Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* If it seems like Democratic presidential contenders unveil substantive new policy proposals just about every day, it’s not your imagination. Today, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is rolling out a $1 trillion infrastructure plan.
* Though there’s been quite a bit of chatter of late about former Vice President Joe Biden tapping Stacey Abrams as an early 2020 running mate, the Georgia Democrat suggested on “The View” yesterday that she’s not interested.
* Quinnipiac released a new national 2020 poll this morning, and found Biden leading the Democratic pack with 29%, followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) with 19%. Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) is third with 12%, followed by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) at 8%. The only two other candidates to top 3% are Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-South Bend), who had support in this poll of 4% each.
* Incidentally, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) was at 1% in the poll, which may seem like bad news, but which apparently qualified him to participate in the upcoming primary debates.
* Speaking of the Quinnipiac poll, it also found that, at the national level, 53% of Americans said they will definitely not vote for Donald Trump in next year’s presidential election. Among women, it’s 60%. * If you’ve been hoping to see the Democratic presidential field get even bigger, I have some good news: Wayne Messam, the 44-year-old mayor of Miramar, a mid-size suburb of Miami, announced this morning that he too is seeking the party’s presidential nomination. * Similarly, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) said on MSNBC this morning that he’s “very inclined” to run for president in 2020, too. * And in case that weren’t quite enough, CNN reported yesterday that multiple sources close to former Gov. Terry McAuliffe said the Virginia Democrat is also “leaning toward jumping into the Democratic presidential race next month.”
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." Recommended
