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Beto 2.0: Campaign Plans Reboot After Lag in Polls

The Democratic presidential hopeful has seen a steady decline in popularity since announcing his campaign in mid-March.

Presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke has gone into a “quiet period” ahead of staging a “reintroduction” of his campaign, the Associated Press reports. The charismatic candidate in the Democratic party primary enjoyed huge popularity when he launched his campaign, with his signature leaping on tables to address crowds, in mid-March. But since then, his placement in the polls has gradually shuffled lower, especially after key candidates like Joe Biden officially joined the race.

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Recognizing his star power is fading, the 46-year-old plans to relaunch his campaign to try to recapture the buzz that surrounded his early days on the campaign trail, according to the AP, quoting an unnamed campaign adviser who says he will appear on The View on Tuesday as part of the reset attempt.

“I think, in part, I was just trying to keep up when I first started out,” he told a small group in Newton, Iowa last week, according to the AP. “I really feel like I’ve found my rhythm and my pace, and I just feel comfortable, and I feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

The new strategy is said to be the brainchild of Jen O’Malley Dillon, Barack Obama’s deputy campaign manager for his 2012 re-election bid, who has moved to El Paso to be closer to the candidate. O’Rourke has also added 16 staff members to help guide the campaign in Iowa ahead of the first presidential caucuses to be held in February 2020.

“It has been building up over time,” O’Rourke told the AP about his campaign machine. “I think we’re getting better organized all the time.”

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