Mike Bloomberg might be my candidate, and I wish he'd let me contribute to his campaign

I have been a Democrat all my life. If I have ever voted for a Republican, it would have been decades ago when I lived in New York City and the candidate was Sen. Jacob Javits — a moderate then, but a liberal by today's Republican standards.

I consider myself a liberal Democrat, but my first priority is to defeat President Donald Trump for reelection. As a result, I have favored former Vice President Joe Biden and have sent him several small contributions. His deficient performances in Iowa and New Hampshire have made me look elsewhere for the strongest Democratic candidate.

Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg is high on my list if Biden doesn’t recover. Bloomberg is moderate and unlikely to turn away independents. While his record is mixed and he has acted poorly on some racial and sexual matters, he might be a winner. I would rather not have a multibillionaire as the Democratic nominee, but his willingness to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to defeat Trump has its advantages. He also happens to advance the positions I like.

But it bothers me that Bloomberg refuses to accept contributions to his campaign. 

Increasing my stake in the result

Now that Democrats have changed their debate rules, Bloomberg doesn't need donors to qualify for the debate stage. And other things being equal, I’d rather keep my money and spend it on other things I want. My resources are limited, my wants less so.

However, I would miss the opportunity to send a candidate money. I want to help him and that is the most practicable way. It makes me feel good and it increases my stake in the result. It’s not the same as betting on the winner of a horse race (where you keep the winnings), but it’s rewarding in other ways.

Contributing money also gives other supporters a chance to express themselves. We are a nation of joiners, as Alexis de Tocqueville and others have pointed out, and one way to show your participation is by making a contribution. The race will mean less to me and others if we have been denied the opportunity. Bloomberg will be less of a colleague if we don’t send him money. He will be a more of a stranger than a confederate.

There is a tension here. I rejoice in the fact that my candidate, if it's Bloomberg, will be well-funded. It will be tragic if we lost because wealthy Republicans outspent the Democrats and thereby won. In a close election, every dollar, like any vote, counts. But I feel left out by a candidate’s refusal to accept my help.

Don't discount him:I worked for Mike Bloomberg. Here's why progressives should consider him seriously.

I’m not sure how to resolve this tension. I’m afraid that contributions, if solicited or allowed, will not be huge, thereby undermining Bloomberg’s campaign. Many people may choose not to give their money to a multibillionaire who is ready and willing to fund his campaign. But I want to contribute — to have a horse in the race. 

Mike Bloomberg is smart and has many smart people around him. I hope one of them solves this dilemma. 

David M. Dorsen, formerly assistant chief counsel of the Senate Watergate Committee and an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, is the author of "The Unexpected Scalia: A Conservative Justice’s Liberal Opinions" and the novel "Moses v. Trump." Follow him on Twitter: @DavidDorsen