Today’s a big day for the rowdy army of Democratic presidential candidates. They get their internal financial reports showing how much money they took in during the second quarter.
If the haul was good, we’ll soon hear about it from bragging campaign sources, perhaps even today. If not, we won’t for a while.
Campaigns must report their April-June donations to the Federal Election Commission by July 15. So, the numbers will be available there for all to see after that. And they better match the ones leaked in coming days.
All the candidates want to do well, of course, because dollars are seen as a measure of support from grassroots Americans who apparently don’t realize how much more money the winning Democrat candidate will take from them involuntarily if elected. Google free college, Medicare for all, reparations, kill Trump tax cuts.
Money on hand will also determine how long the campaign nobodies will survive into the fall. But most closely watched will be the numbers for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
This is the first full quarter Joe has been competing for the checks of rich liberals, He was perceived as having a bad debate performance last week by media and supporters of other candidates.
But Joe’s been doing this stuff since Harris was in first-grade and Pete Buttigieg wasn’t even born yet. So, he’s unlikely to panic.
Harris, on the other hand, was perceived as a huge winner for telling Biden her feelings were hurt by his remarks on old-time Senate collegiality, even with duly-elected Southern Democrats who opposed racial integration.
Harris must do super-well in the ongoing money race to maintain that phantom momentum that media love to chronicle because, in truth, there’s not that much else to write about in a holiday week when most Americans are paying attention to important things, like family, days-off and backyard grills.
And not thinking about an election 490 days away. Set your timer for 705,600 minutes.
Harris and Julian Castro have hinted they did well in donations the day after their debates. We haven’t heard much from the others. Robert Francis O’Rourke’s take might reflect how empty his debate remarks seemed.
Two more of interest will be Bernie Sanders, who wowed the political world with an $18 million take the day after his announcement.
We didn’t see that much in media coverage the day after President Trump’s reelection announcement when supporters gave a third more than Bernie got, $24 million. That’s roughly a million an hour.
Sanders still shouts, but he seems quieter this time, perhaps because more of his competitors are saying the same big government socialist stuff that he has for years.
Elizabeth Warren has impressed wonks with her plethora of proposals and did well in the first night’s debate against also-rans. “I have a plan for that.” She has crept up on Sanders in polls, both still behind Biden.
She’s forsworn courting big-dollar donors, PACs and lucrative fundraising events. But has built a large costly campaign operation that eats cash ravenously.
Warren will have to take in a big bundle to impress and also warm up her campaign style. There, she comes across as your flinty aunt, the retired school teacher who still wants to lecture anyone in sight.
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