With Joe Biden’s campaign flailing and socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders looking like a strong bet to take the Democratic nomination, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a multibillionaire, jumped into the contest late last year.
Although he had never run for office as a Democrat before, he brought with him three assets that party leaders could not overlook. First, he can fund his own campaign. Second, he can fund his own campaign. And third … wait, I bet you guessed it, I won’t say it.
Bloomberg almost immediately sank $400 million into various Super Tuesday states, hoping to take control of the race after the South Carolina primary.
Then he went on the debate stage and, as quick as you can say “fat broads and horse-faced lesbians,” his campaign was dead.
From that point on, it was clear that Democrats would have been fools to trust him with their nomination. And even though the night is still young, it already seems certain that they will not.
So what happens to his campaign now? Does his infinite supply of money carry him forward as a zombie candidate? Does he meekly drop out and disappear after spending so much? Or does he just take his lumps and drop out later tonight or tomorrow, announcing that he is confident in Joe Biden’s ability to stop Sanders?
Biden is back. Trump’s people are attacking him again for his senility, and Republicans are talking about investigating his ne’er-do-well son. Other candidates, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, and Tom Steyer, are even standing aside to give Biden a clean shot at Sanders. We might actually end up getting that Biden-Trump matchup that everybody was expecting.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg faces the very real possibility of having spent half a billion dollars (or more) in 11 weeks — for nothing. Sure, it’s just pocket change for a man whose net worth is $55 billion. But this might still be the most epic financial fail in campaign history.
If Bloomberg’s story doesn’t prove that money can’t buy elections, then I don’t know what ever will.
