Warren and Sanders Have Found a New Issue to Team Up On: Attacking Tom Steyer.

[left-of-center2012]

The already overstuffed 2020 Democratic field got a little more crowded Tuesday when billionaire political activist Tom Steyer officially entered the fray. In an announcement video, Steyer, who originally said in January that he wouldn’t mount a White House campaign, said he was running “to end corruption of our democracy by corporations and give more power to the American people.” And he plans to spend a lot of money to do that, at least $100 million his campaign manager told the New York Times.

That figure has clearly rattled some other Democratic 2020 contenders. Shortly after Steyer’s announcement, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders told MSNBC that he is “a bit tired of seeing billionaires trying to buy political power.” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s campaign had a similar message in a fundraising email sent out to supporters Wednesday: “The Democratic primary shouldn’t be decided by billionaires, whether they’re funding Super PACs or funding themselves,” the email said. “If you’re a billionaire, you can already buy yourself a mansion, a private island, and even a yacht to get yourself there.

Both Sanders and Warren have favored grassroots campaigns, relying primarily on small individual contributions. Sanders told MSNBC that, thus far, he’s received “2 million contributions, averaging $19 a person.” According to Open Secrets, Sanders has raised $21,103,448 thus far, with more than 73 percent of that coming from small individual donations of less than $200. Warren has raised $17,445,203 so far, with just over 25 percent of that coming from small individual donations, according to Open Secrets.

But Steyer doesn’t have just money at his disposal for the campaign. As Mother Jones‘ Russ Choma reported earlier today, Steyer, who founded the progressive advocacy group NextGen America and its more pointed offshoot, Need to Impeach, has both of those organizations’ contact lists, which contains millions of email addresses.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/07/elizabeth-warren-and-bernie-sanders-attacking-billionaire-tom-steyer/

[Autumn]

1. I disagree with both on this. I think he has much to add to the discussion. Impeachment.

[BeyondGeography]

2. I agree and as a Warren supporter I'm totally fine with that

Impeachment was nowhere in both of the first debates and it's a very strong issue for EW.

I think their stated opposition to Steyer is a vehicle for reminding people how they're running their campaigns as much as anything.

[qazplm135]

3. wasted energy

Tom Steyer isn't going anywhere...why waste the time and effort attacking him and giving him exposure?

There's literally zero to fear in him.

[MineralMan]

4. Oh, Good. A Distraction.

A better approach, though, would be to ignore Tom Steyer. Except that the votes he takes are going to come from Warren and Sanders, for the most part. So, I suppose they have to try to do something to counter him.

Sow divisiveness and lose seems to be the order of the day.

This is sad to see. I would prefer a positive campaign by our candidates, where each puts a unique plan and focuses on that, rather than attacking other Democrats. I guess that's not in the cards, though. More's the pity.

[SouthernProgressive]

5. Interesting approach for Sanders.

Yesterday he was praising the influence of a billionaire who at one point wanted to send the military in for door to door raids in minority communities. But Steyer. That's a problem for him.

His campaign has gone so far off the rails that it is just about unbelievable. The biggest myth out there about Sanders is that he is consistent. He has done a really good job of branding himself to the contrary even though he proves it isn't the case every single day.

[BeckyDem]

6. Steyer's early ads went past impeachment. He would talk about inequity in

all its forms. Let him defend his positions, how far is he willing to go. He has to know, for Democrats, being a billionaire is not an asset. But he could turn that around depending on how strong his policies are.

Let him out left Warren and Sanders, I dare ya. lol

[left-of-center2012]

7. "Let him out left Warren and Sanders"

That's a sure loser in the general election.

IMHO

[BeckyDem]

8. Not at all.

For example, it is a mistake to misread why Warren is pulling ahead, she is supportive of already popular progressive policy and the more one panders to Trump's base, the more likely we'll lose in the GE.