DPT 2020: March 24, 2019

Democratic Primary Tracker updates for the week of 3/17 - 3/23

“The main problem in any democracy is that crowd-pleasers are generally brainless swine who can go out on a stage & whup their supporters into an orgiastic frenzy—then go back to the office & sell every one of the poor bastards down the tube for a nickel apiece.” 

― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72

HEADLINES: The long-awaited Mueller report 'dropped' on Friday.  . .Beto smashes campaign contribution record...Harris goes to Texas...Biden already weighing selection of VP...Booker calls for Supreme Court term limits...Buttigieg is everyone's favorite underdog...

Current Odds (Bovada, 3/23/19)

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Beto O’ Rourke

. . .attains record $6.1 million in contributions on Day one (The Guardian)

. . .is the selfie-politician and metaphor for our times (FoxNews)

. . .has a rocky campaign roll-out, despite record contributions (Politico)

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Kamala Harris

. . .visits Texas for first time (McClatchy)

. . .and puts Beto on notice (Politico)

. . .calls for federal spending to increase teacher pay (L.A. Times)

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Bernie Sanders

. . .thinks he can vanquish health insurers. He may be wrong (The Atlantic)

. . .fundraises off Beto O’Rourke (US News & World Report)

. . .hires non-American campaign advisers, perhaps violating campaign law (Fox News) 

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Joe Biden

. . .accidentally? hints at running? but not really? (The Hill)

. . .weighing selection of VP early in race (The Hill)

. . .potential ticket with Abrams is ‘music to some Dems’ ears’ (The Hill)

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Elizabeth Warren

. . .supports elimination of the Electoral College (Time)

. . .focuses on policy, which looks like a tough sell with voters (NPR)

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Cory Booker

. . .calls for term limits on the Supreme Court (MSNBC, video)

. . .has fundraiser hosted by Bon Jovi (USA Today network)

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Kirsten Gillibrand

. . .says immigration is ‘not a security issue; it is an economic and a humanitarian, and a family issue’ (Washington Examiner)

. . .tweets Opioid Epidemic proposal (Forbes)

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Pete Buttigieg

. . . is becoming everyone’s favorite underdog (Out Magazine)

. . .wants to reach ‘the whole country’ on an appearance on The View (ABC News)

. . .is the hottest candidate in the 2020 race right now (CNN)

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Andrew Yang

. . .has an incredibly robust Policies section on the Yang2020 site (Yang2020.com)

. . .comes out against circumcision (The Daily Beast)

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Amy Klobuchar

. . .says reparations don’t have to be direct pay (Breitbart)

. . .questioned for ‘tough on crime’ record as prosecutor (New York Magazine)

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Stacey Abrams

. . .has yet to define her 2020 vision (Black Press USA)

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Jay Inslee

. . . supports bill that could kick Trump from Washington state ballot (Washington Examiner)

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John Hickenlooper

. . . “closest thing to an Ohio candidate” in 2020 presidential race (Denver Post)

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Eric Swalwell

. . .says he’ll fight like hell for the Mueller report to be released (CNN)

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Julián Castro

. . .is confident that by the time people start voting that he’s going to do well (Texas Tribune)

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John Delaney

. . .says Electoral College is a waste of time (Fox News)

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Michael Bennet

. . .pleads with Democrats to care about electability (Washington Post, paywall)

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Tulsi Gabbard

. . .preaches message of peace to Las Vegas crowd (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

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Tim Ryan

. . .says Trump is a distraction (Yahoo! Finance)

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Marianne Williamson

. . .pitches 4-step plan for world peace (Keene Sentinel)

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Bill de Blasio

. . . is the 2020 campaign nobody wants (The Week)

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Debate Schedule:

Important Dates, 2020 (dates subject to change pending legislation):

• February 3: Iowa caucus

• February 11: New Hampshire primary

• February 22: Nevada caucus

• February 29: South Carolina primary

• March 3: Super Tuesday (Alabama, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia primaries)

• March 7: Louisiana primary

• March 10: Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio primaries

• March 17: Arizona, Florida, and Illinois primaries

• To be determined: Colorado primary (March 3, 10 or 17)

• April 7: Wisconsin primary

• April 28: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island primaries

• May 5: Indiana primary

• May 12: West Virginia primary

• May 19: Arkansas, Kentucky, and Oregon primaries

• June 2: Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota primaries

• June 7: Puerto Rico primary

• June 16: District of Columbia primary

• July 13–16: The Democratic National Convention (Milwaukee, WI)