Since US entrepreneur Michael "Mike" Bloomberg, 77, is being reinvigorated for a possible presidential bid in 2020, US media is having a little fun.
They show their viewers graphics in which the assets of Bloomberg compared with those of Donald Trump. The numbers are unflattering for the president. Trump "only" comes to just over $ 3 billion, Bloomberg's fairytale $ 52 billion.
The message of such comparisons is clear. Bloomberg is not only superior to Trump as a businessman, but could easily leave him behind in a duel for the presidency, is the subtext.
The graphics also show Bloomberg's biggest problem. As a billionaire rich in selling computer terminals to Wall Street bankers to earn even more money, he stands for a class that enjoys less and less sympathy, especially among Democratic supporters. The Democrats seem to be turning more and more to the left and whether the members of the party base would give their votes to anyone like Bloomberg in the primaries, at least, may be doubted.
Bloomberg himself has been holding back his ambitions so far. A decision as to whether he will really start the race, may be announced in the coming days, whisper his advisers. Other Auguren do not consider it impossible that he still pinches. Bloomberg, mayor of New York for twelve years, has often flirted in his career with a candidacy for the highest office in the state, but always canceled in the end. He is the big grinder in American politics.
Fear of a defeat of the Democrats
The fact that he is now considering a candidacy, has probably a lot to do with a woman: The rise of the party-left Elizabeth Warren in the field of democratic candidates Bloomberg apparently worried. Joe Biden, the candidate of the moderate wing of the party, seems frighteningly weak, it is said in the Bloomberg camp. It is to be feared that the party base of the Democrats could decide in the primaries actually for Warren, which would have then however against Trump with the actual choice no chance.
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So Bloomberg sees himself as a possible savior in need. Without question, his candidacy would have some advantages. He would probably be the only Democratic candidate who could easily trump Trump's bulging election campaign fund. Bloomberg would easily finance his candidacy from his own pocket. In addition, he could probably rely on the support of many other billionaires like Amazon boss Jeff Bezos. Bezos is said to have personally pushed Bloomberg to a candidacy, US media report. The two billionaires share a deep contempt for Trump.
Some of the powerful bankers on Wall Street who supported Hillary Clinton in the recent election are also likely to welcome a Bloomberg candidacy. Like him, they also see a possible candidacy of Warren with horror. But not only the fear of a Trump march is likely to play a role. Even a Warren victory in the actual election would be a threat to the billionaires. It plans to raise taxes significantly for America's super-rich and big companies. It also wants to regulate the banks more and smash quasi-monopolies of large corporations. Many bankers and CEOs can not like that.
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Meanwhile, even Bloomberg's opponents acknowledge that he is a smart mind. He is a philanthropist for favorite topics of many Democrats, for example, for climate protection or stricter gun laws. And he can talk rousingly. Unforgettable is an acclaimed appearance Bloombergs at the Congress of the Democrats in 2016, when he recalled the bankruptcy and billion debt of businessman Trump: "Trump wants to run the country as his own company? God forbid!" he called into the hall. "I am a New Yorker and I recognize a swindler when I see him."
In the Democrats strategists, meanwhile, speculated about how Bloomberg now even wants to enter the race at all. On February 3, just under three months ago, the primaries start in Iowa, followed a week later by the election in New Hampshire. Candidates like Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders have been in the ground for months at both bases to promote themselves. Bloomberg would almost start from scratch.
Is it already too late?
It is conceivable that he is following a different plan. Should Joe Biden falter against Warren in the first primaries, Bloomberg could get into "Super Tuesday" on March 3, when primaries will be held in 16 states, including California. A great success that day would automatically put him at the forefront of the field - and make his nomination as a Democrat candidate more likely.
It would be a Vabanque game. And Bloomberg's opponents in the party are already doing everything to scare off his appetite for the challenge as much as possible. Yes, they even hope to profit from a possible candidacy of the billionaire. So they want to mobilize their followers further. "We down here, against those up there," is the slogan.
Elizabeth Warren, referring to Bloomberg's fortune, is already asking for donations: "The rich are afraid," this was announced in an e-mail to supporters by their campaign team. "They are afraid they will lose their government support under President Warren."
Just below, Warren fans can transfer money by credit card. Donations are accepted from the amount of three dollars. If it helps.