Just eight 2020 candidates have secured their place on the September debate stage, and only two others seem like safe bets to fulfill the polling and donor requirements by the Aug. 28 deadline. For all ten other candidates facing off in Detroit this week, these debates are their last chance to make a splash with the average American before campaign season goes on its de facto August hiatus.
Outside the likely September 10, only Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has a serious shot at taking advantage of this moment. Yes, she occupies the impacted left lane of the primary, but more importantly, she’s an anti-establishment candidate garnering the reactionary vote. She’s the younger, better looking, more polished Sanders-style socialist with a stronger feel for the pulse of populist politics.
Plus, Neera Tanden hates her, which is the fastest way to attract the anti-Hillary Clinton, left-wing vote.
My prediction: Tulsi runs as third party Green candidate to help Trump win. I will take bets on this. https://t.co/PJ1RjnNoVF
— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) July 24, 2019
Gabbard is well within 30,000 donors of the 130,000 unique donor minimum necessary to qualify for the September debates. And with the sole exceptions of John Hickenlooper and Tom Steyer, who have failed to acquire at least 65,000 donors, Gabbard is the only candidate outside of the likely 10 to have at least one qualifying poll: a CBS/YouGov one from New Hampshire.
Save for front-runner-under-fire Joe Biden, no one has greater stakes in tonight’s debate than Gabbard. And if her recent comments directed towards Kamala Harris are any indication, it’s that Gabbard is ready to fight for her place in the race.
In the month since the last debate, Gabbard has impugned Harris’ persona not once but twice. First, she defended Biden from Harris’ attack that he’s somehow racist for opposing federally mandating forced busing — which, if I recall correctly, no one has endorsed in the past 30 years. Then, and perhaps more tellingly, she slammed Harris’ temperament.
“I think one of the things I’m most concerned with is, Kamala Harris is not qualified to serve as commander in chief, and I can say this from a personal perspective as a soldier,” Gabbard said on “Outkick the Coverage.” “She’s got no background or experience in foreign policy, and she lacks the temperament that is necessary for a commander in chief.”
It is rare to hear one elected official in a national office attacking another in the same party on the grounds of personality rather than policy. And although fourth-place Harris has nothing to gain from punching down at 11th-place Gabbard, the Hawaii congresswoman has every headline to earn if she can land a few blows from the left.
It’s a bold strategy, sure, but then again, this is a sitting member of Congress who openly sympathizes with a dictator who gasses his own people. Plus, what more does she have to lose? In any case, grab the popcorn, folks. Tonight will be quite the spectacle.
