thewashingtonexaminer--2020-03-31--Meet Joe Biden's revamped 2020 campaign team

As likely Democratic nominee Joe Biden prepares to face President Trump in a general election , his campaign team has begun to bulk up staffing after running in the primary on a shoestring budget .
A flood of cash means a number of veteran campaign consultants and former White House staffers have flocked to the Biden camp after nearly a year of hesitation over whether his third White House bid was doomed .
Many of the highest-profile leaders of the campaign are relatively recent additions , coming after Biden 's victories on Super Tuesday and subsequent primaries .
Michigan Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speculated as a potential pick for vice president , Whitmer currently serves as the governor of Michigan .
But Whitmer , who came into office on Jan. 1 , 2019 , did n't join the campaign until March 5 , just before the Michigan primary , which Biden won handily .
Jen O'Malley Dillon , Campaign Manager Another late entry to Team Biden , O'Malley 's hiring was announced on March 12 .
Previously , O'Malley served as campaign manager for Beto O'Rourke 's failed 2020 run and as Barack Obama 's deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just over a week earlier , O'Rourke endorsed Biden 's candidacy for president .
Greg Shultz , Senior Adviser to Biden An Obama White House veteran who worked for Hillary Clinton 's 2008 presidential campaign , Schultz has worked with Biden since 2013 .
Although he boasted the title of campaign manager until March , he was quickly demoted after Dillon came aboard .
For months , as Biden 's campaign faced heavy losses in the first three primary contests , many Democratic insiders pointed fingers at Schultz .
Anita Dunn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Biden 's campaign is Anita Dunn , who was promoted shortly after his fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses .
Her elevation in the campaign came after a `` reset '' following the Iowa results , when many Democrats thought Biden was down for the count .
Dunn previously held positions in the Obama White House as interim communications director and as a consultant for Obama 's 2012 reelection campaign .
Symone Sanders , Senior Adviser to Biden One of the more public-facing members of the Biden campaign , Sanders 's journey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party is an interesting one .
During the 2016 Democratic primaries , she served as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders 's presidential campaign press secretary but left without explanation in June of that year .
Her addition to the Biden campaign is particularly interesting since she once scoffed at the idea of Democrats nominating another white man , saying , `` We do n't need white people leading the Democratic Party right now , '' on CNN in November of that year .
Katie Petrelius , National Finance Director As the Biden campaign pivots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tabs on Petrelius , who has overseen fundraising operations since Biden launched his third White House bid .
Petrelius , who once worked as the director of development for the Biden Foundation and various Democratic Party organizations and campaigns in fundraising positions , will be largely responsible for raising a war chest to compete with Trump .
T.J. Ducklo , Senior Communications Director Expect to see a lot of Ducklo as we march toward November .
His first entry into politics , Ducklo previously worked in a variety of communications roles for media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He even had a yearlong stint as a producer for the political documentary series The Circus .

As likely Democratic nominee Joe Biden prepares to face President Trump in a general election, his campaign team has begun to bulk up staffing after running in the primary on a shoestring budget.
A flood of cash means a number of veteran campaign consultants and former White House staffers have flocked to the Biden camp after nearly a year of hesitation over whether his third White House bid was doomed.
Many of the highest-profile leaders of the campaign are relatively recent additions, coming after Biden's victories on Super Tuesday and subsequent primaries.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Campaign Co-chair
Routinely speculated as a potential pick for vice president, Whitmer currently serves as the governor of Michigan. But Whitmer, who came into office on Jan. 1, 2019, didn't join the campaign until March 5, just before the Michigan primary, which Biden won handily.
Jen O'Malley Dillon, Campaign Manager
Another late entry to Team Biden, O'Malley's hiring was announced on March 12. Previously, O'Malley served as campaign manager for Beto O'Rourke's failed 2020 run and as Barack Obama's deputy campaign manager for his presidential reelection bid. Just over a week earlier, O'Rourke endorsed Biden's candidacy for president.
Greg Shultz, Senior Adviser to Biden
An Obama White House veteran who worked for Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, Schultz has worked with Biden since 2013. Although he boasted the title of campaign manager until March, he was quickly demoted after Dillon came aboard. For months, as Biden's campaign faced heavy losses in the first three primary contests, many Democratic insiders pointed fingers at Schultz.
Anita Dunn, Senior Adviser to Biden
Another high-profile name on Biden's campaign is Anita Dunn, who was promoted shortly after his fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. Her elevation in the campaign came after a "reset" following the Iowa results, when many Democrats thought Biden was down for the count. Dunn previously held positions in the Obama White House as interim communications director and as a consultant for Obama's 2012 reelection campaign.
Symone Sanders, Senior Adviser to Biden
One of the more public-facing members of the Biden campaign, Sanders's journey to the centrist faction of the Democratic Party is an interesting one. During the 2016 Democratic primaries, she served as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign press secretary but left without explanation in June of that year. Her addition to the Biden campaign is particularly interesting since she once scoffed at the idea of Democrats nominating another white man, saying, "We don't need white people leading the Democratic Party right now," on CNN in November of that year.
Katie Petrelius, National Finance Director
As the Biden campaign pivots toward a general-election operation, keep close tabs on Petrelius, who has overseen fundraising operations since Biden launched his third White House bid. Petrelius, who once worked as the director of development for the Biden Foundation and various Democratic Party organizations and campaigns in fundraising positions, will be largely responsible for raising a war chest to compete with Trump.
T.J. Ducklo, Senior Communications Director
Expect to see a lot of Ducklo as we march toward November. His first entry into politics, Ducklo previously worked in a variety of communications roles for media companies such as NBC and Bloomberg. He even had a yearlong stint as a producer for the political documentary series The Circus.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-03-31--Joe Biden is the odd man out

Joe Biden is the odd man out

The monthslong period in the American electoral system between nomination and election was always its hidden weakness .
This year , the trap snapped itself shut upon the national Democrats and former Vice President Joe Biden .
Before the black swan event of the coronavirus arrived , Biden was a plausible if not all that great candidate to run against Trump .
An eternity ago , Trump himself was the issue , a man whose persona repelled many millions , and against whom Everyman Biden , while never inspiring , appeared reassuringly sane .
Then came the bug , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shutdown , and everything changed .
Suddenly , for most people not working in major media , Trump wasn ’ t the problem anymore .
He was one of the many people trying to solve it .
His reports to the country weren ’ t at all like his rallies .
There were no applause lines , and there was no applause .
Trump appeared more and more sane ( with minor digressions ) , but Biden , in his few public appearances from a TV studio set up in his cellar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was framed until March 20 or so as a battle of Weird vs .
Rational became a contest of Strong vs. Weak .
To make matters worse , Biden was suddenly overmatched by Andrew Cuomo , someone as tough as Trump and more eloquent .
The governor of the state with half of the national coronavirus cases emerged suddenly as the Democrats ’ leader , pushing Biden even more to the side .
Having just secured the nomination , he became a voice of no significance emanating out of his basement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Cuomo be drafted as the one man who could go up against Trump toe-to-toe .
They ’ re right , of course , but the system gives them no choice in the matter .
They can live as they are with perhaps the worst possible candidate for the moment , or they can blow the place up .
Democrats are caught in the trap they constructed one crippling stage at a time .
They can blame Mayor Richard J. Daley , who in Chicago in 1968 destroyed the old system for choosing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose commission after that created the new system ; they can blame Jimmy Carter , who made the Iowa caucus a thing , such that campaigns now start far too early .
In any case , the first thing Democrats should do at their coming convention is to change the rules so that the first primaries don ’ t start until April and don ’ t end until late in July .
In 1960 or 1968 , they ’ d still have enough time to find a better or stronger or a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden out of the way .
The world in which Biden won his three surprising last primaries no longer exists .
They should act accordingly , at least if they want to beat Trump .

The monthslong period in the American electoral system between nomination and election was always its hidden weakness. This year, the trap snapped itself shut upon the national Democrats and former Vice President Joe Biden.
Before the black swan event of the coronavirus arrived, Biden was a plausible if not all that great candidate to run against Trump. An eternity ago, Trump himself was the issue, a man whose persona repelled many millions, and against whom Everyman Biden, while never inspiring, appeared reassuringly sane. Then came the bug, and the crash, and then the great shutdown, and everything changed.
Suddenly, for most people not working in major media, Trump wasn’t the problem anymore. He was one of the many people trying to solve it. His reports to the country weren’t at all like his rallies. There were no applause lines, and there was no applause. Trump appeared more and more sane (with minor digressions), but Biden, in his few public appearances from a TV studio set up in his cellar, seemed vaguer and weaker. A race that was framed until March 20 or so as a battle of Weird vs. Rational became a contest of Strong vs. Weak.
To make matters worse, Biden was suddenly overmatched by Andrew Cuomo, someone as tough as Trump and more eloquent. The governor of the state with half of the national coronavirus cases emerged suddenly as the Democrats’ leader, pushing Biden even more to the side.
Having just secured the nomination, he became a voice of no significance emanating out of his basement.
Almost at once, calls began rising that Cuomo be drafted as the one man who could go up against Trump toe-to-toe. They’re right, of course, but the system gives them no choice in the matter. They can live as they are with perhaps the worst possible candidate for the moment, or they can blow the place up.
Democrats are caught in the trap they constructed one crippling stage at a time. They can blame Mayor Richard J. Daley, who in Chicago in 1968 destroyed the old system for choosing nominees; they can blame George McGovern, whose commission after that created the new system; they can blame Jimmy Carter, who made the Iowa caucus a thing, such that campaigns now start far too early.
In any case, the first thing Democrats should do at their coming convention is to change the rules so that the first primaries don’t start until April and don’t end until late in July. In 1960 or 1968, they’d still have enough time to find a better or stronger or a much younger person, and gently move Biden out of the way. The world in which Biden won his three surprising last primaries no longer exists. They should act accordingly, at least if they want to beat Trump.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-03-31--Biden one of the least visible American politicians during coronavirus pandemic: Poll

The top Democrat in the 2020 presidential field is finding it difficult to remain significant in the wall-to-wall media coverage dominating the coronavirus pandemic .
Former Vice President Joe Biden has had a difficult time resonating with the American public who , according to a Yahoo/YouGov poll , voted him the politician they have heard from the least since Trump declared a national emergency on March 12 .
The poll gauged whether people in the United States had heard `` a lot '' about a number of politicians , including high-profile Democrats such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo .
The poll found that 61 % of people have heard `` a lot '' from Trump , with only 17 % saying the same for Biden .
Cuomo , Vice President Mike Pence , and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci earned the most votes , according to the data .
The pollsters also asked people how they rated the performance of each politician , with respondents giving Trump a 25 % approval rating while Biden only received 10 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conferences to highlight how he and President Trump would handle the pandemic differently , has seen coverage of his few appearances on major networks hone in on the former senator 's growing list of gaffes .
On Saturday , Fox News host Tucker Carlson said insiders had told him that Biden wo n't make it to the general election in November .
On Monday , Cuomo 's chances to become the next president surged from 250-to-1 to 25-to-1 , strengthened by the Democrat 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic in New York state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track the 2020 presidential election , those odds hypothetically place Cuomo in third place for the presidency , behind only Biden and Trump .

The top Democrat in the 2020 presidential field is finding it difficult to remain significant in the wall-to-wall media coverage dominating the coronavirus pandemic.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has had a difficult time resonating with the American public who, according to a Yahoo/YouGov poll, voted him the politician they have heard from the least since Trump declared a national emergency on March 12.
The poll gauged whether people in the United States had heard "a lot" about a number of politicians, including high-profile Democrats such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The poll found that 61% of people have heard "a lot" from Trump, with only 17% saying the same for Biden. Cuomo, Vice President Mike Pence, and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci earned the most votes, according to the data. The pollsters also asked people how they rated the performance of each politician, with respondents giving Trump a 25% approval rating while Biden only received 10%.
Biden, who promised shadow press conferences to highlight how he and President Trump would handle the pandemic differently, has seen coverage of his few appearances on major networks hone in on the former senator's growing list of gaffes. On Saturday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson said insiders had told him that Biden won't make it to the general election in November.
On Monday, Cuomo's chances to become the next president surged from 250-to-1 to 25-to-1, strengthened by the Democrat's handling of the coronavirus pandemic in New York state. In legal British betting markets that track the 2020 presidential election, those odds hypothetically place Cuomo in third place for the presidency, behind only Biden and Trump.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-03-31--The kids aren't alright with Biden. Can he change that in fall fight against Trump?

Joe Biden is trying to break out of his coronavirus pandemic-induced campaign limbo by reaching the segment of the population most likely to be online : younger voters .
It 's a voting bloc the former vice president had trouble with in his Democratic primary fight against Bernie Sanders , which he 's poised to win in early June once a slate of virus-delayed primaries take place .
And a group that could help Biden topple President Trump this fall , if they actually cast ballots .
Unable to leave his house and hold traditional campaign events , Biden last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he connected the coronavirus pandemic to larger issues that affect younger voters .
That evening , Biden hosted a virtual “ happy hour ” targeted at younger voters — though he does not drink alcohol and instead sipped on Gatorade .
“ We need to think about those of you who are hustling in the gig economy , who deserve the same benefits as everyone else does , '' Biden said .
`` We need to think about those of you who are already struggling with student debt before this crisis and now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though , is much more popular with younger voters than Biden .
An Economist/YouGov poll conducted March 22-24 found that around 59 % of Democratic primary voters aged 18 to 44 would prefer the Vermont senator as the Democratic presidential nominee rather than Biden .
In what could be a close election against Trump , Biden will need to grow Democrats ’ 2016 margin among young voters in order to win against President Trump .
The challenge is motivating younger voters to cast votes for Biden .
While a 2019 Harvard youth poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of young people think that the country is “ on the wrong track , ” Biden can ’ t assume that millennials and Generation Z will flock to him in November .
Studies suggest that they do not have the same level of party loyalty as older generations , said Elizabeth Matto , a professor at Rutgers University and director of the Center for Youth Political Participation .
“ One of the biggest challenges for any Democratic nominee right now is making sure you do n't assume that because you get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the youth vote , ” Matto said .
The former vice president seems to recognize this and is hoping to reach younger voters by touting new policy proposals .
Biden adopted part of one of Sanders ’ s most popular policy proposals the day before their first one-on-one debate : Free tuition at public colleges and universities for those from families making less than $ 125,000 per year .
Last week , as coronavirus-related closures brought on a record unemployment surge and economic downturn , Biden announced support for student loan debt cancellation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal popular with younger people .
A Wednesday op-ed from Biden on “ protecting future generations after coronavirus ” was published by Crooked Media , a company created by former Obama administration staffers that host the popular podcast Pod Save America .
The former vice president stressed the importance of social distancing and warned that if President Trump encourages people to return to work too soon , it could exacerbate both the health and economic crisis .
Biden runs a risk , however , of turning younger voters off if they perceive him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he wants their votes .
“ There 's a real attraction to candidates that seem authentic , that seem real , that seem genuine , ” Matto said .
“ Anything that seems like an obvious and inauthentic grab for a particular voting segment , I think young adults will look at it with skepticism.
” In his happy hour , Biden took softball questions from fawning supporters that included Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta , a former intern for Biden now in law school , and a co-chairman of Students for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden would have the United States play “ as a leader in the global community , ” while another asked him how personal tragedies in his life help him “ connect with everyday Americans.
” But here is an opportunity for the former vice president to provide the kind of leadership that younger voters are looking for .
Though Sanders himself is viewed favorably , the socialist revolution he preaches is not the common preferred path for younger people .
“ Young adults are actually sort of mixed in their feelings about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next president — not necessarily wanting broad structural changes , but maybe offering more pragmatic and realistic changes , ” Matto said .

Joe Biden is trying to break out of his coronavirus pandemic-induced campaign limbo by reaching the segment of the population most likely to be online: younger voters.
It's a voting bloc the former vice president had trouble with in his Democratic primary fight against Bernie Sanders, which he's poised to win in early June once a slate of virus-delayed primaries take place. And a group that could help Biden topple President Trump this fall, if they actually cast ballots.
Unable to leave his house and hold traditional campaign events, Biden last Wednesday gave a livestreamed address in which he connected the coronavirus pandemic to larger issues that affect younger voters. That evening, Biden hosted a virtual “happy hour” targeted at younger voters — though he does not drink alcohol and instead sipped on Gatorade.
“We need to think about those of you who are hustling in the gig economy, who deserve the same benefits as everyone else does," Biden said. "We need to think about those of you who are already struggling with student debt before this crisis and now need a lifeline."
Sanders, though, is much more popular with younger voters than Biden. An Economist/YouGov poll conducted March 22-24 found that around 59% of Democratic primary voters aged 18 to 44 would prefer the Vermont senator as the Democratic presidential nominee rather than Biden. In what could be a close election against Trump, Biden will need to grow Democrats’ 2016 margin among young voters in order to win against President Trump.
The challenge is motivating younger voters to cast votes for Biden.
While a 2019 Harvard youth poll found that a majority, 51%, of young people think that the country is “on the wrong track,” Biden can’t assume that millennials and Generation Z will flock to him in November. Studies suggest that they do not have the same level of party loyalty as older generations, said Elizabeth Matto, a professor at Rutgers University and director of the Center for Youth Political Participation.
“One of the biggest challenges for any Democratic nominee right now is making sure you don't assume that because you get the nomination you're going to automatically get the youth vote,” Matto said.
The former vice president seems to recognize this and is hoping to reach younger voters by touting new policy proposals.
Biden adopted part of one of Sanders’s most popular policy proposals the day before their first one-on-one debate: Free tuition at public colleges and universities for those from families making less than $125,000 per year.
Last week, as coronavirus-related closures brought on a record unemployment surge and economic downturn, Biden announced support for student loan debt cancellation up to $10,000, another left-wing proposal popular with younger people.
A Wednesday op-ed from Biden on “protecting future generations after coronavirus” was published by Crooked Media, a company created by former Obama administration staffers that host the popular podcast Pod Save America. The former vice president stressed the importance of social distancing and warned that if President Trump encourages people to return to work too soon, it could exacerbate both the health and economic crisis.
Biden runs a risk, however, of turning younger voters off if they perceive him as adopting certain positions or activities purely because he wants their votes.
“There's a real attraction to candidates that seem authentic, that seem real, that seem genuine,” Matto said. “Anything that seems like an obvious and inauthentic grab for a particular voting segment, I think young adults will look at it with skepticism.”
In his happy hour, Biden took softball questions from fawning supporters that included Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, a former intern for Biden now in law school, and a co-chairman of Students for Biden. One questioner asked what role Biden would have the United States play “as a leader in the global community,” while another asked him how personal tragedies in his life help him “connect with everyday Americans.”
But here is an opportunity for the former vice president to provide the kind of leadership that younger voters are looking for. Though Sanders himself is viewed favorably, the socialist revolution he preaches is not the common preferred path for younger people.
“Young adults are actually sort of mixed in their feelings about the sort of changes they want with the next president — not necessarily wanting broad structural changes, but maybe offering more pragmatic and realistic changes,” Matto said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-01--Biden in a coronavirus Groundhog Day-like loop

Joe Biden is living in reminiscent of the 1993 film Groundhog Day , stuck in limbo and answering the same questions over and over while trying to move on to taking his place as the Democratic presidential nominee .
Isolated in his Wilmington , Delaware home , Biden says that his day starts with two meetings with advisers : one on the status of the coronavirus pandemic and government response and one on the economy .
Later in the day , the former vice president heads to his basement recreation room to his newly-constructed professional studio , where he either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a television show .
The hits are often very similar to each other .
Biden finds ways to mention that he wants up to $ 10,000 in student loans canceled for those affected by the coronavirus , a temporary month ban on evictions , and for President Trump to use the Defense Production Act to create medical supplies .
He is challenged on his health care plan , having to indirectly addresses the single-payer health care proposal pushed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , his last remaining competitor for the Democratic presidential nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is your plan better than 'Medicare for all ? '
'' Anderson Cooper asked Biden in a CNN Town Hall last week .
( `` Yes , '' Biden responded , adding that is plan includes `` a public option for Medicare . ''
) `` Are you re-positioning when it comes to single payer health care ? ''
he was asked on MSNBC on Monday .
( `` Single payer will not solve that at all , '' Biden responded . )
Biden is prodded on whether Sanders should drop out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie Sanders is no longer playing a productive role in this Democratic primary ? ''
NBC host Chuck Todd on Meet the Press on Sunday .
`` What do you think about him continuing his campaign , continuing to compete in primaries ? ''
CNN host Jake Tapper asked Biden last week .
Biden diplomatically responds that the decision is up to Sanders .
Other times , he 's prodded to take his criticism of Trump to a harsher level .
“ Do you think there is blood on the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBC host Chuck Todd asked Biden on Meet the Press Sunday .
( “ I think that ’ s a little too harsh , '' Biden said .
`` Do you think President Trump is responsible for the deaths of Americans ? ''
CNN host Brooke Baldwin asked Tuesday .
( `` President Trump is not responsible for the coronavirus .
But he is responsible for using all of the power at his disposal to deal with this virus , '' Biden responded . )
Biden tries to strike a balance of firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off as opportunistic .
As a result , the former vice president is fading away from the public psyche .
A Yahoo/YouGov poll released Tuesday found that Biden is one of the least viable public figures during the crisis , with only 17 % of respondents saying that they have heard `` a lot '' from the former vice president .
Additionally , Biden is no longer in a position with power to make governing decisions , there is little incentive for news outlets to direct attention his way .
Voters instead direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with have immediate and measurable impacts on their lives .
President Trump takes up time with daily press briefings , and New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , who has emerged as a popular fantasy alternative to Biden as a Democratic presidential nominee .
Like other Americas staying at home in order to combat the spread of the virus , all Biden can do while the pandemic disrupts normal life is get up tomorrow and try to keep being talked about until he 's able to once again crisscross the country and speak @ @ @ @

Joe Biden is living in a time reminiscent of the 1993 film Groundhog Day, stuck in limbo and answering the same questions over and over while trying to take his place as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Isolated in his Wilmington, Delaware, home, Biden says that his day starts with two meetings with advisers: one on the status of the coronavirus pandemic and government response and one on the economy.
Later in the day, the former vice president heads from his basement recreation room to his newly constructed professional studio, where he either gives a livestream address or appears on a television show.
The hits are often very similar to each other. Biden finds ways to mention that he wants up to $10,000 in student loans canceled for those affected by the coronavirus, a temporary month ban on evictions, and for President Trump to use the Defense Production Act to create medical supplies.
He is challenged on his healthcare plan, having to address indirectly the single-payer healthcare proposal pushed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, his last remaining competitor for the Democratic presidential nomination.
"In a case like this, is your plan better than 'Medicare for all?'" Anderson Cooper asked Biden in a CNN town hall last week. ("Yes," Biden responded, adding that his plan includes "a public option for Medicare.")
"Are you repositioning when it comes to single-payer healthcare?" he was asked on MSNBC on Monday. ("Single-payer will not solve that at all," Biden responded.)
Biden is prodded on whether Sanders should drop out.
"Is there a point where Bernie Sanders is no longer playing a productive role in this Democratic primary?" NBC host Chuck Todd asked on Meet the Press on Sunday. "What do you think about him continuing his campaign, continuing to compete in primaries?" CNN host Jake Tapper asked Biden last week. Biden diplomatically responds that the decision is up to Sanders.
Other times, he's prodded to take his criticism of Trump to a harsher level.
“Do you think there is blood on the president’s hands considering the slow response?” Todd asked Biden on Meet the Press Sunday. (“I think that’s a little too harsh," Biden said.)
"Do you think President Trump is responsible for the deaths of Americans?" CNN host Brooke Baldwin asked Tuesday. ("President Trump is not responsible for the coronavirus. But he is responsible for using all of the power at his disposal to deal with this virus," Biden responded.)
Biden tries to strike a balance of being firm without being so critical that he comes off as opportunistic. As a result, the former vice president is fading away from the public psyche. A Yahoo/YouGov poll released Tuesday found that Biden is one of the least viable public figures during the crisis, with only 17% of respondents saying that they have heard "a lot" from the former vice president.
Additionally, as Biden is no longer in a position with the power to make governing decisions, there is little incentive for news outlets to direct attention his way. Voters instead direct attention to executives and leaders whose decisions will have immediate and measurable impacts on their lives. Trump takes up time with daily press briefings, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has emerged as a popular fantasy alternative to Biden as a Democratic presidential nominee.
Like other people staying at home to combat the spread of the virus, all Biden can do while the pandemic disrupts normal life is get up tomorrow and try to keep being talked about until he's able to crisscross the country once again and speak directly to voters.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-01--Hannity and O'Reilly claim Biden's family concerned about candidate's mental health

Fox News host Sean Hannity and former Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly claimed anonymous Democratic sources have lost confidence in former Vice President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee .
During Hannity 's Wednesday radio program , O'Reilly said Biden insiders told him Biden 's family and friends have `` great concern '' about the presidential candidate 's mental health .
`` There is great concern among Mr. Biden 's family and friends about his mental health .
Great concern .
And his wife is the key , all right ?
Dr. Jill Biden .
She has a Ph.D in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' O'Reilly said .
`` And the thinking now is that , if Biden ca n't make it , they 'll get him to a couple of weeks before the convention , and then he 'll step aside for health reasons and give his delegates to Cuomo , '' O'Reilly said , fueling speculation that New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo may be eyeing a late entry into the 2020 contest given the high marks he has received for his handling of New York 's coronavirus outbreak .
`` I know this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that may very well happen .
I do n't see Joe Biden making a comeback from his mental acuity problems .
I do n't see that , '' O'Reilly said , though he added he `` could be wrong . ''
Hannity echoed O'Reilly 's speculation , saying he 's been told similar stories .
`` I 've heard from many in the Democratic Party , too , that they 'd like to do that , and there 's angst , anxiety , concern .
It 's DEFCON 5 , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said would be a better candidate than 'Sleepy Joe , ' '' told CNN on Monday he is not considering a White House bid .
Another conservative personality , Fox News host Tucker Carlson , also claimed to have insider sources telling him they do n't believe Biden has the mental fortitude to last until the 2020 election in November .
`` I sincerely and totally believe that Joe Biden will not be the Democratic nominee on Election Day , '' Carlson said on the Charlie LeDuff podcast .
`` Two competing imperatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we 've got a guy who ca n't win .
Therefore , they 're going to replace him , '' Carlson said .
`` He 's not going to make it , and the people around him know that .
Trust me , I know them .
And I know they know it , because they 've said it to me . ''

Fox News host Sean Hannity and former Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly claimed anonymous Democratic sources have lost confidence in former Vice President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee.
During Hannity's Wednesday radio program, O'Reilly said Biden insiders told him Biden's family and friends have "great concern" about the presidential candidate's mental health.
"There is great concern among Mr. Biden's family and friends about his mental health. Great concern. And his wife is the key, all right? Dr. Jill Biden. She has a Ph.D in education. They're worried about him," O'Reilly said.
"And the thinking now is that, if Biden can't make it, they'll get him to a couple of weeks before the convention, and then he'll step aside for health reasons and give his delegates to Cuomo," O'Reilly said, fueling speculation that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo may be eyeing a late entry into the 2020 contest given the high marks he has received for his handling of New York's coronavirus outbreak.
"I know this to be true. And I think that may very well happen. I don't see Joe Biden making a comeback from his mental acuity problems. I don't see that," O'Reilly said, though he added he "could be wrong."
Hannity echoed O'Reilly's speculation, saying he's been told similar stories. "I've heard from many in the Democratic Party, too, that they'd like to do that, and there's angst, anxiety, concern. It's DEFCON 5," he said.
Cuomo, whom President Trump recently said would be a better candidate than 'Sleepy Joe,'" told CNN on Monday he is not considering a White House bid.
Another conservative personality, Fox News host Tucker Carlson, also claimed to have insider sources telling him they don't believe Biden has the mental fortitude to last until the 2020 election in November.
"I sincerely and totally believe that Joe Biden will not be the Democratic nominee on Election Day," Carlson said on the Charlie LeDuff podcast.
"Two competing imperatives: We've got to win, but we've got a guy who can't win. Therefore, they're going to replace him," Carlson said. "He's not going to make it, and the people around him know that. Trust me, I know them. And I know they know it, because they've said it to me."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-01--How Gretchen Whitmer would help Joe Biden as his running mate

Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer may have been a late endorser of Joe Biden 's presidential bid , but she has emerged as a top candidate for his running mate .
The former vice president on Tuesday told MSNBC host Brian Williams that the Michigan governor is one of his top choices , even as he has yet to wrap up the Democratic nomination against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders .
Whitmer , 48 , `` made [ the vice-presidential list ] in my mind two months ago , '' said Biden , 77 .
Those remarks earned a coy response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` flattered '' but `` right now she is focused 100 % on doing everything she can to slow the spread of the coronavirus . ''
Whitmer did n't endorse Biden 's candidacy until the day before the Michigan primary , a relatively late show of support following his stunning wins on Super Tuesday , and after his former rivals such as Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar told their voters to switch to him once they left the race .
Immediately after Whitmer 's endorsement , she joined Biden 's campaign as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose a woman for vice president as his running mate , and Whitmer could benefit him in several ways .
President Trump famously won the presidency in 2016 by narrowly capturing the electoral votes of Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , and Michigan .
She could help pull it back in the Democratic column .
And Whitmer won the governorship in 2018 , after 14 years as a state legislator , with a practical-minded message with echoes of Biden 's approach to government — `` fix the damn roads . ''
And a year into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vocal critic of Trump 's response to the coronavirus .
She 's needled the Trump administration over a shortage of medical supplies for states .
Trump , for his part , is unleashed some of his most aggressive invective against Whitmer , at one point dismissing her as `` the woman in Michigan . ''
That 's helped make Whitmer a popular `` resistance '' figure , though she 's demurred about the possibility of seeking national office in 2020 as Biden 's running mate .
`` I 'm going to help him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great running mate .
It is not going to be me , '' Whitmer said after her endorsement of Biden .
`` But I 'm going to have a hand in helping make sure that he has got the rounded out ticket that can win.
” Ideologically , both Whitmer and Biden are aligned on key issues .
As governor , she expanded Medicaid coverage in the state but remains critical of any `` Medicare for all '' proposals touted by left-wing figures such as Sanders .
“ It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told Crain ’ s Detroit Business in 2018 , when asked about single-payer proposals .
`` The projections tell us it ’ s not realistic in Michigan at this moment.
” She has also proposed that all high school students in the state be eligible for two years of free college or trade school , a plan similar to Biden , who wishes to make all public education free for families below a certain income level .
In contrast , Sanders wants to eliminate college debt for everyone in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 10-point victory in Michigan , which Trump narrowly won in 2016 , leads many Democrats to believe she can help rebuild the Democratic Party 's appeal in the Midwest .
In February , Whitmer gave the Democratic Party 's response to the State of the Union , an honor normally reserved for who party leaders believe best represents the future of the party .
During her remarks , Whitmer focused on women 's issues such as equal pay and family leave , signaling the party 's commitment to suburban women who traditionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect the Affordable Care Act .
`` American workers are hurting .
In my own state .
Our neighbors in Wisconsin .
And Ohio .
And Pennsylvania .
All over the country .
Wages have stagnated , while CEO pay has skyrocketed , '' she said , potentially airing some general election arguments against Trump .
`` So when the president says the economy is strong , my question is : strong for whom ? ''
And Whitmer has gotten a significant bump in her job approval rating in the middle of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to MRG pollster Tom Shields .
Recent surveys of voters show Biden holding a strong lead over Trump in Michigan , with a RealClearPolitics average of polls showing him with a nearly 4.5-point lead .

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer may have been a late endorser of Joe Biden's presidential bid, but she has emerged as a top candidate for his running mate.
The former vice president on Tuesday told MSNBC host Brian Williams that the Michigan governor is one of his top choices, even as he has yet to wrap up the Democratic nomination against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Whitmer, 48, "made [the vice-presidential list] in my mind two months ago," said Biden, 77.
Those remarks earned a coy response from Whitmer's office, saying she was "flattered" but "right now she is focused 100% on doing everything she can to slow the spread of the coronavirus."
Whitmer didn't endorse Biden's candidacy until the day before the Michigan primary, a relatively late show of support following his stunning wins on Super Tuesday, and after his former rivals such as Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar told their voters to switch to him once they left the race. Immediately after Whitmer's endorsement, she joined Biden's campaign as a co-chairwoman.
Biden has pledged to choose a woman for vice president as his running mate, and Whitmer could benefit him in several ways. President Trump famously won the presidency in 2016 by narrowly capturing the electoral votes of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. She could help pull it back in the Democratic column.
And Whitmer won the governorship in 2018, after 14 years as a state legislator, with a practical-minded message with echoes of Biden's approach to government — "fix the damn roads."
And a year into office, Whitmer has emerged as a vocal critic of Trump's response to the coronavirus. She's needled the Trump administration over a shortage of medical supplies for states. Trump, for his part, is unleashed some of his most aggressive invective against Whitmer, at one point dismissing her as "the woman in Michigan."
That's helped make Whitmer a popular "resistance" figure, though she's demurred about the possibility of seeking national office in 2020 as Biden's running mate.
"I'm going to help him vet and make sure he's got a great running mate. It is not going to be me," Whitmer said after her endorsement of Biden. "But I'm going to have a hand in helping make sure that he has got the rounded out ticket that can win.”
Ideologically, both Whitmer and Biden are aligned on key issues. As governor, she expanded Medicaid coverage in the state but remains critical of any "Medicare for all" proposals touted by left-wing figures such as Sanders.
“It’s not a real option right now," she told Crain’s Detroit Business in 2018, when asked about single-payer proposals. "The projections tell us it’s not realistic in Michigan at this moment.”
She has also proposed that all high school students in the state be eligible for two years of free college or trade school, a plan similar to Biden, who wishes to make all public education free for families below a certain income level. In contrast, Sanders wants to eliminate college debt for everyone in the United States and make college entirely free.
Her nearly 10-point victory in Michigan, which Trump narrowly won in 2016, leads many Democrats to believe she can help rebuild the Democratic Party's appeal in the Midwest.
In February, Whitmer gave the Democratic Party's response to the State of the Union, an honor normally reserved for who party leaders believe best represents the future of the party. During her remarks, Whitmer focused on women's issues such as equal pay and family leave, signaling the party's commitment to suburban women who traditionally vote Republican, while also vowing the protect the Affordable Care Act.
"American workers are hurting. In my own state. Our neighbors in Wisconsin. And Ohio. And Pennsylvania. All over the country. Wages have stagnated, while CEO pay has skyrocketed," she said, potentially airing some general election arguments against Trump. "So when the president says the economy is strong, my question is: strong for whom?"
And Whitmer has gotten a significant bump in her job approval rating in the middle of this pandemic crisis, well above 50%, according to MRG pollster Tom Shields.
Recent surveys of voters show Biden holding a strong lead over Trump in Michigan, with a RealClearPolitics average of polls showing him with a nearly 4.5-point lead.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-01--Senate GOP campaign arm stands by Georgia Sen. Loeffler despite problematic stock sales

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is reaffirming support for Kelly Loeffler as the appointed Georgia senator sustains fire on the Left and the Right for stock sales that critics charge were timed to avoid heavy losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
The NRSC is backing Loeffler over Republican Rep. Doug Collins .
The congressman is challenging Loeffler in a special election to select a permanent successor to Republican Johnny Isakson , who resigned from the Senate on Dec. 31 for health reasons .
Some Republican insiders are questioning Loeffler ’ s viability against Collins amid controversial financial transactions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over .
The Senate GOP campaign arm is not wavering .
“ The NRSC supports Sen. Loeffler 100 % , ” Kevin McLaughlin , NRSC executive director , told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday .
Sen. Todd Young of Indiana is chairman of the NRSC .
But most major decisions are made in concert with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky .
President Trump has previously expressed support for Loeffler .
Loeffler , a wealthy businesswoman married to Jeff Sprecher , owner of the New York Stock Exchange , was appointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kemp .
Like Senate Republican leaders in Washington , Kemp viewed Loeffler as preferable to Collins because he believed she was better positioned to reverse the fading support for GOP candidates in the Atlanta suburbs — especially among women .
Loeffler also was the more attractive choice because she is willing to use her deep pockets to finance what could be an expensive campaign .
The special election is scheduled for the same day as the November general election , with the top two finishers proceeding to a runoff if the winner falls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Party establishment support for Loeffler did not scare off Collins .
Supporters of the congressman are touting an internal Collins campaign tracking poll from March 24 showing the challenger expanding his lead over the incumbent , moving from a 29.1 % to 20.4 % lead on March 7 , to a 34.1 % to 13.6 % advantage 2 1/2 weeks later .
The tracking survey measured support for Collins , Loeffler , and Democratic candidates Matt Lieberman , 18.4 % , Raphael Warnock , 13.3 % , and Ed Tarver , 5.4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NRSC is not as keen on Loeffler as it may seem to be .
`` They may have to say they 're still with her .
But I bet , looking at the poll numbers and the situation she finds herself in — I bet they wish they could get that gum off their shoe , '' Collins campaign spokesman Dan McLagan said .
`` She 's not a terribly compelling candidate . ''
The NRSC and other Loeffler backers are accusing Collins supporters ( and Democrats ) of manipulating the information surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in public companies to make it appear as though she was trying to profit off of the coronavirus pandemic .
Unfair news stories about the transactions also are to blame , McLaughlin argued .
“ Liberal journalistic malpractice will not change that , and there is a special place in political hell for any so-called Republican who perpetuates liberal lies against another Republican during a national crisis in a Hail Mary attempt for political gain , ” he said .
In explaining what critics have described as a form of insider trading , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband directly controls the financial decisions made for their investment portfolio .
Her campaign said she was not notified of any of the transactions until two weeks after they took place .
On Wednesday , Loeffler revealed another round of stock sales to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in advance of their required public disclosure .
`` Sen. Loeffler came to Washington on a promise to be a different kind of elected official , ” Loeffler spokeswoman Kerry Rom said .
“ She holds herself to high standards of ethics and transparency , including acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spirit of the law , which she has done at every step of her time in the Senate and in her lengthy career in financial services .
”

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is reaffirming support for Kelly Loeffler as the appointed Georgia senator sustains fire on the Left and the Right for stock sales that critics charge were timed to avoid heavy losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The NRSC is backing Loeffler over Republican Rep. Doug Collins. The congressman is challenging Loeffler in a special election to select a permanent successor to Republican Johnny Isakson, who resigned from the Senate on Dec. 31 for health reasons. Some Republican insiders are questioning Loeffler’s viability against Collins amid controversial financial transactions that the senator says she had no control over. The Senate GOP campaign arm is not wavering.
“The NRSC supports Sen. Loeffler 100%,” Kevin McLaughlin, NRSC executive director, told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday. Sen. Todd Young of Indiana is chairman of the NRSC. But most major decisions are made in concert with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. President Trump has previously expressed support for Loeffler.
Loeffler, a wealthy businesswoman married to Jeff Sprecher, owner of the New York Stock Exchange, was appointed to the Senate by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Like Senate Republican leaders in Washington, Kemp viewed Loeffler as preferable to Collins because he believed she was better positioned to reverse the fading support for GOP candidates in the Atlanta suburbs — especially among women.
Loeffler also was the more attractive choice because she is willing to use her deep pockets to finance what could be an expensive campaign. The special election is scheduled for the same day as the November general election, with the top two finishers proceeding to a runoff if the winner falls short of 50% of the vote. Party establishment support for Loeffler did not scare off Collins.
Supporters of the congressman are touting an internal Collins campaign tracking poll from March 24 showing the challenger expanding his lead over the incumbent, moving from a 29.1% to 20.4% lead on March 7, to a 34.1% to 13.6% advantage 2 1/2 weeks later. The tracking survey measured support for Collins, Loeffler, and Democratic candidates Matt Lieberman, 18.4%, Raphael Warnock, 13.3%, and Ed Tarver, 5.4%.
The Collins campaign thinks the NRSC is not as keen on Loeffler as it may seem to be. "They may have to say they're still with her. But I bet, looking at the poll numbers and the situation she finds herself in — I bet they wish they could get that gum off their shoe," Collins campaign spokesman Dan McLagan said. "She's not a terribly compelling candidate."
The NRSC and other Loeffler backers are accusing Collins supporters (and Democrats) of manipulating the information surrounding the senator’s sales of stock in public companies to make it appear as though she was trying to profit off of the coronavirus pandemic. Unfair news stories about the transactions also are to blame, McLaughlin argued.
“Liberal journalistic malpractice will not change that, and there is a special place in political hell for any so-called Republican who perpetuates liberal lies against another Republican during a national crisis in a Hail Mary attempt for political gain,” he said.
In explaining what critics have described as a form of insider trading, Loeffler said that neither she nor her husband directly controls the financial decisions made for their investment portfolio. Her campaign said she was not notified of any of the transactions until two weeks after they took place. On Wednesday, Loeffler revealed another round of stock sales to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in advance of their required public disclosure.
"Sen. Loeffler came to Washington on a promise to be a different kind of elected official,” Loeffler spokeswoman Kerry Rom said. “She holds herself to high standards of ethics and transparency, including acting in accordance with both the letter and spirit of the law, which she has done at every step of her time in the Senate and in her lengthy career in financial services.”
Madison Dibble contributed to this report.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-01--Biden calls Trump administration bluff on coronavirus advice

Joe Biden 's campaign says he 'll take up the Trump White House 's offer to consult about how best to combat the coronavirus outbreak .
The Wednesday afternoon statement is the latest in a back-and-forth that began in the morning with a taunt of the presumptive Democratic nominee by Kellyanne Conway , counselor to the president .
Conway blasted Biden 's criticisms of President Trump as `` petty , '' including in a Tuesday night television interview .
She challenged the former two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator to call President Trump to offer coronavirus pandemic strategies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden call the White House today and offer some support ?
” Conway said .
“ I have to tell you , we ’ re not talking about politics here at the White House at all .
We ’ re talking about ventilators and vaccines , not Biden and Bernie .
There ’ s really no time for that , but it ’ s very disappointing when you see the criticism.
” Later on Wednesday , Biden 's deputy campaign manager told the Washington Examiner Biden would be willing to call Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus .
`` Vice President Biden has been extending his advice for months , and he did so again on the air last night , '' Biden 's deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement Wednesday afternoon .
`` As he has said repeatedly , Donald Trump is not accountable for coronavirus itself — but he is accountable for the federal government 's slow and chaotic response to this outbreak . ''
Since the outbreak started and his campaign was forced off the trail , Biden has remained consistently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of slow-walking necessary steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus .
`` Unfortunately , Trump spent months after the virus was discovered disregarding repeated warnings from his scientific and intelligence experts and downplaying the threats of this outbreak to the American people , '' Bedingfield said .
As of Wednesday afternoon , over 4,100 Americans have died from the coronavirus , while 190,740 have tested positive .
Both Trump and medical experts say they expect those numbers to rise over the coming weeks .
“ This is going to be a rough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a briefing Tuesday .
“ As a nation , we ’ re going to have a really rough two weeks .
Our strength will be tested , and our endurance will be tried .
”

Joe Biden's campaign says he'll take up the Trump White House's offer to consult about how best to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
The Wednesday afternoon statement is the latest in a back-and-forth that began in the morning with a taunt of the presumptive Democratic nominee by Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president. Conway blasted Biden's criticisms of President Trump as "petty," including in a Tuesday night television interview. She challenged the former two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator to call President Trump to offer coronavirus pandemic strategies.
“Why doesn’t Vice President Biden call the White House today and offer some support?” Conway said. “I have to tell you, we’re not talking about politics here at the White House at all. We’re talking about ventilators and vaccines, not Biden and Bernie. There’s really no time for that, but it’s very disappointing when you see the criticism.”
Later on Wednesday, Biden's deputy campaign manager told the Washington Examiner Biden would be willing to call Trump and discuss how to help contain the spread of the virus.
"Vice President Biden has been extending his advice for months, and he did so again on the air last night," Biden's deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "As he has said repeatedly, Donald Trump is not accountable for coronavirus itself — but he is accountable for the federal government's slow and chaotic response to this outbreak."
Since the outbreak started and his campaign was forced off the trail, Biden has remained consistently critical of Trump, accusing his administration of slow-walking necessary steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
"Unfortunately, Trump spent months after the virus was discovered disregarding repeated warnings from his scientific and intelligence experts and downplaying the threats of this outbreak to the American people," Bedingfield said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, over 4,100 Americans have died from the coronavirus, while 190,740 have tested positive. Both Trump and medical experts say they expect those numbers to rise over the coming weeks.
“This is going to be a rough two-week period,” Trump said in a briefing Tuesday. “As a nation, we’re going to have a really rough two weeks. Our strength will be tested, and our endurance will be tried.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-01--Biden willing to debate Trump 'any time he wants'

Joe Biden might not be willing to debate Bernie Sanders anymore , but he 's fully prepared to start taking on President Trump .
In an interview with radio host Enrique Santos Wednesday , the former vice president said he 's `` ready to debate President Trump on Zoom or Skype , any time he wants . ''
The first of three general election debates is n't scheduled until Sept. 29 at the University of Notre Dame .
As Biden 's campaign is stuck in limbo and desperately trying to garner media attention in the wake of a pandemic claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a debate is a likely way to bring attention to his White House bid .
Biden 's remarks come after rising tensions between him and Sanders , his remaining Democratic primary opponent , over the former Delaware senator 's reluctance to debate the Vermont senator again .
Sanders has virtually no path to the nomination at this point , leading Biden and his team to say any further contests would be a waste of time .
`` I have n't thought about any more debates , '' Biden said last week in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think we 've had enough debates .
I think we should get on with this . ''
The Sanders campaign , which insists it still has a narrow path to the nomination , says he plans on participating in the April debate should the Democratic National Committee schedule one .

Joe Biden might not be willing to debate Bernie Sanders anymore, but he's fully prepared to start taking on President Trump.
In an interview with radio host Enrique Santos Wednesday, the former vice president said he's "ready to debate President Trump on Zoom or Skype, any time he wants."
The first of three general election debates isn't scheduled until Sept. 29 at the University of Notre Dame.
As Biden's campaign is stuck in limbo and desperately trying to garner media attention in the wake of a pandemic claiming thousands of lives, challenging the president to a debate is a likely way to bring attention to his White House bid.
Biden's remarks come after rising tensions between him and Sanders, his remaining Democratic primary opponent, over the former Delaware senator's reluctance to debate the Vermont senator again. Sanders has virtually no path to the nomination at this point, leading Biden and his team to say any further contests would be a waste of time.
"I haven't thought about any more debates," Biden said last week in a virtual press conference. "I think we've had enough debates. I think we should get on with this."
The Sanders campaign, which insists it still has a narrow path to the nomination, says he plans on participating in the April debate should the Democratic National Committee schedule one.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-01--Bernie Sanders rips Wisconsin for pushing forward with April 7 primary

Bernie Sanders wants Wisconsin to put the brakes on the state 's primary set to take place next week .
“ People should not be forced to put their lives on the line to vote , which is why 15 states are now following the advice of public health experts and delaying their elections , '' Sanders wrote in a statement Wednesday .
`` We urge Wisconsin to join them .
The state should delay Tuesday ’ s vote , extend early voting and work to move entirely to vote-by-mail . ''
The lingering 2020 Democratic presidential candidate added , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we urge our supporters to vote-by-mail.
” Despite a stay-at-home order and other states pushing their March and April primaries back or conducting them mostly via mail , Wisconsin 's April 7 contest is proceeding as scheduled .
It 's a move supported by Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers and Republican lawmakers , given the election day is ingrained in state law and down-ballot races being decided by spring general elections risk becoming vacated if voting does n't go ahead as planned , including the mayor of Milwaukee and a Wisconsin Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his GOP counterparts over sending ballots to Wisconsin 's 3.3 million registered voters , which Republicans suggest could facilitate fraud .
More than 1 million Wisconsin voters had requested an absentee ballot as of Wednesday , compared to the 2.1 million people who took part in the 2016 process .
Wisconsin voters have until Tuesday to ask for a mail-in ballot ; the uptick in demand is already placing pressure on local clerks around the state .
A federal judge signaled late Tuesday he would allow the elections to be held , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuits regarding how the contests should be run expected Wednesday .
Meanwhile , the Wisconsin National Guard is being called on to supplement a limited pool of poll workers , after shortages were reported in 60 % of municipalities .
More than 100 jurisdictions do n't have enough workers to staff a station .
Other logistical hurdles have been presented by a lack of masks , gloves , hand sanitizer , disinfecting wipes , and pens .
Both Sanders and the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have continued campaigning in Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee voting to residents via emails , phone calls , text messages , and other digital platforms .
New York moved its primary on the weekend to June 23 , while Pennsylvania and West Virginia pushed their contests this week to June 2 and June 9 , respectively .
Based on the last round of primaries on March 17 , Biden has 1,174 pledged delegates to the Vermont senator 's 862 .
A total of 1,991 is required to become the party 's next standard-bearer .

Bernie Sanders wants Wisconsin to put the brakes on the state's primary set to take place next week.
“People should not be forced to put their lives on the line to vote, which is why 15 states are now following the advice of public health experts and delaying their elections," Sanders wrote in a statement Wednesday. "We urge Wisconsin to join them. The state should delay Tuesday’s vote, extend early voting and work to move entirely to vote-by-mail."
The lingering 2020 Democratic presidential candidate added, "While we wait for a decision, we urge our supporters to vote-by-mail.”
Despite a stay-at-home order and other states pushing their March and April primaries back or conducting them mostly via mail, Wisconsin's April 7 contest is proceeding as scheduled.
It's a move supported by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican lawmakers, given the election day is ingrained in state law and down-ballot races being decided by spring general elections risk becoming vacated if voting doesn't go ahead as planned, including the mayor of Milwaukee and a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat. But Evers has clashed with his GOP counterparts over sending ballots to Wisconsin's 3.3 million registered voters, which Republicans suggest could facilitate fraud.
More than 1 million Wisconsin voters had requested an absentee ballot as of Wednesday, compared to the 2.1 million people who took part in the 2016 process. Wisconsin voters have until Tuesday to ask for a mail-in ballot; the uptick in demand is already placing pressure on local clerks around the state.
A federal judge signaled late Tuesday he would allow the elections to be held, with a ruling on a compilation of lawsuits regarding how the contests should be run expected Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Wisconsin National Guard is being called on to supplement a limited pool of poll workers, after shortages were reported in 60% of municipalities. More than 100 jurisdictions don't have enough workers to staff a station. Other logistical hurdles have been presented by a lack of masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and pens.
Both Sanders and the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have continued campaigning in Wisconsin, though remotely, providing information about absentee voting to residents via emails, phone calls, text messages, and other digital platforms.
New York moved its primary on the weekend to June 23, while Pennsylvania and West Virginia pushed their contests this week to June 2 and June 9, respectively.
Based on the last round of primaries on March 17, Biden has 1,174 pledged delegates to the Vermont senator's 862. A total of 1,991 is required to become the party's next standard-bearer.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-01--Bernie Sanders blames Trump for coronavirus deaths while Biden hedges

Bernie Sanders blamed President Trump for some deaths from the coronavirus pandemic , crossing a line that Joe Biden refused to .
`` His inaction has cost the lives of many , many Americans , '' Sanders said on The View on Wednesday .
`` He is the most dangerous president in the modern history of the country , a narcissist , somebody who thinks he knows something when he often does n't know anything , '' the Vermont senator and Democratic presidential candidate added .
Sanders , 78 , also said Trump `` downplayed the nature of this pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry , it 's all going to be over by April , we only have a few cases ' — instead of rallying the American people , instead of rallying the scientific community , instead of educating the American people about the need for social distancing and the other things that we have to do . ''
The former vice president and likely Democratic presidential nominee has refused to blame Trump directly for deaths resulting from the respiratory illness .
When asked Sunday whether `` there is blood on the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said that was `` a little too harsh . ''
On Tuesday , when asked whether Trump is `` is responsible for the deaths of Americans , '' Biden dodged the question .
`` President Trump is not responsible for the coronavirus .
But he is responsible for using all of the power at his disposal to deal with this virus , '' he said .
Biden has , though , blamed Trump for a dramatic rise in jobless claims .
`` The harsh reality is that at least 3 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our president didn ’ t do his job when it mattered , '' Biden said in a statement last week .

Bernie Sanders blamed President Trump for some deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, crossing a line that Joe Biden refused to.
"His inaction has cost the lives of many, many Americans," Sanders said on The View on Wednesday.
"He is the most dangerous president in the modern history of the country, a narcissist, somebody who thinks he knows something when he often doesn't know anything," the Vermont senator and Democratic presidential candidate added.
Sanders, 78, also said Trump "downplayed the nature of this pandemic from the very beginning — 'Don't worry, it's all going to be over by April, we only have a few cases' — instead of rallying the American people, instead of rallying the scientific community, instead of educating the American people about the need for social distancing and the other things that we have to do."
The former vice president and likely Democratic presidential nominee has refused to blame Trump directly for deaths resulting from the respiratory illness.
When asked Sunday whether "there is blood on the president’s hands considering the slow response," Biden said that was "a little too harsh." On Tuesday, when asked whether Trump is "is responsible for the deaths of Americans," Biden dodged the question.
"President Trump is not responsible for the coronavirus. But he is responsible for using all of the power at his disposal to deal with this virus," he said.
Biden has, though, blamed Trump for a dramatic rise in jobless claims.
"The harsh reality is that at least 3 million people now don’t have jobs because our president didn’t do his job when it mattered," Biden said in a statement last week.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-01--Biden is in a coronavirus Groundhog Day loop

Joe Biden is living in a time reminiscent of the 1993 film Groundhog Day , stuck in limbo and answering the same questions over and over while trying to take his place as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee .
Isolated in his Wilmington , Delaware , home , Biden says that his day starts with two meetings with advisers : one on the status of the coronavirus pandemic and government response and one on the economy .
Later in the day , the former vice president heads from his basement recreation room to his newly constructed professional studio , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears on a television show .
The hits are often very similar to each other .
Biden finds ways to mention that he wants up to $ 10,000 in student loans canceled for those affected by the coronavirus , a temporary month ban on evictions , and for President Trump to use the Defense Production Act to create medical supplies .
He is challenged on his healthcare plan , having to address indirectly the single-payer healthcare proposal pushed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , his last remaining competitor for the Democratic presidential nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is your plan better than 'Medicare for all ? '
'' Anderson Cooper asked Biden in a CNN town hall last week .
( `` Yes , '' Biden responded , adding that his plan includes `` a public option for Medicare . ''
) `` Are you repositioning when it comes to single-payer healthcare ? ''
he was asked on MSNBC on Monday .
( `` Single-payer will not solve that at all , '' Biden responded . )
Biden is prodded on whether Sanders should drop out .
`` Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer playing a productive role in this Democratic primary ? ''
NBC host Chuck Todd asked on Meet the Press on Sunday .
`` What do you think about him continuing his campaign , continuing to compete in primaries ? ''
CNN host Jake Tapper asked Biden last week .
Biden diplomatically responds that the decision is up to Sanders .
Other times , he 's prodded to take his criticism of Trump to a harsher level .
“ Do you think there is blood on the president ’ s hands considering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden on Meet the Press Sunday .
( “ I think that ’ s a little too harsh , '' Biden said . )
`` Do you think President Trump is responsible for the deaths of Americans ? ''
CNN host Brooke Baldwin asked Tuesday .
( `` President Trump is not responsible for the coronavirus .
But he is responsible for using all of the power at his disposal to deal with this virus , '' Biden responded . )
Biden tries to strike a balance of being firm without being so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As a result , the former vice president is fading away from the public psyche .
A Yahoo/YouGov poll released Tuesday found that Biden is one of the least viable public figures during the crisis , with only 17 % of respondents saying that they have heard `` a lot '' from the former vice president .
Additionally , as Biden is no longer in a position with the power to make governing decisions , there is little incentive for news outlets to direct attention his way .
Voters instead direct attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have immediate and measurable impacts on their lives .
Trump takes up time with daily press briefings , and New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo has emerged as a popular fantasy alternative to Biden as a Democratic presidential nominee .
Like other people staying at home to combat the spread of the virus , all Biden can do while the pandemic disrupts normal life is get up tomorrow and try to keep being talked about until he 's able to crisscross the country once again and speak directly to voters .


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--Biden and Trump could emerge from coronavirus campaign pause facing changed electoral map

Joe Biden and President Trump have essentially put major campaigning on pause during the coronavirus outbreak .
But , when the crisis shutdowns ends , the Electoral College map could have key battlegrounds altered by the pandemic fallout .
“ The question is , 'What 's the health and status of the economy ? '
” said G. Terry Madonna , a professor and the director of the Franklin and Marshall College poll .
Incumbent presidents generally are not voted out of office in good economic circumstances , he said , but “ the effect on the economy , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to be the two most important elements.
” Voters in swing states with larger coronavirus outbreaks could behave differently than other swing states on Election Day due to the effects from the outbreak .
An extended order to shut down businesses , for instance , could keep more people out of work and strain local businesses .
Those in states with a higher death toll could be more critical of Trump ’ s leadership .
Florida and Pennsylvania are in the top 10 of the number of confirmed coronavirus cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than some other states that rank lower in the total number of confirmed cases .
Wisconsin , Arizona , and North Carolina all have about 1,500 cases in the upper-middle-range of states ranked by the number of cases .
Michigan , which Trump is trying to win again after snagging the state from Democrats in 2016 , could have the most severe outbreak of the swing states .
It reported over 9,000 coronavirus cases on Wednesday , a surge that is more than twice that of neighboring states Wisconsin , Indiana , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new poll shows that Biden is performing slightly better against Trump amid the coronavirus pandemic .
A Marquette University poll released Wednesday found Biden leading Trump 48 % to 45 % in the state , an improvement from a February poll that found Biden tied with Trump at 46 % support each .
That ’ s particularly good news for Biden since the poll found that 54 % of the Wisconsin voters approved of Trump ’ s handling of the economy , and 51 % approve of his handling of the coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend of Trump ’ s approval ticking upward during the crisis as Biden tries to hang on to his lead against Trump .
“ Recessions in the past usually have an effect nationwide .
But , in some places , depending on the economy , it could be less serious than in other states .
It 's too hard to know , ” Madonna said .
Voters ' opinions on how Trump handled the coronavirus pandemic and whether his uptick in approval ratings holds are also important to his reelection chances and could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in different states .
The problem for campaign operatives is that there are virtually no other polls in swing states conducted after mass shutdowns and social distancing measures were implemented in mid-March , leaving evaluating effects of the virus in swing states at this point a guessing game .
Madonna said that his poll center at Franklin and Marshall College would normally pack 25 people into a room to make calls to voters , but that ended when the campus closed its doors in response to the measure last month .
Some poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are wary of relying only on online polls .
White House interactions with executives in the states could also affect how voters in the state behave .
Michigan ’ s stance in the electoral map is further complicated by the fact that Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a rising star in the Democratic Party and a national co-chairwoman for Biden ’ s campaign , is a potential vice presidential pick and got in a high-profile tiff with Trump .
“ All she does is sit there and blame the federal government .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And we send her a lot , ” Trump said on Fox News last week after Whitmer prodded the president to send medical supplies to her state .
In a tweet on Friday , he referred to her as “ Gretchen ‘ Half ’ Whitmer.
” Republican Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis lagged behind other states in issuing a stay-at-home order , doing so on Wednesday after criticism .
Before issuing the directive , he pointed to the White House as the reason he had not issued a stay-at-home order while other governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task force folks tell me that we should do X , Y , or Z , of course we ’ re going to consider it .
But nobody has said that to me thus far , '' DeSantis said .

Joe Biden and President Trump have essentially put major campaigning on pause during the coronavirus outbreak. But when the shutdowns end, the Electoral College map could have key battlegrounds altered by the pandemic fallout.
“The question is, 'What's the health and status of the economy?'” said G. Terry Madonna, a professor and the director of the Franklin and Marshall College poll.
Incumbent presidents generally are not voted out of office in good economic circumstances, he said, but “the effect on the economy, along with the loss of American lives, are going to be the two most important elements.”
Voters in swing states with larger coronavirus outbreaks could behave differently than other swing states on Election Day due to the effects from the outbreak. An extended order to shut down businesses, for instance, could keep more people out of work and strain local businesses. Those in states with a higher death toll could be more critical of Trump’s leadership.
Florida and Pennsylvania are in the top 10 of the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, though they have fewer cases per capita than some other states that rank lower in the total number of confirmed cases. Wisconsin, Arizona, and North Carolina all have about 1,500 cases in the upper-middle-range of states ranked by the number of cases.
Michigan, which Trump is trying to win again after snagging the state from Democrats in 2016, could have the most severe outbreak of the swing states. It reported over 9,000 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a surge that is more than twice that of neighboring states Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio.
In neighboring Wisconsin, a new poll shows that Biden is performing slightly better against Trump amid the coronavirus pandemic. A Marquette University poll released Wednesday found Biden leading Trump 48% to 45% in the state, an improvement from a February poll that found Biden tied with Trump at 46% support each.
That’s particularly good news for Biden since the poll found that 54% of the Wisconsin voters approved of Trump’s handling of the economy, and 51% approve of his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Wisconsin's poll follows a national trend of Trump’s approval ticking upward during the crisis as Biden tries to hang on to his lead against Trump.
“Recessions in the past usually have an effect nationwide. But, in some places, depending on the economy, it could be less serious than in other states. It's too hard to know,” Madonna said.
Voters' opinions on how Trump handled the coronavirus pandemic and whether his uptick in approval ratings holds are also important to his reelection chances and could shift based on the severity of outbreaks in different states.
The problem for campaign operatives is that there are virtually no other polls in swing states conducted after mass shutdowns and social distancing measures were implemented in mid-March, leaving evaluating effects of the virus in swing states at this point a guessing game.
Madonna said that his poll center at Franklin and Marshall College would normally pack 25 people into a room to make calls to voters, but that ended when the campus closed its doors in response to the measure last month. Some poll centers survey voters online, but experts are wary of relying only on online polls.
White House interactions with executives in the states could also affect how voters in the state behave.
Michigan’s stance in the electoral map is further complicated by the fact that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a rising star in the Democratic Party and a national co-chairwoman for Biden’s campaign, is a potential vice presidential pick and got in a high-profile tiff with Trump.
“All she does is sit there and blame the federal government. She doesn’t get it done. And we send her a lot,” Trump said on Fox News last week after Whitmer prodded the president to send medical supplies to her state. In a tweet on Friday, he referred to her as “Gretchen ‘Half’ Whitmer.”
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lagged behind other states in issuing a stay-at-home order, doing so on Wednesday after criticism. Before issuing the directive, he pointed to the White House as the reason he had not issued a stay-at-home order while other governors had. "If any of those task force folks tell me that we should do X, Y, or Z, of course we’re going to consider it. But nobody has said that to me thus far," DeSantis said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--Campaigns find that pandemic-forced texting results in priceless voter data haul

Technology that enables campaigns to monitor text messaging conversations with voters in real time is generating more personalized data that candidates are using to craft targeted political appeals .
Two weeks after the coronavirus pandemic grounded most 2020 campaigns , text messaging is emerging as the primary method for establishing relationships with voters and encouraging turnout .
Backed by technology that records and stores individual text exchanges , the transition to a virtual footing is expected to lead to a spike in the “ qualitative '' data collected by campaigns .
The information , a mass compilation of millions speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shaping politicians ' messages and speeding their ability to adapt as voters ’ concerns evolve .
Thomas Peters , a Republican operative , said `` 2020 is going to be the year of the political text message because it ’ s the last personal channel . ''
His firm , RumbleUp , developed software that allows text message conversations between field staff and prospective voters to be viewed concurrently by decision-makers back at campaign headquarters .
Campaign strategists in both political parties consider in-person conversations initiated by acquaintances and neighbors the most effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convincing them to back their candidates .
With the coronavirus pandemic raging , the campaigns have pivoted to a host of virtual communications , including phone-banking and advertising across a range of digital platforms .
But sending text messages to voters ’ mobile devices is preferred .
The response rates are high , surpassing campaign-generated emails , and they tend to be immediate .
And , the ability to review entire text chains provides a deeper understanding of voter psychology and opinions on a range of topics .
A Republican data strategist said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trends on issues and specific wording that can be used swiftly to craft messaging and political speeches that voters are more likely to respond to .
“ With all of this data available in text format , it allows you to do this analysis , ” said Adam Meldrum , a GOP data analytics specialist .
Plus , added Ash Wright , a Republican strategist in Austin , Texas , who oversees door-to-door voter canvassing operations , information gathered from text messaging can be analyzed “ on a much faster and efficient level.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , major campaigns have been using text messaging to send coronavirus-related health and safety information to voters and constituents .
The move is intended to build trust and get voters in the habit of checking and responding to campaign appeals .
Joe Biden , the likely Democratic nominee , has sent 2.6 million text messages to targeted voters over the past two weeks on just one of his campaign ’ s multiple digital platforms , an aide to the former vice president told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday .
The Republican National Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee mail-in voting , and tout President Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic .
The Trump campaign , at the forefront of digital communications , declined to comment .
Republican congressional candidates are among the biggest converts to utilizing text-messaging technology in the weeks since the coronavirus outbreak forced campaigns to adopt social-distancing guidelines , a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee asserted .
The NRCC , which uses a customized version of RumbleUp called GOP Envoy , has had several candidates , challengers , and incumbents inquire about the platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our sign-ups have gone up drastically , ” said Lyman Munschauer , NRCC digital director .
“ It ’ s not quite shaking their hand or talking to them face to face , but it ’ s better than a mass-blast email or [ traditional ] mailing , ” Munschauer said .

Technology that enables campaigns to monitor text messaging conversations with voters in real time is generating more personalized data that candidates are using to craft targeted political appeals.
Two weeks after the coronavirus pandemic grounded most 2020 campaigns, text messaging is emerging as the primary method for establishing relationships with voters and encouraging turnout. Backed by technology that records and stores individual text exchanges, the transition to a virtual footing is expected to lead to a spike in the “qualitative" data collected by campaigns. The information, a mass compilation of millions speaking in their own words, is both shaping politicians' messages and speeding their ability to adapt as voters’ concerns evolve.
Thomas Peters, a Republican operative, said "2020 is going to be the year of the political text message because it’s the last personal channel." His firm, RumbleUp, developed software that allows text message conversations between field staff and prospective voters to be viewed concurrently by decision-makers back at campaign headquarters.
Campaign strategists in both political parties consider in-person conversations initiated by acquaintances and neighbors the most effective strategy for forging connections with voters and convincing them to back their candidates. With the coronavirus pandemic raging, the campaigns have pivoted to a host of virtual communications, including phone-banking and advertising across a range of digital platforms.
But sending text messages to voters’ mobile devices is preferred.
The response rates are high, surpassing campaign-generated emails, and they tend to be immediate. And, the ability to review entire text chains provides a deeper understanding of voter psychology and opinions on a range of topics. A Republican data strategist said the qualitative data collected are mined for trends on issues and specific wording that can be used swiftly to craft messaging and political speeches that voters are more likely to respond to.
“With all of this data available in text format, it allows you to do this analysis,” said Adam Meldrum, a GOP data analytics specialist. Plus, added Ash Wright, a Republican strategist in Austin, Texas, who oversees door-to-door voter canvassing operations, information gathered from text messaging can be analyzed “on a much faster and efficient level.”
In addition to regular political communications, major campaigns have been using text messaging to send coronavirus-related health and safety information to voters and constituents. The move is intended to build trust and get voters in the habit of checking and responding to campaign appeals.
Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee, has sent 2.6 million text messages to targeted voters over the past two weeks on just one of his campaign’s multiple digital platforms, an aide to the former vice president told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday. The Republican National Committee uses texting to register voters, promote absentee mail-in voting, and tout President Trump’s handling of the pandemic. The Trump campaign, at the forefront of digital communications, declined to comment.
Republican congressional candidates are among the biggest converts to utilizing text-messaging technology in the weeks since the coronavirus outbreak forced campaigns to adopt social-distancing guidelines, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee asserted.
The NRCC, which uses a customized version of RumbleUp called GOP Envoy, has had several candidates, challengers, and incumbents inquire about the platform and integrate it into their campaigns. “Our sign-ups have gone up drastically,” said Lyman Munschauer, NRCC digital director.
“It’s not quite shaking their hand or talking to them face to face, but it’s better than a mass-blast email or [traditional] mailing,” Munschauer said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--'I'm going to come for your seats': Candace Owens mulls bid for political office

A conservative commentator known for her sharp critiques of the Left is considering taking her fight to Washington .
Candace Owens , 30 , confirmed to the Washington Examiner she is mulling a run for office , saying the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted a failure on the part of Democrats to demonstrate leadership during a crisis .
Owens said that she has yet to decide whether to pursue elected office at the state or congressional level but warned prominent Democrats such as New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that she could challenge them .
If she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so somewhere on the East Coast .
`` It comes down to where are they doing the most damage , how can I effect the most change ?
There 's no one I 'm afraid of .
I would run against Gov .
Cuomo .
I would run against AOC , '' Owens said .
`` I 'm not just going to send you guys tweets .
I 'm going to come for your seats .
And you better come ready because it 's not about money anymore .
And there 's no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your corruption that I wo n't be able to fish it out . ''
If elected , Owens said she would champion family values and argue that Democratic policies have led to a permanent minority underclass .
`` What I would say , above all else , is family is such an important topic .
And people do n't understand how the Democrat policies , and their strategic breakdown of the family , leads to everything that you see , '' she said .
Owens said she does n't rule out future political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The media created Trump .
And the media has created Candace Owens .
You tell me what I ca n't do , and I 'll guarantee you I 'll do it . ''
Owens also told Glenn Beck she is `` eyeing a seat right now '' during a Thursday appearance on BlazeTV .
`` I 'll tell you something else , Glenn : I 'll win , '' Owens said .
`` They wo n't know what hit them . ''

A conservative commentator known for her sharp critiques of the Left is considering taking her fight to Washington.
Candace Owens, 30, confirmed to the Washington Examiner she is mulling a run for office, saying the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted a failure on the part of Democrats to demonstrate leadership during a crisis. Owens said that she has yet to decide whether to pursue elected office at the state or congressional level but warned prominent Democrats such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that she could challenge them. If she runs, she said she will do so somewhere on the East Coast.
"It comes down to where are they doing the most damage, how can I effect the most change? There's no one I'm afraid of. I would run against Gov. Cuomo. I would run against AOC," Owens said. "I'm not just going to send you guys tweets. I'm going to come for your seats. And you better come ready because it's not about money anymore. And there's no pocket you'll be able to hide your corruption that I won't be able to fish it out."
If elected, Owens said she would champion family values and argue that Democratic policies have led to a permanent minority underclass.
"What I would say, above all else, is family is such an important topic. And people don't understand how the Democrat policies, and their strategic breakdown of the family, leads to everything that you see," she said.
Owens said she doesn't rule out future political aspirations, including a presidential bid. "The media created Trump. And the media has created Candace Owens. You tell me what I can't do, and I'll guarantee you I'll do it."
Owens also told Glenn Beck she is "eyeing a seat right now" during a Thursday appearance on BlazeTV.
"I'll tell you something else, Glenn: I'll win," Owens said. "They won't know what hit them."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--Biden pledges Trump phone call not an 'I told you so' trap

A phone call between 2020 rivals Joe Biden and President Trump on the coronavirus crisis is in the works and will not be a political trap , the former vice president said Thursday .
`` Yesterday , the Trump administration suggested that I should call the president and offer to help .
Well , I 'm happy to hear he 'll take my call , '' Biden said in a press briefing on Thursday .
`` My team 's working with him to set such a call up , and I 've been offering my advice and proposing policies for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last several weeks . ''
Biden 's campaign said Wednesday that he would be happy to talk to Trump about the coronavirus response after White House counselor Kellyanne Conway criticized Biden for lobbing blows from his Wilmington , Delaware , home .
`` I would absolutely take his call , '' Trump said in a press briefing on Wednesday .
`` I would love to speak with him .
Sure . ''
The former vice president , 77 , said that if Trump takes his call , he will encourage the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When asked how confident he is that the president will talk to Biden on the phone and take his advice seriously , Biden said that he is `` just taking Kellyanne Conway at her word . ''
Biden described his past conversations with Trump .
`` They 've been respectful .
They 've been straightforward , '' he said .
`` And I 'm not doing this to criticize .
I 'm going to say , 'This is what I think you should do . '
'' The 36-year former senator of Delaware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , should dramatically expand his use of the Defense Production Act in order to increase the manufacturing of medical protective equipment .
`` I understand if he does n't want to take my advice , '' Biden said .
`` But it wo n't be , ' I told you so , Mr .
President . '
It wo n't be , if he decided to do what I suggested , I go back and say , 'Well , I told the president [ to ] do that . '
This is beyond @ @ @ @ @

A phone call between 2020 rivals Joe Biden and President Trump on the coronavirus crisis is in the works and will not be a political trap, the former vice president said Thursday.
"Yesterday, the Trump administration suggested that I should call the president and offer to help. Well, I'm happy to hear he'll take my call," Biden said in a press briefing on Thursday. "My team's working with him to set such a call up, and I've been offering my advice and proposing policies for what I thought should be done for the last several weeks."
Biden's campaign said Wednesday that he would be happy to talk to Trump about the coronavirus response after White House counselor Kellyanne Conway criticized Biden for lobbing blows from his Wilmington, Delaware, home.
"I would absolutely take his call," Trump said in a press briefing on Wednesday. "I would love to speak with him. Sure."
The former vice president, 77, said that if Trump takes his call, he will encourage the president to support another economic relief package.
When asked how confident he is that the president will talk to Biden on the phone and take his advice seriously, Biden said that he is "just taking Kellyanne Conway at her word."
Biden described his past conversations with Trump. "They've been respectful. They've been straightforward," he said. "And I'm not doing this to criticize. I'm going to say, 'This is what I think you should do.'"
The 36-year former senator of Delaware added that he thinks Trump, 73, should dramatically expand his use of the Defense Production Act in order to increase the manufacturing of medical protective equipment.
"I understand if he doesn't want to take my advice," Biden said. "But it won't be, 'I told you so, Mr. President.' It won't be, if he decided to do what I suggested, I go back and say, 'Well, I told the president [to] do that.' This is beyond politics right now."