Inslee steps onto the biggest stage of his political career
SEATTLE On the 7:05 a.m. ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle recently, Gov. Jay Inslee stepped out onto the windy upper deck.
He was battling a nagging cough but denied he was getting over a cold.
No, no. I dont admit any show no weakness, he said, a seemingly joking statement belied by the hoarseness of his voice.
As Inslee heads for the biggest stage of his political career Wednesday night at the first Democratic presidential debate, he projects similar optimism about his presidential campaign, despite polls that suggest his nearly four-month-old candidacy is ailing.
The governors ambitious climate agenda has earned him plenty of national press, regular cable news appearances and accolades from Green New Deal advocates, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who calls it the gold standard. Hes frequently jetting across the country to mingle with early-state voters and political donors, taking substantial chunks of time away from his official job.
Yet so far, Inslee remains near the bottom of the 20-plus pack of candidates, according to early polls that consistently show him with less than 1% support among Democratic primary voters.
Inslee and his political aides say theyre not surprised or discouraged, viewing those early poll rankings, which have former Vice President Joe Biden on top, as largely a function of name recognition. Most voters across the country are simply not familiar with the governor of Washington, or his message that fighting climate change should be the top priority of the next president.
Im still the new candidate on the block here
Less than one-third of Americans can identify me out of a police lineup at the moment, Inslee said. Thats why you have campaigns campaigns are about opening up the possible.
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