Remember when Republicans were castigated as the party of the rich?  For decades, Democrats have labeled Republicans as out of touch with middle-class Americans, enriching themselves at the expense of the working people and giving tax breaks to the obscenely rich.  Not only has President Trump successfully debunked a plethora of worn out campaign canards, but the Democrats have completely reversed themselves by encouraging one of the wealthiest men in America to hijack their party nomination for president in order to thwart Trump's re-election.  It's a dicey strategy to be sure and one that contradicts the Liberal creed; marginalizes a hapless handful of remaining Democrat presidential candidates; and pits the far-left, radicalized Sanders socialists up against a dying breed of old-guard Democrats.

For years, the prevailing Democrat political campaign message primarily focused on Republicans as the ostensibly rich class of people, motivated by greed and the accumulation of vast amounts of wealth.  Democrats portrayed themselves as a champion for the common man, a bulwark against Republicans, whom they routinely accused of unjustly enriching themselves and their über-rich cronies.  In fact, and in a last-ditch effort to derail Trump prior to the 2016 election, the liberal media attempted to convince the voting public that Trump, if elected, would simply empty the U.S. Treasury into his own pockets.  Instead, the American economy is roaring, there have been no cuts to Social Security or Medicare, and working Americans have greatly benefited from the Trump tax cuts.  Furthermore, the Democrats' unrelenting attempt to damage Trump has backfired spectacularly, exposing the Democrat doctrine as patently false, in addition to revealing the unsavory side of political favors and financial malfeasance on the part of former vice president Joe Biden.  Thanks to his liberal colleagues in the House, Mr. Biden is all but finished as a 2020 candidate for president, as, most likely, are the three other struggling contenders: Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Elizabeth Warren.

Although it's still early in the primary vote selection process, in the first two contests (one of which was horribly flawed), neither vote tally resulted in a clear front runner for the Democrat presidential nomination, or at least a candidate who's actually a real Democrat.  As House representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) succinctly pointed out during a recent cable news interview; the guy atop the Democrat leader board isn't even a Democrat; he's a socialist; which is causing all manner of angst, hand-wringing, and consternation for Tom Perez, head of the DNC.  In fact, Mr. Perez and the Democrat leadership are undeniably reliving the same nightmare scenario similar to what occurred in 2016: Bernie Sanders will not carry the Democrat party back into the White House.

Enter former NYC mayor, businessman, and stinking rich billionaire Mike Bloomberg — who literally bought himself a podium at the Democrat debate in Las Vegas.  Up to this point, Mr. Bloomberg has not qualified for a debate spot, nor was he an "official" candidate on the ballot in Iowa or New Hampshire.  In short and in order to diminish the rising tide of Sanders's socialist supporters; the Democrat party has defaulted to a billionaire who can self-fund his campaign, easily spend millions for television advertising, and hire thousands of campaign staff at inflated salaries — far and above what his Democrat competitors can offer, much less afford.

With Bloomberg's formal entrance as a viable candidate, the billionaire behemoth has effectively shut down the other campaigns.  Whether or not they are willing to admit defeat is a matter of timing.  There is always the possibility of being offered the V.P. slot should Bloomberg get the eventual nomination nod at the DNC convention in July.

Without question, Bernie Sanders will not be denied a second time, and neither will his growing legion of supporters.  The battle lines are drawn, and the Old Guard Democrats are facing down a formidable enemy from within — one who was placated in the past but won't concede politely this time for the sake of party unity.  While Trump's popularity has remained steady, the Liberal party rank and file has splintered into two distinct camps as the far-left socialists gain support.  Despite Bloomberg's buy onto the debate stage and regardless of if he's promised to thwart Trump, his first task will be to woo the Sanders socialists, who adamantly reject his candidacy for the same reason the Democrat leadership has recruited him: big money.   

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr.