Discussion: Cruz Contains O'Rourke, Wins Second Senate Term

TPM Article Topics
21

I mean, Lucifer at least looks like David Bowie.

3 Likes
22

It’s the platform OF THE FUTURE.

In the present, it kind of blows.

1 Like
23

The thought of having to hear and see Ted Cruz for another 6 years is, at this moment, almost unbearable.

5 Likes
24

Now you know how his poor wife and kids feel.

7 Likes
25

Lbj lost his first senate campaign to a celebrity star but won the second by a ballot box. Let’s hope Beto can try again and win.

3 Likes
26

Republicans won key races in the red states of Indiana, Tennessee, Texas …

Congratulations, Texans. You re-elected a man to the Senate who has shown he won’t stand up for his wife or his father. What makes you think he’ll stand up for you?

5 Likes
27

Yes, Texas is still Texas unfortunately.

1 Like
28

Hispanic voters care about not getting undocumented relatives targeted for deportation. That tends to make some of them likely to err on the side of caution, and wary of showing up at any gov’t organized function - including voting. Under the circumstances, it’s hard to blame them.

2 Likes
29

I don’t understand what type of race Beto ran. It certainly doesn’t seem like he wanted to take advantage of disaffected republicans and independents. He ran too far left and ruined a real chance at unseating a very unpopular politician. According to the Politico article, he basically went all in on the base, which isn’t yet large enough in Texas to win without some crossover votes. He gave Cruz cultural issues to beat him over the head with (kneeling for the flag) and went on about impeachment, single-payer, ICE abolishment, etc. etc. Seems like he took a ton of money and didn’t really have a legitimate plan to actually win a winnable seat. This is always my issue with progressives, who would rather lose a seat at the table than acquire the seat and the power/vote that goes with it. Congress is a numbers game and republicans have played it better than democrats for many years. They are more than happy to see far left candidates running in red states. They don’t need to do anything but let them self-destruct.

1 Like
30

I say the saner parts of the country take Texas up on it. When the high tech industries figure out they are no longer part of a larger country, they book out of the state in mass. And no US army coming to the border. Just rednecks with guns. Should be comical.

31

Just saw him hoarsely congratulate and thank his campaign: “I’m so fucking proud of you guys.” : ) Let me tell you, don’t cry for Beto. He wrote his name in fire across the state. And he established himself as a national-level talent. He’s not going anywhere but up.

12 Likes
32

Politico is bullshit. These are east coast folks who do not understand Texas one bit. Evangelical Christians and scared bottle blond republican women gave Cruz the victory, pure and simple. Hispanics need to suck it up and become self organized and figure out what their politics are. BTW, they are primarily Christian and hence would be more conservative with respect to social issues, especially a woman’s right to choice. No one should assume they would all vote Democratic as they are not a monolithic block.

I worked the Beto campaign and the number of young people engaged was quite amazing. Wasting resources on voters who have time after time not shown the level of engagement required, is not a smart plan.

6 Likes
33

As we well know, politicians don’t “just go away” after losing one election. In this case, it’s a good thing.

2 Likes
34

There ain’t enough democratic base in Texas to run the way he did…and with unforced errors to boot. And now Cruz goes back to the Senate for six more years…and what’s left? Is he going to give the 70 million back? With better branding this was a winnable race. Sanders had an amazing number of young people engaged as well but the majority of democrats didn’t buy his brand. You can run on sanctimony and purist leftism or you can try to fashion a coalition…the latter of which gives you a seat at the table, the former of which gets you nothing. This is why republicans are going to keep kicking the butts of democrats, especially in the south.

1 Like
35

Oh, I agree, I’m just disappointed that he had to lose to such a greasy, slimy creep. I was thinking back to '56, when John Kennedy lost the VP nomination, suffering what seemed at the time to be a setback, only to come roaring back in l960 to win the nom and the Presidency. I hope there are similarly great things in Beto’s future.

2 Likes
36

How long is the mourning period for keeping my Beto yard sign?

At least San Antonio/Bexar county went blue, and Austin is still weird, but we’re a small oasis in this f*cking waste land called Texas.

Racism won. There’s 6 more years of trump and turtle, inc. Forget about health care, we’re doomed by climate change anyway.

I’m off politics for awhile. Take care and thanks for great company and humor.

6 Likes
37

(O’Rourke’s) calls for single-payer health care and support for impeaching President Trump may have cost him some “moderate GOP voters” (ha) who don’t like Trump or Cruz, but weren’t willing to vote for such a liberal candidate.

Moderate GOP voters? Anyone who supports racist/fascist/insane Trump or his butt-boy Cruz is not at all moderate.

Anyone who opposes health care for all Americans is not moderate.

Psst! O’Rourke wasn’t all that liberal, he was just fairly sane and sensible. I guess that was too much sanity for Texas.

I hope Texans really enjoy having the US Army stationed in their state, guarding “illegals” and their children in Trump’s jolly concentration camps. Maybe they’ll be happy at all the concentration camp guard-jobs Trump will create.

5 Likes
38

Well, they love the obese, vicious, malignant fascist Trump, why would they choke on slimeball Cruz? Funny how stupid people are so proud of being morons.

2 Likes
39

another six years of backpfeifengesicht. Unless mueller gets him first.

40

Cruz’s career sort of reminds me of Frank Underwood’s, except Underwood was much more of a statesman.