The Note: Beto O'Rourke shows how new rules apply to old players in 2020
It marks a start that should scare Democrats of any ideology or generation.
The TAKE with Rick Klein
Four days as a candidate have been enough to create a Beto O'Rourke boom, an accompanying backlash and a reassessment of snap judgments in either direction.
It helped his cause that O'Rourke's campaign could claim that just one of those days was enough to rake in a staggering $6.1 million, enough to quiet voices wondering if his fundraising magic was replicable or merely hype.
It's a start that should scare Democrats of any ideology or generation. That goes for Sen. Bernie Sanders, who helped rewrite the fundraising rules that O'Rourke is exploiting, as well as former Vice President Joe Biden, who has lived his entire political career over five decades under rules that may no longer apply.
The maneuverings among Democrats come as the ultimate political rule-breaker, President Donald Trump, digs in -- and lashes out.
O'Rourke's early going has hardly been mistake-free. But, as he launches an unusually early all-county tour of New Hampshire on Tuesday, he is managing to control his own storytelling despite intense interest in that his story is told.
The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks
The White House on Monday released a series of ideas aimed at combating student loan debt, including bumping up the amount some graduates would be asked to pay back each month and lowering the amount prospective students could take out to begin with.
While Democrats have scrutinized some of the specifics, both parties agree this issue is crippling young adults and families.
Several Democrats running for president have outlined their plans for either "debt-free" or cheaper college too. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced legislation to make public colleges and universities tuition-free for families making up to $125,000 and expand loans for lower-income students looking to attend private universities. Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., all signed on to Sanders' legislation.
That Democratic bill includes details too about how a Democratic government would pay for these programs. So, if Trump wants to debate intricate, domestic, pocket-book-style policy proposals, he will find more than a few Democrats eager to take him up on that.
The TIP with Adam Kelsey
Beto O'Rourke's announcement Monday morning that his campaign brought in more than $6.1 million in its first 24 hours was a wake-up call for his 14 Democratic opponents and a reminder of the fundraising power that made his 2018 challenge of Sen. Ted Cruz so competitive. But at least one of the former Texas congressman's Democratic primary rivals was not content to allow him to dominate headlines for another day -- the man whose first-day fundraising record O'Rourke topped: Bernie Sanders.
"Bad news: Beto outraised us. Good news: We probably had a lot more donations," read the subject line of a Sanders fundraising email Monday afternoon.
The "probably" was necessary because we won't know for sure until FEC reports come in next month, but the point was clear: If O'Rourke topped Sanders' more than 225,000 individual donors in 24 hours, his campaign likely wouldn't have kept it a secret. The $6.1 million provides the sort of flexibility necessary to grow support and pay for O'Rourke's, thus-far, nonstop travel in that pursuit, but even $80 million wasn't enough for him to capture Cruz's Senate seat.
Support, not money, wins elections, and Sanders had a four-year head start in building the 2020 class' most fervent base.
THE PLAYLIST
ABC News' "Start Here" Podcast. Tuesday morning's episode features ABC News Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran, who previews President Donald Trump's meeting Tuesday with controversial Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro. Then, ABC News Senior Washington reporter Devin Dwyer explains why the Supreme Court justices were walking a fine line as they heard arguments in a dispute involving the alleged racial gerrymandering of state legislative districts in Virginia. http://apple.co/2HPocUL
ABC News' "The Investigation" Podcast. Vicky Ward talks to "The Investigation" about her latest book: "Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump." Ward, an investigative reporter and best-selling author, says she interviewed over 200 sources to create a portrait of Jared and Ivanka's "unprecedented" role in the White House. Later, the ABC News team analyzes the ongoing investigations, how they could affect Jared and Ivanka, and the couple's overall impact since their arrival in Washington. https://apple.co/2GjL25N
FiveThirtyEight's Politics Podcast. The Democratic primary field is taking shape. In this episode of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, the crew debates which candidates have done the best job of introducing themselves to voters in the early days of the contest. The team also takes stock of Republican defections from President Donald Trump -- on the recent national emergency declaration vote and other issues. https://apple.co/2mKrhcF
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