Rivals put Bloomberg in their crosshairs
Ex-mayor a likely target as Dems debate in Las Vegas
Michael Bloomberg can expect to be a target when he faces off against his Democratic presidential rivals for the first time in a debate tonight that strategists say is shaping up to be the first major test of his candidacy.
“My sense is he will be the target of several of the other candidates,” prominent New Hampshire Democratic strategist Jim Demers, a Joe Biden supporter, said of Bloomberg. “If he performs well, it’s going to add additional momentum to his candidacy. If he bombs, it could be disastrous for his candidacy.”
Bloomberg’s rise in the national polls — fueled by the more than $300 million the former New York City mayor has reportedly already spent on advertising — has increasingly drawn the ire of his Democratic foes.
Bloomberg qualified for the Las Vegas debate off a NPR-PBS News Hour-Marist poll Tuesday that showed him with 19% support nationally — second only to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who notched 31%. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted, “It’s a shame Mike Bloomberg can buy his way into the debate. But at least now primary voters curious about how each candidate will take on Donald Trump can get a live demonstration of how we each take on an egomaniac billionaire.”
Warren finished fourth in the poll with 12%, behind former Vice President Biden with 15%.
Both Warren and Sanders have repeatedly accused Bloomberg of trying to buy the election. Sanders has criticized Bloomberg for “racist policies like stop and frisk” while Warren has gone after the former mayor over his past comments on red-lining. Bloomberg hit back at Sanders by releasing a digital ad attacking the Vermont senator’s online supporters.
Biden and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar — both expected to be onstage Wednesday alongside Bloomberg, Sanders, Warren and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg — have also piled on.
“I don’t think you should be able to hide behind airwaves and huge ad buys,” Klobuchar told CNN’s “State of the Union” over the weekend. “I know I’m not going to be able to beat him on the airwaves, but I can beat him on the debate stage.”
The contention surrounding Bloomberg — who is skipping the first four nominating contests in favor of the Super Tuesday states — could result in “the most negative of the debates” thus far, said Philadelphia-based Democratic strategist Neil Oxman.
“It’s going to be prodding Bloomberg and seeing if they should keep prodding him,” Oxman said.