The Update Desk: Who Loves Me, Baby? (2)

Who Loves Me, Baby? was my original post setting the stage for me signing up with all ten of the top-tier candidates (nine Dems + Bernie) to see how they communicate. This update highlights the first week of my joining the fray, which included the end-of-August fundraising deadline and the lead-up to the CNN Climate Change town hall.

And, here's the recap of the second week, which led up to last night's showdown in Houston. (I covered the debate on Veritable Pastiche on FB, if you want to check that out.)

• I received 140 emails from the candidates, over 70%, of which (99 emails) included a direct ask for money.
• Cory Booker (22), Kamala Harris (21), and Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders (15 each) led the way in total emails. In the second tier? Beto O'Rourke and Elizabeth Warren with 14 each, Mayor Pete with 13, and Amy Klobuchar with 11. Andrew Yang (8) and Julian Castro (7) brought up the rear. 
• Harris led in in the number of direct requests for money, within 17, followed by Booker, Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren with 12 each. On a percentage basis, though, Warren and Castro asked for money more often (86% of their emails), with Harris (81%), Sanders (80%), Beto (78%) and Yang (75%) rounding out the top tier. Biden (73%), Buttigieg (69%), Booker (54%), were next, while Klobuchar, at only 27%, coming in far less aggressively on the fundraising appeals. 

So, what were they talking about? Surprisingly, only two of them (Mayor Pete and Bernie) mentioned climate change, which is interesting since collectively the spent seven hours talking about it. But that proves my point that the candidates are going to talk about whatever the flavor of the day is, and climate change was last week's flavor. 

The majority of the emails (67%) continue to be general notifications, why they're running, that they're good people, that we need to stop Donald Trump, or simply "send money" requests. Other topics covered?

• Polls showing they're ahead of Trump - even Yang is ahead of Trump in New Hampshire, he said in one email;  
• requesting support for other candidates, including Dan McCready in North Carolina (he lost);
• surveys to help drive their platforms or what they should say in the debate, or their plans for solving all of the problems; and even
• concerns about the DNC's debate qualifying rules possibly changing as they move ahead, and about Tom Steyer buying his way into the next one.

Bernie wanted me to get on his honor roll and to get my sticker; Andrew Yang creates a free button for each debate, but by the time I read the email, I was too late. And, in case you're wondering, Chasten Buttigieg calls his husband Peter.

I've gotten at least one email already from nine of the ten candidates, with only Klobuchar not accounted for yet.

Finally, some of the candidates are using surrogates -- voters, contest winners, members of the campaign staff who identify themselves in the emails, and yes, even Richard Schiff.

Most Dems would recognize the name, I think, but if not, this will help.

You might remember me as Toby Ziegler, the communications director from the West Wing. He was called ornery and he was certainly flawed but in the end he was much loved. Why? Because he fought hard to do the right thing and wanted to leave the world a better place than he found it. As did his boss, President Bartlett.

During this dark Trump era, it is easy to find yourself wishing we could be led by President Bartlett instead.

Sadly, President Bartlett is just a TV character. 

Sadly, that's correct.

Even more sadly, not only did I recognize immediately the error in the email, even my Google spell-checker recognized that it's not 'Bartlett' like the pear, it's Bartlet like the best president we never had.

Tonight's TGIF will focus on the debate, with expert opinions from the talking heads and journalists, and my rank amateur opinions as well.