Mike Bloomberg surges in polls as Biden falls off perch

Michael Bloomberg has surged into third place in a national poll of Democratic contenders while Joe Biden no longer tops the list.

Mike Bloomberg with veteran Brad Halsey in Virginia. Picture: AFP

Michael Bloomberg has surged into third place in a new national poll of Democratic presidential contenders, while Joe Biden no longer tops the list.

The former vice-president’s lacklustre campaign has seen him drop to second, on 17 per cent, according to the Quinnipiac survey. That figure is a fall of nine percentage points in a fortnight.

Mr Bloomberg, the billionaire former Republican mayor of New York City, was just two points behind, on 15 per cent, a rise of seven points in two weeks.

Bernie Sanders was top on 25 per cent, a rise of four points. Mr Bloomberg is waging an unconventional campaign for the presidency.

He jumped into the Democratic race last November, almost a year later than some of his rivals, has avoided the early bellwether states of Iowa and New Hampshire, and is spending heavily on advertising nationwide.

Mr Bloomberg, 77, is also focusing much of his energy on taunting Donald Trump.

“Tonight’s (Tuesday’s) the big night! The votes are in, and the awards we’ve all been waiting for are about to be announced,” his campaign team tweeted.

“These are the Donalds.”

As the real Oscars unfolded, Mr Bloomberg’s campaign handed Mr Trump 11 mock awards.

The first was the “award for most lies told in one speech”, which they gave him for the hour-long address he delivered after his acquittal by the Senate last week.

Mr Trump was also mocked with the “award for best fictional wall”, accompanied by a viral video of a section of the border wall being built between the US and Mexico blowing over in strong winds.

The award for “best failed impulse purchase” was handed to Mr Trump “for his very well-thought-out idea to buy Greenland”.

He also won the award for “outstanding Russian patriot”, with a video of the US President shaking hands with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The 12th and final award, for the “candidate who terrifies Donald Trump the most”, was given to Mr Bloomberg.

Mr Bloomberg’s campaign has been sprinkled with showbiz glamour by the endorsement of actor Michael Douglas.

Douglas, 75, campaigned for Mr Bloomberg in Oconomowoc, a city in Wisconsin, the day after the funeral of his father, Kirk.

Douglas told the campaign event that one of his final conversations with his father had been about support for Mr Bloomberg’s campaign.

“Just a little over two months ago … I FaceTimed him and I said, ‘Dad, you’re not going to believe it, Mike Bloomberg is running for president’,” he said.

“We’re both tremendous fans. He doesn’t talk a lot and he just put his thumb up.

“I was in the hospital last week with Dad before we decided to take him home.

“ I saw him in the hospital bed, he kind of beckoned me over, I leaned over and he said, ‘Mike can get it done’.”

Mr Bloomberg has drawn criticism for buying so many ads.

Consultancy Advertising Analytics said his ads, if run consecutively, would air for 4106 hours.

The Times