Why is Steyer still in the race?

[Otto Lidenbrock]

Steyer has been in the race longer, actually appeared in person at debates, townhalls and forums. Whereas right now a vote for Bloomberg is a vote for Bloomberg's video makers.

But Bloomberg's money is making a mark. He is climbing quicker and higher than Steyer's money ever took him. In the battle of the billionaires it is evident Bloomberg has a path to the nomination with much bigger name recognition and elected office history.

[hlthe2b]

1. Because he CAN?

The only thing causing the mass exodus right now is lack of $$.

[Otto Lidenbrock]

3. He is wasting his money.

He and Yang were the only two outsider candidates. Yang had the humility to admit his path was not there. Steyer should too. There is no room for two billionaires when the second one jumped in way later and polling way higher.

[totodeinhere]

7. He may not regard it as a waste of his money.

He probably knows that he won't get the nomination, but he is getting his message out. And most of what he is saying I think that most of us can agree with. His main message is we need to get rid of Trump. I don't mind hearing that and I hope that everybody else hears it too.

[StevieM]

2. He is polling fairly well in Nevada and South Carolina.

I think he wants to see those states through.

My guess is that he will remain in the race until Super Tuesday and then drop out.

[SCantiGOP]

4. He's polling above 10%, sometimes as high as the low 20s, in SC

I think this will be his last stand. He is spending a ton of money, as evidenced by the accusations by some that he is dangerously close to legal/ethical violations with his practice of putting black political leaders on his paid staff.

If he doesn't have a surprisingly strong showing on Feb 29 he will either drop out, or decide that he has enough money that he can keep throwing it away for the ego boost.

[tirebiter]

5. I take him at his word

He wants Trump to be gone and sees a platform that is Democratic that he feels he can put forward.

[Iliyah]

6. On the radio station I listen to here in Los Angeles . . .

24/7 commercials. One features Edith Childs from Greenwood, SC.

"Fired up, Ready to go"! - that quote is from her during then Senator Obama visit to Greenwood.

She has endorsed Tom Steyer.

[MineralMan]

8. Because he can afford to be.

All of the candidates would stay in the race if they could afford to. But, only self-funded candidates can stay in when they're not doing well in the polls and early primaries.

Steyer isn't that attractive as a Presidential candidate. Bloomberg is more attractive than Steyer. But they're both still in the race.

However, Bloomberg is advertising heavily in the Super Tuesday states, and Steyer is not. I take that to mean that he is no longer serious about his run for the Presidency, if he ever really was.

Bloomberg is running hard, but, if you look at his ads, they're still primarily anti-Trump. No doubt Bloomberg would like to be the nominee and become President. I mean being POTUS is pretty much a pinnacle achievement, historically. However, if he doesn't become the nominee, he'll help someone else become the nominee and continue to campaign. The more delegates he can garner, the more influence he will have at the convention.

Despite what anyone thinks, pledged delegates generally follow the wishes of the candidate to whom they are pledged. If the convention goes to a second vote, most pledged delegates will do as their candidate wishes if he asks them to. So, If Bloomberg doesn't have enough delegates to win outright, he might just decide who he thinks should be the nominee and tell his delegates what the thinks.

It's politics. It's always politics at the convention.

[LaurenOlimina]

9. He thinks he can engineer a bump.

Frankly, 7-out-of-the-8 candidates are delusional. We just don't know which ones yet.

[Laelth]

10. If he drops out now, Kat Taylor will kick his behind?

-Laelth

[W_HAMILTON]

11. Because he spent most of his effort in Nevada and South Carolina...

...so, it doesn't make much sense to drop out before those states.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

12. I have no insider knowledge, but two theories

1) He's staying in through Super Tuesday because he can and because he's more heavily invested in SC and NV than he was in IA and NH.

2) As long as the nominee is not a settled issue he'll stay in because he'll want to see how a brokered convention plays out. I don't think the odds of a brokered convention are great,, but there are more ingredients for one than we've seen in a long time.

[MoonlitKnight]

13. We need him more to keep fighting and organizing against Trump

He is polling well in SC so I can see why he hasn’t dropped out yet. But we really need him elsewhere so we can make it to November.

[robbedvoter]

14. So he can stare at Burnie. And bankroll him.