After dropping an estimated $700 million into his campaign, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called it a day on Wednesday morning: “I’ve always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it. After yesterday’s vote, it is clear that candidate is my friend and a great American, Joe Biden.”
Bloomberg expanded, “I’ve known Joe for a very long time. I know his decency, his honesty, and his commitment to the issues that are so important to our country — including gun safety, health care, climate change, and good jobs.”
Biden’s campaign came back from the dead on Super Tuesday, enjoying wins in 10 of the 14 states holding primaries, and slated to pick up more from California when all the mail-in ballots are counted. As MSNBC’s Joy Reid tweeted, “Biden is having about as good a night as it’s possible to have imagined.”
Clark Mindock, writing for the Independent, closed the chapter on Bloomberg’s astonishing investment that showed so few returns: “Apparently you can’t use a virtually limitless fortune to just buy up advertisements during the Super Bowl, field offices across the country, catered rallies and endorsements from local leaders whose causes you’ve underwritten, and then expect it to turn into wins.”
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The president anticipated Bloomberg’s move late Tuesday night, tweeting, “The biggest loser tonight, by far, is Mini Mike Bloomberg. His ‘political’ consultants took him for a ride. $700 million washed down the drain, and he got nothing for it but the nickname Mini Mike, and the complete destruction of his reputation. Way to go Mike!”
Biden now leads Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders 511 delegates to 459 as of this writing, heading into the next six contests leading to Milwaukee in July. If Biden captures 1,991 delegates on the first ballot in July, he’ll face the president in the general election. If it goes to a second ballot, 771 superdelegates will then be allowed to vote, requiring Biden to receive a total 2,376 delegates for the nomination.
The chances that Biden will need a second ballot to secure that nomination declined slightly from Monday. FiveThirtyEight, the polling analysis website, reported on Monday that there were three chances in five (61 percent) that “no one” would win on the first ballot, down from 65 percent a day earlier. Its forecast is currently “frozen” until the final tally comes in from California.
With Biden’s resurgence, all attention will be focused on the final stretch, where the balance of the 3,980 delegates will be determined.
The contest now is focused on two old white men, both socialists, and neither offering any experience in the real world outside the world of politics. Among those closely watching the contest no doubt is the president, licking his lips over the chance to confront the Democrat finalist in the general election leading up to the November 3 day of reckoning.
Photo: AP Images
An Ivy League graduate and former investment advisor, Bob is a regular contributor to The New American, writing primarily on economics and politics. He can be reached at [email protected].
