Mike Bloomberg is the Donald Trump of Democrats. If we vote him in, we sacrifice everything we stand for

When then-candidate Donald Trump launched his long-shot bid for the presidency in 2015, smart Republicans warned that he represented an existential threat to the Grand Old Party. History has proven the “Never Trumper” movement right. The Republican Party is now a husk of its former self, rotted from the inside by the corrosive poison of Trumpism.

Now Democrats are flirting with the same ideological suicide in the form of another billionaire New Yorker – former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Fortunately for the country, there is still time to prevent the Democratic Party from suffering the same fate as the Republicans.

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Bloomberg announced his bid last November, along with a bold plan to forsake traditional fundraising while blanketing the nation in over $400 million of television and social media advertising. Bloomberg’s digital campaign is so pervasive that it is nearly impossible to watch a YouTube or Hulu video without being bombarded by the Bloom.

The results are staggering: Bloomberg now sits at a comfortable third place in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls, all without a single appearance on the debate stage (until Wednesday night, of course, when he will make his debut). Since January, Bloomberg has leaned into a fusillade of attack ads against Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders. Establishment Democrats nervous about the viability of a Sanders campaign are now flirting with the idea of embracing Bloomberg’s pay-and-pray candidacy.

What is wrong with my Democratic colleagues?

Michael Bloomberg embodies two traits that ought to be anathema to anyone committed to Democratic values: the arrogance of plutocratic wealth and the victimization of the marginalized groups Democratic policies are committed to protecting.

None of the sleaze is new: The Daily Beast’s Harry Siegel chronicled the agenda-light, cynicism-heavy record of then-Mayor Bloomberg back in 2011, shortly after Mayor Mike used the Great Recession of 2007-08 as an excuse to rewrite New York law and gift himself an unprecedented third mayoral term.

At the time, Bloomberg’s argument was that New Yorkers needed someone who understood the roots of the mortgage crisis to help the city weather a sweeping economic downturn. As it turns out, Bloomberg’s “knowledge” of the root causes of the Great Recession boiled down to blaming African Americans for living in communities they couldn’t afford.

In a stunning video recorded in 2008 which resurfaced last week, Bloomberg argued that getting rid of ‘redlining’ – the openly racist government policy that prevented African Americans from obtaining mortgages on equal footing with their white peers – was the true cause of the recession. That’s right: a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination bemoaned the end of one of America’s most discriminatory and destructive housing policies.

Nowhere is Bloomberg’s record on race worse than where it intersects with policing. Bloomberg has struggled to address the disastrous legacy of the ‘Stop and Frisk’ program he promoted as mayor. Even as Bloomberg apologizes, he exhibits a Trump-like willingness to blame black and brown youths for their own harassment at the hands of the police.

A 2015 clip of Bloomberg’s remarks at the Aspen Institute could be pulled from any of Trump’s comments on minority violence: “They are male minorities, 16 to 25. That’s true in New York. That’s true in virtually every city,” Bloomberg says. “And that’s where the real crime is. You’ve got to get the guns out of the hands of the people that are getting killed.”

It seems like he is happy to blame the least powerful people for abuses perpetrated by elites. And nowhere is that clearer than in his decades-long battle against dozens of women who accused Bloomberg of tolerating gender discrimination and sexual harassment at his company. A recent GQ investigation revealed nearly 40 sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits – a number on par with the dozens who accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct during the 2016 campaign. The common denominator in both cases is power: the massive amount held by Bloomberg and Trump over the women who entered their professional orbit.

Shape Created with Sketch. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 1/25 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty 2/25 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA 3/25 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters 4/25 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty 5/25 Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty 6/25 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images 7/25 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP 8/25 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters 9/25 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty 10/25 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News 11/25 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that “healthcare should be a right, not a privilege” Getty 12/25 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions’ testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty 13/25 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP 14/25 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty 15/25 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty 16/25 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a “special meaning” for the Latino community in the US Getty 17/25 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty 18/25 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty 19/25 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty 20/25 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty 21/25 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty 22/25 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty 23/25 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty 24/25 Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty 25/25 Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty 1/25 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty 2/25 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA 3/25 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters 4/25 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty 5/25 Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty 6/25 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images 7/25 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP 8/25 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters 9/25 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty 10/25 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News 11/25 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that “healthcare should be a right, not a privilege” Getty 12/25 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions’ testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty 13/25 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP 14/25 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty 15/25 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty 16/25 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a “special meaning” for the Latino community in the US Getty 17/25 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty 18/25 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty 19/25 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty 20/25 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty 21/25 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty 22/25 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty 23/25 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty 24/25 Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty 25/25 Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty

When confronted with his awful legacy on policing, race issues, and respect for the women who worked for him, Bloomberg has responded with unconvincing apologies that cynically flip the script, portraying himself as the beleaguered victim instead of the communities and individuals he spent decades stepping over. Bloomberg’s early adoption of climate sustainability does nothing to erase the real, lasting damage his political career caused to black and brown families in New York.

To the Democratic elites increasingly fearful of a Trump victory in November, Bloomberg represents a “lesser of two evils” scenario. They should know better. By compromising the core issues that make us Democrats – and abandoning the communities Democrats have represented for decades – we hollow out the Democratic Party. What is left isn’t inspiring or progressive. It is a party made unrecognizable for the sole purpose of victory.

Bloombergism rests on the flawed premise that Democrats must surrender our values to win. It is worth asking why Democrats choose to be Democrats, and whether they will remain Democrats when those core values are thrown away in a fit of electoral panic.

If there is any hope to repair the generational damage of Trumpism, Democrats must strive for more than a victory without values.