Michael Bloomberg, a dark horse candidate, is the best shot we have at a less divided country
by Sibyl Chen
January 18, 2020
It seems like a distant memory now. On November 8, 2016, I stood with some 200 people in a crowded bar in San Francisco. A few of us had organized an election night party for a group of civically minded and politically engaged friends. One of the lead organizers thought he was being clever when he called the event, “Champagne or Cyanide? It’s Election Night.” Lots of people showed up dressed to the nines as if it was a New Year’s Eve party and anticipating that we were going to be celebrating Hilary Clinton’s win that night. Of course, the evening ended in a very unexpected and different way.
The morning following the 2016 election night, everyone in my department at work except for the boss emailed to say they were sick and unable to come to work. I was the only one that had the nerve to call it out for what it was, we were all beyond depressed. I remember feeling like someone had died. I was devastated. Commiserating with friends for weeks following, we were in a stupor of complete disbelief. We wondered what would happen next…
We wondered and now we know. Since stepping into the White House, Trump has shot himself multiple times in the foot. He’s like the belligerent drunk guy at a party who stumbles all over the place and can’t walk a straight line to save his life, but then loudly proclaims that his missteps are entirely intentional and planned. Every day since Trump has been president of the United States, Americans have cringed listening to the news wondering what is going to happen next. The unsettling uncertainty resulting from his incendiary and brash decisions is a reminder that at the end of the day, Trump is a modern day Machiavellian politician who in my own opinion has caused far more damage to this country than good.
I’m not saying anything new. We are all sick of this guy. Democrats are dying to get him out of the White House and Republicans are secretly embarrassed this is the man that represents their interests. So whatever your politics, here is what I propose: if we are going to our country back on track, let it be the person who can build a bridge because greatness comes from collaboration and we have become far too divided as a country.
The only candidate that I have great faith in right now to build a bridge for our divided country is the dark horse candidate: Michael Bloomberg. Michael Bloomberg is late to the party, but it’s only taken him a few weeks to catch up in the polls and there’s still a chance for him to emerge as the Democratic nominee.
If you are a Democrat, here is my case for voting for Bloomberg during the Democratic Primary:
- Bloomberg is the strongest candidate to build a bridge in a country where party politics has divided our country in the worst way possible. After this next election, I’m sure we would love to see our elected officials from different sides of the aisle talk to each other and not at each other. As a moderate Democrat, Bloomberg is our best hope for someone that can speak and be heard by both sides of the aisle and get the job of leading a country done. Of the Democratic candidates, both Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are so far to the left that the country would have to brace for a tumultuous four years of party politics in Congress resulting in stymied productivity. What’s more, both Warren and Sanders have been outsiders in their own party. During the Obama Administration, Warren was known to be strident and hard to work with even by Democrats. Sanders has been consistent with his message for decades, but has never been seen as a leader on the Hill. What makes us think that he will suddenly morph into one if he becomes president? As for Biden, he would have been my top pick, but my instinct tells me that the story behind Hunter Biden and Burisma will continue to unravel before our eyes in the media circus and become a beast that cannot be controlled.
- Bloomberg has the vision, leadership and business chops to lead the United States. Bloomberg understands the importance of the role the U.S. plays in the world and has shown in his time as mayor of New York that he is the type of person to consider crucial decisions with great thought and strategy. He is largely a self-made man and his business acumen speaks for itself. Although he is a billionaire, he understands the needs of the American people and recognizes that a good percent of Americans struggle to make ends meet. So far he has announced an economic platform that suggests he has a clear plan to help address the economic transitions that are necessary as technological advancements displace certain labor forces. See more about his plan here.
- Bloomberg is a man of action especially on issues that Americans care about. On countless issues that Americans care about today including affordable healthcare, climate change, gun control, and education, Bloomberg has demonstrated commitment. On climate change, his deep support of the Sierra Club helped lead to the closure of some 300 of the 500 coal factories across the U.S. In June last year, he committed $500 million to help fund the transition to clean tech. For several years in a row, he has contributed approximately $5 million dollars to fill the UN climate change negotiation budget, to fill the federal gap left by the U.S. since Trump came into power.
Anyhow, don’t take my word for what Bloomberg has or hasn’t done. If you want, look it up.
For anyone reading this that lives in California, we have a voice and an opportunity to lead as a state at the polls on March 3rd. What California has to say on March 3rd matters a lot to who becomes the Democratic nominee. If you haven’t registered to vote yet, do it today (click here).
Even if you don’t agree with me about Bloomberg, I’m hoping everyone will make time to vote in the primaries.
Still not sure which candidate is right for you? Then it’s time to take the Washington Post’s “Which of these 2020 Democrats agrees with you most?” quiz to find out. At least for me, it affirmed that I like Mike for POTUS.
About me (Sibyl Chen): I’m a policy junkie, technophile and cinephile who resides in the Bay Area. You can message me via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibylchen/
