Following the Money After the First Democratic Debate

The busing blow Senator Kamala Harris landed on Joe Biden’s racial sensitivity scorecard made headlines and boosted her campaign coffers according to her campaign. Politico reported that Harris raised 2.2 million dollars in the 24 hours after the first Democratic Presidential debate.

“The fundraising for Senator Harris shows that she has to be kept in folks minds as a serious candidate for President,” says Mondale Robinson, a political strategist who has managed campaigns around the South and Southeast. “This much money in 24 hours basically means the debates offered Harris the relaunch to her campaign that her team couldn’t figure out how to orchestrate.”

Harris shared her childhood memory of being bused which occurred to millions of black and brown children as America began to integrate public schools, and she questioned Biden’s opposition to the policy.

Biden responded, “I did not oppose busing in America. What I opposed was busing ordered by the Department of Education, that’s what I opposed.”

Democratic candidates Julian Castro and Senator Cory Booker also reported a fundraising bump after the debate. According to Politico, Castro’s campaign said the former Secretary of Housing “raised three times more money than his previous record day .”

“Castro may have elevated himself to be seen as a top tier candidate, which we already knew, to those who were ignoring his campaign or hadn’t given it any attention,” Robinson stated. “He also emerged as the de facto professor on immigration shutting down Beto O’Rouke’s attempt to own the space.”

With the first debate over, analysts on Sunday’s talk shows reviewed the roster of candidates and their performances.  Chuck Todd at NBC’s “Meet the Press” cited a network poll that showed 64 percent of those watching were 55 years old or over and suggested older viewers may be more sympathetic to Biden. Both Castro and Booker appeared on “Meet the Press” today .

The consensus from the roundtable political discussions indicated that Biden is a “fragile” frontrunner and the race is “wide open.”

The candidates considered the winners in the first debate have claimed a place on voters’ early election radar but sustaining momentum is key.

Robinson said, “Where she [Harris] goes with momentum depends on if she lands a primetime TV opportunity to continue her success from the debate or if the Senator is able to release major additions to her platform.”