Veteran White House correspondent and former ABC News anchor Sam Donaldson is the new face of liberal media bias at the tender age of 85. He wrote an op-ed for CNN about the 2020 presidential election and endorsed Democrat candidate Michael Bloomberg. Ironically, some of the very reasons Donaldson points to as advantageous to candidate Bloomberg are the same as those President Trump gave for his candidacy in 2016.
There has never been any doubt that Donaldson is a Democrat voter, at least not in my mind. I grew up watching him pepper presidents and their administration officials with questions at the White House. After Donaldson left the White House beat, he was rewarded with a sweet gig as a news anchor on ABC News. Donaldson begins his op-ed by stating that he was independent of the political process while working as a reporter in D.C.- he didn’t go to fundraisers or donate to candidates. He didn’t register with a political party. That all may be true but his political leanings came out in his questioning of politicians, no matter how discreet he thinks he was being at the time.
Now after seven years of a mostly quiet retirement stage of his life, he feels so strongly that Trump must not be re-elected that he is endorsing another old, white New York billionaire. He just can’t remain silent anymore, you see. There is too much at stake.
When I retired seven years ago, I fully expected to remain a political observer. But there is too much at stake in the next election to remain silent. So, I am speaking out now in support of the candidate I believe is most qualified to be president and most able to defeat Donald Trump. That candidate is Mike Bloomberg.
Maybe I’m just too cynical at this point but my first thought was what’s in it for Donaldson? Why now is Donaldson providing conservatives with further proof of the mainstream media’s liberal bias? Is it that he’s just still so Trump-deranged that he is scared (rightfully so) that the cast of characters on the Democrat side won’t stop Trump’s re-election? Or has Bloomberg called in a favor, as seems to be the case from so many other endorsees across the country? Why now, at the age of 85, is Donaldson publicly dropping the mask of political independence?
Donaldson describes Bloomberg as a “self-made man, an entrepreneur”, which sounds just like how Trump described himself in 2015 in the GOP primary race. He even argues that Bloomberg won’t be beholden to anyone if he were to win – a page from Trump’s own stump speeches in 2015. Trump, too, was wealthy enough that he could go it alone, he told voters.
When he wins, he will owe no favors to anyone, nor will he be beholden to any special interest. He will make sure our government regains the trust of the American people, restores our standing in the world, and helps all Americans lead better and happier lives.
Trump is slowly draining the swamp that has produced the distrust of Americans in their government. He is helping Americans lead better lives with his economic policies that have produced record low unemployment, record high minority employment, and encourages entrepreneurial ventures. Donaldson actually makes the argument for continuing on with Trump, not to replace him with a new president. 70% of Americans say that their lives are good with today’s economy.
Donaldson reminisces about a different time when politicians worked more closely together, an age of more unity. He sites LBJ’s work to bring Republicans on board to support the Civil Rights Act. Without Republican support, that would have never passed and Donaldson rightfully credits Senate Republican leader Everett Dirksen. There was a time when the country wasn’t so divided but that was also a time when Republicans were not in a majority in either the House or the Senate. Republicans had to go along to get along in order to get any of their agenda passed. I still remember the feeling of excitement I felt when the Republican revolution of 1994 ushered in majorities in the House and Senate for the first time in my life. Eventually, that fell away and we were stuck with what is called the Uniparty – an often undistinguishable difference between Democrats and Republicans.
That Uniparty is what turned off so many voters and ushered in the victory of Donald Trump. He promised something new. Donaldson’s pitch for Bloomberg sounds like that of Trump supporters in 2016. Remember when Trump asked black voters, “What the hell do you have to lose?” Bloomberg 2020 is the 2016 version of Trump. Instead of American First which was attractive to conservative and Independent voters, Bloomberg promises a national nanny state of higher taxes, more government regulations, gun-grabbing, climate change alarmism, and micro-management that he hopes appeals to liberals and Independents. The main sticking point in what Bloomberg offers is that Trump has a record of success as president and has kept most of his campaign promises.
As for the unity Donaldson promises during a Bloomberg presidency, how does that square with all the stories coming out about Bloomberg’s own problems with what is seen as a racist, sexist past? He’s been sued for his company’s toxic workplace for women. He used “Stop and Frisk” in New York City. The longer Bloomberg is in the race and rising in the polls, the more stories will come out as opposition research from other campaigns and former employees.
To the charge of corruption against Trump – how does that square with the stories of Bloomberg funding Attorney Generals across the country to provide legal assistance to his liberal agenda of climate change, for example?
Sam Donaldson dropped his mask. There is no longer even a smidge of doubt as to his political leaning. The question is, why now? He’s proven himself to be just another media surrogate for the Democrat Party.
Legendary journalist Sam Donaldson knows Mike has what it takes to take on Trump and beat him. Sam covered campaigns for 52 years, and this is the first time he’s endorsed anyone. Welcome to #TeamBloomberg! pic.twitter.com/R24zUXXxRU
— Team Bloomberg (@Mike2020) February 15, 2020
