Mike Bloomberg can restore peace to a divided nation: Judge Judy

The hour is getting late. On Tuesday, Democrats will be voting in 14 states to choose a presidential nominee — and if you believe the polls, we may be heading for a disaster. Not just for the party, but for the United States of America.

We simply can't afford to nominate Sen. Bernie Sanders, an arrogant, finger-pointing socialist whose call for a revolution is a $60 trillion fantasy — exactly what America doesn't need.

I’m supporting Mike Bloomberg for president, and I urge you to do the same. He, and he alone, can provide the leadership we need to bring us together and end the toxic civil war that is ripping our nation apart.

This was made abundantly clear in last Tuesday’s South Carolina debate. With only one exception, the Democratic candidates for president shouted, bullied and blustered their way through an embarrassing two hours.  

12 years of experience

Mike Bloomberg — an accomplished businessman who led New York City as mayor for 12 years — was the only person on that stage who had the guts to speak the truth. The only grown-up in the room. When he was asked a question, he responded to it directly, unlike the other candidates who reverted to their original, canned talking points and said little more. 

There were four people on that stage — Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar — who have collectively served more than eight decades as U.S. elected officials, charting national policy. If they believed that something is wrong with America — and there’s no question that America needs tweaking to make things more equal — why didn’t they get it done? Given their failure to accomplish this, why should we trust them now — as opposed to a candidate like Mike who saw problems in New York and found ways to fix them?

He was the only candidate in last week's debate, for example, who described what it takes to revitalize floundering public school systems across the nation — and that’s because he did just that in the nation’s largest city. Mike enriched school programs that worked, got rid of ineffective teachers and funded classrooms that addressed the needs of individual students. 

He was the only candidate who gave an honest, straightforward answer to a question about marijuana, pointing out scientific evidence that it can damage the development of adolescents’ brains.

Above all, he made it clear that the Democrats’ No. 1 task is to defeat the president — not destroy each other.  

I cannot remember an election in my lifetime when so much was at stake. My father had a favorite saying, which I often repeat in my courtroom, when it's clear that someone is not telling the truth and trying to pull a fast one: "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining," he'd say. Well, that's my reaction to Sanders' hollow, hectoring call for a socialist revolution that will magically make all our problems go away. It’s a joke. 

Put us on the right path

You know me as a straight talker. I am no different off the bench than on — and I tell it like it is to my family, my friends, my co-workers. Amid all the toxic anger roiling our nation, Mike Bloomberg is the one man who can put us back on the right path and turn down the noise. He will restore faith in our institutions, rekindle respect for American values and recruit extraordinarily talented people to re-energize a government that has been systematically dismantled over the past three years.   

True, he may not be the most practiced debater. He doesn’t make speeches for a living, unlike the political insiders running against him. But as a smart, accomplished manager, he is second to none. 

The New York Times said Mike “may be remembered as one of the greatest mayors in New York history." Bloomberg brought a city of 8 million people back from the depths of 9/11. He spurred economic growth that led to 400,000 new jobs. Under his leadership, the number of New Yorkers without health insurance fell nearly 40% from 2001 to 2013. He drove crime down to record lows, pioneered ambitious public health initiatives and helped raise air quality in New York to the highest levels in 50 years.

As a philanthropist, Mike has put his money where his mouth is — supporting courageous programs to combat gun violence, battle climate change, fund women's health initiatives, education and the arts, and increase jobs and wealth for people of color. 

More: Minnesota tough with real world skills: Why Amy Klobuchar has my vote and should get yours

Democrats are overthinking the 2020 nomination race. Time to let passions rule.

Just as important, Mike has the personal funds to help us take back the White House. But before he can do this, he has got to stop Sanders in his tracks. And that's why I’m appealing for your support.  

It's no wonder other candidates feel threatened by Mike. Warren has insulted Bloomberg's personal appearance. How presidential! The last time I looked, she finished fourth in the Nevada caucuses.   

It's time for Democrats to wake up. I don't believe America will elect a socialist who wants to take away your health care and replace it with a $47.5 trillion scheme that would never get through a divided Congress.

I don't believe people of goodwill who voted for the president the last time, but might choose differently this November, will support a man who doesn't understand that they, too, must be part of a winning coalition.

We’ve had enough anger and division. We're done. America needs a leader who can restore the decency that made us the envy of the world, and get things moving again. Mike Bloomberg is that man, and your votes can put him in the White House. But the hour is late. I want peace in this great nation of ours — and so should you.  

Judy Sheindlin is a former supervising judge of Manhattan Family Court in New York. She is the presiding judge of the Emmy-award winning series "Judge Judy."