The Democratic Pitch To Small-Business Owners
Michael Bloomberg just took the stage, and he’s likely to spend some of his time making the businessperson’s case for Clinton (and against Trump).
Not coincidentally, I spent some time this afternoon at the Small Business Owners Council, where delegates listened to speeches about small-business concerns. It was a window into Democrats’ pitch to a group of voters who, according to at least one poll, favored Trump in the primaries and are more inclined to affiliate with the Republican Party in general. Just about every speaker at today’s event acknowledged the gap in support for the Democratic Party, and many tried to incorporate small-business concerns into more mainstay Democratic issues when they spoke.
Rep. Nydia Velazquez, who represents New York’s 7th Congressional District, made an immigration-based pitch, citing this stat about the contributions that immigrants make to start ups: “The fact is, every generation of immigrants has meant an infusion of new ideas and innovation,” she said.
Billionaire hedge fund manager and philanthropist Tom Steyer echoed a Bernie Sanders-esque message about big business: “The idea there’s a free market out there that’s a state of nature, that’s total fantasy. … The truth of the matter is, government sets the rules, business competes within those rules. And big business loves to have those rules on their side.”
Bloomberg, who’s not affiliated with any party, emphasized small businesses as New York mayor and recently co-authored a letter with Warren Buffett on the topic. I’m interested to see if or how he plugs Clinton on economic issues.