Bloomberg?

So, now they are talking about Michael Bloomberg entering the race on the Democratic side, which is a little bit ridiculous. When you start with approximately 30 candidates, and it’s whittled down to about 12 or so, it’s kind of ridiculous for anybody to jump in at that point. Technically legal, I suppose, but sneaky and unsportsmanlike. If he’s attended the earlier debates, he might have felt the wrath of Tulsi Gabbard, or had some scandals in his past exposed. Or, at any rate, his ideas would have been up for scrutiny.
What are his ideas, anyway? I’m not sure. He was mayor of New York City for a while, which gives him the experience and the credibility for the job, but he wasn’t a totally awesome and beloved mayor like Bernie Sanders. To be fair, I don’t think he was as universally hated by the black people of New York as Buttigieg is by the black people of South Bend, but I don’t know. I’m sure New Yorkers will weigh in with their opinions if he gets into the race.
The fact that he’s a billionaire doesn’t distinguish him. Even though Beto O’Rourke is out of the race, Tom Steyer is still in, so billionaire is not a unique qualification, and most Democratic voters don’t even see it as a plus.
The reason he’s considering a run is obvious. With Biden and Harris falling by the wayside, and Mayor Pete failing to pick up the slack, he probably figures there is room in the race for a “centrist” (i.e. conservative) Democrat. He is wrong.
The reason Biden and Harris and Buttigieg have failed, and the reason Liz Warren will eventually as well, is simply that they are not Bernie. Bloomberg isn’t Bernie either. Even though most Bernie supporters love Tulsi Gabbard as well, she is also not Bernie.
Nobody is Bernie except for Bernie, and Bernie is the one the people want.