DETROIT — Steve Bullock made a strong debate debut in Detroit, but it’s an open question whether his performance can compensate for the ground he lost by missing the opening series in Miami.
The Montana governor mixed folksy charm with personal anecdotes as he introduced himself and his policy platform to a national audience via the first CNN-hosted debate Tuesday.
“It was great. It was great to be on the stage,” Bullock told reporters in the spin room after the debate. “I did want to get my message out. We have to win back places we lost. A whole lot of folks often feel like these debates are disconnected from people’s lives. I wanted to make sure [I mentioned] not only did I win in a Trump state, but I won on getting things done.”
The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate’s performance drew praise from political commentators after he failed to qualify for the Democratic National Committee-sanctioned events held last month in Miami following his announcement in May.
“Warren better than Bernie, Buttegieg better than Beto, Bullock better than the rest,” former Obama White House communications director Jen Psaki tweeted.
Warren better than Bernie, Buttegieg better than Beto, Bullock better than the rest
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) July 31, 2019
“I’ve got bad news for the Steve Bullock campaign. His sensible messaging is really speaking to me,” added Tim Miller, who ran former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s communication shop for his failed bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
I’ve got bad news for the Steve Bullock campaign. His sensible messaging is really speaking to me.
— Tim Miller (@Timodc) July 31, 2019
But commendations weren’t universal.
“Bullock needs to spend some time boning up on foreign policy. That was not great,” wrote Tommy Vietor, a former National Security Council spokesman and another Obama alum.
Bullock needs to spend some time boning up on foreign policy. That was not great.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) July 31, 2019
Mo Elleithee, Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service executive director, said Bullock and his team knew they only had “one chance to make a first impression,” but the fact he “got his chance later than everyone else” may hinder his White House ambitions.
“He was a sort of a counterbalance to the more progressive candidates without being confrontational about it,” Elleithee told the Washington Examiner. “I think he made a strong electability argument, so I wouldn’t be surprised of a number of people give him a second look. Question is going to be when will they have that opportunity?”
To qualify for the Sept. 12 and Sept. 13 debates hosted by ABC News and Univision in Houston, Bullock needs at least 2% support in four polls and 130,000 unique donors by Aug. 28. The same thresholds apply for the October round.
“These campaigns are all just jigsaw puzzles,” Elleithee continued. “What are the pieces of the puzzles that he can get in place quickly enough to keep people’s attention? Did he make enough of an impact for them to do some real grassroots fundraising? Did he make enough of an impact to inch him up in those polls? So that’s going to be his biggest challenge.”
