O'Rourke stocks campaign with Obama and Clinton alums

[Indygram]

Beto O’Rourke is adding a pair of seasoned strategists to his campaign, injecting a measure of establishment credibility lacking in his improvisational Senate bid against Ted Cruz last year.

Lauren Brainerd, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s field director in 2018, has been hired as national organizing director. And Lise Clavel, who worked in former Vice President Joe Biden’s office as director of public engagement and for Barack Obama's 2012 reelection, has been named states director, campaign sources told POLITICO.

The moves are an attempt by O’Rourke to shift toward a more mainstream operation after a Senate run in which his campaign focused heavily — almost indiscriminately — on voter turnout. Though O’Rourke’s effort in Texas resulted in a closer-than-expected loss to Cruz, his advisers have acknowledged that campaigning against a field of other high-profile Democrats will require a more precise targeting of voters, especially in early nominating states.

O’Rourke’s efforts to bring veteran staffers on board has come as a relief to supporters who feared his unorthodox campaign in Texas — largely an effort to turn out hundreds of thousands of inactive voters — lacked the discipline necessary for a presidential campaign.

Still, O’Rourke is also trying to replicate successful elements of his Senate run. That includes some version of a “distributed organizing” model of field organizing in which the campaign recruits and trains volunteers to run their own outreach programs on O’Rourke’s behalf.

In addition to Brainerd and a yet-to-be-named deputy, O’Rourke has hired seven staffers for the national organizing arm of his campaign, all of whom worked on O’Rourke’s Senate race.

“Our campaign started out with the benefit of one of the most innovative and remarkable organizing teams in Democratic politics,” campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon, an Obama veteran and data expert, said in a statement. “These folks dramatically raised the bar on voter engagement and turnout in Texas for the first time in generations. With Lise and Lauren joining our growing team, our grass-roots campaign is ideally positioned to make history across the nation in the same way: by reaching every household in every neighborhood in every community, and talking with Americans of all beliefs and backgrounds about Beto’s vision for a united, prosperous, and secure America.”

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/19/orourke-national-campaign-staff-2020-1331762

[Iliyah]

1. K & R!

[essadaw]

2. Beto is taking this campaign seriously.

the hiring of Jeff Berman a week or so ago was huge. For those that don't know, he was the key person behind Obama's 2008 delegate strategy and a very important contributor to why Obama beat Hillary. I'm glad to see Beto is continuing to make smart hiring decisions, and just as importantly talented people are choosing to work for him.

[Indygram]

3. I agree, and I think once America gets to see him he will win them over

He's so impressive and not only can he beat the crap out of Trump, I think he can really heal America AND get a lot of the problems this country is facing fixed.

[nevergiveup]

4. I am sticking with my prediction

that Beto will be a player down to the end. IMHO I believe he would not only give Trump fits but also have coattails in important states like Ohio, Texas and Colorado.

[Indygram]

7. I am convinced of the same

[left-of-center2012]

5. Beto needs our prayers

Polls show him polling in the low numbers
between 3% and 5%.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/2020_democratic_presidential_nomination-6730.html

[Indygram]

6. Bless your heart

I'll pray for you that you can find your way to the threads of a candidate you actually like so you don't have to devote so much of your time making negative posts about Beto.