After that shellacking Michael Bloomberg took Wednesday night at the Democratic presidential debate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren predicted, "You know what I'll bet he's doing right now? I'll bet he's reaching in his pocket and spending $100 million more on advertising to try to erase everyone's memory of what happened last night." As a reminder, he was put on the defensive time and again over his record on sexual harassment, opposition to Obamacare, stop and frisk, his tax return, and how he's trying to buy the election. In short, he was exposed as the flip side of the Donald Trump coin. He doesn't seem to get that, which makes him even Trumpier.
On Thursday, he campaigned in Salt Lake City and delivered this cringe-worthy line: "We all know that Trump is a bully. But I am a New Yorker. I know how to deal with bullies. I do it all the time." He probably pumped several tens of thousands more into ads in the Utah television market, judging by how many we see here in southern Idaho. He's spent $340 million in ads so far, portraying himself as the benevolent Trump: the businessman who can go toe-to-toe with the orange one in terms of toughness.
What the debate showed was that the real resemblance to Trump is in his attitude, his passing acquaintance with truth, and his peevishness at the whole idea that he was actually being questioned by people he clearly deemed unworthy.
His staff seem to be questioning whether that's fixable. One person with the campaign told The Washington Post about ongoing efforts to make him prepare for the questions and challenges he'll get at the next debate and predicted, "It's going to be terrible." Apparently he's not receptive to constructive criticism. Go figure.
Before he took the stage in Utah Thursday, a reporter asked Bloomberg how he thought it went the night before. "Fine, thank you," he responded. Just like Trump, Bloomberg doesn't see any problem with Bloomberg. It's everyone else who refuses to acknowledge his superiority that's the problem.