Michael Bloomberg's expensive 2020 failure was actually a bargain, depending on how you look at it.
The former New York City mayor is now a former Democratic presidential candidate, dropping out after he failed to win a single state and more than a handful of delegates on Super Tuesday. The Washington Post has since evaluated how much Bloomberg spent for the votes he did get, and it's at least $130 each, at least when it comes to the states whose vote totals were completely reported by Wednesday afternoon.
Bloomberg funneled more than $500 million of his own money into his now-busted campaign, with a huge $15.4 million of that funding ads in Texas. Break that down by vote, and Bloomberg spent $170 on every person in Texas who cast a ballot for him. He spent even more, $220, on every one of his voters in Minnesota, and only narrowly beat Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) there despite the fact that she wasn't even running anymore.
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Even the $60 Bloomberg spent on each vote in Virginia seems like a lot when you consider it could've bought everyone a few dozen of the Big Gulps that Bloomberg despises so much. Food, shelter, and climate action are also viable alternatives. Then again, former Democratic candidate Tom Steyer spent about $1,850 for each of the 10,272 votes he got in New Hampshire, so Bloomberg can consider the inconsequential spending game a win.
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