By Alex Lloyd Gross
Michael Bloomberg, the media titan and three term Mayor of New York City wants to be President of the United States. He is putting his own money on the table to do it and is opening campaign offices in major cities across America. Today, December 21, 2019 he came to Philadelphia, where he met potential voters and signed up supporters to help get to the White House.
It was about 9:00 AM when a well dressed man started to walk without a close security detail through the Reading Terminal Market. Had the media not been there, he probably could have walked through with few knowing who he was. “Boy, he looks familiar” and “Who is that” echoed down the aisles, as he made his way through. He stopped, chatted with people as he and Anuj Gupta the market’s General Manager maneuvered through the growing crowds .
Some told him they could barely get by, working two and three jobs. That’s why he has pledged to raise the minimum wage. He is interested in progressive ideas such as climate change and criminal justice reform. Not everyone shares his views and some think it is radical. “Trump is going to be difficult to beat, but it can be done,”he said at his campaign office near the historic district.
Pennsylvania as a state does not fully support the liberal soft on crime approach of Philly District Attorney Larry Krasner or the idea of not wanting to ruin someone’s life forever due to a mistake, which is the attitude that Bucks County DA Matt Weintraub has taken on multiple occasions. Pennsylvania is an open carry state.People in the state like the idea of having guns for self defense. If someone barges into your house they are probably intent on hurting you or your family. A gun would save you. No one takes pleasure in shooting someone , however in order for Pennsylvania residents to get behind Bloomberg, they must be assured that he will not make the act of carrying a firearm or owning one illegal. Bloomberg travels with an armed entourage. Most Pennsylvanians do not. Most Americans do not either.
As he walked through the market, he visited a diner, and then made his way to Hershels, which is a deli. He did not partake in any food when he was there. He was stopped multiple times when people figured out who he was to shake hands and pose for selfies. The visit to the market lasted about 20 minutes, then he entered a vehicle and rode to 26 North 3rd Street to open his new campaign headquarters.
It was there that he said “We have to come together, in order to beat Trump”. His talk was lighthearted, telling the crowd about his love for sports and how his mother bought Boston Celtics Playoff Tickets for his when he was a child. Lots of sports talk and he even invited the Flyers mascot Gritty to join him on the ticket. “We won’t have an orange president, we’ll have an orange vice president,” Bloomberg said.
His headquarters building was packed with people, who cheered him on. It must be noted that For a candidate to be successful, they must appeal to both sides. In Philadelphia , Hilary Clinton won in 2016. However, Donald Trump won the entire state. “Donald Trump is a divider, he divides people, tears them down, I unite people, we have to work as a team,” he said.
He kept his remarks short. He got off the stage and began to chat with people and pose for selfies with them. Before long, he would be on a plane to Michigan to do it again. When he was asked how can he expect to raise the minimum wage, or deal with climate change with Mitch McConnell there to block everything, he responded “We have to make sure he is not there, not in charge of the senate”. He said his negative remarks he gave at the 2016 Democratic National Convention on Donald Trump were “Not harsh enough.”