Former New York mayor, Mike Bloomberg, has now qualified for Wednesday’s Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas, making it his first appearance on stage with his 2020 rivals.
What We Know:
- Bloomberg achieved the Democratic National Committee (DNC) mandated polling threshold on Tuesday with a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey at 19% nationally. Now that Bloomberg’s fourth poll met or exceeded 10% nationally, it satisfied the requirement from the DNC to qualify.
- Bloomberg is second in the poll behind Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is well ahead of the rest of the field with 31% support and has had a phenomenal career this election run so far. Bloomberg’s presence on the debate stage injects a significant new variable to the presidential race just before the Nevada caucus on Saturday.
- According to CNN, the former New York mayor is skipping the first four contests, which includes Nevada, in the hopes of instead making a splash when several states vote on March 3, also known as “Super Tuesday”.
- After entering the presidential campaign in November, Bloomberg has spent hundreds of millions as a means to obtain double digits nationally, and has built a strong campaign operation with help from New York and across the country.
- As a result, surging polls has coincided with more direct attacks from his rivals. The common accusation both rivals and voters alike are trying to put upon him is the fact that he seems to be “buying” the Democratic nomination for president, clearly targeting the billionaire’s massive self-funding operation.
Moreover, Bloomberg’s campaign wasn’t only at the receiving end of attacks but a part of them as well. He went after Sanders on Monday, using aggressive online tactics faulting the Vermont senator for the derogatory comments his supporters often make online about other candidates.
