“It may be harder to think of Biden as a factional candidate than Sanders, given that Biden also enjoys significant support among a broad swath of demographic groups within the party, including a majority of African American voters. But he’s nonetheless facing a situation in which, if he did win, he might be a relatively controversial nominee who alienates some wings of the party or has trouble generating enthusiasm that can translate into voter turnout. …
Of course, it’s also plausible that Biden and Sanders experience more opposition than the other candidates because people simply know more about them — they both have high name recognition and long histories in politics. We found that candidates without such histories, like Warren and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, weren’t really opposed yet by early-state activists or Iowa caucusgoers. This could change, though, as Warren’s new status as a front-runner means a good deal of criticism and media attention will be aimed at her, and the number of Democrats uncomfortable with her as the nominee may well rise."
– Seth Masket, Center on American Politics at the University of Denver, and Dave Peterson, Iowa State University
Joe Biden will hold a community event and town hall in Iowa Wednesday.
Cory Booker is introducing the Study, Treat, Observe, and Prevent (STOP) Neglected Diseases of Poverty Act Wednesday. The bill would establish an interagency task force to address diseases—for example, Chagas disease and hookworm—linked to poverty.
Steve Bullock tweeted a series of statements criticizing other candidates’ campaigning tactics and the focus on impeachment.
Benenson Strategy Group conducted internal focus groups for the Pete Buttigieg campaign that examined how black Democratic voters in South Carolina perceived Buttigieg’s sexuality. The study called his sexuality a “barrier” but not a “disqualifier” for these voters.
Julián Castro is campaigning in Iowa Wednesday and Thursday, including a stop at the University of Northern Iowa.
Beto O'Rourke will campaign in Iowa for three days beginning Wednesday.
Bernie Sanders received endorsements Tuesday from two Democratic National Committee members and the Colorado Working Families Party, which split from the Warren-endorsing national party. Sanders also released a digital ad featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Tom Steyer will speak with Compton Mayor Aja Brown at a public event in California Wednesday.
Andrew Yangspoke about universal basic income on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Republicans
Politicon announced Tuesday that Mark Sanford, Joe Walsh, and Bill Weld will debate Oct. 26 in Nashville. The debate is not sanctioned by the Republican National Committee.
The Washington PostprofiledDonald Trump’s efforts to appeal to Latino voters in nontraditional places.
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