OKLAHOMA CITY – Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg spoke to more than 1,000 Oklahomans at a rally in Oklahoma City last Saturday, bypassing the traditional trek to New Hampshire made by candidates and, instead, focusing on states in the Super Tuesday primary.
The trip was Bloomberg’s second to Oklahoma since January. Last month the former New York City mayor visited Tulsa to announce a racial equality initiative named after Tulsa’s historic Greenwood District. “I believe we have to confront history head-on,” he said. “Not only by teaching it in our schools but by working to eliminate the racial wealth gap that still plagues our country.” Bloomberg, who entered the presidential race just 10 weeks ago, said his racial equality plan had three goals: Increasing black homeownership by one million people; doubling the number black-owned businesses and tripling the wealth of black families so the country “could make a big dent in the racial wealth gap.” He said he would also increase the investment in historic black colleges and universities. Bloomberg said he came to the Sooner State because he wanted to visit the rest of America not just states hosting early primary elections. “The other candidates have spent the past year camped out in a couple of early primary states, and they seem to have very little time for the rest of America,” he said. “I don’t think that’s good for our country or our party, for that matter. We need to win states that Donald Trump carried in 2016.”
He also painted himself as the exact opposite of President Trump. “Donald Trump has broken virtually every promise he has made,” Bloomberg said. “I’m running to defeat Donald Trump; to restore honor to our country and build a country we can be proud of. I want to start putting the ‘united’ back in the United States of America.” Bloomberg pointed to his record as mayor of New York City and spoke of his efforts to increase health care, reduce gun violence and fight global warming. “I actually believe in science, imagine that,” he said. “I follow facts, respect data and tell the truth.” While Bloomberg’s speech wasn’t filled with details, he did say he would increase the estate tax to pay for some of his programs. “I’m gonna raise the estate tax,” he said. “I just want you to know that. That raises some of the money we need to fight income equality.”
Bloomberg also called for increased funding for education, ‘common sense’ gun safety legislation and major changes to the country’s immigration system. “Getting it done means finally fixing our broken immigration system and creating a path for citizenship for 11 million people living in the shadows,” he said. Bloomberg, however, saved his harshest criticism for Trump. He said the president was unfit for public office. “Donald Trump is the world’s biggest schoolyard bully,” he said. “Since the Republican Senate didn’t remove Trump from office it’s up to us to do it in November.” Oklahoma voters will cast their first ballots in the presidential campaign at the Presidential Preferential Primary election – the Super Tuesday election – on March 3. Polling will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting will begin on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 8 a.m. and continue through Saturday, Feb. 29.