Ironically enough, Democratic rules are only benefiting Mike Bloomberg. They need to be changed

The billionaire is flooding his presidential campaign with money while managing to avoid being held to account on any debate stage

Mike Bloomberg didn't get into the race for the Democratic presidential nomination until late November 2019. He doesn't take donations. He hasn't set foot inside Iowa or New Hampshire and hasn't appeared in any of the Democratic debates. However, in national polling, Bloomberg is now in fourth place, moving ahead of Pete Buttigieg, Andrew Yang, and Amy Klobuchar.

Bloomberg devised a strategy that many experts sneered at when he first announced. He said he'd ignore early primary states, and focus heavily on March 3, Super Tuesday states, promising to spend a lot of his billions in doing so.

The billionaire businessman and former mayor of New York City is one of two Democratic billionaires — Tom Steyer being the other — who entered the race late after having doubts about how the top candidates were conducting their campaigns. Instead of accepting advice from Bloomberg, other candidates pretty much said, "Just shut up and send me your money," prompting him to launch his own campaign instead where he could choose to use his money as he sees fit.

The candidate, who's only run for just over two months, hasn't spent lightly. According to the news organization that bears his name, Bloomberg has thus far spent nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in that span. That's $209.3 million on broadcast television, $13.7 million on cable, $1.1 million on radio, and $27.2 million on digital advertising. According to the New York Times, Bloomberg will spend $10 million for a 60-second spot in the upcoming Super Bowl.

It's easy to find articles and videos of people expounding the notion that money matters little in politics, despite the vast sums spent on political races, particularly presidential contests. That is likely true on a level playing field, but it isn't elementary to argue money is an equalizer when it's not equal.

Donald Trump benefited from what people estimate was more than $5 billion in free advertising in 2015 and 2016 due to increased media coverage of his campaign. It undoubtedly helped Trump against well-funded candidates such as Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and Rick Perry during the GOP primary campaign.

Michael Bloomberg enjoys a similar advantage, but the resources come from his wallet, giving him all the control. With a net worth of nearly $60 billion, throwing a billion at a presidential campaign won't sting all that much. Of course, Bloomberg has to win primary races and caucuses, and despite the national polling, that could prove difficult, especially if a candidate such as Joe Biden comes out of the gate with some early wins. But with Bloomberg heavily focused on contests for March 3, he still has time to see what kind of inroads he can make by spending more of his money.

Bloomberg also manages to escape the scrutiny of his record as mayor, and the ideas he brings to the table for the presidential race. The rules for the Democratic debates rely on candidates reaching a particular amount of individual and unique donations. Bloomberg doesn't accept donations, so unless there is a rule change, he won't see a debate stage.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, in a recent appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe, argued Bloomberg should have access to debate stages so that he can face the other candidates instead of blanketing the airwaves. There is some irony in Bloomberg benefiting from not making the debate stage, but Klobuchar makes a valid point.

Bloomberg has a record that includes "stop and frisk" in New York City, a controversial law enforcement policy he recently defended. He has also faced criticism for his penchant for "nanny-statism," including banning donations of food to homeless shelters because the city could not determine its salt, fat, and fiber content.

Bloomberg also has ideas about taxes, healthcare, the environment, and other noteworthy issues that don't fall under the microscope, so perhaps Senator Klobuchar is on to something. Naturally, changing the rules for the debates this late in the game would only cause more upheaval, particularly for candidates who haven't qualified for recent contests.

But the intrigue behind Bloomberg's campaign remains. How far into the primary will he go, especially if he does well on Super Tuesday? I don't expect to see he him dropping out any time soon — especially if the money he's spending keeps working for him.