Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
That’s how Democratic voters have to be feeling as late, as forces from deep within their party seem hellbent on exerting their will over the 2020 election, similarly to how they steered the ship in 2016’s infamous race.
In that previous contest, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was found to have colluded with the DNC in order to “rig” the primaries against Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. This, in turn, drove Sanders’ supporters away from the Democratic Party, opening the door for Donald Trump to waltz through.
Now, in 2020, there are some similar motifs at play. Bernie Sanders is once again feeling the heat from the party, but he’s not the only one.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is caught up in the Democrats’ civil war as well, being accused of trying to buy the primary election.
With the Nevada caucuses less than a week away, Democratic presidential candidates campaigning Sunday were fixated on a rival who wasn’t contesting the state.
Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg all targeted billionaire Mike Bloomberg, accusing him of buying his way into the election and making clear they were eager to take him on in a debate.
“He thinks he can buy this election,” Sanders said of the former New York mayor at a rally in Carson City, Nevada. “Well, I’ve got news for Mr. Bloomberg — the American people are sick and tired of billionaires buying elections!”
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a 2020 Democratic candidate on the rise after a strong showing in New Hampshire, chimed in as well.
Klobuchar, speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” accused Bloomberg of avoiding scrutiny by blanketing the airwaves and sidestepping debates or tough televised interviews.
“I think he cannot hide behind the airwaves and the money,” she said. “I think he has to come on the shows. And I personally think he should be on the debate stage.”
Bloomberg’s independent wealth has him between a rock and a hard place.
On one hand, Bloomberg’s personal value allows him to purchase whatever advertising space or time he’d like, opening him up for accusations like the ones mentioned.
On the other hand, however, the billionaire’s vast fortune would allow for a more believable economic debate against the capitalist-incarnate in Donald Trump.
