48:35 AM PST by jazusamo
Forget grassroots movements. Two Democratic billionaires are currently trying to purchase the Democratic nomination for president. Billionaires Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg have already thrown millions around in their efforts to win the Democratic presidential nomination.
Michael Bloomberg has used his philanthropic foundation to mask the candidate's purchase of political influence. The New York Times recently reported on how Bloomberg's foundation is strategically giving millions to certain cities across the country, and now the mayors of those cities are beginning to line up to endorse Bloomberg for president.
(Via The New York Times)
Bloomberg Philanthropies, which has assets totaling $9 billion, has supported 196 different cities with grants, technical assistance and education programs worth a combined $350 million. Now, leaders in some of those cities are forming the spine of Mr. Bloomberg’s campaign: He has been endorsed so far by eight mayors — from larger cities like San Jose, Calif., and Louisville, Ky., and smaller ones like Gary, Ind., representing a total of more than 2.6 million Americans. For all of those endorsers, Mr. Bloomberg has been an important benefactor.
The Times' report began with the mayor of Stockton, California who recently endorsed Michael Bloomberg for president. Stockton's liberal mayor, 29-year-old Michael Tubbs, is the first black mayor of the city. Tubbs just so happens to have graduated from a mayoral training program funded by Michael Bloomberg and attended a conference in Paris in 2017 that was co-sponsored by the billionaire. An education reform group based in Stockton received a $500,000 donation from Bloomberg's foundation this past June. Tubbs called Michael Bloomberg the candidate with "the record, relationships, and resources to win."
A top aide for the Steyer campaign was reportedly offering money to local politicians in Iowa in exchange for political endorsements. The campaign's outright purchase of political endorsements is not a violation of campaign finance laws, so long as the expenses are properly disclosed to the Federal Election Commission. It may be legal, but something about it just looks shady to people.
Apparently it's not illegal for Tom Steyer to "buy" endorsements, but it sure looks shady,dirty,wrong from where I'm sitting.
Tom Steyer is currently leading his fellow Democratic candidates on digital ad buys, but Bloomberg is quickly catching up. It was reported in November that Michael Bloomberg is planning to spend $15 million to $20 million on a voter registration drive in five battleground states in an effort to undermine President Trump's bid for reelection. That's on top of the $100 million Bloomberg plans on spending in online campaign ads attacking President Trump in four battleground states.
It should be noted that when Bloomberg News recently barred its reporters from reporting on Michael Bloomberg and the other Democratic candidates, Bloomberg News also told its reporters they would not be able to investigate Bloomberg's foundation.
It's still an early race, but so far the astroturf doesn't appear to be fooling anybody. Real Clear Politics' average of the polls currently shows Bloomberg with little over five percent support nationwide and Tom Steyer with just over one-and-a-half percent.
Bloomberg is looking to purchase the election but not necessarily for himself. He can spend his dedicated campaign money pretty much as he desires and can direct it to actually support who he desires so long as there is some pretense that it is for his own campaigning. He has spent a LOT of money loading up the crucial Secretaries of State in the states and other things not to his own benefit and might easily push his own choice this way.
“and smaller ones like Gary, Ind”
OH, NOS, MR. BILL! NOT GARY, INDIANA ...
Thanks, that’s a reasonable explanation for Bloomies big spending on an election he’s got little if no chance of winning.
Both of them are running ads like crazy on Boston TV. Of course Massachusetts isn’t a battleground state but New Hampshire is and much of the state watches Boston stations
I think Bloomberg is there to take a bite out of Biden’s support with white voters. In doing that, the field greatly levels out, leaving a wide open door for Maurice Cheeks to make her return and take another shot at Trump.
Let’s Wrap This FReepathon Up, Folks…Donate Today!
Those two a-holes are blanketed TV up here in Wisconsin. They are going after older folk programs to air their ads like NCIS Survivor and Wheel of Fortune. makes me happy knowing they’re wasting their money.
Yup,the Rats took WI (and a few other states) for granted in ‘16 and paid the price. They won’t make the same mistake next year Stand by for the Rat nominee to be on your TV 24/7 starting the day after their convention ends. Same here in Boston...the ads directed at New Hampshire voters,living and dead. ;-)
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