Four years ago, the Republican Party establishment asked a brash, billionaire New Yorker to sign a loyalty pledge that he would fully support the eventual Republican nominee for president. Donald Trump was an outsider and an existential threat to the Republican Party if he chose to run as an independent. The Republican establishment loathed him and he loathed them.

Today, Trump makes the Republican Party pledge unconditional support to him. With his powerful Twitter account, bare-knuckles politics, and access to capital, Republicans have fallen in line and have abandoned their core values and independence.

This is no longer the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln or Ronald Reagan; it’s Donald Trump’s party. In fact, a majority of Republicans say Trump is a better leader than Lincoln, according to the Economist/YouGov polling of 1,500 people in late November.

By all accounts, Donald Trump’s wealth and brand, estimated at $3.1 billion are a significant advantage on many levels.

Trump has a national campaign strategy and has many more potent weapons than he did in 2016. One of those key weapons is the economy. A Quinnipiac University national poll conducted between Dec. 11 and 15, found that registered voters are feeling more positive about the economy than at any time in the last 18 years, as nearly three quarters, 73%, describe the economy as either excellent or good. Only a quarter, say it is not so good or poor.

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Meanwhile, Democrats are splintered and could be on the way to a brokered convention in Milwaukee. Democrats are worried that they don’t have the right candidate to beat Trump, and the focus is finding the most electable candidate. However, none of the leading Democratic candidates are likely to fare well against Trump in a general election.

Many Democrats are concerned about the direction of the party. When pushed, they concede that they will not support Warren or Sanders, because they see them as too far to the left. Many Democrats have concerns about Biden’s shaky debate performances and are worried about his ability to hold his own in a head to head contest with Trump.

Ironically, the Democrats most viable candidate is another New Yorker who has a campaign war chest that Trump can only salivate over.

In fact, this New Yorker is 18 times richer than Trump, sitting on an estimated fortune of $55 billion.

Michael Bloomberg, the former NYC Mayor, should not be underestimated.

Bloomberg, who announced his candidacy on Nov. 24, has already placed $117 million in television and online ads. Bloomberg is the only candidate who doesn’t need to spend his time raising money to get his message out.

The recent Quinnipiac University poll shows Bloomberg’s support growing, and he is already in 5th place with 7% of support among Democrats, narrowly trailing Pete Buttigieg. The polling showed the fluidity of the race, as 61% say they might change their minds.

Bloomberg is running an unconventional campaign, building a national campaign.

He is not focusing on the first four states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, like the other Democratic candidates. Instead, his campaign is betting that the field will be far from settled by the time Super Tuesday rolls around on March 3rd.

Will the bet pay off? It’s too soon to tell. At a time when we are seeing unbelievable wealth concentration and income disparity, many Democrats see Bloomberg as part of the problem.

However, Bloomberg has used his wealth in a way that could ultimately inure to his benefit.

Bloomberg Philanthropies, with assets estimated at $9 billion, has supported 196 different cities with grants, technical assistance and education programs worth a combined $350 million. This goodwill is already paying off dividends as evidenced by the initial support he is receiving from a diverse group of mayors across the county.

And, Bloomberg has supported and led on issues Democrats care about. Earlier this month, Bloomberg unveiled a gun control policy just steps from the site of one of Colorado’s worst mass shootings, and he has financially supported gun control legislation in Colorado.

His foundation has spent hundreds of millions on his environmental agenda, creation of anti-gun organization partnering with Planned Parenthood to provide family planning services and even focusing on the opioid crisis.

Compare that narrative with the Donald J. Trump Foundation. Trump paid $2 million to eight charities as part of a settlement in which he admitted he misused funds raised by the foundation to promote his presidential bid and pay off business debts and even purchase a portrait of himself.

Bloomberg has also contributed significantly to candidates and initiatives across the country. When Colorado failed to qualify for federal funds for Obama’s Race to the Top Education Initiative, Bloomberg personally spent $400,000 in local elections to ensure that Democratic senators who backed the application were re-elected.

Bloomberg has a great deal of national goodwill and is in a unique position with many national influencers.

And, here’s the best part: if anyone can get inside Trump’s thin skull, it is the more successful, more philanthropic, other New Yorker, Michael Bloomberg.

Doug Friednash is a Denver native, a partner with the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck and the former chief of staff for Gov. John Hickenlooper.

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