# If Bloomberg gets the nomination, how do you vote? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 16, 2020, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001 "2020-02-16T01:07:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Linden\_Arden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Linden\_Arden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linden_Arden)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/81 "2020-02-19T01:44:00Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Wow. > > What a complete misunderstanding of the health coverage issue. > > It’s like you’re clutching a $10 bill and whining that the person wanting to exchange it for a $50 is taking your money away - you can’t see that you’ll be better off after the swap. No, I understand single payer very well. I pay for premium private health insurance for my family now. I don’t want to trade it in for some shitty version of Medicaid at a higher price. How do I know it will be a higher price? Because (using 2016 numbers) we spent over $3.5 trillion on health care collectively. As one of 160 million Medicare TAXPAYERS who would be forced to subsidize the 30-40 million future Medicaid For All freeloaders that amounts to over $21,000 each per annum. Right now I pay our (family) health insurance and I pay around a 3% Medicare tax for Medicare (over 65) recipients. That is all I am willing to pay for. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/82 "2020-02-19T02:37:57Z")
> [@Linden\_Arden](#): > > No, I understand single payer very well. > > I pay for premium private health insurance for my family now. I don’t want to trade it in for some shitty version of Medicaid at a higher price. > > How do I know it will be a higher price? Because (using 2016 numbers) we spent over $3.5 trillion on health care collectively. As one of 160 million Medicare TAXPAYERS who would be forced to subsidize the 30-40 million future Medicaid For All freeloaders that amounts to over $21,000 each per annum. > > Right now I pay our (family) health insurance and I pay around a 3% Medicare tax for Medicare (over 65) recipients. That is all I am willing to pay for. You are in reality still paying more by the nonsensical act of not helping the “freeloaders”. > **[Sanders Applauds New Medicare for All Study: Will Save Americans $450 Billion...](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/02/15/sanders-applauds-new-medicare-all-study-will-save-americans-450-billion-and-prevent)** > > Medicare for All will save Americans $450 billion and prevent 68,000 unnecessary deaths each and every year. > [@](#): > > According to the study, by replacing premiums, deductibles, co-payments and out-of-pocket costs with a progressive tax system, Medicare for All will save the average family thousands of dollars each year and will provide lower-income households the greatest relief. > > Struggling hospitals serving low-income communities would be particularly helped by Medicare for All by eliminating uncompensated care, increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates to Medicare levels, and reducing administrative overhead, according to the study. > > The study also debunks several attacks on Medicare for All from the private health care industry that made well over $100 billion in profits last year. Doctors and hospitals would see large savings in cost and time from streamlining our bloated and inefficient administrative and billing system, allowing doctors to spend more time with patients, the study found. > > The study is the latest in a series of studies conducted over the past three decades that have found that guaranteeing universal health care through a single-payer health care system would not only dramatically improve the health and well-being of the American people, it would cost less than our current dysfunctional health care system that puts profits over people. [https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)33019-3/fulltext](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)33019-3/fulltext) > [@](#): > > Summary > Although health care expenditure per capita is higher in the USA than in any other country, more than 37 million Americans do not have health insurance, and 41 million more have inadequate access to care. Efforts are ongoing to repeal the Affordable Care Act which would exacerbate health-care inequities. By contrast, a universal system, such as that proposed in the Medicare for All Act, has the potential to transform the availability and efficiency of American health-care services. Taking into account both the costs of coverage expansion and the savings that would be achieved through the Medicare for All Act, we calculate that a single-payer, universal health-care system is likely to lead to a 13% savings in national health-care expenditure, equivalent to more than US$450 billion annually (based on the value of the US$ in 2017). The entire system could be funded with less financial outlay than is incurred by employers and households paying for health-care premiums combined with existing government allocations. This shift to single-payer health care would provide the greatest relief to lower-income households. Furthermore, we estimate that ensuring health-care access for all Americans would save more than 68 000 lives and 1·73 million life-years every year compared with the status quo. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/83 "2020-02-19T16:46:04Z")
I’m very troubled by the toxic-masculinity culture of Bloomberg’s businesses back in the day, and his (so far) refusal to either release lawsuit deposition transcripts or release former employees from their NDAs. But he seems like a smart, capable guy who did pretty good work as NYC mayor; I agree with him on most issues, and I like that Obama praised him in the past. And I think he would be a 'waaaay better President than the incumbent, who is a genuine threat to American democracy. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/84 "2020-02-19T18:24:18Z")
All of the Dem candidates say the top priority is unseating Trump. We’ll see how true that is when it’s time to get in line behind the nominee and encourage their supporters to vote for him/her. Dems need to close ranks at that point, same as the GOP always does. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/85 "2020-02-20T14:39:15Z")
I couldn’t watch the debate last night but I gather it wasn’t a good night for Bloomberg. I saw a few clips of Warren flaying him, which was fun to watch. Anyway it sounds like Bloomberg’s chances of getting the nomination took a bit of a tumble. Still, you can’t count out a guy with 60 billion dollars. He can still advertise his way to some primary wins. This poll has been remarkably stable, with Bloomberg staying in the mid 80s. I’m bumping it to see if last night changed anything. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/86 "2020-02-20T15:49:14Z")
Money can’t buy you everything: [https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/1230319057523609601/photo/2](https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/1230319057523609601/photo/2) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/87 "2020-02-20T16:56:30Z")
Trump. If the DNC keep daring us to not vote for their turds, I will not vote for their turds. If DNC allows Bloomberg to run as a Democrat, then there is no Democrat Party anyway. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/88 "2020-02-20T17:08:59Z")
What are you saying? The DNC should just make an announcement tomorrow saying “we’re kicking Bloomberg out”? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/89 "2020-02-20T17:42:21Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > What are you saying? The DNC should just make an announcement tomorrow saying “we’re kicking Bloomberg out”? They shouldn’t have let him in in the first place. Bloomers is a Republican. He’s a super rich multi-term NYC mayor with multiple NDAs and an entry in Epstein’s black book. He’s waddling, quacking, and swimming like a Republican crashing the Democratic Primary. So yes, except today, not tomorrow. If your organization/platform can’t naturally attract Trump-defeaters, then making the potential to do that the only qualifying criterion means your organization/platform sucks. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/90 "2020-02-20T17:44:45Z")
The problem is, they can’t really do that. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/91 "2020-02-20T17:49:09Z")
Can’t? Did God say so? Could Sanders or Warren run as a Republican? (I’m actually thoroughly ignorant on that point–does a private club HAVE to allow ANYONE in?) Then I guess I vote for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/92 "2020-02-20T17:54:17Z")
Good for you. But it has nothing to do with God. Why don’t you explain the process by which the DNC will change its rules and arbitrarily disqualify a candidate because he’s really a Republican? By the end of the day. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/93 "2020-02-20T18:44:10Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Let’s see. > > BOTH are racist > BOTH been sued for sexual harassment > BOTH hang out with the same circle of friends. > > But yeah dude, I’m sure they’re worlds apart. One has openly bragged about his history of sexual assault. One has talked about how he could murder people with impunity. One has been accused of rape by several different women. One expresses his admiration for the way dictators run their country. One tries to launch government investigations against his political opponents. You should be able to figure out which one is worse. And then do the right thing and vote for the one who isn’t worse. Your moral outrage means nothing to Donald Trump. The only thing that matters is whether you’re willing to vote against him. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/94 "2020-02-20T19:39:27Z")
“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” I’ll probably go Warren in the primary, but if Bloomberg is the nominee, I’ll vote for him. If it’s Bernie, I’ll vote for him. If it’s Buttigieg, I’ll vote for him. If it’s Cersei Lannister with Voldemort as her Veep, I’ll vote for her. There are a lot of issues that are important to me: common-sense gun legislation, women’s reproductive rights, good environmental regulations, overturning _Citizens United_ and lessening the power of oligarchs. _None_ of these things will happen unless that corrupt, evil sociopath is out of the White House. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/95 "2020-02-20T19:54:07Z")
Bloomberg, holding my nose. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/96 "2020-02-20T19:58:57Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > One has openly bragged about his history of sexual assault. > One has talked about how he could murder people with impunity. > One has been accused of rape by several different women. > One expresses his admiration for the way dictators run their country. > One tries to launch government investigations against his political opponents. > > You should be able to figure out which one is worse. And then do the right thing and vote for the one who isn’t worse. > … I’m not convinced Bloomberg is the lesser of two evils. The only thing I am convinced of is Bloomberg is smarter than Trump. Which one could argue makes him more dangerous than Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/97 "2020-02-20T20:11:32Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You should be able to figure out which one is worse. And then do the right thing and vote for the one who isn’t worse. No. the right thing to do is to not vote for another Bigoted Authoritarian Billionaire if the Democrats decide to provide that as their option against Trump. Saying ‘Trump is kind of worse in some specific areas, but not even in all areas’ doesn’t somehow create an obligation to vote for further destruction of the rule of law and representative government in the United States. This is a man who openly admires Singapore’s one-party government and considers it and China’s blatantly rigged elections to be legitimate democracy. One only needs to look at what he endorsed while mayor of New York, to see what kind of respect he has for civil rights, and what you can expect if you elect him as head of US law enforcement. (Stop and Frisk has been talked about a lot, but also the detention of 1800 protestors at the Republican National Convention who were held for times that violate New York law in contaminated rooms). On foreign policy, he is an eager warmonger who glibly supported the Iraq war, spread the lie that the 9/11 hijackers had Iraqi connections, and who states today that he has no regrets about his support for one of the worst foreign policy decisions in the history of the US. And again, this is someone who actively supported Trump until the middle of 2018 by funding Republicans into various offices. Expecting him to turn back anything about what Republicans have been doing since 2016 is folly, he actively assisted them in doing it. The fact that he’s more well-spoken than Trump is a mark against him; he will likely be more competent at achieving objectives than Trump’s bluster, and it’s clear that his objectives line up in so many areas. (Again, he was funding Republicans until halfway through 2018, he’s not opposed to them in general). “The right thing” is not voting for: “it’s controversial, but first thing is, all of your — 95 percent of your murders, murderers and murder victims, fit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops. They are male minorities, 15 to 25. That’s true in New York. It’s true in virtually every city.” “I think we disproportionately stop whites too much and minorities too little,” '“some guy wearing a dress and whether he, she, or it can go to the locker room with their daughter”." "Redlining, if you remember, was the term where banks took whole neighborhoods and said, ‘People in these neighborhoods are poor, they’re not going to be able to pay off their mortgages, tell your salesmen don’t go into those areas.’ And then Congress got involved – local elected officials, as well – and said, ‘Oh that’s not fair, these people should be able to get credit.’ And once you started pushing in that direction, banks started making more and more loans where the credit of the person buying the house wasn’t as good as you would like.” “There is something to be said for a democracy like Singapore’s.” “Don’t forget that the [Iraq] war started not very many blocks from here [NYC],” “Xi Jinping [China] is not a dictator. He has to satisfy his constituents, or he’s not going to survive.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/98 "2020-02-20T20:22:37Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > No. the right thing to do is to not vote for another Bigoted Authoritarian Billionaire if the Democrats decide to provide that as their option against Trump. In other words, if Bloomberg is the DNC nominee, you will vote for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/99 "2020-02-20T20:24:49Z")
It depends entirely on how he campaigns after getting that nomination. If he’s able to sell me on his ideas, via his campaign speeches and debates, I’ll vote for him. If he’s not able to, then I’m not voting for him. I’m not voting for Trump either; I just won’t vote. I do not owe anyone a vote. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2020, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001/100 "2020-02-20T20:29:13Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > I’m not voting for Trump either; I just won’t vote. Not voting is a vote for Trump. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bloomberg-gets-the-nomination-how-do-you-vote/848001.md?page=6)