If you want, take wealth out of the equation and compare Ted Kennedy’s résume´when he ran for President with O’Rourke’s current résume´. See my point?
O’Rourke is a very wealthy white man who has no experience that qualifies him to be president. None.
But his wealth combined with white male privilege are the only reasons he is where he is, doing what he is doing.
It’s important for the party that Beto run a good campaign. Glad he got this person. Hope he does polling too. Having looked at the TX-Sen results multiple times, I think the election was decided in the suburbs/exurbs of Houston as that was the one area where he did not improve as much over the standard Dem baseline, and I think having a pollster could’ve fixed that for him in real time.
In terms of who is running the best campaigns, I think Harris, Warren and Beto are doing the best jobs so far. I think Klobuchar and Gillibrand are still mired a bit. Klobuchar’s approach and agenda are too conservative and restrained though I do agree with a lot of her basic policy points. Gillibrand hasn’t gotten away from the Franken stuff. I really like both so I hope they can pick it up.
Bernie is doing a good job of connecting with his base, but he hasn’t been expanding much outwards. He is also getting a lot more scrutiny and it has kept him from the cameras. If Biden doesn’t run, however, Bernie will be an immediate beneficiary (having my doubts as to whether Biden will actually run).
Then there’s the Buttigieg phenomenon. He has really gotten excellent, if not fawning media coverage but has used it well. I have been a bit put off by his rather divisive rhetoric which soothes the feelings of the Trump voter and tells blue state voters that we’re the problem, and so he is not in my top 5, but one can’t deny that he’s making an impression. However, it’s also true that the white male candidates are getting a disproportionate amount of media attention to the female candidates and the female candidates are tearing it up as well or better than the male candidates. Media bias based on gender is pretty bad this election cycle so far.
Well, I’m not the one who put wealth in the equation to begin with!
O’Rourke is a very wealthy white man who has no experience that qualifies him to be president. None.
As I agreed above, one can make a plausible argument – but I’ve also seen counter-arguments.
At this moment, if O’Rourke wants to run, then voters have more rather than fewer options to consider – which is a good thing, I suppose you agree.
Wealth is part of the equation. You put Ted Kennedy in the discussion, who is not part of the current equation.
In general, I agree completely; in particular, I disagree because I think it costs the Democrats their best shot at beating Cornyn and gaining a D-seat in the Senate. It is a selfish and ego-driven decision for Beto to run when there are already so many highly- qualified candidates in the race.
Beto served 6 years as a U.S. representative for Texas. He’s far more accomplished than our current president.
A House seat in his home state, and before that, a seat on the El Paso city council. He spent more years in the House than Obama did in the US Senate during his career.
He served 6 years in a very blue Texas district, and he made a record in the House of voting with Republicans.
Whether or not he is “far more accomplished than our current president” is irrelevant. The question is whether or not he is far more accomplished than the other Democratic candidates.
The answer to that is a resounding “no.”
Really?
“Better than Trump” is your argument?
In what way does this advance the discussion?
Yes, the Democratic nominee should be better (in every way!) than our current president; but the question is, which Democratic candidate has the best chance of beating our current president and then serving successfully as a Democratic president?
If you’re talking about the Democrats’ “best shot,” should I infer that you’ve seen some relevant polling?
(I have not seen any worth speaking of.)
Yay! More Hope and Change is going to usher in a golden age of bipartisan cooperation. Just like last time…
No, but he has the organization, statewide name recognition and donor list that no other Dem in Texas currently has.
We need all hands on deck. The Democrats need help. The Republicans are winning everything. They won on Mueller case, they won their wall, Pentagon is giving them the $1B dollars for the wall and now they want to totally dismantle what’s left of the Affordable Care Act. This is no longer a joking matter. Things are about to get a million times worse.
Those suburbs/exurbs are kinda red. I know. I’m there.
I’m beginning to have some doubts too and I hope I’m wrong. I REALLY hope I’m wrong.
The point is Beto had a higher vote share in places like Lubbock but no comparable lift in the Galveston area. There are more people in the Galveston area (or the county as a whole). It’s that kind of micro targeting analysis that I think could’ve helped Beto. Hope he has such people with him now.
If you paid attention, you would realize Bernie supporters are not overly fond of Beto. Probably because, in the main, Bernie supporters actually care about policy.
Sure, those are assets, but I’d like to see if he’s making effective use of them – and if he is, then I see why someone might argue he’s the Democrats’ best shot (at taking Cornyn’s seat).
Still, it’s early days.
The Republicans can elect a pussy-grabbing crook who banks in rubles.The Democrats need a candidate who is pure as the driven snow. That video of Beto falling down drunk is not going to help.
I would add that this isn’t a good week to announce that he is running,if he is running. I predict he’ll make his announcement April 2nd-5th.
tbf, the Biden tea leaves say April would be the time for him to announce. That said, I think he views Harris, Beto and the lack of big money as big problems for him.