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Political scientist and chair Gregory Wawro was interviewed in Newsweek on how Michael Bloomberg's personal wealth makes his presidential campaign viable without a reliance on donors.

By Shane Croucher

Michael Bloomberg has pledged to spend whatever it takes on his 2020 campaign as he entered late to the race for the Democratic nomination. If his past record of campaign spending while running for New York City mayor is anything to go by, he could spend a record shattering $6.5 billion.

But while critics of the 77-year-old billionaire accuse him of attempting to buy the presidency, there is, in reality, a limit to the effectiveness of spending money on your campaign, even if you have a deep well of reserves to draw from.

"Bloomberg's money makes him a viable candidate who is not subject to standard constraints of candidates who rely on donors," Professor Gregory J. Wawro, chair of the political science department at Columbia University, told Newsweek.

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