Former mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg has seen his support among young voters plummet despite millions in new media advertising after the billionaire neglected to promote a single post on The Mideast Beast, a popular political satire news site.
The Bloomberg campaign made headlines by sponsoring content on several popular social media accounts in an effort to reach millennial voters. Experts say the strategy would have worked, virtually assuring him the presidency, had he not overlooked the most popular and respected site on the planet.
“Bloomberg spent hundreds of millions trying to get elected, but he made one crucial mistake that is going to cost him the nomination,” elections analyst Nate Silver explained. “If he just spent a few million on The Mideast Beast ads and promotional coverage, his chances of winning the White House would be close to 100%.”
Instead, Silver says Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is likely to run away with the nomination after the controversial congresswoman forked over $200 for a small ad on the site.
“With a readership base that is both hip and sophisticated, most voters look to The Mideast Beast to determine who the ‘it’ candidate is in each election,” one analyst for The Brookings Institution said. “For Bloomberg – or any candidate – to overlook them shows that they are simply not connected to the people they hope to represent.”
