Trump hearing heavy footsteps

The speculation about a Donald Trump-Michael Bloomberg matchup in the 2020 presidential election is already being played out in this November’s general election.

Republican President Trump has pulled out all the stops in his effort to retain the GOP majority in Congress.

But as he crisscrosses the nation appearing at political rallies reminiscent of his 2016 presidential race, he keeps hearing the footsteps of his political nemesis, Democrat Michael Bloomberg.

Bloomberg, a much greater billionaire than the self-aggrandizing Trump, is reportedly spending $80 million in this year’s elections to help Democrats take control of the House of Representatives.

Here’s the reality that could have an effect on the 2020 election when Trump, the billionaire real-estate developer from New York City, is just about certain to seek a second four-year term:

If Republicans retain control of the Senate and House, the president will be given the credit, and Bloomberg’s influence in national politics will be open to debate.

On the other hand, if Democrats flip the House and, in a long shot, the Senate, Bloomberg’s involvement will burnish his credentials as a formidable candidate for president. And Trump, who won the presidency in 2016 despite not being embraced by the Republican establishment, will be blamed.

Global brand

After all, the architect of the Trump global brand and host of “The Apprentice”, a hit reality show, has put his political reputation on the line this year.

The president, who has used the same divide-and-conquer strategy in governing the country as he did in winning the 2016 election, has warned his supporters that a Democratic takeover of the House will bring his legislative agenda to an abrupt halt.

Thus, the outcome of the Nov. 6 general election will reflect greatly on the 2020 presidential contest.

A Trump-Bloomberg contest will be a clash of the titans – one larger than the other in terms of wealth.

On July 30, 2017, in this space, the case for a Bloomberg candidacy was made thusly:

“The Democratic Party will not defeat Republican President Donald J. Trump in his re-election bid in 2020 with a political insider as its candidate.

“The point was driven home Tuesday evening when Trump came to the heavily Democratic Mahoning Valley and delivered a fire-and-brimstone sermon to a raucous crowd of 7,000 inside the Covelli Center in downtown Youngstown.

“For almost an hour, Trump reprised his us-against-them stump speech that proved so effective last year. He attacked the political establishment in Washington, Democrats and Republicans in Congress, illegal immigration and, of course, the news media. His repeated references to ‘fake news’ had the crowd howling at the moon.”

It was suggested in the column that Democrats need a “decent” version of Trump as their presidential candidate.

Enter Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City for 12 years, who is worth $53 billion – five times more than what Trump claims he’s worth.

Although Bloomberg, head of the global financial news data organization bearing his name, has been a Democrat, a Republican and ran for mayor as a Republican and independent, he addressed the 2016 Democrat convention and unleashed a verbal barrage against Trump, the GOP nominee.

“Trump says he’ll punish manufacturers that move to Mexico or China, but the clothes he sells are made overseas in low-wage factories. He says he wants to put Americans back to work, but he games the U.S. visa system so he can hire temporary foreign workers at low wages. He says he wants to deport 11 million undocumented people, but he seems to have no problem in hiring them. What’d I miss here?

“Truth be told, the richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy.”

That’s why the president would rather face any other Democrat in 2020 than Bloomberg.

The media mogul knows how the real-estate mogul made his money, knows his business associates, and may have a pretty good idea how he has avoided paying taxes on hundreds of millions of dollars.

Bloomberg, through his contacts around the world, would be able to credibly argue that Trump’s business ties to various nations influence his administration’s foreign policy.

There’s no other Democrat on the political scene today with the financial wherewithal to launch a presidential campaign and to raise the money that would be needed to challenge the incumbent.

The Nov. 6 general election will tell a lot about the 2020 contest. Trump and Bloomberg have put their political reputations on the line.

As Bloomberg contemplates a run in 2020, he may want to start thinking about a running mate. And just as Trump turned to the Midwest for his vice presidential running mate – Mike Pence of Indiana – Bloomberg could benefit greatly by reaching out U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th.

Ryan has become one most recognizable Democrats on Capitol Hill because of his highly publicized challenge for veteran lawmaker Nancy Pelosi of California for minority leader of the House.

The Mahoning Valley congressman has been traveling the country talking about the future of the Democratic Party and Trump’s success at building support among blue-collar workers who traditionally vote Democratic.

To Ryan, the “Rust Belt” is more than a political soundbite. He has been fighting for the economic revival of this region for decades.

LIVE ON VINDY.Com

The Vindicator’s Editorial Board endorsement interviews with the two candidates for Ohio governor will be aired live on vindy.com, where the live-video player will appear below the main photo on the home page. Click on the player to start.

Livestream simulcasts will be accessible on The Vindicator’s Facebook page as well: facebook.com/thevindicator.

Democrat Richard Cordray is scheduled to appear before the Editorial Board at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Republican Mike DeWine will be interviewed at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The sessions will last an hour each, and viewers/listeners can submit questions and comments via Facebook.

In September, The Vindicator aired a live debate on state Issue 1, a constitutional amendment to revise Ohio’s drug sentencing laws.