Yesterday’s opinion piece, Forget the polls. The Democratic field needs Julián Castro, by Renée Graham showcases why Sec. Castro’s campaign is important to the party as a whole. It does so by reminding us that although he hasn’t seen his poll numbers rise, the actions he takes as a candidate, and the policies he releases are unique. The author also compares the importance of his campaign to others who have made the stage next week. It’s pretty damning in my opinion.
Castro will not be on the debate stage next week in Atlanta. While he hit the required donor threshold, his low polling numbers never budged. He was still lagging behind Tom Steyer’s billions and House Representative and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s BFF Tulsi Gabbard — both of whom made the debate.
It’s not a stretch to think that Rep. Gabbard is there to divide the party, and is certainly propped up by donations from right wing supporters. Tom Steyer is using his wealth to buy the nomination and I don’t trust his belief in the importance of the party. The actions of his campaign in stealing data from Sen. Harris’ campaign highlight the danger he presents to the party.
Ms. Graham goes to quote his interview with CBS News where he explains why having Iowa and New Hampshire go first in the Democratic primary is problematic with, and for the party.
Castro’s quote about Black women Graham says, signifies why his absence from the debates or the campaign trail diminishes the entire election cycle.
Graham also makes some comparisons with the seriousness of his campaign, and lack of media coverage in contrast to other candidates. I don’t want to share them here because I think they could be interpreted as knock on other candidates, where I see it as a knock on media coverage.
But Graham’s points are well taken; especially when she mentions that the few times he gets to speak during that Google searches surge for his name. She also acknowledges that he’s as highly educated as others in the race, but has more experience than some and that experience is overlooked.
She ends the piece with what his potential absence would mean to those who have been touched by the unique campaign that he’s been running.
Yet Castro may be the next to leave the campaign trail.
His departure could boost his Democratic opponents, but it would be a grievous blow to those who heard his compassionate, intersectional policies, and found their concerns taken seriously. I hope he can find a way to stay in the fight. He has delivered unvarnished truths about this nation, eschewed what’s politically fashionable, and has concentrated on substance over style. That may not capture the media zeitgeist, but it should have made him a formidable contender.