Beto O'Rourke raised massive $6.1 million his first day in the 2020 race, campaign says

[George II]

CNN's subtitle: BREAKING Beto O'Rourke raised more money on day one than Bernie Sanders did

Source: CNN

(CNN) Beto O'Rourke raised $6.1 million in the first 24 hours of his presidential campaign, his campaign said Monday, in what amounts to the largest announced first-day haul of any 2020 Democratic contender to date.

The former Texas congressman raised $6,136,763 in online donations from all 50 states in the first day, his campaign said. That tops the $5.9 million one-day total Sen. Bernie Sanders announced after he launched his campaign. The closest other 2020 Democratic candidate to publicize their first-day fundraising total was California Sen. Kamala Harris at $1.5 million.

The first-day total shows O'Rourke has the potential to recreate the record-smashing fundraising prowess he exhibited during his 2018 US Senate campaign. A more complete picture of what candidates have raised — and how much they spent, particularly on social media advertisements, to raise that money — will come in April, when reports covering the first fundraising quarter are due.

"In just 24 hours, Americans across this country came together to prove that it is possible to run a true grassroots campaign for president -- a campaign by all of us for all of us that answers not to the PACs, corporations, and special interests but to the people," O'Rourke said in a statement announcing the total.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/18/politics/beto-orourke-first-day-fundraising-record/index.html

[Cha]

1. Amazing, isn't it!

The guy who "couldn't beat ted cruz in Texas" as some like to put it.

That's a LOT of Bucks for Beto!

[TexasTowelie]

2. !

[Renew Deal]

3. And that was with no notice

Which is more impressive than the “money bomb” stuff that has a weeks notice.

[Cha]

5. Exactly.

[ehrnst]

15. And not nearly the mailing list that Sanders had, nor the name recognition... (nt)

[Gothmog]

4. Yeah

Link to tweet

?s=20

[Adrahil]

6. I'm still for Kamala, but he has my interest.

I sent him Fiddy bucks. Let's see how he does as a national candidate.

[SFnomad]

7. I think he's going to do just fine, he's going to let Beto be Beto

Of course, tRump will continue to Twitterstorm Beto about his large, jerky hands ....

Things like Whataburger won't translate to the national stage, maybe he could try an In-n-Out? ... No, scratch that, he'd alienate his Texas following with that.

Seriously, it will be interesting to see how much he drifts left with his position papers as the months wear on. It will be expected and his detractors will try to use it against him.

[Adrahil]

10. I think so long as Beto doesn't get suckered into defending himself....

He'll be fine. No one give AF about being a teenage "hacktivist" or edgy, angsty fiction.

I am interested in how he handles policy questions, but more in how that reflects on leadership style than specific policy.

[SFnomad]

11. Yeah, I'm concerned that he's started off on the defensive and apologizing for things

He needs to just push forward, be bold and grab hold of a few hot button issues. Like climate change or universal health care (even if it's just incrementally adding a public option and getting Medicare to be able to negotiate drug prices). There probably isn't a real hot button issue left that he can champion on his own, we've got too many good candidates out there. But he needs to make a bold stand, somewhere, to add to his popularity. If he can do that, he'll join the upper ranks of candidates ... if he can't, well ....

[Adrahil]

13. I think it's okay to apologize and move on....

... hell, I did stupid shit when I was a teen, trying to be "provocative" and WAY more clever than I actually was.

I think it a "yeah, that was stupid..... next" approach is acceptable. Just don't try to justify it. He's doing fine so far, IMO.

[SFnomad]

14. Agreed ... if he can do that. But you know how the news media is, dwell on immaterial things,

and the important stuff lasts just a news cycle, if that.

His campaign is just a couple of days old ... it's waaaaaaay too early to be writing him off or anointing him. We've got a long ways to go.

[Me.]

8. I Saw That

It was especially interesting considering how people kept asking how much he raised and why he wasn't reporting it...

[sheshe2]

9. The voters are motivated.

GOTV.

[dalton99a]

12. It costs money to run a campaign. People realize it and are willing to contribute