NBA great says Bloomberg’s billions 'good news for every Democrat'
Bill Bradley argues while money helps, former NYC mayor needs delegates to win
Basketball Hall of Famer and former 2000 presidential candidate Bill Bradley told FOX Business' Gerry Baker that he’s happy to see a certain New York billionaire businessman jumping into the Democratic race for president.
“You have Mike Bloomberg out there who says, whatever happens, he’s prepared to put a billion [dollars] out to defeat Trump,” the former U.S. senator from New Jersey said on WSJ at Large. “That’s good news, whoever the nominee is.”
Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to supporters at a campaign office, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, in Scarborough, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Bradley who won two NBA titles while playing 10 years for the New York Knicks, isn’t sure how successful Bloomberg will be as a candidate, though.
“I don’t know how he’s going to fare,” Bradley admitted. “I know he’s spending a lot of money on TV in Texas and California and other places.”
Bloomberg recently ponied up a reported $10 million for an ad during Sunday's Super Bowl touting his gun control efforts.
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Campaign officials for the former New York City mayor did not specify the exact cost of the ad, but said they would be paying "market rate." Executives at Fox, which is broadcasting the game on Sunday, just a few weeks before Super Tuesday, previously said they have been seeking "north of $5 million" per 30-second ad -- meaning Bloomberg's ad likely cost around $10 million.
"I chose to devote the entire 60-second ad to gun safety because it matters to communities across the country and it will be a top priority for me as president," Bloomberg said in a statement provided by his campaign.
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Bloomberg, who's using his vast $60 billion fortune to power his nascent campaign, co-founded the gun-control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety in 2013. The political arm of the group intends to spend $60 million this year to defeat President Trump and other politicians who oppose new gun regulations, the organization announced earlier this week. It's unclear what portion of that money will come directly from Bloomberg.
In December, Bloomberg proposed a slew of ambitious federal gun control measures, calling for a national gun licensing system, stricter background checks, new enforcement spending and the passage of red-flag laws.
President Trump also purchased a 60-second, $10 million ad that will air during the Super Bowl.
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Democratic presidential candidate, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg walks offstage after speaking at the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Winter Meeting, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
An estimated 111 million Americans tuned in for the game in 2018, making it one of the most-watched sporting events of the year. And according to Nielsen, an astonishing 70 percent of American homes with televisions watched the game in 2017.
Bradley argued while Bloomberg's money helps, he will need to get a lot more Democratic voters on his side to make any real inroads towards the nomination.
Jeanette O'Brien, of Burlington, Vt., dances while waiting for Democratic presidential candidate former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to arrive at a campaign event, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, in Burlington, Vt. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
“In a primary, you have to win in election districts,” he pointed out. “And to qualify for any delegate, you have to be over 15 percent. As of right now, he’s not over 15 percent in any district. That doesn’t mean with another month of heavy TV ads he won’t go to the convention with a chunk of delegates.”
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Bradley feels those delegates might come from two of the country’s most populous states…and that could make him a much more formidable candidate.
“I think he could very well go to the convention with a chunk of delegates -- New York, a couple in Southern California, some elsewhere,” he notes. “And he could be a player. He could be a factor.”
Presidential candidate, former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to Jewish voters on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020 at Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center in Aventura, Fla. (Andrew Uloza/Miami Herald via AP)
However, Bradley, who is supporting former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 race, said Bloomberg’s real value to the party isn’t necessarily as a candidate.
“I think that the fact that he will spend a billion dollars against Trump is good news for every Democrat,” he added.
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