Bloomberg Bought a Way Around the Fray
Billionaire businessman and former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg is currently fourth nationally in the 2020 Democratic Primary and quickly climbing, but he was not one of the six candidates on stage in the last debate before the Iowa Caucus. Nevertheless, his face and message certainly reached the phones of many distracted viewers that night in the form of highly targeted Facebook and Instagram advertisements. According to Facebook’s Ad Library, Bloomberg spent close to one million dollars on debate day alone—far more than any other candidate—to run 18 different ads with 100 different targeting variations. Thanks to his near-unlimited financial resources and skilled targeting, debate viewers seeking refuge from the in-screen turmoil on social media would hear a message from Mike Bloomberg—specifically tailored to tell them what they want to hear most.
After a grueling two and a half hours of the other candidates’ rehearsed statements and quips, Bloomberg made an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, another refuge from the debate for many Americans looking for a laugh. When asked why he wasn’t in that night’s debate, he said “I wasn’t invited into debates because I don’t take any money from anybody.” The DNC’s rules, which were made before Bloomberg entered the race and have since changed, were clearly not designed to incorporate a self-funding candidate. However, given his apparent strategy and unlimited resources in this election, Bloomberg appears to have nothing to complain about. In fact, staying out of the early debates was likely advantageous for his campaign.
Mike Bloomberg did not just miss the Iowa debates—he skipped the entire caucus, along with the other three early state primaries that have historically defined the momentum of a primary. Because he did not enter the race until late November 2019, he will not appear on a ballot before March third, or Super Tuesday, when 14 states vote in the primary and the largest single-day block of delegates is up for grabs. This strategy may seem disadvantageous, but Bloomberg’s late national surge suggests that it is working out well for his campaign. The Iowa Caucus has come and gone, leaving his moderate rival Joe Biden weakened and the Democratic party in a mess of uncertainty following a technological mishap, leaving many to question the process as a whole. The other candidates continue the fight for momentum in the other early states, but Bloomberg is spending millions in states that they have barely touched.
The attached map shows the distribution of Bloomberg’s spending on Facebook and Instagram advertisements in the week leading up to the Iowa Caucus, along with the month of each state’s primary. His spending is concentrated in the most populated (and delegate-rich) states that vote in March, in order to reach as many voters as possible before the other candidates come to town. This strategy goes beyond social media, as he is also spending millions across the country on TV ads, including a $10 million buy on the Super Bowl last weekend. When the fiasco in Iowa raised doubts about both the moderate front-runner and the validity of early state primaries, he seized the opportunity and doubled his already giant national ad campaign. In a primary that has worn down his main rival and exhausted voters, Bloomberg can emerge through his ads as a fresh alternative to both the frontrunner and the process, unscathed by the fray that he bought his way around.
Whether skipping the early debates by self-funding was part of this strategy or just a product of a flaw in the system, it gave Bloomberg another massive advantage only attainable by a self-funding billionaire. The debate stage is not only a place for candidates to share their own ideas, but also one where candidates are asked directly to defend their past actions and positions. In this primary, Bloomberg’s record will be perhaps his greatest obstacle, since he was elected Mayor of New York City as a Republican in 2002, and he did not become a Democrat until 2018 (although he left the Republican party in 2006).
Thankfully, we will see Bloomberg on stage going forward. When you do, keep in mind that much of what you have seen from him so far is likely targeted based on your viewing history. Remember that Bloomberg’s unlimited resources and unique strategy afford him a degree of control over his narrative that any other candidate could only dream of. While he claims that his self-funding is part of his plan for political reform, a billionaire spending at a record pace to be competitive while sidestepping the early states is hardly the reform that will get the money out of politics. Bloomberg may not be financed by special interests, but the amount he is spending will surely make competing against him more expensive, and perhaps cost-prohibitive to candidates who are neither wealthy nor funded by corporations. Bloomberg is not wrong on the need to reform our political system to make democracy more representative, but his strategy of outspending the field to win the nomination, while certainly effective, should not be mistaken for a viable solution.
