Beto O'Rourke's Fund-Raising Falters as 2020 Democrats Announce Finances

[brooklynite]

New York Times

The gap between the rich and the poor in the Democratic presidential primary is growing — and Beto O’Rourke has landed on the worrisome side of the dividing line.

Mr. O’Rourke, who had entered the race in March with the promise of being a top candidate and a financial powerhouse, faltered in dramatic fashion in second-quarter fund-raising, announcing on Monday that he had taken in only $3.6 million. The sum was a fraction of what the front-runners brought in.

In fact, Mr. O’Rourke’s total for the 90-day period was far less than he raised in his first 24 hours as a candidate, when he received $6.1 million.

“We had a lot of that energy early,’’ Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, Mr. O’Rourke’s campaign manager, said in an interview Monday night. “We didn’t have the organization that could capitalize on that. And that’s what we’ve been building.’’

[JI7]

1. not bad considering all the negative bs he gets from the media

[Jane Austin]

3. Yes.

I so agree with you.

[thesquanderer]

2. Get him an exclamation mark. I'm afraid he may be our "Jeb!" (n/t)

[Capt. America]

4. I think he may have mistook his fundraising in his senate race as a mandate about him, rather than a

mandate about how much people hate Cruz.

[cwydro]

5. Oh dear.

[stopbush]

6. Beto has been pretty much an afterthought in this competition.

I think the handwriting is on the wall. The poor fundraising is significant.

[cwydro]

8. I barely hear him mentioned in news reports about the Dem candidates anymore.

I know some think he has been “picked on,” but I don’t get the victim thing.

He started with great momentum, and he failed to capitalize on it. He’s presumably the leader of his team, so that’s on him.

[smooth64]

12. That's because he's busy building his

Infrastructure in Iowa https://www.texastribune.org/2019/07/15/beto-orourke-further-grows-iowa-footprint-opening-11-field-offices/

[customerserviceguy]

9. And what is notable

is that the vast majority of the quarter was before the debate performance that went so badly for him. He needs a much better performance in the next debate to still even be on the radar.

[stopbush]

10. At this point, I don't see any of the candidates pulling below 3%

staying in past September. Donors like a winner, and the $ that Beto et al have been receiving will start going to the leading candidates. That could still be 6-8 candidates to support.

And, the candidates at the top will also be increasing their % of support. The trend lines will be clear.

[customerserviceguy]

11. I'm going to venture a guess

that O'Rourke money will not be going to Castro.

It would be fun speculating where the support for the low-tiered candidates will go. But in many cases, it would amount to something within the margin of error on a poll.

[RLG]

7. Gloating?

nt

[question everything]

13. +1

[brooklynite]

15. Please elaborate

I posted stories about fundraising for Inslee, Gillibrand and Castro as well.

[LanternWaste]

14. Beto should drop names more often...

That seems to be a thing these days.