O'Rourke bolsters senior staff with five hires

[Indygram]

Beto O’Rourke is expanding his national staff despite a weak fundraising quarter, adding a number of senior hires.
Nick Rathod, a Democratic operative who served as President Barack Obama’s liaison to state officials, has been hired as a senior national political adviser, a campaign spokesperson confirmed to POLITICO on Friday.

Adnan Mohamed, who was deputy national political director for Rep. Seth Moulton’s presidential campaign, has been named national political director. Anna Korman, who worked with O’Rourke’s campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, at Precision Strategies, will be O'Rourke's national data director. And Morgan Hill, who was research director on Richard Cordray’s gubernatorial campaign in Ohio last year, will be national research director.

Lauren Hitt, who previously was communications director for former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s presidential campaign, has been hired as O’Rourke’s national director of rapid response.

Hitt’s departure from Hickenlooper’s campaign follows the earlier defection of Hickenlooper’s former national finance director, Dan Sorenson, who also went to O’Rourke’s campaign.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/19/beto-orourke-staff-hires-1424115

[dalton99a]

1. Good. He could use the help

Last edited Sat Jul 20, 2019, 02:07 AM - Edit history (3)

Link to tweet

[VarryOn]

2. I suppose it cant hurt, and this may help some.

He's just not connecting well and standing out among the other candidates. It boggles the mind he was so strong in the Senate race, but thus far, so un-noteworthy in the primary.

As someone more toward the center than on the prgressive left, I had him as someone that lined up well with my politics, plus he'd be attractive in the general. Now, I'm not so sure.

I'd like to see him surge. Hopefully, some of these additions to the team will make that happen.

[Indygram]

4. He's connecting just fine with voters on the ground

The national media seems to have a coordinated smear campaign against him.

Supporters of other candidates are on social media wondering "where will Beto's votes go if he drops out." The answer to that is nowhere. Even if he does get pushed out for the primary I'm writing him in. There are a lot of his supporters that used to support Bernie Sanders as well...so if Beto were to drop out some of his supporters might go back to Bernie. If that happens then those trying to push him out have no one to blame but themselves.

[peggysue2]

3. I like the fact that O'Rourke is still pushing

Would be easy to throw in the towel. But he's qualified for the September debates so why not push it to the max? Elections are unpredictable and if (it's getting to be a bigger if) he can catch fire and/or other candidates fade, he's still on the track, part of the race. The real question now is the money angle and how long he can hold out.

That being said, John McCain was ruled DOA in the 2008 primary. Until he wasn't.