Axios: Michael Bloomberg Overshadowing Most 2020 Democrats in Cable News Coverage

Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg is dominating in terms of cable news coverage, data obtained by Axios revealed.

The former New York City mayor entered the Democrat presidential primary this month and has since dominated in terms of media coverage on cable news. Axios reports that Bloomberg has “captured a level of media attention that’s eluded most 2020 Democrats with months on the trail and in debates,” seeing more coverage than Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Andrew Yang (D), Julián Castro (D), and Tom Steyer (D) “have ever gotten, according to data from NewsWhip provided exclusively to Axios.”

According to the data, articles on Bloomberg have generated more interactions over the last week than Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Andrew Yang (D), and others in the lower tier. Only Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Joe Biden (D) have generated more interactions.

More per Axios:

  • On Nov. 8, the day after it was first reported that Bloomberg was preparing to enter the race, he was mentioned more on cable news than any Democratic candidate other than Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders on a single day this year, according to the Television News Archive.
  • In November, Bloomberg has been mentioned more on cable news than every candidate except Biden and Elizabeth Warren.
  • Bloomberg’s mentions this month on cable news (4,486) have more than doubled Yang’s throughout his entire campaign (2,167). Yet, Yang is polling ahead of Bloomberg.
  • For each of the last three weeks, stories about Bloomberg have generated more interactions (comments, likes, shares) on social media than another billionaire candidate, Tom Steyer, has ever gotten in the race.

Bloomberg dropped over $30 million on a massive advertising blitz, expected to run through December 3, drawing the ire of candidates like Warren.

“So I am here during day two of Michael Bloomberg’s 37 million dollar ad buy,” Warren said during a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, this week. “Michael Bloomberg is making a bet about Democracy in 2020. He doesn’t need people. He only needs bags and bags of money.

She continued:

His view is that he doesn’t need people who knock on doors. He doesn’t need to get out and campaign with people. He doesn’t need volunteers. And if you get out and knock on 1,000 doors, he’ll just spend another $37 million to flood the airwaves.

“I think this is fundamentally wrong,” Warren added:

The current Real Clear Politics average shows Bloomberg in seventh place with 2.5 percent support.

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