Q: What will half a billion dollars buy you?
A: The loving support of American Samoa.
Michael Bloomberg, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination, has dropped out of the race. The former mayor of New York City garnered 39 delegates in nine states, plus five more in American Samoa. He is estimated to have spent more than $500 million, the most by any candidate in any political primary ever.
Bloomberg was derided for a number of reasons, some of them unfair. A candidate's height shouldn't have anything to do with his ability to govern, for instance. That said, Bloomberg's seeming smugness about his wealth did little to earn him sympathy.
He rose in the polls quickly and steadily while spending money and staying out of sight. It wasn't until his two debate performances in February that things began to unravel. Until then, he had been a political blank slate, with voters able to imagine his platform and fill in the blanks optimistically.
Once Bloomberg opened his mouth, Democrats realized that he was anti-socialism, and mealy-mouthed about sexual harassment cases leveled against him as CEO of his eponymous company. Despite a hip social marketing campaign, he wasn't nearly woke enough.
Bloomberg's run was predicated on the deterioration of Joe Biden's campaign. When Biden faltered, Bloomberg entered, seeking to take the moderate mantle. Voters, along with the DNC, have decided to ignore signs of Biden's dementia, so Bloomberg's path has disappeared.
Bloomberg has endorsed Biden.
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