Thread by @RossBarkan

Mike Bloomberg is operating beyond the laws of political gravity. A normal campaign needs to make crucial decisions about allocating resources. They live in an either/or world.

Bloomberg does not. This is a dangerous thing for competitive democracy

A normal campaign must decide: Who do I hire? Can I afford them? Do a buy a negative TV ad, a positive one, or how much do I do on TV vs. field?

Bloomberg does not have to make these choices. He can afford literally anything he wants to. There is no limit. We've never seen this

At some point, Michael Bloomberg will grow a bit tired of just airing ads promoting himself and attacking Donald Trump. Especially if Bernie Sanders remains resilient.

Who's to say Bloomberg can't spend $1 billion promoting himself and ~another~ billion attacking Bernie on TV?

In a limitless world of campaign spending, oligarchs can easily capture our popular democracy in new and terrifying ways. Bloomberg is providing a roadmap for all individuals who've accumulated the wealth of small nation-states.

If money is no object, why not run?

This trick may harder for billionaires widely known and loathed, like Bezos or Zuckerberg - though money can still buy a new image - but what about the other billionaires? At some point, you can keep being a donor or just do the deed yourself and run if your ego is there

This is the door Democrats have flung wide open by supporting Bloomberg. I don't blame average voters. They watch TV, read a bit, don't have time to sort this stuff out.

I do blame Democrats who know Bloomberg's record, know better, but are enchanted by the absurd money

I tweet about this stuff every day now because there isn't much else to comment on. Nevada caucus strategy or Pete Buttgieg's South Carolina polling is beside the point.

We are through the looking glass, in yet another unprecedented election. Bloomberg's money is unfathomable