Liz Warren pulls massive immigration stunt just hours before first debate

Within the crowded, raucous field of democratic contenders for 2020, there have been no shortage of wild antics committed in an attempt to put some distance between the candidates.

Joe Biden’s late, late entry into the race was, in and of itself, a bit of a stunt.  And, in the days just preceding that announcement, Biden teased a room full of supporters with an alleged “slip of the tongue” that made it sound like his mind was made up.  Biden’s team was undoubtedly waiting for that moment, in order to study the crowd to gauge enthusiasm.

Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if that “slip” hadn’t occurred a few times throughout the pre-campaign, creating a barometer of sorts for the PR team.

Then, just days ago, Bernie Sanders made his largest bid yet for the millennial vote:  His plan to eradicate all outstanding student debt in the nation at the cost of $1.6 trillion in taxes generated from Wall Street.

Liz Warren apparently wants in on the action as well, visiting a migrant detention center with television cameras just hours before her first democratic debate appearance of the the campaign.

“We have to shut down that facility and shut it down now,” Warren told supporters, according to a tweet by a Washington Post reporter. The crowd enthusiastically chanted, “Shut it down!”

Warren’s gambit highlights the growing number of progressives who emotionally oppose the federal agencies’ efforts to identify — although not actually stop — the huge wave of Central American migrants and their children who are walking into Americans’ blue-collar workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods.

By making this spectacle, Warren has all but assured herself extra attention on night one of the debates.  This strategy is almost brilliant, however, given that tonight’s event will only feature half fo the twenty democrats who qualified for the contest, and force her opponents to be reminded of her stunt on night two as well.

Unless, of course, the escalation of these hi-jinks continues in the next 24 hours.