New York City mayor Bill de Blasio – one of the most fiscally liberal, anti-liberty politicians in America – declared himself a candidate for the White House in 2020.
“Today I am proud to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America, because it’s time to finally put working people first,” de Blasio said. “There’s plenty of money in this world. There’s plenty of money in this country. It’s just in the wrong hands.”
Wait … does this mean de Blasio wants to “spread the wealth around” like former U.S. president Barack Obama promised in 2008?
Obama was true to his word, incidentally … just not in the way people expected.
Anyway, de Blasio – whose assault on property rights earlier this year hit our radar – becomes the 23rd announced candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.
For those of you keeping track, he joins former vice president Joe Biden and seven sitting U.S. senators – Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Kamala Harris of California, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Michael Bennet of Colorado, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Four sitting House members – Tim Ryan, Eric Swalwell, Seth Moulton and Tulsi Gabbard – are also running, as are two former congressmen (John Delaney and Beto O’Rourke).
Governor Jay Inslee of Washington, governor Steve Bullock of Montana and former governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado are in the mix, too, as are author Marianne Williamson and liberal entrepreneur Andrew Yang.
Mayors Pete Buttigieg (of South Bend, Indiana) and Wayne Messam (of Miramar, Florida) are announced candidates – as is former mayor Julián Castro of San Antonio.
Whew …
[su_dominion_video_scb]So far, Biden is the clear frontrunner for the nomination – with Sanders, Harris, Buttigieg and Warren vying for second-tier status in early-voting Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Can de Blasio break into that second tier? It is doubtful … but it is clear his entry into the race will tilt the field’s ideological orientation even further to the left. It will also further splinter the liberal wing of the hopelessly divided Democratic party – which is eager to identify an alternative to Biden, who is deemed too “centrist.”
Our view? So far the composition (and orientation) of the Democratic field represents a best-case scenario for U.S. president Donald Trump, who has rallied the GOP base behind him and (for now) is benefiting from positive economic numbers.
Trump, incidentally, took to Twitter early Thursday to mock de Blasio’s announcement.
“The Dems are getting another beauty to join their group,” he tweeted, referring to de Blasio as a “JOKE.”
“But if you like high taxes (and) crime, he’s your man,” Trump added.
De Blasio is not the first New York City mayor to seek the presidency. Republican-turned-Democrat John Lindsay ran in 1972, while Rudy Giuliani sought the GOP nomination in 2008. Liberal billionaire Michael Bloomberg toyed with bids in 2016 and 2020 but decided against running both times.
-FITSNews
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