| | | | 🎈 The Beto balloon bursts 🎈 |  | | Give Donald Trump this: He's a pretty decent political handicapper.
Take his riff on Beto O'Rourke during an "official" White House event in Louisiana on Tuesday night:
"Beto. Beto's falling fast, what the hell happened? Remember about four weeks ago he said, 'I was made for it.' He was made for it! He was made to fall like a rock."
It's a pretty decent summation of the arc -- downward -- that the former Texas congressman's presidential campaign has been on since, well, he got into the race. As Harry Enten wrote recently:
"In an average of national polls taken since Biden entered the race, O'Rourke has fallen to just below 5% support. That's the lowest he has been since at least December.
"But it's not just that O'Rourke has seen his numbers decline nationally -- it's that his polls look even worse in the early caucus and primary states. I could not find a single poll in Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina conducted after Biden entered in which O'Rourke polled above 3%."
The headlines for O'Rourke -- as I documented in my Sunday newsletter -- are equally devastating. Here are a few from the last 10-ish days alone: "Beto 2.0: Campaign Plans Reboot After Lag in Polls." "Beto's Long History of Failing Upward." "Beto O'Rourke plans 'reintroduction' as 2020 buzz fizzles."
O'Rourke, in a desperate attempt to get his buzz back, live-streamed his haircut Wednesday.
The idea that a candidate who formally entered the presidential race March 14 is already pressing the reset button is BIG trouble. It's only been 62 days! What this sort of recalibration so early in a candidacy suggests is that the candidate may not really know who he is or how he wants to run.
Resets can work -- see John McCain during the 2008 presidential primary campaign -- but they are usually a return to the more authentic version of the politician. In O'Rourke's case, he seemed to have spent his first 60 days in the race being the person who caught fire in the Texas Senate race: Light on policy, more of a listener than a talker and, above all, cool and charismatic.
Unfortunately for him, that profile isn't playing -- like, at all -- in the presidential race.
The Point: There's still time for Beto to turn it around. Plenty of time. But the early returns aren't just discouraging. They are downright dismal.
-- Chris | | "I think that Joe Biden would be a great running mate. As Vice President, he's proven that he knows how to do the job."
-- Kamala Harris on speculation about running mates,
suggesting Biden could be her VP. | | | What happened: Alabama's Senate passed the most restrictive abortion bill in the country last night.
What's in the bill: Under the legislation, doctors could face up to 99 years in prison for performing an abortion. Democrats had reintroduced an amendment to exempt rape and incest victims, but the motion failed.
What happens now: The bill heads to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey's desk. She has six days to sign the legislation, though the bill would not take effect until six months after becoming law.
Further reading: | | | Ben Gibbard did a Minor Threat cover. Mind blown. | | When it comes to books released by presidential candidates, most are written for readers who are of voting age.
But not Gov. Jay Inslee, who has released a children's book on his campaign's main topic: Climate change.
The 20-page "Elvis & The Elves -- The Mystery of The Melting Snow" is written and illustrated by Inslee, described as "a tale for building a sustainable future for children of all ages." It's also for sale on his campaign website for $12.50.
While you're interested, Lauren's curated a collection of the best 2020 campaign swag. | |
LAUREN'S CAMPAIGN TRAIL LATEST | | Kamala Harris: Says she'll ban imports of all AR-15 style assault weapons if Congress doesn't act.
Elizabeth Warren: Will hold a town hall in northern Virginia at George Mason University on Thursday.
John Hickenlooper: Is appearing on Fox News tonight to "share his plan to save capitalism" after Warren declined to participate in a town hall with the network.
Joe Biden: Claims the 1994 crime bill didn't cause mass incarceration. We fact-checked that. | |  | | From Brenna: "No, Sen. John Kennedy was not expressing shock that the week is only halfway over. He's talking to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, which is probably more fun. Share The Point with someone who needs help getting through Hump Day!" | | | | | | |
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