Democrat Michael Bloomberg campaigned in Utah this past weekend, making his pitch to Utah Democrats ahead of the March Super Tuesday primary election.
Managing Editor Bryan Schott sat down with Bloomberg to discuss his campaign and why he feels he’s the right candidate to defeat Donald Trump in November.
(Editor’s note: The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and grammar),
Explain why you’re running for president in 2020
We need to replace the President of the United States who’s damaging this country both domestically and internationally. The country has never been more divided and somebody’s got to pull it together.
I’ve looked at the candidates who are running didn’t think they could do the job, didn’t think they could beat Donald Trump, didn’t think they know how to manage things.
I have the experience to do those things.
What is your pitch to Utah voters who are not normally supportive of Democrats, but they’re also not sold on Donald Trump?
I’ve shown that I can run government efficiently and honesty. That’s what conservatism is all about. Even if you don’t agree with every policy at least if you know the person doing it knows how to deliver the services and if it’s not working will change and will include people.
Those are the people I should be able to get.
If someone is very very right-wing, all I ask them is to look at me and they might very well find some of the things I did, but at least they should like the way I did it.
People, and the media, tend to focus on your personal wealth. Do you think that obscures your message?
Someone said to me recently, you’re spending all fo this money. I said, yes, I’m spending to get rid of Donald Trump. Do you want me to spend more or less, and he said I haven’t thought about it that way…spend more!
My father made six thousand dollars in the best years of his life. Nobody ever gave me a silver spoon. I made it. Incidentally, I give virtually all of my money away to charity.
You’re not competing in the first four states, focusing primarily on Super Tuesday. What’s your path to win the Democratic nomination?
People have to say he’s the only one that can beat Donald Trump. People have to say he’s got the experience to do the job.
President is a management job. It’s not a job where you can learn on the job. If you need training wheels to do it, this country can’t wait for somebody to learn how to do it. They have to have somebody who has done it.
Nobody that’s running has ever run the country, but I did run a city with 300,000 employees. It’s not the federal government, but it’s more than anyone else by a lot. It’s not about being a legislator.
There’s so much talk surrounding the Democratic primary about the issue of “electability.” Democrats seem terrified they’re going to pick the wrong person to face Donald Trump in November.
Some of the Democratic candidates are much too far left, and they feel the country wants a revolution rather than an evolution. Those candidates that are very far left seem to be attracting a lot of the vote, so they’re really worried about that because if they put someone that’s very far left up in November, that person is not going to be able to beat Donald Trump.
I think you have to have someone that’s strong and a street fighter that knows how to take him on.
