The “Who is running in 2020?” tea leaves thread

[Mr. Morden]

Julian Castro says he won’t run for anything in 2018:

http://www.kens5.com/news/politics/julian-castro-returns-to-san-antonio-says-hes-not-running-in-2018/392251043

You must be logged in to read this quote.

More here:

https://www.texastribune.org/2017/01/24/castro-brothers-confront-trump-era/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Running for Governor would be a mistake since Abbott is literally the most popular politician in Texas. Senate would still be a great challenge for Castro but out of the two, Senate is more likely to be won by him.

What about becoming mayor of SA again?

According to this story from November he's thinking about running for county judge in 2018 (and then working his way up to statewide office some time in the 2020s) or else just run for president in 2020.  Though now he says he's not going to run for anything in 2018...

[Mr. Morden]

O'Malley was in DC last weekend and again asked about 2020:

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/politics/irish-wake-for-democrats-2016-despair-turns-into-beginning-of-a-resistance

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

1 day after RCP says that people around Sheryl Sandberg are saying she might run for president, she write a Facebook post attacking Trump's abortion policy:

https://www.facebook.com/sheryl/posts/10158056267730177

[Mr. Morden]

Gillibrand’s spokesman is asked about 2020, and he gives a non-denial denial: ”The only race she is interested in is her reelection to the Senate in 2018.”

[Mr. Morden]

Speaking of Gillibrand, both she and Warren responded to Trump's refugee restrictions with tweetstorms today:

https://twitter.com/SenGillibrand
https://twitter.com/SenWarren

Booker, meanwhile, posted a video of his response, which involved a lot of hand gestures:

https://twitter.com/CoryBooker/status/825149036160229376

[Mr. Morden]

Speaking of Gillibrand, both she and Warren responded to Trump's refugee restrictions with tweetstorms today:

https://twitter.com/SenGillibrand
https://twitter.com/SenWarren

Booker, meanwhile, posted a video of his response, which involved a lot of hand gestures:

https://twitter.com/CoryBooker/status/825149036160229376

Ftr, Klobuchar also reacted to Trump's move with this FB post:

link

[Mr. Morden]

O'Malley, in Iowa, standing outside a mosque, calls Trump's travel ban from Muslim countries "bigoted, adolescent stupidity":

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/in-cedar-rapids-martin-omalley-calls-trumps-actions-bigoted-20170128

[Mr. Morden]

Sunday morning talk show watch: Kaine to appear on Meet the Press tomorrow morning, while de Blasio will appear on CNN's State of the Union:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NEWS_SHOWS?SITE=AP

[Mr. Morden]

Martin O'Malley found a job!  (albeit a temporary one)

He's a visiting professor at the Boston College law school this semester:

http://bcheights.com/2017/01/29/martin-omalleys-new-melody-former-presidential-candidate-lecturing-bc-law/

This may mean that he'll have to cut down on his visits to Iowa.  But at least he'll be close to New Hampshire, in case he wants to start laying the groundwork there.

[Mr. Morden]

Upstate Dems react to the possibility of Gillibrand 2020:

http://poststar.com/news/local/government-and-politics/area-democrats-like-the-idea-of-a-gillibrand-presidential-run/article_c161f272-f5f2-5fba-a8cc-dfae698c38e1.html

[Mr. Morden]

"Kasich to publish ‘Two Paths,’ a book offering a contrast to Trump’s America"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/01/31/kasich-to-publish-two-paths-a-book-offering-a-contrast-to-trumps-america/?utm_term=.3dd112d73bbc

The book comes out in April.  We should know then if Kasich is planning on a 2020 presidential campaign based on whether the book tour includes stops in Iowa or New Hampshire. 

[Mr. Morden]

CPAC won't be such a big deal re: the next presidential campaign this time around, seeing as how we now have an incumbent Republican president, and so it's unclear if any of the CPAC speakers will be running in 2020, as most of them would not consider challenging an incumbent president of their own party.

Still, it's possible that one of the speakers there will, and if not, at least it gives us a look at who's looking ahead to 2024.  Right now it looks like the first confirmed speakers for CPAC (which will be held just over 3 weeks from now) are Cruz and Walker:

http://conservative.org/ted-cruz-set-to-address-cpac-2017/
http://conservative.org/wisconsin-governor-scott-walker-to-deliver-remarks-at-cpac-2017/

[Mr. Morden]

Get ready for the Biden Foundation:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/joe-biden-launches-non-profit-foundation-to-promote-equal-rights-1.3266010

You must be logged in to read this quote.

In other news, Sanders will be debating Ted Cruz on CNN next Tuesday over Obamacare:

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/bernie-sanders-ted-cruz-cnn-debate-obamacare

[Mr. Morden]

Sheryl Sandberg on the 2020 rumors:

http://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2017/01/buzz-about-facebooks-sheryl-sandberg-will-she-lean-in-on-white-house-bid-109218

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

Kerry doesn't rule out a run.

While I highly doubt he would run again, bumping this just to note that he's now writing a book:

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/john-kerry-book-memoir-234515

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

Politico reports that Nancy Pelosi and Joni Ernst will speak at the Gridiron Club dinner this year:

http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/playbook/2017/02/the-backstory-how-trump-got-to-yes-on-gorusch-playbook-exclusive-petraeus-warns-us-scaramucci-under-fire-biden-launches-foundation-bday-caas-michael-kives-218503

While this is an event that often draws folks with presidential ambition, I am not expecting either Pelosi or Ernst to be running in 2020.  Pelosi is even older than Bernie Sanders, and Ernst is highly unlikely to launch a primary challenge against Trump.  Though, as chronicled in this thread, Ernst was doing several national events last year that suggested she might have presidential ambitions.  So maybe she’ll be looking at running in 2024.

[Mr. Morden]

New NYT story on Gillibrand:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/03/nyregion/kirsten-gillibrand-anti-trump-left.html?_r=0

[Mr. Morden]

Sunday morning talk show watch:

Amy Klobuchar’s moving up in the world.  On most weeks, she’s not prominent enough to merit a Sunday morning talk show invite, but she’ll be on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, while Bernie Sanders will be on CNN’s “State of the Union”:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NEWS_SHOWS?SITE=AP

[Mr. Morden]

Julian Castro, speaking in Chicago:

https://www.chicagomaroon.com/article/2017/2/3/former-hud-castro/

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

"Kasich to publish ‘Two Paths,’ a book offering a contrast to Trump’s America"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/01/31/kasich-to-publish-two-paths-a-book-offering-a-contrast-to-trumps-america/?utm_term=.3dd112d73bbc

Also of note in Kasich-world: Kasich allegedly "punishing" Hamilton County GOP for siding with Trump in the state party GOP chair fight:

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics-extra/2017/02/03/kasich-punishing-local-gop-backing-trump/97446558/

[Mr. Morden]

Klobuchar's again asked if she has presidential or vice presidential ambitions, and again gives a non-denial:

http://www.virginiamn.com/opinion/columnists/a-comfortable-klobuchar-even-as-higher-office-calls/article_f6257058-eb51-11e6-b1a8-735503761fde.html

You must be logged in to read this quote.

EDIT: Also, here's the video of Klobuchar's appearance on "This Week":

https://twitter.com/amyklobuchar/status/828297772164067328

[Mr. Morden]

Going back to Julian Castro...also thought I'd mention that he's been very active on Twitter since leaving HUD.  Not really writing that much original content himself, but retweeting people and articles critical of Trump.

[Mr. Morden]

Hickenlooper is visiting Cuba:

http://in.reuters.com/article/cuba-usa-colorado-idINKBN15K0OY

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Mr. Morden]

Booker makes another 2020 denial, but I still think the wording leaves some room for interpretation:

link

You must be logged in to read this quote.

So he says “I have no intention”, framing it as “irresponsible” for anyone to be thinking about the question right now….which of course doesn’t mean that he’s not going to get that intention some time within the next two and a half years.

Then he says “Right now I've ruled it out completely.  I don’t want to think about it.”  Which sounds like he’s again saying that “ruling it out” might be something temporary.  That he can revisit it when there is an appropriate time to “think about it”.

Compare that to the seemingly more definitive statement that came out of Franken’s office when they were asked about him running in 2020:

“Sen. Franken is not going to run for President in 2020.”

Now that’s a simple declarative statement that uses the future tense to make it clear what you mean.  Maybe it’s a smoke screen, or maybe Franken will change his mind, but it’s not like Booker’s denial, which uses enough weasel words to muddy the waters.

[Mr. Morden]

Warren’s new book is coming out on April 18th (one week before Kasich’s book comes out):

http://www.wboc.com/story/34447453/sen-warren-book-on-middle-class-coming-in-april

You must be logged in to read this quote.

So I pose the same question I had for Kasich: Will her book tour include any stops in Iowa or New Hampshire?