Bloomberg in debate: Billions of dollars, zero vision
Michael Bloomberg had a lot of bad moments in his first debate as a Democratic candidate for president. He had little to say when Elizabeth Warren slammed him for having called some women, at various times in the past, "fat broads" and "horse-faced lesbians." He seemed conflicted about stop-and-frisk. He was weak when confronted with his practice of making some women who worked for him sign non-disclosure agreements. But even with all that, Bloomberg saved the worst for last. It came after the fighting ended and NBC moderators asked for closing statements. If there were a time for Bloomberg to offer a vision for the country, to emphasize the principles that guide him as a candidate, to bond with voters over a shared hope for the future, this was it. Instead, Bloomberg offered a view of the presidency straight from a business textbook.
"Look, this is a management job," he said, "and Donald Trump is not a manager." "This is a job where you have to build teams," Bloomberg continued. "[Trump] doesn't have a team, so he goes and makes decisions without knowing what is going on…We cannot run the railroad this way." Earlier in the debate, Bloomberg declared simply: "I'm a manager."
With that, Bloomberg, who made billions building his data, news, and analytics company, declined to offer any vision behind his longstanding desire to become President of the United States. The last two Democrats to win the presidency, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, were strong on "the vision thing." (The phrase came from another president, George H.W. Bush, who didn't have it.) Ronald Reagan was strong in the vision department, too. They inspired voters. On stage in Las Vegas Wednesday, Bloomberg had none of that. Instead, his words echoed those of a losing Democratic candidate a generation ago, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, who in the 1988 presidential race declared, "This election isn't about ideology; it's about competence." Dukakis lost to Bush.
Bloomberg's vision deficiency was obvious to anyone watching. On Twitter, Snapchat's Peter Hamby offered a close-to-the-truth satire: "Bloomberg closing statement: We need to build teams with superb product managers who set KPIs [Key Performance Indicators] that enable America to make smart decisions for our customers." After the debate, Bloomberg tried to turn his lack of vision into a virtue: "Tonight, I stood on a stage with a group of politicians," he tweeted. "They talked, because that's what they're good at. They went on and on about what they could and should do. I have built. I have created actual change. I have gotten it done. That's what I'll do for America."
Should he win the Democratic nomination, Bloomberg will run against a president who was elected on a ringing promise to "Make America Great Again." Like him or not, Donald Trump will campaign for re-election on a pledge of American greatness. Bloomberg will promise to "get it done" with sensible management. That's not what wins elections.