CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It was almost fitting that former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg's event was held at a distillery in Clarksville. As the crowd trickled in, many were still fermenting over who would get their vote. "We’re here to see Bloomberg," announced Debra Boone, while she waited in line outside Old Glory Distillery.
"This is going to make my decision today," Carrie Mathis told us.
While on the other side of the street, several pro-gun demonstrators were there with a bad taste in their mouths over Bloomberg's track record on second amendment issues.
"If they’re going to try to take that right away from me, I’m going to stand against them 110%," one demostrator told us.
Their message certainly got Bloomberg's attention. "I noticed there were some people across the street, with Trump signs and pro guns signs," Bloomberg said during his speech. Bloomberg clarified, what the demonstrators might deem radical, he would call practical. "Passing common sense gun safety laws that protect our children and community," Bloomberg said.
If there was one thought he distilled into the standing-room only crowd -- it was establishing himself as the anti-Trump candidate. "We need strong proven leadership in the White House, and we need someone who has led in a crisis, who believes in science," the candidate said.
But Bloomberg admitted to us, later in a one-on-one interview with NewsChannel 5's Chris Davis, that he needs people like those voters across the street, in order to win. "If you don’t get people from the other side of the aisle you can’t get anything done. I think we learned that. The Hillary Trump election was split right down the middle," said Bloomberg.
Much like bourbon, Bloomberg is preparing for this to be a long process. "Oh I’m going to continue on no matter what, make no mistake about that," he said.
