'Don't like Bloomberg? Get out and vote' says Democratic chief ahead of debate
Anyone angry billionaire Michael Bloomberg has “bought” his way his way onto the Democratic debate stage should vote for another candidate, the party’s chairman has suggested.
Amid widespread anger among many Democrats the former New York mayor only made it to the party’s ninth debate by spending up to $4000m on political advertising, Tom Perez defended the use of polls as a qualifier.
Yet, he said he understood people may feel anxious about the way the 78-year-old former Republican had made the cut-off, while candidates such as Tulsi Gabbard and Tom Steyer had not. He suggested the solution was to vote for an alternative candidate.
“We have a very clear set of rules that we have articulated for some time, and this is not new to primary cycles. Once voting has started, the threshold to get onto the debate stage if polling. Polling measures what the public is feeling at any point,” he said.
“So we created two pathways to the debate stage – 10 per cent in the polls in four polls, or getting a delegate in one of the first two states.”
Talking to a small group of reporters including The Independdent, ahead of the debate in Las Vegas, he added: “There are a number of folks who said you should not be able to self-fund. I have two answers for that.
“One. Our Democratic Party platform is absolutely going to include a call for campaign finance reform, overturning Citizens United [a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that removed many of rules regulating money in politics] and going after dark money.
“Two. People who are concerned that someone is able to buy onto the debate stage. Here’s the good news. Everyone has a remedy for that. Get out and vote. We have six people on the debate stage.”
When it was pointed out not everyone had the kind of wealth available to Mr Bloomberg, and that it the process was not operating on an even playing field, he said: “But everyone has the right to vote – everyone who is 18 years-of-age. If that is an issue that concerns you, and I would would understand that, then get out and vote.”
Mr Perez said he also thought it was important for anyone seeking the party’s nomination for president, to be scrutinised by the media and their colleagues.
On Tuesday, one of the five other candidates appearing on the stage in las Vegas, Elizabeth Warren, attacked the former mayor’s participation
“It’s a shame Mike Bloomberg can buy his way into the debate,” she wrote online. “But at least now primary voters curious about how each candidate will take on Donald Trump can get a live demonstration of how we each take on an egomaniac billionaire.”
Read more
Trump attacks Bloomberg saying he ‘hates the farmer’
Video emerges of Bloomberg talking about how much he loves Trump
Bloomberg referred to trans women as ‘some guy in a dress’ — again
Hillary Clinton discusses rumours she would be Bloomberg’s VP
