After reading this, I'm much more interested in Gina Ortiz Jones than ... Beto who? What did he win again?
I'm not interested in bland candidates projecting third way 90s politics. If you haven't noticed, Post-Trump is a different ballgame.
3
Will Hurd has denounced Trump’s wall policy. What’s the matter with those liberaler than thous
4
Beto is a uplifting politician that can win anywhere. If he is a sustainability, reject fosil fuels, public campaign financing of political campaigns type of candidate I am all in.
2
The far left seems poised to nominate a candidate who won't do what most Americans want: politicians willing to be true to their beliefs and work WITH the opposition. To win and govern they need a candidate with Hillary's ability but much less baggage. The majority of the country is not comprised of the extremes. It is made of people who work in cooperation with their co-workers and neighbors every day regardless of political affiliation. Extremists who can mix messages just enough to hit a soft spot in the opposition electorate (tRump) will continue to be elected if Democrats AND Republicans don't get real about policy and eliminate most litmus tests.
6
Beto will have lots of TV cable news jobs for now.
When and if he does well as a mayor, governor, or Senator-that remains to be seen in 2024 or 2028.
1
Beto needs to stay in Texas and run for the Senate in 2020. His centrism (and ego-centrism) puts him in the Hillary Clinton camp. OK in the Senate. Not so good in the White House.
2
If Democrats really take issue with Beto because he isn't partisan enough, I do not expect them to nominate candidates who connect with the majority of Americans who feel disillusioned by the two party system. I for one would love to see more Dems acts as "mavericks." Bernie does that and he's the most popular politician in the nation.
8
If Independents truly were a majority, Bernie wouldn’t need to highjack a major party. He’d run as an Independent, but Independents never vote as a block. Only about half lean Left (19% of the total electorate). Enough to spoil an election, not enough to win one.
3
While I believe most Americans would prefer a moderate president - understanding that the world is not black and white but gray - the way the parties select their candidate will not allow it. The candidates cannot afford to be ‘in the middle ‘ when the majority of people who vote in primaries are those on the extreme.
Moderate candidates simply don’t excite those who select the party’s nominee.
1
“Beto-first politics,” said Jess Morales Rocketto, a Democratic operative who worked for Hillary Clinton in 2016. I guess morales forgot what the dnc hillary supporters did to attack bernie’s primary bid, which killed dem voters excitement in 2016, which led to trump. I don’t vote dem blindly. I support and vote selectively primarily progressive agendas. Blind obedience is a republican led American problem. Do the right thing, and earn support. There dems who act like republicans. So far beto has my support.
4
The Dems need more Independent thinking Betos and fewer obedient lemmings robotically mouthing whatever Talking Points are decreed by The Party’s Central Committee.
7
This article seems like a bit of hatchet job. Guess the NYT / DNC is intent again a female candidate rather than one who can win.
2
If normal vetting seems like a “hatchet job” to you and your candidate can’t stand up to the least scrutiny, maybe he shouldn’t run? He’s nowhere near ready for what they put Hillary through, and they will put the next nominee through the same hell. Bet on it. The GOP/Putin machine is still churning.
3
The call for Democrats reaching across the aisle is ill-founded given the heavy-handed approach by Republicans in recent years. Republicans have no interest in comprise.
I am often reminded of the "Peanuts" comic strip and a recurring theme regarding Charlie Brown and Lucy. Lucy holds the ball to the ground for Charlie to kick and, as his foot approaches the ball, Lucy snatches it away and Charlie slips, falling on his backside.
This Charlie Brown will definitely pick up his ball and go home. I will not play this game unless it's a fair game.
4
The person to beat Trump is Kirsten Gillibrand. She has consistently opposed this president, and was one of the first to do so on the basis of his---and Congress's---dismissiveness toward women. She is not afraid of him and I can see her holding her own against his petty maneuvers in any televised debate.
Gillibrand will be able to capitalize on the unifying power of the #MeToo Movement. Remember, Hillary won the popular vote, letting us know that at least 51% of the population is ready for a woman and support of women's issues.
Gillibrand brings the legislative experience and competency that Hillary did, without the political baggage and personal liability Hillary bore of having condoned Bill Clinton's infidelities; the latter made Clinton an anathema to right-leaning independents and feminists.
We have seen what Trump's, and indeed if the truth be told, Obama's, legislative inexperience can do to a country. A president must be able to handle Congress and understand how to mobilize all the office's powers with the public and with the Congressional process to get things done. I believe Gillibrand has studied Lyndon Johnson.
So that's my hope. A primary is about many throwing their hats in the ring and the voters ultimately sorting it out. My hope is that we have the common sense to get behind a woman again that can win. My money is on Kirsten Gillibrand. She was made for this moment.
1
@Sierra
Just what we need -- another Aunt Sally to take on Tom Sawyer. Ugh! Just ask Al Franken!
2
Why is Wendy Davis’ opinion on this even relevant? She got destroyed.
3
It might behoove Mr. O'Rourke to get out of Texas and visit other states if he is in any way serious about floating a 2020 presidential bid.
Especially since beyond the Rio Grande, not everyone is so familiar with, let alone convinced by anything he has achieved outside of being able to ride a skateboard, lose to Ted Cruz and being a "really special person."
3
I listened to “The Daily” interview with Will Hurd. He impresses me as being intelligent, knowledgeable, and practical. Rare for a politician of either party. He spoke clearly and with a lot of relevant information about the Wall, which he opposes.
My opinions: Beto is too young and inexperienced in government to be President. And, I could see myself, a registered Democrat, voting for Will Hurd for higher office in the future.
4
Finally a person who values his ethics more than the politics of power. I think the Democratic Party needs to understand that what appeals to a large swathe of voters is someone off the beaten path who can fill in for either a democratic or republican voter, by appealing to their sense of fairness and principles.
Lots of folks in Cali who will vote for you!
4
The Beto brand is fully on display in his non-endorsement. It breaks through the hyper-partisanship which has so divided this country. Only the hyper-partisans are miffed. The rest of us are in the masses which followed and celebrated his campaign.
6
I am upset and disappointed with the New York Times and the tone of this article. I thought the Republican Party was the one with loyalty tests, devouring their young for independent thinking. Instead the nytimes and the DCCC team up to destroy a talented candidate early on. Why? Beto’s reasons for not endorsing Jones make sense to me. Let voters hear what he has to say during the campaign and make their own call. We don’t need this type of journalism during such an important campaign.
7
How awful. A politician who puts personal loyalty above party politics. What is the world coming to?
6
Beto's fund raising was mostly national, and will be difficult for him to repeat. It was largely due to many non-Texas Progressives not familiar with the candidate beyond a couple of Progressive snap-shot videos expressing Progressive opinions and the wide-spread knee-jerk against Cruz among these same Progressives. Without the rush toward the 2018 midterms and with Progressives now holding a lot more information about Beto's politics, he won't be repeating those fund-raising numbers or popularity anytime soon
1
At this distance from the fray, Beto O'Rourke appears to me as almost a cardboard character. Articulate almost to the point of being glib. Enough of a loner to make me wonder whether he can effectively lead by mobilizing support that's more substantial than attracting votes (as an effective President must do).
Too often, Democrats have declared someone Presidential timber after delivering a rousing, perhaps memorable speech – think Oprah Winfrey, who had enough good sense to turn aside suggestions that she run. O'Rourke seems to be much in this mold. "Words, words, words."
In many ways, it's of a piece with the gaggle of Senators, mayors, Congresspersons, etc., seek headlines and (two-dmensional) images that, they hope, might propel them to the forefront of the name-recognition derby. The media love and promote it.
Where can we voters find an emphasis on substance?
2
The DNC needs to stop forcing their chosen Corporate Democrats onto the Dem party members....no Joe Biden or any of their second guessing corporate choices from the past...nothing from the Clintons either..PLEASE! The DNC needs to listen to the will of the people..no more corporate Dems PLEASE! We want & need true Progressive who support the Green New Deal.....not more of the same old same old.
6
@Sandra Garratt Guess who Ro Khanna founded the No PAC Caucus with? Beto.
And lose again but worse. This is a losing proposition. Without Hillary's baggage we would have a president working progressively toward change for working people.
1
No Beto! No. Loves himself just a bit too much.
2
Hope this helps put the misplaced Beto hoopla to bed.
2
Well, the best Democrat to beat Trump does hail from Texas, but unfortunately, Ann Richards is dead.
6
I don't know a ton about Beto but I don't think he's ready for prime time.
How about a Biden & Beto ticket? 4 yes as VP would be a great experience for him.
4
He will flame out.
3
Beto is exactly what we need right now.
We don't need anymore of the stodgy old go along to get along politicians that have brought this country to its knees.
All you old fools need to retire. Thank you for your service, but go away.
2
Can't expect party loyalty when you don't show party loyalty. Right, Bernie? I mean, Beto?
3
@Kathleen Warnock
I live in California, and cast a write-in vote for Bernie, to send the appropriate message. No harm done. Party loyalty ain't worth squat to me. Does your conscience bother you?
1
I say go for it, Beto. At this point with what I know about you, you have my vote. The Dems need to be shaken up a bit and your ability to support across aisle, on occasion, may be the only virtue we can rely on to get us out of this endless, business as usual, straight party line world we find ourselves in.
If we're going to succeed as a union past the Trump years we need to start looking at some people that can pull a union back together. Maybe Beto's the person for this? Or one of 'em?
6
I don’t think it’s appropriate for the NYT to point out repeatedly that Jones is a minority veteran without pointing out that Hurd is, as well.
What difference would it make if Jones were a white male? The outcome would have been the same.
Seems like a better story than “O’Rourke’s not a good democrat” would have been “the hard choices of bipartisanship.”
I don’t own a tinfoil hat, but this piece seems unnecessarily vindictive.
8
@Josh Wilson The Times now seems to spend a lot of time attacking Beto and Kamala Harris. Guess they like all the attention Trump gives them.
1
I'm impressed.
3
I certainly hope the NYT doesn't make O'Rourke into the poster-boy as the can't-be-beat heir to the presidency for Democrats as it did Hillary Clinton- while simultaneously knocking her down.
Let him show what he's got or doesn't "got".
2
Beto is that “likeable, but all hat, no trousers” politician that the ignorant masses fall for without examining background or position. But dude, he can skateboard...
3
@Mark
Think the saying is all hat no cattle.
2
Beto is not left of left enough for the new DNC. They, DNC, would prefer an “ undocumented “ immigrant for President if it were allowed by law, it appears.
3
So Beto does not 'fall in line' with the party elders?
He thinks for himself?
He does not do everything the DNC asks of him?
All points in his favor. We need leaders and not followers.
The NYT is out of step on this 'article' just like they were when they underminded Bernie Sanders campaign.
The voters decide who wins and not some pollster or journalist....
7
America needs a generational change and Beto is the man.
3
This simply shows you that Beto O'Rouke can not be bought. Part of me thinks he needs a little bit more time on the national stage before running for President but hey, he has mountains more experience in governing than our current president. Truly like the bumper stick reads, "Literally any stable adult for 2020.
4
This is how politics should work! Go Beto and Will!
5
I find myself wondering how many of the “never Beto” comments here come from people who thought Hillary Clinton was a great candidate.
Maybe you don’t like Beto, or Ocasio-Cortez, or any other names being floated around, but rather than criticize these people willing to stick their necks out, why don’t you suggest someone who you believe is more likely to win the election?
At this point, I’ll take a marginally-qualified Democratic candidate over pretty much anybody on the GOP bench. Would you prefer Trump 2.0? Pence? Ivanka Trump?
3
Any time you support a republican, you are supporting somebody that will vote for Trump's agenda.
This is not the time to get cute about who you vote for.
3
@El Lucho
A black Republican who's against the wall? That's not "too cute"; that's fact.
1
Unfortunately, I admire Beto for this. BC playbook.
1
This is exactly what makes me like Beto.
4
I have no inclination to vote for a man, they do not advance my life or my pay. I certainly do not think a boy can represent me. Men are too egotistical to do a good job representing women.
Oh you mean Bernie. He is not a Democrat or democrat.
1
I find it sad that the democrats have become a messianic party - always searching for the next "it" person, a new flavor-of-the-month - instead of concentrating on platform. They will fail in 2020 if they keep this up. The remaining democrats have alienated longtime progressives who have left the party. Democrats just squeezed by in the House last year. They need to learn.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
5
As pointed in many comments here, Beto has a totally unacceptable defect: he is a moderate. He is willing to bend to reality and refuse to 100% toe the line of his party. He is even willing to work with the evil - some moderate Republicans. He is not a true leftist - hmm, sorry, progressive.
Worse of all, he cares only about himself - he actually wants to win elections and dares to move slightly to the center to do it. So far away from a true New Democrat like Ocasio-Cortez... who of course actually runs only against fellow Democrats.
3
I don't understand the criticism. We talk about how we want our party to put Country above party. But when they do that. They get criticized for not being a team player. I'm a Republican who voted for Beto. Because of his ability to put Country above party. If he runs in 2020 then I'll be voting for him again for President. This country needs more people like him.
5
Why Centrist? Can we afford a centrist while so many Americans go without affordable health care? If the Senate became Dem majority, would Beto still be a "centrist"? Can climate change afford a centrist? Someone coming to the WH with as little experience as Beto could just get gobbled up.
3
We are in the political mess we are in because our parties refuse to aknowledge that some ideas on the opposite side are mutually acceptable. Will Hurd is a left of center republican. The fact that he is in West Texas, border town, home of far right winged Republicans says a lot. The fact that Gina. Ortiz is a woman also speaks a lot.
Not that I wanted a Republican to win but at least he is a reasonable Republican, what we need in Washington.
3
The Democrats have never learned from the Republicans they never speak in plain terms and they never stress the facts simply to appeal to independent voters. Medicare for all is one thing the cost is another. Obama stole the Heritage Health Care plan and modified it and it worked. Take that plan and modify it again don't give the Republicans a chance to use the old socialized medicine scare tactics. Talk about the prescription drug issue and veterans healthcare issue with privatization. Talk about issues the mainstream are concerned about. Don't propose ideas that are far beyond the reach of the party. Attack the Republicans boldly and spin their hypocrisy using FEAR. ATTACK ATTACK! Not once did Beto scream about the debt nor did any of the other Democrats. The Republicans beat Obama to death on the issue. Stress it is debt for the rich not debt that helps one middle class taxpayer. Beto was all over the street his message did not appeal to large majority of Republicans who could not stand Cruz and would have voted for him if he had a better message. I get tickled if you want to win in Texas talk like a Texan. If you want to win nationally talk like Mr. Smith.
2
Beto is a showoff. Beto for Beto but he's an empty sleeves-rolled up shirt. Like Bernie, he doesn't know anything and has neither the experience, depth or breadth of contacts within the universes of the Democratic Party, the upper echelons of federal service, academia or the worlds of law and business to staff, much less to lead a government.
He's a happy popular fraud.
2
He lost to Ted Cruz. No hype about how wonderful Beto is would have changed that. Did Mr. Hurd endorse Beto for the Senate? No, because Republicans understand what party majority means. The gain of a Democrat in the House was closer to reality than Beto's dream.
My take on this is that Beto would be just as happy to be among the minority in congress as the majority as long as he is there. The Dems lost a seat in the House because of him. Who will he throw under the bus next?
3
@John Christoff The Democrats did NOT lose a seat in the House because of him. The safe El Paso seat Beto left went to Veronica Escobar, a close friend of Beto's. And Will Hurd's seat was hard for Jones to attack: she is a Filippina in a district that has zero Filippinos in it but a lot of Mexican Americans (Hurd speaks fluent Spanish) and African-Americans. Hurd is African-American. Had the Dems run a Mexican-American candidate, they might have pulled it off.
2
@John Christoff The Dems lost a seat in Congress because of Beto? How about the seats they picked up because of him?
1
Sorry but anyone with the bite of Suarez shouldn't be showing his visit to the dentist. Hooray for promoting dental health (does he have a plan for providing it for all?) but how seriously deranged and arrogant does someone need to be to Insta something like that? Said as a regular Dem who goes to the dentist regularly and had a cleaning this past week.
I'm glad he took on someone like as despicable as Ted Cruz but he needs to demonstrate more than his Kennedy-esque looks and his ability to fundraise (against Cruz, of course he got cash!) to be a viable candidate to run against Trump (or Pence as the case may be).
shock, horror: politician who places party before country is criticised in news media that makes huge sums of money reporting on interparty political conflict...
1
Am I supposed to be impressed with the "realness" of a currently unemployed male who takes individuals on an adventure in teeth-cleaning and muses publicly about being in a "funk"?
I can give you tales of woe and dental x-rays too but seriously, is this the level of desperation we now have with ridding ourselves of all things GOP?
Texans may know more about him but if this is O'Rourke's national introduction; please start over.
1
Contradiction here?
1) Mr. O’Rourke’s defenders note that several Democrats benefited from his stronger-than-expected showing against Mr. Cruz, helping the party flip congressional seats in the Houston and Dallas areas.
2) “We know exactly what the Beto bump was and it was amazing,” said Mr. Smith, the liberal activist. “But my assessment was, for Democrats, as well as we did this last election cycle, we would have had one more seat if Beto had been on board with Gina Ortiz Jones.”
How many districts did Beto bring in for the Dems vs. the one he may have "lost?"
Prejudices?
Flegenheimer and Burns were strangely silent during Beto's near miraculous run and galvanizing effect on Texas Democrats. No one could have predicted that his rejection of big money, grass roots superfunding and single handed levitation of the brand could have the potential of turning Texas purple.
This piece smells like a carp two days in the sun...a slur out of nowhere that is openly calculated to take him down for charting a non conventional course that galvanized demo hope for the future.
To give credence to the mot that to be a democrat one has to mimic the mendacity of the Freedom Caucus to blindly chose interbreeding over individual choice is simply beyond comprehension.
Matt and Alex should explain who they're working for.
1
If Butto runs against Trump, it will be a SURE WIN for Trump in 2020.
I live in Texas and am a staunch Republican voter. Beto scares the pants off of folks in my party because he energized a base of voters that normally sit out elections—this means that if he runs in 2020 he probably has the absolute best chance of defeating Trump.
5
So many words devoted to Beto’s loyalty to The Party, and tit-for-tat political machinations, but barely any about his policy platform—his ACTUAL problem.
Focusing on all the wrong things, just like most Democrats nowadays.
What policy platform? I can’t detect one.
I almost hope Beto stays in Texas a few more years. It seems like he is doing a lot of good there, and I think 2020 is going to be a blood bath. It would be nice to keep some young leadership relatively unsullied.
Beto needs more gravitas without losing his voice, if he wants to win over a broader base . Hooking up with Willie Nelson and air-drumming outside a burger joint is not everyone’s style.
Comments like this one confirm that the Democratic Party just doesn't "get it:"
"Its time for a progressive president to lift the country up."
The Democratic Party has two choices in 2020:
1. Nominate a centrist candidate, and maybe win. OR
2. Nominate a progressive candidate, and certainly lose.
Those are the choices.
Trump probably will get re-elected no matter what Democrat runs against him, but he should at least be given a run for his money. That will happen only if the Democratic Party nominates someone who can at least tack credibly toward the center. Hillary Clinton could do that (but she's yesterday's news). Beto O'Rourke could do it (though the NY Times appears to have decided that he's not the one). Joe Biden could do it (but he's too old). Cory Booker could do it (no hit piece yet on him, but don't hold your breath, Cory).
There are plenty of would-be Democratic candidates who CAN'T do it, such as: Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Julian Castro. The NYT shamelessly supports EW over all of the others, but that's unlikely to be enough. Trump says he relishes the prospect of running against EW. I don't know whether he really means that, but he'd probably mop the floor with her. That's not so clear with Beto. Blemishes or not, NYT hit piece or not, Beto right now looks like the Democratic Party's best shot.
3
How sad. I'm not a supporter of Mr. O'Rourke, but once again it's politics put ahead of what might be good for the country. As long as either party puts party loyalty (read "power") ahead of principle, we American citizens are the losers.
We desperately need people in Congress who are interested in doing the work of government instead of feathering their own nests!
3
Hope he puts the USA first and the Democratic party way down. We need a change from the last 2 years.
1
Loose cannon. Haven't we had enough of those?
A drunk driving arrest
A mediocre private sector career
6 undistinguished years as a Congressman
Uploading videos of dental visits and skateboarding
A failed bid for US Senate
It's a testament to our shallow celebrity You Tube-Twitter culture that this man is actually talked about as a leading contender to become the most powerful person on the planet
4
Two dudes on a road trip, complete with a late-night donut run! Aw...so cute. So...male. So male, in fact, that O'Rourke could not bring himself to endorse a female candidate in his own party in his own state. Why? Haven't we had enough men in the presidency for one lifetime? I'll be working for the women candidates. I hope the Beto-Bros don't take over and ruin everything like they did in 2016, while harassing women in their own organization like Bernie's men did.
3
Given the many presidential aspirants on the Democrat side, they might consider running as a pair from the start - based on ideological affinity and complementary strengths.
It might be helpful for candidates to have a modicum of self-awareness on their chances as opposed to diluting a substantive discussion on messages and platform with the number of hopeful candidates.
Maybe there needs to be a national conversation to goad the candidates in that direction?
There are many interesting permutations from the likely pool:
Biden / Castro
Warren / Brown
Harris / O’Rourke
Booker / Klobuchar
Gillibrand / Gillum
...
2
For what it's worth, it's not exactly easy being a Democrat in Texas. That comes with a fair amount of distrust except in major cities and suburban areas. Even then, Beto needed the support of independents and moderate Republicans to win.
5
I think the perfect Democratic candidates for 2020 would be Biden (Pres.) and Beto (VP).
Two nice, decent people who want to do what's best for ordinary Americans. Biden has all the experience in Congress and the White House, and Beto has the energy and enthusiasm, and loves to travel the country talking to lots of people and finding out what they want and need.
2
With all the blather about the need for bi partisan cooperation we have a politician who gets blasted for not being ideologically consistent with his party and recognizing the moderate politics of a candidate from an opposing party. It would have been helpful if this article could have highlighted policy differences between the candidates in lieu of just focusing on political process.
5
After reading this article, this democratic socialist from Vermont admires Beto all the more for his independence and backbone. "Team player" politics is what plagues us. It's the approach that has made the GOP a mockery of itself and of the Constitution; it is the mindset that gave us Brett Kavanaugh on the bench. A Dem nominee who is lock-step with the DNC will be readily (and accurately) targeted for being "too liberal" for the heartland. I would have loved to see Jones defeat Hurd (she nearly did), but I am much more excited by what Beto has accomplished and may yet do.
4
The criticisms of Beto in this article just happen to be the reasons I like him. So, what if he's not in lockstep with the DNC and voted for someone else to lead the Party than Nancy Pelosi? Look at his platform rather than some slavish toeing of the party line, the one set by the same people that rigged the 2016 nomination and in doing so played a part in the unfortunate outcome of the presidential election. The Democrats need a fresh approach, not more of the same old, same old. And Beto is one of the fresh faces that can energize the party and shake it out of its losing ways. For him to get 48% of the vote in Texas was an incredible accomplishment. No Democrat has done that well in Texas since Ann Richards, and that was thirty years ago.
6
I respect Beto for his independence and iconoclasm, and admire his charisma. What scares me (and might deter other voters) is his similarity to Macron!
1
I hope Beto' runs, wins the nomination, and then picks a moderate GOP running mate.
End the tribalism. End the division. For decades now we can't progress on any front, including healthcare, economic disparity, social unrest and violence, immigration, voting rights, foreign policy, etc. Moving forward in perpetual grid lock is not an option, and until the GOP and DNC learn to work together nothing will change.
If you disagree, then offer a better explanation for our society's grid lock, stagnation, and decline.
1
Beto O'Rourke is an young, older man, who seems a bit at odds with himself. Though he says he is for the country, and not a party, I worry that unconsciously, and a bit like Trump - an inversion of Trump - "the country" stands for his inner self. There is something maybe too self-absorbed in Beto's pilgrimage, that he might be somewhat of a poseur? In the end this might not matter, if he does genuinely want to try to profoundly understand the needs of other people, so as to have a message that makes sense when he runs. But he might not even run. He is a bit of a wild card.
2
Another under-experienced guy with a cheery personality. I want someone with more gravitas and experience. We tried going with someone with no government experience and look where it landed us.
1
"... separating him from a modern Democratic Party that has prized near-uniform opposition to Republicans in Washington."
That statement is false. The Democratic party I've followed almost 40 years- if anything- is known for its independent streak. Often breaking ranks; (particularly Southern Democrats whose voting patterns are often indistinguishable from their Republican counterparts). It's one thing to proffer a narrative to complete a story about Beto O'Rourke but do not report inaccuracies.
2
Not a chance. Unimpressive to me and further I’d like Michael Bloomberg. Much smarter, tough, a real humanist and philanthropist with no scandals or .corruption. That’s my guy. We know who’s who in Harlem. He’s the best man in the field.
1
I wish people would actually read about not just Beto's positions but all the candidates. Yes he didn't want to go against his friend. A Democrat & Republican working together on what people seem to think is a very big issue. Gee how horrible.. Congressman Hurd from what I have read is right on the money about the border. He is against Trump's wall. He knows what we need & so does Beto. O'Rourke co-authored a book about the damage the drug war has done to Central America.
As far as positions, Beto is for Medicare For all. He is for taking Pot off the schedule one list & legalizing it. He is for lower tuition & easier student loans. Lowering Defense. On every issue he listens to all sides as he did as congressman. He refused Pac money & raised record donations from all over the country. He gave up his House Seat to run for Senate. Who does that? Someone with integrity, that's who. Whenever I heard him speak he is usually direct, tries not to beat around the bush. Rep Hurd called him an honest man. For me he is by far the best candidate the Dems could run. Warren has great ideas & is a fighter, But I don't know if she can win. Bernie the same. The other hopefuls can't hold a candle to Beto. He's young, has charisma, articulate, & smart. It's really good that he lost to Cruz, had he won he wouldn't run for Pres. They wanted him to go negative against Cruz, but he remained positive & visionary. The Reps & the Dem establishment (including this paper) are scared to death of him.
4
I have difficulty with seeing anything about the modern Democratic party as "near-uniform," and if Beto refuses to toe the line for what passes for Democratic leadership, then maybe there's some hope.
Bizarre piece.
4
Perhaps. Beto is a fair minded person who employs clear and sensible thinking.
He examines both sides of an issue before forming an opinion.
Furthermore, fair minded people make decisions based on hard evidence and reason rater than emotion; they know the whole story rather than just some of the facts.
Objective,fair minded people make impartial judgments free from personal bias.
This article by Matt and Alexander points out that Ms. Jones is gay, Filipina and an Iraq war veteran.
I know a couple of Iraq war veterans who aren't so great.
I can only assume that being gay and Filipina(by themselves) do not make one a good or bad person so let's not involve ourselves with that.
Beto O'Rourke has come to feel that a good, fair minded Republican man is more qualified for the job of representing his state than a certain other democrat.
That, to my mind, helps Beto O'Rourke become the fair minded person who employs clear and sensible thinking.
Because of what i learned from Matt Flegenheimer and Alexander about Beto O'Rourke in this article, i now will
consider O'Rourke as a viable candidate for president.
He now qualifies for the term "fair minded "
3
As a life-long Democrat, I view Beto O'Rourke as a breath of fresh air, and worth consideration as a practical alternative to the attacks on the party by Bernie and AOC and their ilk.
I look forward to reading more on him.
2
The article seems to emphasize that being a woman is qualification enough to be a good political candidate. Was Ms. Jones the best candidate? We don’t know because this article does not elaborate on her qualifications. According to the article being a woman, gay, of Filipino ethnicity and a veteran “were” her qualifications. Did she lose because Mr. O’Rourke didn’t endorse her? Nonsense. Clearly, the voters thought otherwise. Does the article suggest that the voters were wrong?
In a time when we are more divided than ever Mr. O’Rourke showed us that the country comes first and your political affiliation second. All he had to do to remind us of that was to ride in a car with “the enemy” and have a civilized exchange of ideas.
Is he “too middle class”, “too inexperience”, “too tall”, “too white”, and a male? How could he be a serious candidate?
Mr. O’Rourke is the most interesting, authentic, and refreshingly charismatic politician in the Democratic Party.
RFO has my vote!
7
Don’t we need more reaching across the aisle and less tribalism in the Congress as well as in the country as a whole? Beto modeled this stance when he declined to support Ms. Ortiz Jones simply because she was a Democrat, and he did so in an honest yet congenial way. In my opinion, we need more Beto.
3
I not only like O'Rourke's track record on Politics, I like the fact that here is someone younger, but still very capable, ethical, and smart. While I greatly admire Mr. Sanders, and Ms. Warren, I think Mr. O'Rourke is a candidate that can work for better across-the-aisle communication. These days, we surely need it.
I very much like his grass-roots approach to Honoring His Job, and getting back to Washington - on time - when airport traffic was down, and, by driving WITH a Republican (!), Mr. Hurd. Not only were these two Representatives getting along with each other (are you kidding? Really ??), but they answered questions from Constituents while on the Road. Having a "Politician" answer questions, these days, seems very hard to come by ...
Now, THAT's what I'd call American Constitutional Democracy !! We don't have to always agree with what's on the table, but if we can sit down together, and break bread, and work it out ~ then it surely is better than the mess that we've got now.
I wish Mr. O'Rourke much luck, and success in his campaign.
3
I would not have contributed to Beto had I known he was not supportive of Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones. I understand that Hurd is a personal friend of Beto but one more Democrats in congress would have added to the strength of Democrats doing oversight of Trump. In any case, he lost but could have added Ortiz Jones to his coat tails, if he wanted to. I did not know he had divided loyalties.
The whole premise of this article is misleading: "Democrats Chafe...." Which Democrats; party talking-heads are not the millions of Democratic voters. As a voter, I certainly need more than what is currently presented by others and Mr. O'Rourke about himself.
I pray Democratic voters don't fall into the same pattern Republican voters did with Donald Trump; that is, any fresh face bucking the traditional corporate party-line is the new savior. By some of the comments here; that's already begun.
3
The union movement has a maxim. "United we stand. Divided we fall. And never was that more abundantly evident than after the last election.
Remember the glib saying, "The lessor of two evil is still evil"? Well, look where it got us.
High time Democrats starting showing real solidarity by recognising that the enemy is not, and never will be, another Democrat.
2
After the disgraceful way the Democratic party (Hillary, Debbie Wasserman Shultz et al.) treated Bernie I don't blame Beto for putting country over party. It's the smartest thing he could do.
4
Frankly, I did not understand all the swooning and fawning over Generic White Boy of Minimal Experience. Mad skateboarding skills are not recommended an otherwise undistinguished Congressman for the highest office of the land, and the very last thing I’m interested in is another freeloader who expects to run on our ticket but won’t pay his dues or pull with the team.
Given the extreme views of the current Republican Party, a Democrat candidate cannot possibly succeed offering compromise with Republicans. The far-right's overall racism concerning immigration and general religious "us vs. them" attitudes preclude any cross-the-aisle cooperation.
Also, many Democrat voters have bitter memories of trying to work with Republicans only to be slammed by then. As the song says, "We won't get fooled again!"
Republicans chafed at Trump, and looked what happened. If Beto can beat Trump, I’m fine with his unorthodox approach. Make America Civil Again!
1
If we do not creep out of our dark, partisan corners and embrace “the other” when possible, the poison message of Trump and his base will have won. Bravo Beto.
1
Political parties are the worst thing that ever happened to democracy. Parties divide. Parties create tribalism. Beto O'Rourke has the right idea. Unite with the persons you believe in.
2
Beto has shown that he can raise a ton of money. What else do we need in a President? I'm sure the dark lords who funded him don't want anything in return.
News to me that he endorsed Hurd, a GOP apologist often heard on radio and TV, and his go-it-alone "don't need the party" mentality.
I've lost interest in Beto.
Self-serving as I always thought.
Be careful everyone. I was very impressed with Rudy Guiliani's behavior during and after 911 and considered voting for him if he ran for President.
Thankfully New Yorkers put the truth about him out to the public and I cringe every time I see or hear him to think I even considered him. Unfortunately, we got The Con Don instead.
I'll return the favor for anyone who might consider voting for Washington State governor Jay Inslee when he runs for President. The first thing he did - in the dead of night, in cooperation with the International Mechanics Union head and directly opposed to the local union's wishes - was give Boeing an $8.7 BILLION tax cut on the backs of Washington citizens. He said it was to keep Boeing in Washington but a few weeks later Boeing moved thousands of excellent engineering jobs out of the state. He is not the kind of person I want running our state, say nothing about OUR nation.
3
It's a long time to 2020 and, therefore, a year or nearly that before I personally will begin paying any serious attention. On this article I imagine that people who dislike "the party," traditionalists, and/or "the establishment" will find here someone to see as a breath of fresh air (anyone who does not please those stodgy party types is good to them). I see a man who seems to put himself first, i.e., the relationship with Hurd was good for Beto. If he truly felt that Ms. Jones would make a good Congress person, it would have been helpful for him to endorse her, a fellow Democrat. That would, however, perhaps deprived Beto of some votes. Beto for Beto.
It is far, far too early to know who will be a serious contender 15 or more months from now (after the initial shake-out), but there is something in me that says we do not need another self-serving POTUS.
1
Much as I’d like to, so far I have yet to feel fully inspired and energized by any of the Democratic candidates. Most are very fine, but do not approach Obama nor Bill Clinton in terms of combining charisma and politics, which unfortunately is what it takes these days to win and lead. I’d thought Beto might come close, but didn’t think he has quite the political experience and gravitas; this article reaffirms nagging doubts about him, doubts that are difficult to pin down.
5
The article left out the "why" part of his choice. He will make a fine President and inspirational figure, something we need.
10
I see the attraction. There's a lot of love there in Beto — self love. Ted Cruz was chosen over him. This might have dented some men's self esteem considering the low quality of a political animal that Ted Cruz is.
I'm glad he's feeling fine, but being young handsome and charismatic isn't a substitute for leadership or innovation. Didn't we recently have a President who spoke well and looked great? Did it bring us together, win any battles or give us change we can believe in. No it did not, unfortunately.
This looks like a redux to me. Personally I like to learn from history, not repeat it.
19
Rather than lob criticisms at Beto, suggest a better candidate. Anyone not in the arena can always second-guess the coach.
2
I'm stunned that people continue to praise the guy who couldn't beat Ted Cruz and treat his ambitions for the White House seriously. For all the comments about bipartisanship how did it work out for him? He didn't win the Senate seat and that congressional seat is still red. I don't like partisanship for its own sake but there are some fundamental ways in which our Democratic and Republican parties differ. Pretending and overlooking the complicity moderate Republicans have in the more egregious actions of the Trump administration and not supporting a woman who better represented the district she wanted to represent because "his friend" was running against her shows me much more than breaking into Spanish on the stump.
19
Last week, it was Democrats chafing about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This week, it’s Beto O’Rourke. I don’t know who we’re supposed to be chafing at next week, and I don’t care to find out.
Here’s the thing about Texas Congressional District 23 where Gina Ortiz Jones ran a losing race against Will Hurd. It’s the only seat in a thoroughly gerrymandered state that’s been decided by margins in the low single digits in every race over the last decade. The other 35 districts have been comfortably won by double digits.
Yet in a year when Democrats across the state cut those wide margins to single digits, and a few of them even pulled out wins, Ortiz Jones couldn’t even pick off the low-hanging fruit. Beto or no Beto, this race was hers to win or lose. She owns her own loss.
19
I do not trust Mr O’Rourke. His voting record in the House does not match his rhetoric on the campaign trail.
Likewise, if he will not support a Democrat over a Republican he is not worthy of the party’s nomination.
Nothing to see here. Keep moving on.
18
Beto suffers the same taint that brought down Clinton and precludes Biden from having any chance at winning. Beto is a Corporatist, New Democrat. He supports the fundamental anti-progressive position that the financial elite should control our politics.
Yes, he's got a great campaign personality. On some level so did Trump. But I believe showmanship will no longer carry the day. Policy will matter. And the two most important policy issues are and will be systemic corruption and Medicare for all/single payer health care. ORourke is like Obama and Clinton on both of those. He uses liberal phraseology to say, ultimately, "I support the corporatist order".
It is clear democrat 'leaders' and centrists still do not understand what is happening in this country. Democrats cannot win without active progressive engagement. In 2020, anything that is Not active engagement of the two issues: corruption of money and Medicare for all can be rationally understood as intention of losing.
The notion that ORourke is all about ORourke is obvious but irrelevant. What is relevant is that ORourke will maintain control by the financial elite at the expense of actual democracy. Even while co-opting the tools of grassroots movements to leverage his way Into the establishment. Diabolical.
11
I can think of another person who ran against the standards of party affiliation. The fellow won and the nation lost.
Self-centeredness does not depend on political party affiliation. I thought he would be great as a substitute for Ted Cruz. But alas it turns out that he is in for just himself.
I vote no to Beto for Pres.
7
Don’t forget his arrest as a grown adult for DUI and attempting to fee the scene, where he could have killed people. Character > Competence and his DUI and evasive discussion of the facts is disqualifying. After Trump, we need someone who is trustworthy and ethical in the White House. This problem is in addition to his utter lack of leadership experience, ie in several terms in Congress he passed not a single piece of legislation, and his career achievement was sitting on El Paso City Council. As Trump has shown us, being President isn’t a job for novices, but someone with leadership experience like a state governor or general. Doctors pilots lawyers engineers all require years of experience in their field, why not demand similar experience and proof of skills of the chief executor of our laws and leader of our country?
15
Beto is a charismatic politician and a good human being. His principled stand against taking PAC money and yet raising tons of cash in small donations is a refreshing phenomenon in American politics. I have rarely ever seen in a senate race, hundreds of people- specially young, lining up and waiting to hear and meet a candidate. His simplicity and his intuitive ability to connect with people is a huge advantage.
During his senate race against Ted Cruz an Open Ed in Dallas Morning News by Gromer Jeffers was headlined "Beto O'Rourke needs to smack Ted Cruz in the mouth, figuratively" and called on him to hit back against Cruz's unsubstantiated attacks. Therefore to run against Donald Trump who is a proven fighter and master at his game, he will have to be much much tougher. Beto will have to introspect if he has that stamina before throwing his hat in the ring.
5
Haven't we had it with inexperienced Presidents? George W., Obama, and Trump all represent the perils of not having been in the trenches. Beto O'Rourke is a charismatic guy who can raise money. Is that really enough to entrust him to skillfully navigate the enormously complex and politically fraught world he would be asked to lead? Please, come back after you get some seasoning.
18
If the universally likeable Beto couldn’t unseat the universally disliked Cruz, even with all the king’s horses and men of the DNC supporting him, I don’t see how he unseats Trump. Plus in his own aw-shucks kind of way he’s obviously as much a calculating, cynical political operator as Harris, Gillibrand or Booker: three more candidates who have no chance against Trump.
Democrats have to learn some lessons from 2016 so we don’t repeat them:
1: Hillary lost. Those three million votes don’t matter. The Electoral College is still a thing and we need someone who can make inroads in Trump country. Beto failed that test.
2. The reason Hillary lost where Obama won is because the thing swing voters are looking for is authenticity - whether that means someone who doesn’t pretend to care or know what they do or say like Trump, or someone with actual integrity like Obama. Clinton is a waffling political creature and they don’t want that. They want either lying Republican bullies or honest Democratic angels. That’s why principled candidates like Klobuchar, Sherrod Brown, even Warren or Biden would be better than Beto.
3. Issues matter too. This is not a personality contest. We have values to uphold and policies to fight for. We can’t keep operating from fear.
4. Don’t be afraid of democracy. Having the primary almost all to herself did not help Clinton. Let’s have a real contest and a lively national discussion of the issues so Americans can see what Democrats are really about.
24
"what's there to lose" POTUS asked during his 2016 campaign of blacks.
He was appealing foor their votes by reminding them - how little the Democrats had really done for them despite all the talk.
Something here for Democrats.
What's there to lose - by supporting a rank outseider.
In 2016 - they had a high wattage candidate with all but - may be 2 Democrats in the country supposedly - supporting her. And this was a race she was destined to win - and win big.
They had even choregraphed victory celebration in NYC - to start the minute west coast polls closed.
Well, we know what Democrats got for supporting an insider - if there ever was - who actually created insiders of Democrats - well, they got an Oscar moment.
We Republicans follow dictum of Th. Jefferson of spilling "blood of Patriots to nourish this tree of liberty..."
Just ask our last Majority Leader - Mr Kantor.
So, Democrats - what's there to lose - start believing in yourself - that Democrats mean not the old proven guard only - but Democrats who think about future in a different way.
Finally, a bone of contention about Mr Hurd win.
You make it sound like democracy died because he won. Come on, give the man a credit for winning.
5
in my family we debated whether to support Baker (R) or Gonzales (D) for Governor of Mass. the Baker arguments were that, as a moderate he wasn't the worst choice ever and the need to prop up some moderate Republicans. without them America loses.
4
Cruz's Senate seat would have been the win of win's and
far more important than another house victory this election.
Another example of Beto thinking steps ahead.
That's a team player if you ask me.
2
@Ross Ivanhoe. But he lost.
1
I welcome a candidate who puts country over party. Isn't that what a politician is supposed to do?
10
@Gregg
Why is there an assumption that a candidate who votes against his/her party establishment is doing the right thing or putting country over party? Are you familiar with his record in Congress?
4
Once again the Times displays its' anti-progressive/pro-establishment agenda. Party purity is something we need to overcome whether it be republicans or democrats. In fact, the sooner we dispose of party politics the better. As with many other localities, our county government has opted to go non-partisan and it has been wildly successful. Beto has his sights pointed in the right direction while the media languishes in cultural stagnation.
14
The best article I've read about Beto to date--it shows he is not a Clinton-style Democrat stepping over anyone on the road to the While House. But, and it's a huge but, he still has insufficient substance to actually govern our country. Give me Amy Klobuchar any time! Let's hope Bernie supporters support a Democrat who can get elected this time, and it's not Bernie or Beto or Biden, whose time has come and gone.
6
So Beto' isn't tribal enough for Democrats huh?
Figures.
I agree with Beto' - country over party.
Am I still allowed membership in the Democratic Party?
I'm a straight white male who lives in the west. I'm more of a classical liberal than those who believe liberalism is nothing but identity politics and a never ending competition to determine who is the most oppressed. I love Mark Twain's literature, even if he uses the N word. Do I need to lose my job now?
I own guns, hope there is a God, but also believe science is our best bet and that some guns don't belong in society. I believe in free speech. I don't believe people should be judged 100% off of one thing they said or a few things they did. I would never pray that someone loses their job just because they offended me.
I don't go looking to disrupt "safe spaces", or to offend others, but I believe some peoples' safe spaces are so myopic and shuttered that no form of critical thinking ever gets through - meaning they're not "woke"; they're just beguiled into thinking so as they're trapped inside the same sorts of information bubbles (more like impregnable information fortresses) as the Fox News Crowd.
So can I be in the Democratic Party? Or am I not tribal enough? Am I too privileged because I didn't migrate here illegally or grow up in a poor neighborhood (though I helped my own parents move out of their lifelong home after foreclosure)?
Let me know if I can continue being a Democrat.
20
He voted for his friend. If I am impressed by you, admire you, and trust you, why shouldn't I vote for you, just because they tell me so? Service must come from the heart, not obligation.
6
Go-it-alone is not the problem with O'Rourke. It is that he either does not get what is going on -- which would make him shockingly naive -- or he does but cynicism and ambition are more important.
In 2019, "above the fray" is a pose, a pose of centrists: a cowardly, cynical, self-important pose. Obama, in his early years, had a relatively mild version of this, probably stemming more from naivety and belief in the power of his soaring rhetoric than anything else. In 2019 there is no excuse.
Supporting any Republican is supporting Republicanism -- an ideology of anti-intellectualism, nativism, inequality, racism, shysterism, authoritarianism. In a word, fascism.
The popularity of O'Rourke among young people is worrying. He does not get what is going on, and many do not get that. He is not the leader America has been waiting for.
7
@Dominic Holland Obama was right! I'd give my eye teeth today for "no Black America, no white America." So, too, would plenty of Rust Belt Obama voters who defected to the vile Trump -- out of sheer frustration, resentful over demands that they apologize for sins they didn't commit (while meanwhile the 1%, playing divide-and-conquer, were laughing all the way to the bank).
Are you so sure you "get" what's going on?
@Mitchell "no Black America, no white America" would be nice. What Obama was slow to get was that, from the beginning of his terms, he was dealing with scorched-earth Republicans who were more than happy to undermine democratic rules (written and unwritten) and pander to racism to get tax cuts for their donor class and eliminate social programs. Racism is alive and well in the USA. The main reason Trump won was racism. Look it up.
2
The man has a sense of honor both of them. Hurd Beto
4
There are mushrooms, sharks, and coral older than this O'Rourke. Let's slow down with the enthronement.
9
Robert Francis O'Rourke best bet is to wait. Wait until the dust cloud of Democrats shakes it's self out in the first few months of the campaign. He should drop the the "Nickname". It's stupid, American's are craving real leadership not somebody with a sound bite. Mr. O'Rourke has a record that people can identify with and get behind. He's worked in politics from the local level on up. His problem will be the democrat party itself. We as a party haven't let go of 2016. Democratic constituencies are hanging on to the old guard. The future of the party is younger candidates who can move people at the national level. The real question is will the DNC let process work itself out to find a winner.
5
What a breath of fresh air. By 2020 this country will need bipartisan healing. Go Beto!
8
@ejoss3
Agreed!
How come no mention of the go-it-alone candidate from West Virginia, Richard Ojeda? After all, unlike the nervous toe-dippers with their exploratory committees, Ojeda declared his candidacy up front and honestly back in November.
Whenever the mainstream media declares that a candidate is not a "serious" contender -- "news fit to print" -- what they are really saying is that he or she represents a risk to the status quo and to their interests.
Despite itself the mainstream media manages to be informative.
1
I want a solid moderate to left leaning Democrat. This guy isn’t it.
4
He would be the most charismatic candidate since JFK. But that doesn't fit the plans of the advocacy groups that lead the Dems by the nose. They are determined to nom a multi-ethnic woman even if she's totally unqualified beyond her ethnicity and gender. GO BETO.
8
Who you support and what you do tells people who you are.
The black singer who thought it would be good money to sing at Trump's inaugural figured the money was good, and who cares when they're paying you? Bad decision.
O'Rourke is cut from the same cloth. Generally supporting progressive ideology means not cooperating with those who support the party of racism, sexism, and oligarchism. If Mr Hurd were a decent person, he would run as an independent. Since he's a Republican, that lets us know where he stands.
Since O’Rourke supported the Republican, we now know what he stands for- opportunism, cult of personality, and "don't think too deeply about consequences," exactly what I don't want in a representative.
There's nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.
2
Since the national tragedy which occurred November 8, 2016, I've largely, apart from the Times, steered clear of news - which is why I know so little about Beto; however, having read more articles about him post-election, he seems...interesting, perhaps a darkhorse that can gavanize a crowd and excite the base. But if he's one of those Blue Dogs that won't even admit to voting for Obama, he can sit the 2020 contest out as far as I'm concerned. I don't want a milktoast Democrat who's afraid to stand behind Democratic values in the face of the irresponsibility on open display from the Republican's attempt at governing. To Beto: "If you're ashamed of running as a Democrat, run as a Republican or don't run at all."
2
Don’t think that’s what the article is suggesting. In fact, he’s made it clear he’s not beholden to party lines. Prime example is his lack of endorsement for the Dem candidate. He likes who he likes regardless of party officiating. It’s refreshing to see someone who is willing to stray from the base for the betterment of the country.
2
Whats wrong with supporting a good person? So what if he is also republican. Listen to the daily from a day or two ago. He sounds like a decent guy.. dont knock hil if you dont know him right. Reaching across is a good thing. It should be about policy - not politics. At least sometimes.
Aanyway. How about
Al Gore Castro?
Al Gore
Won before
Global warming...
Southern
Intelligent, good speaker
Younger than trump (if people worry about age)
The list goes on and on.. and on. He would be great.
Castro
Former Mayor
New
Younger (again if you care about that
There.
3
He’s a good man that has a right to run. Fail to see the big deal.
8
Wow, someone who wouldn't toe the party line, how awful. A few of those here and there and the government shutdown might end and other parts of the sky might fall as well. Sure don't want that.
10
Greetings! I am a Democrat and I am not chafing!
Beto brings a much needed refreshing personality and independence plus charisma to Democratic List of candidates. He is a new type of politician, one who speaks to people in the streets, asks what their needs are, and promises to consider everyone’s opinion. He reminded me from the beginning of a young RFK.
You will find that the younger voters absolutely go for Mavericks and younger candidates, especially if they have charisma and their own way of doing things. We need new blood.
Beto is the perfect candidate for Senator to replace those awful useless lumps, Republicant senators who are racist and keep reciting the same lines for 20 years; these old guys care more about payments from giant corporations or their votes than they do about serving their constituents – a clear sign that they are not obeying their own’s of office. Sweep them out!
7
In Texas, Democrats have to go it alone. The DNC has ignored and neglected Texas Democrats for a generation. All we are good for is to fill their coffers. I've received 10,000 emails from Tom Perez since 2016 begging for money to give to the campaigns of people I've never heard of in the Rust Belt. Never, ever have they begged me to contribute to Texas Democrats.
I imagine they do the same thing all over the South.
I still recall the DNC trashing Beto trying to make him give money to McCaskill and Heitkamp (both of whom lost by bigger margins than Beto). Beto had already given over $1M to down-ticket Democrats in Texas - probably to Ortiz-Jones too. I know he gave money to my local candidate Mike Siegel who came very close to unseating McCaul.
5
In truth, as wholly unacceptable a candidate on the national stage as he could possibly be, O’Rourke plainly exposes the Democrat party for what it is: intransigent, smug, dismissive, intolerant of creative government and thoroughly entrenched in swamp history and behavior.
It’s 2019, Dems, and time flies ...
3
Time to grow up. He needs to be a team player or he won't get very far. I'll bet Trump already has a nickname for him
1
@Mike Livingston If Beto0 runs, Trump will cast him as our version of Macron, and he'll have his troops wearing yellow vests rather than red hats this time around.
Hit and Run O’Rourke. trump will roast him.
I think a Biden / Beto or Bloomberg / Beto ticket would beat Trump. Definitely not Hillary 2.0 - Warren, Gillibrand, or Harris.
4
@Reader In Wash, DC Bloomberg/Beto as the ticket that will take the country back from the 1%? Ya gotta be kidding!
1
It's not his style I chafe at--it's his neoliberal corporate centrist sellout Democrat voting record.
He's not what America needs as president, but it would have been great if he'd beat smarmy Ted in Texas.
3
Sounds like he just won the 2020 election.
2
I haven't decided how I feel about Beto, but the sly attempt to paint him as problematic because he wouldn't endorse a candidate who happens to be woman of color is more problematic than the man himself.
And I'm done listening to the drone of anti-progressive sour grapes from the center-right Clintonites. They're in the rear view mirror and fading fast.
8
I’m a Democrat. I tragically cast my first presidential vote for Ronald Reagan. I have never voted Republican again.
That said, my impressions of Beto, from the beginning, seemed to me that he was on a manic hyperventilated delivery of his good-sounding message, but which was erupting from a place of impassioned but not truly reasoned place. He seems too eager to seem the next promised redeemer and working on the Obama populist playbook.
But the overall impression I get is of a manic man desperate for power.
His staccato answers to questions given him at public forums seems too breathless, unhinges and by design crafted and “please everybody” in their delivery.
He doesn’t have the carefully parsed delivery of an Obama, but seems an Obama wannabe who thinks by saying the same things he can cinch the nomination.
Personally, he’s not my man.
As much as I like what he says I don’t believe for a minute he is going to walk the walk of his talk talk talk.
2
@Rene Pedraza Del Prado
Manic? The criteria for mania is decreased need for sleep, unusually high energy, hyper-verbal, engaging in high risk unusual behaviors, euphoric mood with grandiose thought processes, racing thoughts, and sometimes auditory or visual hallucinations - ie psychosis.
Beto' is not manic.
1
@PJ . "unusually high energy, hyper-verbal, euphoric mood with grandiose thought processes, racing thoughts..." Well that's half of the symptomology I saw when he spoke right there!
Yes, I have studied psychology and can read a character like nobody's business. Not even yours. I beg to differ.
Watching him on a pre-election night speaking to his Texas audience of prospective voters, he was on a runaway manic jag. His speech was "hyper-verbal" and he seemed to answer with the same breathless obsession almost preternaturally and mercurially grasping for straws from the ether in bated breath to declaim and assure us all that he was the next Obama and had answers.
He isn't. He was "desesperado" to please and give the answers they wanted to hear. He barely paused as he rattled off what "he would do" in defense of the working class, etc. etc.. His high-pitched monotone, "I'm glad you asked that" without a second's pause then spewing out his quicksilver (I got an answer to anything you throw at me) was machine-gunned without one moment of reflection and thought...I got that, and THAT and THAT TOO!
I didn't say he was psychotic. There are low-level bipolar folks by the way who do not hallucinate or have visual hallucinations. Though I do think he is suffering from delusions of grandeur and I bet he will not win the nomination. I cannot imagine four years of his histrionic demagogic posturing. He reeks of hubris and careerism. I don't buy his populist stance. Sorry.
Beto has had a strange stance on Russia's incursions into Ukraine. He failed five times to support votes to sanction Russia or to beef up Ukraine's defenses in the face of Russian aggression in Crimea and along the border. If his vote is a matter of strategy, fearing Russian retaliation, then he's not all that different from Trump. His stances seem to be more oppositional than principled. I listen to him and often have no idea what he cares about or what he stands for. Democrats should sniff harder at this guy to see what lies beneath the shiny exterior.
7
Sherrod Brown of Ohio is my choice. Unlike O'Rourke, he won his election bid in November...
10
Beto is great but he needs more experiences before taking on a presidential run. Barack would have been an even greater President if he had had a few more formative years before taking the presidency.
2
This Texan is glad to have a statesman w/the integrity to put country over party. Wish there was a lot more of it, too. Beto 2020!
3
Why Democrats should vote for O'Rourke in 2020 when there are so many other qualified are running ? If I can vote I will vote for Sherrod Brown who is better qualified and will appeal to working white Democrats who voted for Trump in 2016.
8
Almost winning in Texas is hardly the profile of what this country needs to lead us out of the wilderness.
3
Ok, this is a very informative article that contains info that I was unaware of. I was in favor of a Joe Biden/Beto ticket before reading this. I've changed my mind about Beto on a national ticket because I've seen all the damage Blue Dog Dems, especially in the Senate, have done to our country, especially when Obama was in office. We don't need so-called independents like him to mess up what we have going. We don't need one more Joe Machin or one more Mary Landreu (glad she lost!)
1
"Beto" is an phony as his name. He wants to get rid of the Constitution as he said it is irrelevant to the life we live today. Run him like Sanders, HRC, or Warren; they will all LOSE.
I am sorry. We don’t get all the interest and hype in Beto. He lost. Not by much but he lost.
He has no credentials to be President and no reasonable experience. He is just another handsome telegenic white straight guy albeit who would more likely than not support the heteronormative status quo. The evidence he picked the other straight guy to support when his brand of progressive politics should have gone for the candidate of change. So let’s move on to someone who is not a loser and not a younger version of the same old thing.
3
The facts in plain sight are: we don't know why Trump won but we do know that wells were poisoned, a personality-obsessed media lionized a black-hearted pathological liar (who also happened to be -- as Molester Moonves said -- great for fading media's fading profits, Democrats delivered 2 million more votes than GOP mustered, rampant GOP voter suppression along with red state Secretaries of State engaging in widespread electioneering, massive unsecured computer voting systems (all owned by major GOP leaders), illegal acts by Trump's campaign, and still unknown is the extent of Russian tampering.
And the Democrats still won the popular vote by a margin no elected candidate has exceeded.
So the next Democratic nominee needs to be a genuine Democrat, not some mediagenic personality posing as an Hispanic with a spotted record who despite an avalanche of $80 million in small contributions managed to lose an election to a Canadian born Cuban gusano Wall Street bankster who got trounced by Trump after insulting his wife and father, threw a hissy fit and then in utter humiliation crawled on the ground to beg Trump's forgiveness.
Trump isn't just a golden opportunity for Republican felons to rake in ill-gotten gains; Trump serves the same purpose for politicians who see opportunity on the Democratic side.
Beto is Beta -- unproven, uncommitted, unknown. Proceed at your own risk, not America's.
14
Only a rich white man who loses an election to the ridiculous Ted Cruz would be considered "presidential."
For many of us, we see a privileged rich white man who was given massive promotion from the Pod boys and an adoring media who glosses over a troublesome period in his 20s.
As a rep, his anti-Pelosi vote was the first tell. Now, supporting a Republican - I don't care how bipartisan - in the age of Trump isn't brave, it's more of "performative Beto."
And just because his name is Robert Francis doesn't make him Bobby Kennedy - not even close.
5
@Coco
"Only a rich white man who loses an election to the ridiculous Ted Cruz would be considered "presidential.'"
Replace man with woman and Ted Cruz with Donald Trump.
1
The big takeaway I got from this article were Democratic candidates complaining that Beto isn’t partisan enough. Sigh!
1
O'Rourke can only win the presidency if African American voters support him. Hurd is an African American who managed to win in a district that is 41% non-Hispanic white, 55.1% Hispanic, 2% non-Hispanic black, and 2.2% other.
1
“This is a place where my politics and my job and my commitment to this country come into conflict,” Mr. O’Rourke said. “I’m going to put country over party.”
Amen. We need more of that. And how does the DNC manage to turn that philosophy into “Beto first”? How specifically did Beto gain from his stance?
2
RE: “Beto-first politics,” said Jess Morales Rocketto, a Democratic operative who worked for Hillary Clinton in 2016. “He was concerned about Beto. I’m not sure he was concerned about building the future of Democratic politics.”
Oh the irony of someone who worked for Hillary complaining about Beto being more concerned for himself than party or country. What irony.
4
This is how democrats will lose White House again. If I am advising Beto I will tell him to look for 2028 or 2032 for president. In the meantime run for a statewide office again in 2020 or 2022 and finish the job of turning Texas purple.
3
Mr. O'Rourke seems to have come out of nowhere. I have read that BIG oil supports him.
Please, Good People, do not be fooled by these "surprise" candidates who pop up and are touted as "saviors".
Corruption has no political or gender affiliation. Find out where the money is coming from before you vote for any of them.
That said, I do not want another President from Texas, Florida or the south. They seem to love BIG money and scorn democracy.
4
Beto has done more for the Texas Democratic Party than all of his critics combined. The notion that he didn't do enough to help Democrats in Texas is a joke. Texas is is a potential swing state in 2020 because he campaigned for two years traveling to every county making speeches to people regardless of party affiliation. He set no limitations on himself--or the voters. If he runs for president, he can win, and that's why so many people--including people in his own party--are attacking him. It's envy. He did what they were either too lazy or afraid to do. He put himself out there against the conventional wisdom. He didn't just sit around waiting for the state to turn blue. He didn't wait for some donor or the DNC to tell him that it was "OK" to run or that it was his "turn." He's not a chess piece and they don't like that.
123
@Julie44
I agree 100% with @Julie44. I recommend anyone please hear Beto speak before you pass judgment -- I strongly support him and his ideas to include everyone; listen to everyone; he went to all 254 Texas counties and listened. Rep. Hurd represents approx. 847 miles of Texas border in his District; Beto born and raised in El Paso, so they know what works and doesn't work on our Texas border. Plus Beto and his family are fluent in Spanish.
7
"Going it alone" is the only hope any presidential candidate has in this day and age. No matter how much of an insider you are, you have to run as a maverick and an outsider. People just hate the government that much. Maybe Biden could take a hint from Beto and start acting like he's never been to Washington before.
34
@Ryan To take back our government from a Malignant Narcissist and his republican enablers, it is absolutely essential for all factions of the Democratic Party (moderates, liberals, independents, progressives and radicals) to stay united so the American people can vote ALL republicans out of office!
3
I’m not completely sure about Beto yet, but he seems to be doing all the right things so far. The funny thing is that the very things people dislike about him, are the very things I find encouraging and could make him a competitive candidate.
So what if he’s a moderate, and so what that he’s not afraid to cross party lines from time to time and support a republican candidate? That’s exactly what we need right now.
13
Loyalty to the party? I'd prefer to see independent-minded candidates. How about prioritizing loyalty to constituents?
26
Partisanship has stalled reason and in some cases, routed truth. Kudos to Beto for supporting good politicians without regard for party. Our president himself switched from one to the other, although he does seem to have made the error of his lifetime in both taking the presidency, and roiling the Republicans in so doing.
We need good people in government. Let's applaud those who rise against the tide of conformity and bring fresh ideas to government.
8
Beware the young men from Texas who married into billionaire families and voted for oil.
29
Thank you. He is on the Hubris line of ascension. I don’t buy one word out of his mouth. Demagogue.
7
@Mike M.
Forbes begs to disagree with your billionaire family comment:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2018/11/04/is-beto-orourkes-wife-really-a-billionaire-heiress-not-likely/#746248c4387f
When Americans give up on SUVs and pickups I'll start to pay more attention to politicians who "vote for oil".
@Mike M.*** oh gee his wife's family is rich, so he's a bad person... He ran on small donations and set records. He refused big pac money. Another totally uninformed comment in a sea of many here today.
2
Some people are certainly nervous about Beto to be trying so hard to make this some kind of slam on him.
Gina Ortiz Jones knew when she started her campaign that Beto and Will Hurd were friends across the aisle. REAL friends who don’t throw their friends under the bus for politics.
My friends and I hosted a Unity Party for all Dems running in Dallas after the Primary and Beto used his resources and gravitas to pack the place, giving lesser known Democrats access to his huge platform.
I don’t blame you for being nervous. Beto is the real deal...and he would never do anything as underhanded as what you’re trying to do here to any other candidate.
29
Underhanded...like leave the scene of an accident?
1
Julián Castro is the Texan that can get things done the right way. He’s got proven leadership skills and the charm and humble attitude that make a good leader in my opinion.
9
Real leadership skills? Based on what? Holding a title is not an example of a skill.
3
O'Rourke gained constant national media attention because he was running a good race against a widely despised Republican, Ted Cruz. O'Rourke lost that race. As during that race, media outlets continue to paint O'Rourke as another young, vibrant JFK or Obama. BTW, Bobby was the real progressive in the Kennedy family. And Obama wasted his first four years trying to play kumbaya with Republicans. So, let's move on from nostalgia for previous candidates and look at O'Rourke for what he is - behind the charm is a center right politician. If that is what you want then he's your man.
23
@BB Fernandez If passing ACA without any Republican input constitutes "kumbaya play" there is no hope for Congress ever getting along with the Executive branch.
1
Way, way, way, way too inexperienced to run for the most important political role in the free world. I've listened to him speak. He's neither an effective nor charismatic speaker, contrary to what I had read. It's easy to understand why so many Democrats in Texas are attracted to Mr. O'Rourke since Republicans rule the state. The disastrous and fraudulent election of a television reality host apparently makes anyone believe they are worthy for leader of the free world job.
19
After Trump Donald Duck is experienced enough and would be a step up in our national pride
2
Partisanship is neither a necessary nor sufficient element of patriotism. Those who focus on party loyalty deny the long term damage that loyalty is doing to our democratic institutions and social fabric. We should stop coercing fellow Americans to choose a side and demand they articulate and defend a best path.
13
While I understand the idea that if you are a Democrat (I am), we want the entire party to succeed to help us advance certain principles, I am uncomfortable with the idea that a politician has to endorse down the party line, no matter what. Why can't Beto have individual opinions? Why can't he support Republicans that he genuinely believe might be good for our country or might be good partners to get collective buy-in? The Democrats have a white knuckle approach- not unlike the Republicans- but I have been turned off by the extremism the party has gone too. Not every Democrat is good and not every Republican is bad. We might actually help the Democratic party by winning over lots of right moderates. I'm not sure yet about Beto's experience but what I know I'm sure about is he is thinking for himself. His priority are his constituents, not his party fellows.
23
Agree!
Have we reached the point that an inability to win your own state is a compelling rationale for a presidential run?
With all due respect to former Rep. O'Rourke, whose passion and boyish charm can't be denied, the absurdity of frenzied media hype horsewhipping the nomination race so far in advance of the primaries has never seemed more glaring. And look at what it wrought in the 2016 cycle.
As hard as it might be for some starry-eyed idealists to accept, it would be a mistake to confuse Robert Francis O'Rourke, despite his considerable charisma, with, say, Robert Francis Kennedy. We're in the run-up to 2020, not 1968, and Democrats simply can't afford to have their collective head in the clouds. Not when the scourge to be overcome on our scorched political landscape is a demagogue named Trump.
If there's a useful suggestion for any voter who is repelled by the chaotic narcissism of Donald Trump and the menacing authoritarianism that he embodies, it might be this: Get real.
Beto O'Rourke needs a lot more seasoning, perhaps starting by winning statewide for the U.S. Senate in 2020 or the governorship of Texas in 2022, before we consider giving him our top job. Or maybe even defeating the widely despised (yet nevertheless re-elected) Ted Cruz in 2024.
J.F.K. defined himself as an idealist without illusions. Which seems like useful advice for voters approaching the next presidential election, as well.
15
What charisma? Beto has none, as far as I can tell.
2
I'm not a Dem and not a Republican but
I voted for Beto against Cruz here in Texas last year and will vote for him vs Trump but will not for Warren or Bernie, instead I'd go third party again as I did in 2016.
Or nominate Joe Biden, I'd vote for him too but then he's not young and charismatic is he if you think that's necessary.
You Dems have got to figure out because it's like Bill Maher says about nominating a candidate who's got the potential to win the GE even if he/she is not totally/100% acceptable to all of the party faithfull, it's about avoiding a second Trump term.
7
@Don Max
Third party is tantamount to voting for TRump. In your state in particular.
Thanks for another clueless example of voter apathy....
@Draw Man
No friend, it's not tantamount to voting for Trump, but rather it's like tie which can very easily produce an entirely different outcome in an election.
So I don't think you understand how numbers so work with them a bit and you will see what I mean.
1
As much as I see him as an attractive candidate at best I see him as VP. Some people see him as a new JFK but I was around when he ran and perhaps his charisma is good for these times but he certainly is no JFK
5
I joined the Democratic Party in Fairfax County in 2017, after the disaster that is Trump. One thing that was definately true from my perspective, the Dem party had atrophied under Obama, who was also famous as operating outside the party. That had deleterious effects all the way down from the State to the local county parties. I was excited about Beto, but I also need to know that the person running is for more than themselves (whcih is why Bernie will never get my vote).
7
This is the most encouraging article I have read about Beto. He puts the country above politics. He is willing to support who he thinks is the best candidate or the best idea regardless of political party. The Democratic Party is a large tent. The fact that Beto recognizes it and other Democrats have now ceded their political principles to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party means that Beto is the best Democratic candidate for POTUS.
3
This article will likely bolster Beto's fortunes as it demonstrates a rarity in politics today - the willingness to reach across entrenched political boundaries. Something that is rare as we all watch was has been on display in Washington for far too long.
5
Look at who his father-in-law is. There was a reason he could drive around every county in Texas and not worry about losing his seat in Congress. Beto is still way better than Ted, but he's nowhere near as good as Bernie for a 2020 run and 2021 presidency. It's not even close. He's essentially a less corrupted Obama. Though, that's the optimistic view. He could be far more conservative on many policies than even the centrist Obama administration. At the end of the day, he's a wealthy Texas Democrat. I'll take a New England socialist-lite US Senator named Sanders any day of the week over him.
Like, Bernie is the only true slam dunk nominee. Every other candidate, even as great as Warren is on economic issues, has serious baggage that Trump could exploit in his entertainment spectacles -- err, I mean, debates.
13
This is what we need right now in the country imho. I am not familiar with Will Hurd, but it sounds as though he's a moderate Republican who is intelligent, and interested in pragmatic policy vs partisan ideology. If we are ever going to recover from the intransigent polarity of today's political landscape, it will only be by people like Beto and Hurd breaking with the tradition of a "never support the enemy" approach to government.
I hope he does run for president. It's about time we find some common ground with our fellow Americans, regardless of their political persuasion - let the issues be the focus for once, and not the labels of Republican vs Democrat.
3
The little I have seen of O'Rourke record is enough to tell me he cannot be a viable presidential candidate. He appears to be another Republican light in the mold of Clinton and Obama. The nation needs change and true progressive ideas and action, not just progressive rhetoric coupled with the tired old centrism in action that has allowed the continual massive transfer of wealth and income from the middle class to the 1% under such Democrats as well as Republicans for the last 40 years.
14
Beto would make a valuable senator, but just another lightweight president. I agree completely that we need a major purge at the DNC and in democratic backrooms, but would prefer someone with ideas as a presidential candidate. He is a good performer for sure. So is Trump.
11
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/22/beto-orourke-voting-record-2020-election-democrats
The link above is to an article by David Sirota that appeared in the Guardian in December, discussing O'Rourke's voting record. It is a much more substantive account of O'Rourke's policy priorities and choices than this NYT piece. On such issues as deregulation, taxes, health care, and the environment, O'Rourke has tacked right. Some commenters here are praising his supposed independence of mind, his willingness to put the good of the country before party loyalty, but given the information given in Sirota's article, I think that is highly questionable. The right-of-center positions on these issues can hardly be characterized as being in the national interest.
17
@Ann David Sirota works for Bernie Sanders. He totally misrepresented Beto's voting record as well as his donor base.
@Ann
In regards to commenters praising Beto's "independence," I see two possibilities:
1) They're easily swayed by charismatic people and place more importance on personality than policy; and/or
2) They want another Bill Clinton who will sign mostly conservative pieces of legislation. They're not looking for more progressive policy.
3
@Ann*** you are wrong . he is for Medicare For All and has stated that many times including on the Bill Maher show over a year ago.
1
There is no way that all of the young, rising-on-the-national-stage Democratic stars are going to fall lock step in with the Party's plans, as well it should be. But all Democrats and rational Republicans should be laser focused on preserving our democracy and its Constitution. And if a Republican recognizes the dangers their party poses to all aspects of U.S. security, I can live with local, inter-party support behavior.
Heaven help us if this country stays as divided as we are now or if it gets worse.
1
Everyone who thinks the Beto 2020 Presidential run is a controversy is blinded by the normalization of partisan politics. Beto would not have gained his notoriety if he didn't go against the grain and run an impartial campaign. If he runs in 2020 do not expect him to run his campaign like a Democrat deeply wooven into the fabric of the establishment.
It is understandable how Democrats may resent Beto for not endorsing Mrs. Jones, but it was part of his strategy to project the image of bipartisanship. If he projected a uniquely bipartisan image and still get Mrs. Jones elected he probably would have. The truth is, Texas is a hard place for a Democrat to win and like any uphill battle, you have to shed weight and make sacrifices.
98
@mb21
So, O'Rourke supported Mr. Hurd.
Some of Mr. Hurd's political leanings:
1.Repeal the Affordable Care Act.
2.Blaming Barack Obama for ISSIS (or ISSOL).
3. Voting down Democrat's request to see the infamous Devin Nune's memo.
5.Obsession over Hillary's Emails.
A real stand-up guy.
2
Beto O’rourke served three terms in congress ably representing his constituents. Rather than grandstanding, his focus was on what was achievable in a Congress controlled by the Republican Party. The legislation he proposed and all major votes were explained on the internet where his comprehension of the facts and sound analysis were evident whether or his point of view was shared. He held Over 100 town halls in El Paso and one each month specifically for veterans. He is a listener, a thinker, and totally transparent. He ran hard for two years for Senate all the while doing his job as US Representative and did not expect to be named a potential Presidential candidate. His dtyle is different, but just may be his advantage!
111
If one listens to the substance of his interviews, when he is unscripted, it is quite obvious that the man possesses only superficial knowledge of most subjects. His base is tied to him emotionally and that's all that matters to them.
7
Our Republic needs to shift power back to Congress.
The Presidency keeps growing and look where that is
getting us now.
Any politician who sees that "crossing
the aisle will be a source of power is ahead of
what is coming in the next decade. A smaller
President and Article 1 reasserting itself.
Beto should run. He won't win the nomination but thats
ok.
The concerns of the Democratic Party are quite ironic taken into consideration how Senator Bernie Sanders was forced onto a side track during the last election process, and it's drive to install the Clinton-woman as the president. In fact, the Democratic party is probably the major reason why we're left with the orange mess today, and the judges we ended up with on the Supreme Court for decades to come. Who th cares what they think?
11
I understand why some Democrats were disappointed with Beto.
Beto’s campaign signs were in the front yards of the more affluent Bexar County zip codes which normally were likely to vote for Cruz.
Beto-mania contributed to the overwhelming Democratic sweep in the Bexar County Courthouse and Fourth Court of Appeals. The sweep was clearly apparent the moment early voting results were released.
Many Hispanic and African American women were elected to the bench.
Regarding Will Hurd, he is one of the few sane Republicans. He knows the border wall is not good for Texas and his congressional district has more border miles than any other in the country.
6
The fact is Democrats have been constantly reminding the public that the current chaos in the White House is symptomatic of Mr. Trump's lacking qualifications needed to be a statesman and run a country. hence, it would the height of their hypocrisy if they choose Mr. O'Rourke, who is also equally unqualified to be the POTUS, as their presidential candidate.
Yes, it is true that Mr. O'Rourke's down-to-earth qualities are attractive to some within Mr. Trump's base. And, yes, it is plausible that they could leave Mr. Trump and vote for Beto. But, if the Democrats choose Mr. O'Rourke to be their presidential candidate, they could divide their own party. Indeed, in their effort to persuade some of Mr. Trump's voters to return to the fold, they could lose many more democratic votes.
2
This commenter has it right:
"Maybe a focus on power and practicality instead of purity would put the Dems in a better fighting stance."
As my dear mother used to say: "A politician's first duty is to get elected; a politician's second duty is to get re-elected."
In other words, if you don't win the election, it doesn't matter how "pure" you are. Indeed, if "purity" is your goal, why even bother running? Voters aren't really looking for purity. Even if they were, what, exactly, would that "purity" consist of? Is there some Democratic essence that I've somehow overlooked, or is that essence just a dream that a few progressive Democrats imagine others are dreaming?
1
Democrats should look at Beto’s actions for inspiration not disdain. Strictly standing with one’s party and not looking at what’s best for the country has led us to worse and worse political quagmire, hatred, and distrust.
We will only be able to sustain action to tackle the many issues we face when we understand and reach out to others of different political views, as it has appeared Beto is doing.
Maybe he IS doing his “for Beto” but as long as he’s supporting the candidate that is better for the country, regardless of party, then that’s we need more of.
1
Hope he ll run. I’m a hard core republican but O’Rourke is a Democrat whom I could vote for.
4
Sounds more like Country First than Self First. In fact if he were Beto First he would be cynically compromising his values : opinions to increase his equity within the Democratic Party.
1
I was a full fledged Beto supporter for senate, volunteered, donated, sign in the yard. I'm sad he lost but his time has come and gone for president this time. I hope he runs for governor next time around and he's a great guy but would suggest he runs for president when he has the fire inside to do so, just don't think it's right now.
1
Before Beto considers a national office he should concentrate upon winning a state wide election. He lost to Cruz. As things now stand he'd not carry Texas in a presidential election. It would be best for Beto to unseat John Cornyn in 2020 before looking at the presidency lest he enter the race from a position of weakness.
6
Gee, kind of reminds me of the Barack Obama first campaign and look how (happily) that turned out for us Dems. Beto is going to call the shots if he runs and the party can get on board or get left roadside. I really don’t care who we nominate. I just want to win and if it’s Beto then ok I’m in. Beto-Biden (in that avuncular Cheney role?). Sometimes a candidate catches a wave - a moment in history - and it’s beyond the party to exert any influence. I think Beto is in that moment. So whether the party likes his actions or not it’s immaterial.
2
Hit and Run O’Rourke? Trump will shred him.
It is obvious that he is going it alone because in Texas most people support the most conservative voice, and that is Republican right-to-life and so on. Ultra Christian. Sadly he then has to be independent from core Democratic values. So he is bridging this gap there, but there is not Democratic...the thinking is conservative and as Democrats wish party cohesion among their people, Texas wants the Republican mindset in their politicians. Sadly this is what the Republicans and the Tea Party have given America...it is called polarization. And this is why the country seems not to be the issue any more. Thanks to the alt right fanatical Republican which has taken over the once (perhaps) GOP.
Good for Beto O'Rourke. It's in all Americans' interest to have a sane Republican party. Even if Democrats hold onto the House for a few cycles and elect a president in 2020, the Republicans will be back. And when that happens let's all hope that relative moderates have strengthened their hand in the party. Yes, I'm dreaming to think that the Republican party might moderate in the short term. But if de-Trumpification of the party is advanced by crossover Democratic support of individuals like Will Hurd, Charlie Baker, Susan Collins, or Larry Hogan, then I'm all for it.
9
There may be good reasons for Democrats to refrain from supporting Beto as a presidential candidate (Joe Biden for one, Sherrod Brown for another) but his own support for Will Hurd- a rare, decent Republican politico- isn't one of them.
46
@stu freeman Maybe you're from a different era and see Biden as a better candidate than Bernie, which is laughable. You're right about Beto not to get the nomination, but for the wrong reasons. Any Republican, especially from Texas, is at least somewhat fanatical. Beto is extremely wealthy. That's the reason to not trust him. I'll take a New England almost-socialist than a Texas pseudo-trust fund centrist. Same goes for Biden. We can agree on Sherrod Brown, though he should be #3 behind Bernie and Warren, respectively.
5
@Tom: Bernie and Biden are both from my generation. But only one of them is a member of the Democratic Party.
We surely need someone who can put country first and tribal, party loyalty a much lower second. We need people who are willing to compromise to find viable solutions to get away from the behavior to taking people and programs hostage in an effort to wrest control from someone. Enough. We need sanity back in American government. If O'Rourke can deliver it, so be it.
41
O'Rourke would never win. He ran from the scene. He is weird (didn't need to see inside of his mouth). He is for open border. He is phony to the bone.
Strange, that these reporters somehow managed to avoid mentioning O'Rourke's voting record -- well to the right even of the centrist Democrats which lost the presidency, both houses of Congress and 1000s of state and local seats during the Obama years.
29
@jrd Wow thanks for the info!
Beto doesn’t need to win over all those inside the DNC, he just needs to win over the public.
He’ll never be able to satisfy each faction within the Democratic Party, he’d be better off telling it like he sees it and projecting an honest image with clear goals and a vision for the future.
42
It sounds like he stayed neutral on endorsements and the Dems wanted one. He has done other good things for the party. Maybe a focus on power and practicality instead of purity would put the Dems in a better fighting stance.
19
Beto has a lot of political charisma, but his resume is far too thin to be considered at this point for the Presidency. He needs a lot more exposure to decision making to warrant active consideration for President.
54
@PWill25 Perhaps it would be best to think of who can win before anything else. Adlai Stevenson had experience as well as HRC who failed twice or Joe Biden who failed twice to be elected President.
1
I think the same was said of Obama at the onset of his campaign and he landed in the White House. Naturally, it’s debatable whether or not he was qualified and capable still but good for thought.
2
The very worst thing that could happen to the Democratic party and Mr. O'Rourke is that he be run through the party factory until he comes out the other side a morph of the Clintons or even worse, a Harry Reid.
The Dem plutocracy is what has ruined the party by remachining and remolding candidates until they meet the exact specifications of the mighty and powerful who have decimated and totally forgotten the image, the hopes and dreams, and inspiration of a young JFK.
The Dems must become again the party of the "big tent" that it once was before Reid came along. That we have women of all races and beliefs in the House is a start. We must also have young people like O'Rourke who can break the stale molds which have given the Republicans their power.
205
@Texexnv I see it the other way...the very worst thing that can happen to any Politician is to be ground through the Republican "party factory" where the politician takes on the appearance of the current Republican Party leadership, who are in lock step with Trump...and his mostly corrupt choices -- any that had any vision or morals has long since dropped out of his "machinery." I would be happy had the President been Hillary Clinton, so much better in so many ways than the person who is now ruining America and our politics, with one lie or one theft after another.
10
Trying to please all is rarely a winning strategy.
8
@Texexnv
I don't think it has been Democratic "stale molds" that have
"given" the Republicans power. Thank God we have had Nancy Pelosi (and other "oldies") as a wall against Trump.
It is the Republicans' willingness to do anything--whether unfair, unethical, or even illegal--that has given them power. The challenge for the Dems is to find a way to take power while not sinking into the stinking swamp created by the Reps. Just look at the make-up of Republicans in Congress if you want to see "stale molds."
5
Beto, stay home and run unseat Cruz next time, these are more than enough Democratic Candidates for President. Its time for a progressive president to lift the country up.
17
@ad -- He could also go after John Cornyn's Senate seat in 2020. Might be more difficult than the race against Cruz, however. Cruz just won another six years.
1
Beto is your best chance to take back the Whitehouse. He’s a fresh face, young, smart and very charismatic.
I’m sorry but only the NY/LA subscribe to the progressive socialism. Unfortunately, many in your camp don’t realize that which will ultimately be the down fall should they trot out a progressive.
The nation shares more commonalities than the news and or parties will admit.
You heard it here first, this is not the campaign for the first female president. Let that pass and take a shot next time.
The ticket for 2020 is Joe Biden and Beto!
This allows Beto to gain the experience he needs and no one better than Joe
1
@ad You're in NYC. NYC politics do not reflect the country and no, Bernie Sanders will never be elected President.
1
Hurd is the only Republican serving in Congress who has publicly criticized Trump for his pro-Putin behavior. In July, 2017 he wrote an Op-Ed in the NYTimes: "Trump is Being Manipulated by Putin. What Should We Do?". No other Republican in Congress has had the guts to speak out to a National audience in these direct and not uncertain terms. In my book, this courage merits special treatment by Democrats, Jones candidacy notwithstanding. O'Rourke did right and received much moderate Texas Republican support because of it. As others have said, if you want Bipartisanship, you need to elect Democrats and Republicans who are willing to buck the party.
56
@judopp criticism doesn’t matter unless you lead with votes. It’s just showmanship like that of Flake and Corker. These Republicans do nothing but enable the worst in the party.
4
@judopp So when's Hurd leaving the GOP and joining the rest of the human race?
Trump is crude, and doesn't hide what he's saying with dog whistles. Otherwise he's just another Republican.
4
"Prolific fundraiser." Ugh. I'm so weary of money in politics promoting a system that elevates those with fundraising skill over policy skill.
20
Beto reminds me of presidential candidate Obama. No one ever heard of him or knew anything about him. Yet, they were willing to project onto him all their aspirations of "Hope and Change." I get the same feeling with Beto. However, the son-in-law of a billionaire is going to have a harder time convincing the people that he is one of them the way the Chicago community activist once did.
22
"Some democrats are concerned about Beto's..."
"Some democrats are worried about Kamala's..."
"Some democrats have problems with Kristen's..."
It's OK to provide nuanced views of candidates within an article, but poisoning them in the headlines a full year and a half before the election is only going to trick voters into thinking that no candidate is particularly good and pave the way for a repeat of 2016.
33
@Kevin What if the reality is that these individuals are not only not particularly good but in fact are shamefullly unprepared and intellectually unequipped to conduct U.S. foreign policy, which a U.S. president needs to do? I am stunned that anyone would tolerate Beto O'Rourke's candidacy. He is completely inexperienced in foreign affairs, and very inexperienced in politics as a whole. If it were not for a very rich father-in-law and the tendency of the media to focus on "charisma," or youthful appearance, there would never be any question of the complete inappropriateness of considering him for president. Is it an accident that his father-in-law is a billionaire? I believe I read something about his early career involving an attempt to gentrify El Paso Texas with real estate development which would marginalize and harm the interests of the lower income Hispanic community there in the process, which makes his ridiculous Beto nickname deeply inappropriate. How about supporting a person with experience, knowledge, maturity, seriousness and wisdom for the presidency this time around, instead of selecting the presidential candidate from a group of self-interested individuals who only want power and have no good ideas? Start looking for deep thinking and knowledge, not theatrical skills. Beto would be a tragedy in my opinion for the country; he lacks experience and does not impress me as qualified in any way.
6
Two House seats in Texas flipped from Red to Blue, and that probably wouldn't have happened without greatly increased voter turnout inspired in large part by the O'Rourke campaign. Beto has something that cannot be taught-he has the magnetic charisma and genuineness that only two politicians in my lifetime have had:JFK and Barack Obama.
185
@beth reese I saw O'Rourke on the Stephen Colbert Show. I thought he was positively robotic as he spewed an over-rehearsed litany of reasons why he should be elected without taking a breath. He was a big disappointment and it was a wasted moment in the national spotlight. I just don't see other people's fascination with the man.
10
@beth reese Charisma doen't tame North Korea, place Russia at the table, recover America's economy and employment - but the change wouldn't have been possible if Romney won.
5
@beth reese
Yay. He's what TX needs.
Keep him.
5
We need fewer zero sum game politicians that won't compromise and remain a political block. O'Rourk is not a right wing demagogue and he's not a left wing one either. He's pretty centrist which is where you win elections. Smart guy.
15
This article mentions Ms. Jones' ethnicity (or non-white status) at least three times, while failing to mention that Rep. Hurd is also non-white even once. It also mentions that she is a veteran and fails to mention that he is too. Naive readers of this article would think that both of these identity and background issues were wedges in the campaign, even though they were not, save for those partial to Democrats who would like them to be so. It is also the kind of slant that gives outlets such as the Times a bad name, promoting the Democratic perspective (she was the minority veteran candidate) over objective reality (they both were).
151
@JE
Yes, I see often that while the facts presented by publications like this are mostly accurate, many relevant facts are excluded. As a result, readers are forming opinions based on limited information.
8
@JE
This, and other news outlets, report selectively depending on what angle is being advanced.
In that respect, they are in the same pod as Fox or Breitbart. The distinctions are of degree, not kind.
2
Absolutely correct. This is a big omission NYT and feels a bit biased. I just listened to Mr. Hurd on Thursday morning and he seems like one of the thoughtful non-dogmatic politicians I have heard in a while. But to read this it sounds like Beto snubbed a party colleague for Mitch McConnell.
4
I’m a hard-core Dem and Beto supporter living in the TX district next door to Will Hurd’s. If I lived in his district, I would have voted for Will Hurd. His intelligence background, knowledge of the border, and willingness to vote against party leadership make him one of the few Republicans worth keeping around. I respect Beto for not getting involved in the race.
239
@Katie
You're not a hard core Democrat, if you say you'd vote for a Republican, E S P E C I A L L Y in the age of Trump.
10
@Coco i tend to reflexively oppose anyone wih an R by their name in the age of trump too but if hurd actually actually takes a stand against him he may not merit quite the opprobrium most members of that party deserve.
This smacks of the “no true scotsman” fallacy.
2
@Katie Hurd is still a classic republican who believes in 'trickle down economics' and deregulation. Vote All republicans of office in 2020.
5
I supported Beto against Cruz, but will not support him for president. Experience should still matter.
99
@Robin Beto has exactly the amount of experience required for a centrist Democrat. You just speak vaguely enough to let moderates of all stripes hear something they like, then when you get into office you just cruise for 8 years without rocking the boat. Meanwhile millions die from inadequate health care and rich capitalists continue to exploit the American working class. God's in his heaven and all's right with the world.
14
@Robin
Beto served three terms in congress honorably serving his constituents, particularly veterans. Rather than grandstanding in a congress controlled by Republicans, he focused on what he could get done. He held over 100 town halls in El Paso and explained his vote on every major piece of legislation on the internet. He listens and learns. His experience may be different, but that is what makes him qualifies.
15
@Robin Which Democratic Presidential candidate has executive experience - maybe Kamala Harris. She may be the only candidate that has an experience edge over Beto. Just sayin. May be its a Harris O'Rourke ticket that will energize the electorate.
1
Beto, as one might guess about a Texas congressman, sits on the right wing, but since he fundraises like Bernie they frame him as a progressive, or some new Obama. He’s not.
Beto, we don’t want you in 2020.
27
I’m a life ling Democrat and absolutely back Beto. To say he is right wing is absurd. His positions on the issues are liberal.
1
@JM He might be useful in the debates to weed out conservative Democrats, but people like Beto and Tulsi have 0 business getting the nomination.
There is only one candidate. Warren might be a really solid VP with how knowledgeable and fierce she is with Wall St. bankers and whatnot, but clearly Bernie is the only untouchable (largely) candidate for a 2020 bash against the orange clown.
Remember, there is absolutely no proof that Trump will be removed from office by 2020 or ever. If Barr is approved, he's very likely to suppress as much about Mueller as possible. One doesn't write a 19-page application letter to the POTUS for no reason.
We need an absolute slam-dunk to run against Trump. Bernie, by all metrics, is that guy. Not to mention, he's morally, ethically, politically and personally just a better candidate than Trump could handle -- narcissistic and unapologetic as he is in debates. Which, for whatever reason, resonates with at least a third of the country.
5
@JM speak for yourself not for America. Polls show we can’t stomach a progressive Socialist candidate
“This is a place where my politics and my job and my commitment to this country come into conflict,” Mr. O’Rourke said. “I’m going to put country over party.”
Gasp! Is it possible we haven't seen real integrity in so long that we now fail to recognize it?
22
Not all Democrats support all Democrats.
A label can be very misleading. Beto is a fresh voice.
How bout worrying more about Bernie Sanders. He is not even a Democrat, yet... And I don’t and won’t support him under any condition.
Purity is not a virtue in politics - in any party. It’s a loosing proposition.
So I say go Beto. Give it a shot.
Even though I’m hoping VP Biden runs and wins the nomination. Heck, I think Biden and Beto should get together and run as a team in the Primary.
88
@Ronn Robinson Agree on Beto, but think your slam at Bernie Sanders is just as small. Those who slam him for not being a Democrat just show that policies don't matter to them as much as party. He has integrity and I'd respect your not supporting him much more if you pointed out which POLICIES you disagree with rather than "he's not a Democrat." He has a great track record and I think he has great policies.
16
@Ronn Robinson if you like Biden, consider that he is a corporate democrat and will do what his big donors tell him and not fight for regular people, but he will do it with a toothy smile. And he already has said he will cut entitlements. He is for the elite and big money, but again he is familiar and has a grand smile and makes you feel safe.
I honestly prefer people who are honest and work for the regular person and have clean slates, silly me! Oh and let us not forget which side smiling Biden took on the Anita Hill hearings. And wasn't he for the war in Iraq?
Oh and why isn't purity a virtue? I am asking as perhaps Socrates would have asked. And why do you want your country's leaders to be corrupt?
8
@Ronn Robinson
News Flash! In Vermont, you can't register to vote as a Democrat, Republican, or anything else. Look it up.
Sanders marched with Dr King. That makes him enough of a Democrat for me. He's from what Dr Dean called the "Democratic wing of the Democratic Party."
12
Sounds like Beto might be a man who could win.
10
"Activists" are going to have to choosein 2020 - ideological perfection or do you want to win. Get out amongst them as Beto did all over Texas and you realize that not every Democrat is an "urban liberal" and that what plays in the Bronx (hear me AOC) doesn't always lead to a win across the country. The right choice is what constitutes a team player.
15
People should get over their wishes for a political player, and get behind someone who can win. Beto O'Rourke is a fresh face, young and appealing like Kennedy was in the 1960's. I'd like to see him challenge Trump to a 5K race. We need a new generation who can push ahead of this quagmire.
6
@ellen luborsky The presidency is not an athletic event, and in general, experienced older candidates are potentially more knowledgeable and less foolish than inexperienced ones like Beto O'Rourke. Franklin D. Roosevelt was in a wheelchair, right? Do you think that made him unqualified to govern? It's his thought process which is relevant, and his knowledge. Fresh face is a positive way of describing someone with next to no qualifications for the job. Experience matters in governing. Foreign policy seems beyond his depth.
1
And so it begins. I have no dog in this fight, BUT, " we must all hang together, or most assuredly we will all hang separately ". Also, Beto LOST to Cruz, the second most despicable person in the USA. Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line. That's one of the major cliches in politics, and absolutely True. We Dems cannot survive another Clinton/Bernie/Stein meltdown with subsequent low turnout. We might as well concede the Presidential Office to the GOP in perpetuity. Think about THAT. If you are running on the Democratic Ticket, you endorse other Democrats. There is no such thing as neutral or independent, in this Party. No freeloaders.
19
@Phyliss Dalmatian
We must all hang together? What are you talking about? Why is the media supposed to write fluff pieces about political candidates, and when have candidates running against each other not attacked each other? This is a political race, not your local bingo parlor. There are significant differences between these candidates, and people should understand those differences.
2
Oh, please. Democrats would rather this kind of meaningless complaining than winning. O’Rourke was trying to win a deep-red Senate seat by being singular, not predictable Democrat. And while you’re churning up examples of selfish Democrats, let’s pause and recall Bernie Sanders’ critical refusal to help elect Clinton.
29
@JP As bernie said, he is not a Democrat. The self-declared socialist only borrowed the label because he thought real Democrats would choose him over the real Democrat. He is listed as an Independent in the Congressional Records.
3
@JP
Sanders help Clinton plenty. She did not help herself. She was too good to campaign in Mich, Penn, and Wisc. Not as fun as parties in Beverly Hills and the Hamptons.
11
@JP Actually, Bernie Sanders endorsed Clinton and worked hard to elect her. He gave her great advice she ignored and he stumped for her. Some of his followers didn't do the same but HE DID, saying over and over that she was the best choice in the race.
14
I'm selling the Beto Bubble
This guy has done nothing but spend 6 undistinguished years in the House of Representatives.
Oh, and he ran for senate and lost.
Great presidential resume
26
@Luciano Absolutely right! Do you mean you're bursting the Beto Bubble?
1
I've become convinced The New York Times wants to see Trump re-elected (he is good for their business!). Every piece I read about a Democratic Presidential contender is an attack.
29
@Anne
You want all fluff pieces without any balance? Are the candidates that soft? In addition, do you believe there are many independents in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania that read the NYT and think everything they read about these candidates is worse than Trump? Think about that a bit more.
3
I’d vote for Beto in a heartbeat. -Moderate Republican since 1975
8
If only more people put country above party, just imagine how much better off we’d all be. Bravo, Beto. And give it a rest with the identity politics. It’s as if what’s her name DESERVED to win because she’s gay, female and minority. Sorry! Doesn’t work that way.
18
Robert Francis ,or Frank seems more respectable because thee ruse that he's one ,of the people . Except that a globalist and socialist at heart ,which is nothing more than a capitalist like near billionaires Obama or Pelosi.The game is really how the common folks live and taking over the voter base by illegitimate immigration tactics.Look ,how can the Democrats refuse millions of voters just a quick walk from our border ,when they can hardly win an election of american citizens. Though to frame this as some humanitarian complexity is so dishonest that it doesn't meet the rotten fish smell test and they know it. When the US taxpayer votes against supporting tens of millions more ,on our back ,Mr. Beto or what ever he calls himself ,will understand.
Just chiming in regarding this specious mathematical claim about net worth. 40 million and 30 million respectively are nowhere near a billion.
A lot of the posters are missing the point here. Beto refused to offer an endorsement of a candidate whose politics were actually very MUCH like his. The issue is not that he felt another candidate was better, the issue is that despite the fact that he was standing with the candidate he knew was better, he refused to endorse her because of personal allegiances and a long term investment in the self image he began cultivating on that “road trip” photo op with Hurd. And to this day I don’t believe he eats his Whataburgers—no one who eats there that regularly has his physique. He’s a showman and another in a long line of Democrats (like Bill, Hillary and Barack) who bet their electability on their ability to be apolitical. I’m tired of that. Republicans run and win on their politics while Democrats only seem to win when they bury their politics beneath a reaganesque veneer. I’ll take Warren’s commitment to working people over O’rourke’s Route 66 selfie stick any day.
18
Are you kidding? Showmanship is ALL Trump had to offer- the man doesn't even understand politics! Yes Elizabeth Warren would make an excellent president, but at some point we have to realize that you fight fire with fire...
Bipartisan efforts didn’t work for Obama and should not be the main focus of the #2020 democratic ticket.
17
A whole article and not one mention of the fact that Beto O'Rourke has taken more contributions from the oil and gas industry than all but one other Congressman!! Also no mention of the fact that he has voted more than any other Democrat in favor of pro-Trump legislation. O'Rourke is not really a Democrat, nor is he even a Republican lite, but he is rather a Trump Republican.
21
@Timshel He took more contributions from individuals (maximum donation $2,700) who are employed by companies which Open Secrets loosely regroups under the heading 'Oil & Gas'. 325,000 Texans work in these industries. Beto, unlike Bernie, has taken no PAC money since 2013 and in fact founded with Ro Khanna the No PAC Caucus.
As for voting with Trump, Beto voted 70% with the Democratic majority. As did Sherrod Brown, renowned 'progressive'.
4
@Eilidh Ritchie
How many typical workers can afford to give $2,700 contributions? Many of them are just following company orders and giving Beto money that looks good but reeks of donor-fraud. I am sure some of them are for Beto on their own because of his support for the oil and gas industry and giving him money to make sure they stay employed. “The heck with the future, I need money now.” Understandable, but brutally cold and stupid. At this time in history we cannot afford to put into the White House just another shill for the fossil fuel profiteers who would accelerate climate change. Beto is just another politician who says some good things but then votes for the benefit of the very wealthy, like his wife and her family.
As to his voting record please do not be misled. As Twain said there are white lies, big lies then there are statistics. Turning around what you said, if accurate, means that 30% of the time Beto voted for Trump/Republican priorities. Then when you add to that, that the majority of Democrats also often vote to enrich their wealthy donors, you have just another servant of the 1%. Beto O’Rourke is just another glitzy package being sold to us by the same crowd that has brought us anti-worker candidates for many years. The reason Sanders is so deservedly trusted is because he has been consistent in what he says and how he votes for 40 years.
2
@Eilidh Ritchie Stop spreading misinformation—or educate yourself if it’s simply ignorance. Sanders funded his entire *presidential* campaign with small donations and proved that getting big money out of politics was possible. He’s now the very face of rejecting corporate PAC money, which has since become all but a requirement for serious Dem contenders. Where have you been?
3
Hmm, he seems like the least qualified of candidates
20
So party loyalty trumps personal conviction. That sounds like a Trump claim and that is enough to say to the DNC, "back-up!!" We lost in 2016 because Hillary "deserved" her chance and she didn't campaign in MI and WI because of her attitude, no thanks to DNC deservedness. Beto is real, not a myopic stooge.
6
I wish that unqualified people would leave presidential runs for realistic candidates. That includes business executives, millionaires, and egomaniacs. Beto is a nothing so far. Wait your turn.
10
Wish in one hand...
Robert O'Rourke is a lightweight.
19
I’ve got a very clever Lloyd Bentsen prebuttal ready for any Beto fan ready to proclaim him as a young Bobby Kennedy.
(Not making that up. I’ve read that comparison made)
9
No thanks. I supported his candidacy for senate and even donated to him, but this is a whole other ball game. We need a candidate we can count on and who supports DEMOCRATS. His whole thing is that he can ‘reach across the aisle’. Yeah, we’ve heard that one before lol.
13
I hope that this not another case of the Democratic Party eating one of it’s own. My gut tells me Beto would be an excellent candidate; personable, intelligent, and principled,the antithesis of Trump. Can you imagine how a younger, smarter, better looking opponent would get under the skin of our egomaniacal dear leader? Beto for ‘20, heck ya!
8
@Mr. B. “younger, smarter, better lookng” are the “qualities” you think we should prioritize in a Dem nominee? Then how about Bradley Cooper? He’s got all those qualities in spades!!
1
@Irene
I know you're being facetious suggesting Bradley Cooper but he's fluent in French which puts him in the company of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
3
Not voting Beto in the primary..just No! There are some true progressives...Beto is center right..and married to a billionaire. No thanks.
17
Check your facts. Amy O’Rourke is not by any stretch a billionaire, and her father’s fortune is also well short of that amount, according to Forbes.
Oh, come on.
We want folks to be genuine, not hue to party line or orthodoxy, and then when they are, we cry in our shirt -- that they are selfish -- or heretics -- or something in between.
Let Beto be Beto.
And let America be better because of it.
8
An undistinguished congressman live streams his failed senate bid on You Tube and becomes the front runner for the most powerful job on the planet earth
Predictably, this is what we've come to
23
@Luciano
We came to this courtesy of his sponsors: the mainstream media, the oil and gas industry and likely Trump is quietly for him for voting more than any other Democrat for pro-Trump legislation. The only surprise is that he's running as a Democrat not as a Trump Republican.
3
Please - He can’t even deliver *his home state’s* electoral votes! We saw how well that worked out with Gore and Hillary. People are smitten with this guy purely because he’s photogenic and has a catchy name. Policy-wise, there is no there there whatsoever.
20
I have absolutely 0% interest in this hot dogger. Putting his bro Will Hurd over a woman of color wasn't a question of 'country over party' it was that he and his bro wanted to take a fun field trip.
And the dental thing? Absolutely ridiculous.
He's a selfish little boy. And he needs to grow up. We don't need another little boy accidentally finding his way to the Oval.
I want Amy Klobuchar, Sen. from Minnesota, smart, capable, a former prosecutor, easy to listen to, well-respected.
Harris, Warren, Gillibrand....no! Booker, Castro, Biden......no! And definitely no to Beto.
12
@sophia Klobuchar is the anti-Trump. Has a lot less ego than some of the other Dem contenders. But because of that perhaps she lacks name recognition among voters...
2
O’ROURKE will lose against Trump
1
From what I've read, Mr. O'Rourke is a Democrat in name only, anti-progressive, anti almost everything that America needs to grow and improve. We Democrats don't need ignorant candidates who have to unlearn and newly learn the lessons that guys like Bernie Sanders and Sherrod have known since they were first aware of political issues and conflict. O'Rourke appears to be a Republican stooge in Democrat's clothes.
31
I gave money to O’Rourke in his run against Ted Cruz, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Cruz is a blight on the Senate... even Republicans hate him, and I’d be happy to have Beto replace him.
But I would never give O’Rourke a dime to run for President.
He’s too conservative and just too inexperienced.
I’ll pass.
65
@Serrated Thoughts I truly like Beto but feel the same. I gave money for the Senate race, and I like him, but he won't be my presidential candiate.
6
Good for Beto. Hurd is a reasonable person on border if nothing else.
13
“Beto-first politics,” said Jess Morales Rocketto, a Democratic operative who worked for Hillary Clinton in 2016. “He was concerned about Beto. I’m not sure he was concerned about building the future of Democratic politics.”
*****************
The Democratic National Committee certainly hasn't been concerned about building the future of the Democratic politics. The DNC has been concerned with retaining the power of its hierarchy, the voters be damned. That a Democratic operative associated with the DNC is unhappy about Beto O'Rourke refusing to kowtow to the DNC's insularity and arrogance is refreshing. That they can't simply claim that he's "not really a Democrat" as they did with Bernie Sanders is their problem.
55
@Vanessa Hall: Bernie isn't, and never has been, a Democrat.
3
@Vanessa Hall. Has there even been a more narcissistic, self-serving democratic couple than the Clintons? And I say this as a lifelong democrat who voted for them many times.
15
@jas2200 Which is precisely why many support him. But go ahead and obsess over labels instead of actual policies that actually affect people.
1
Beto seems to put friendship over party lines, and I to admire his stance here, but I wish he had supported Ms. Jones. I like Beto and voted for him in November, and I do think he is a contender for the 2020 presidential democratic nomination, but I won't be voting for him in the primary if he decides to run. Julian Castro will have my vote at this point. He is from my home town, I work in the neighborhood he grew up in, and we share many social liberal values.
18
We like Beto, supported him, voted for him, and wish he hadn't supported Hurd - but loyalty to friendship is an o.k. value.
Wish it hadn't intervened in the huge, important district Hurd represents, and Beto funneling funds to Ms. Jones, along with other down-ballot Texas Dems would have certainly helped in a season where our Dem gubernatorial candidate didn't have long coat-tails.
4
@R. Law: Beto did not support Hurd; he stayed neutral. In addition, Beto did give funds to the Texas Democratic Party.
6
@Thomas - Thanks for commenting, but by not openly supporting Ms. Jones, Beto tacitly supported Hurd in the eyes of many Dems and many Texas voters; perhaps more than the number of voters by which Ms. Jones lost.
Funds which Beto gave to the Texas Dem Party were good, but as a % of the $38 million he raised, could certainly have been higher, and likely have been of greater use than Beto's surfeit of TeeVee ads.
As a native Texan, and having grown up in the district Hurd represents, we'll note it has swapped back and forth between parties several times, and since Beto's from west Texas, too, we support his El Paso way of doing things - especially loyalty, as we mentioned.
But watching Hurd vote against Pelosi and with GOP'ers in D.C., maybe Beto will take the lesson that things are serious enough that Dems must fight tribalism with tribalism - Dems don't have the luxury of bringing bean bags to a knife fight with Koch Bros. Inc., Clear & Present Danger 45*, Mini-Me McConnell, and his sidekick Cornyn.
Our opinion; your mileage may vary.
7
I have plenty of differences with O’Rourke, but this article did nothing but increase my respect for him and decrease my respect for his critics within his own party.
We should want politicians who place the well being of the nation before the well being of their party. The party is a means to a higher end. It can be a useful means, but when it becomes an end in itself – when loyalty to the Democratic Party or the GOP come before loyalty to the best interest of the nation – it becomes a corrosive and destructive organization.
Bravo to politicians like Mr. O’Rourke who don’t see party membership as a blank check for unchecked loyalty. Bravo to politicians like Mr. Kasich, who will criticize the top of his own party loudly and consistently when it does wrong. Shame on the much larger group of both politicians and citizens who put party first.
270
Let's give it some time, Mike R. Mr. O'Rourke seems to have come out of nowhere. I have read that BIG oil supports him.
Please, Good People, do not be fooled by these "surprise" candidates who pop up and are touted as "saviors".
Corruption has no political or gender affiliation. Find out where the money is coming from before you vote for any of them.
That said, I do not want another President from Texas, Florida or the south. They seem to love BIG money and scorn democracy.
6
@Mike R I respectfully disagree, mostly because I read nothing in this article that gives a good solid reason for why the "wellbeing of the nation" meant his being neutral in this specific race. Many Democrats have managed to have cordial, friendly, even intimate relationships with Republicans while opposing them politically. See: Biden & McCain; WJ Clinton & GHW Bush. The road trip could have still happened.
Without further information from either the reporter or the O'Rourke camp, this narrative calls into question not his patriotism, but his underlying political judgment and maturity.
Frankly, the teeth cleaning video wasn't smart either. At least, good God, I hope it wasn't, because if that's the level of overreaching intimacy voters now expect from politicians I'm more than a little worried that our country is in irreversible decline. What next, a sex tape?
8
@Mike R
I wonder how many people are supporting Beto because they do not know what his record is and do not care. Nothing like a little dos of facts to disturb one. Beto O'Rourke has taken more contributions from the oil and gas industry than all but one other Congressman!! He has also voted more than any other Democrat in favor of pro-Trump legislation. O'Rourke is not really a Democrat, nor is he even a Republican lite, but he is rather a Trump Republican.
4
We need fewer ‘team players’ and more people who are willing to put the interests of the country first. Ideology and loyalty to the party should take a backseat to sensible solutions to the problems we face.
164
More pie-in-the-sky idealism (which may be the death knell of modern liberalism.) Democratic policies all HELP people as opposed to Republican ones; ergo we need a fighter on our side, not some whimsical, feel-good crusader.
11
@Matt Williams
Uh please reconsider that false dichotomy.
Given two years of the republican house senate Supreme Court and president actions, democrats can easily put country first and Americans first. Those who do not have their own agendas that do not put country first. Agendas that cannot win without cheating.
9
Has anyone looked at Beto's voting record? I've read that he isn't much of a Democrat and voted in support of a lot of Republican positions on important issues.
37
Maybe he thinks before blindly voting the party line. We could use more of that rather than lockstep voting.
14
@bse After Bernie's spokesman David Sirota misinterpreted Beto's voting history, Jonathan Allen of NBC went through his voting history. Beto voted 70% with the Democrats. As did Sherrod Brown. Allen even found several votes where Beto voted to the left of the Democratic majority.
1
More accurately, Beto voted to please his constituents and ro protect their interests. They responded by reelecting him. Democrats in red states must make many compromises that might seem incomprehensible to Democrats in safe blue seats. It's always more advantageous to have a Dem in the seat, as it counts toward the majority. Democrats aren't all the same because
their districts aren't all the same.n
1
He has now joined my list with Joe Biden, which means he would get my vote if no one else is running.
27
Bummer but we should be paying attention to what Beto has been doing. The guy almost took a deep red state and did it by visiting everyone. He has to maintain a separation from party line politics to get the dems back and make centrist voters appreciate dems again. Trump is helping by being really bad but there is still a huge ideological divide and many centrist voters to consider. And when you look at things purely as ideology what Americans like, Common Sense; and not politics, you tap into what people really want. Politicians who visit them, listen to their ideas, talk about their own ideas and vote accordingly. Beto is doing that.
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Sounds like Beto has the Obama problem. He dreams of grand
bipartisan deals. It took Obama most of three years to get over
this and to fully realize the McConnell and House Republicans wanted Obama to fail at everything he tried.
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@Michael Sanford. Completely untrue. Obama pushed down huge healthcare costs against the wishes of most business owners, while the country was still in deep recession, because in his words, "we won".
I personally favor nationalized healthcare, but Obama's timing delayed jobs recover by years. And it certainly served to make both parties more intransigent.
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Call me a stickler but I am completely at a loss as to how Beto O'Rourkes' life and/or "career" makes him qualified for a 2020 Presidential run. If the Presidency was a corporate executive job interview, he certainly wouldn't make the cut of candidates that even got an interview. Are our standards for the Presidency so low that congeniality is now the qualifier? His career and life in general have been very unimpressive. He seems like a solid, well meaning but decidedly mediocre man.
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If the model for how we think about a candidacy is that of a corporate or executive interview, then the public failed to even do its due diligence in 2016. Would you underwrite Trump as a model executive knowing what the public knew even then? He was manifestly unfit from day one.
Voters in the United States need to be more imaginative when it comes to thinking about the processes we use to vet and select candidates. Politics and government are activities that cannot be reduced to corporate business practices. This is not to say that being an effective manager is a neither a desirable nor useful quality to have in a President. There is far more at stake.
Otherwise we are begging to be swindled by suboptimal candidates who approach politics and governing in a way that is not democratic in the least. Congress would be seen as a board of directors beholden to their monied funders and the Federal Courts a regulatory body that uses the Federalist Society or Heritage Action as their recruitment agencies. See how quickly the people are squeezed out? No thank you, this is not paradigm I want for thinking about a government of, by, and for the people.
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@Edward As a former Texan retired to Hawai'i, I donated (twice) to Beto's campaign. I felt, and still feel, that Cruz is no better than Trump. But I'm not at all convinced that Beto's ready for the White House. He has barely earned his Cub Scout badge.
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@Edward
The Republicans don't shy away from nominating candidates who are totally unqualified but who win because they appeal to the Evangelicals and their ilk. Trump? Bush II, who's only experience was being governor of Texas, a practically titular job.
Beto is at least as qualified as either of those clowns, and if you believe, as I do, that heart counts, than he might be the best presidential candidate sine JFK, or at least Carter.
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Blue Dog Democrats are a group whose purpose is to reduce the party’s reliance on unions, urban voters, left-leaning theorists while establishing an alliance with Wall Street, corporations and “Reagan Democrat” cultural conservatives.
O'Rourke looks pretty blue to me...
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Beto O'Rourke's moderate politics are why I voted for him in Austin. If he doesn't play identity politics, and he doesn't automatically do whatever the Democratic Party leadership tells him to like a good foot soldier, those are great reasons to vote for him, in my book.
In fact, your article just advanced him to head of the pack in a pack that otherwise doesn't contain anyone who is very appealing at all.
I do wish he'd get over the spoiled middle class lifestyle that the media were making fun of him for yesterday. It came across that he actually has no idea he's acting spoiled and middle class, and leads one to question his judgement. I like humility, but, for instance, selfies at the dentist? Come on!
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@Dora Smith
You do remember that "moderate politics" lost the last time around?
Amazing, the number of Democrats who yearn to repeat the Hillary Clinton disaster.
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@jrd Is "moderate politics" a euphemism for the absence of political ideas? The problem with centrists and classical Liberals is that they don't actually have ideas of their own. They just try not to anger people on either side, all the while helping to prop up the status quo with all its many failings.
Call me when Beto actually figures out what he's for.
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@Dora Smith "I like humility, but, for instance, selfies at the dentist? Come on!"
Taking those selfies convinced a lot of voters that he was in tune with them and the times. He was having fun. He was attracting younger voters. He want to win. Texas need him to win.
Come on yourself. Good grief. If anyone needs to get over themselves it voters like you.
And just exactly what defines "spoiled middle class'?
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Terribly sad that any hint of bipartisanship is death for an up-and coming leader in today's America.
Biden, Kasich, Klobuchar and their like have no chance against the Trumps and Bernies. Political orthodoxy is what each side wants.
That is quite obviously tragic for our country.
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@YW I agree. The DNC needs to stop being a good-old-boys club and more willing to accept new blood, new, creative, modern, progressive ideas. But any candidate needs experience. Beto is still too much of a puppy in the dog kennel.
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@YW. You make an excellent, if profoundly depressing, point.
It will be hotly debated for months, but I personally believe a moderate who can attract independents and disillusioned Republicans is more likely to win the Presidency than a liberal who will excite the base.
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@YW
"Bipartisanship" is usually code for doing the will of the 1%.
Bernie has more support among working class Republicans and independents than any of these Wall Street Democrats.
He also has an impressive legislative record of forming bipartisan coalitions in support of progressive amendments to legislation that made him known as the "King of Amendments."
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/mar/24/bernie-s/bernie-sanders-was-roll-call-amendment-king-1995-2/
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The reason O'Rourke will have the best odds of any Democratic presidential candidate to defeat Trump in 2020 is simple: Finally a national figure who recognizes that winning will require Republican, Independent and Democratic voters - not just Democratic ones.
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@Glenn Not just democrats? They tried that in 2016:
Quoting Chuck Schumer “For every blue-collar Democrat we lose in western Pennsylvania, we will pick up two moderate Republicans in the suburbs in Philadelphia, and you can repeat that in Ohio and Illinois and Wisconsin.”
That strategy got us Trump.
As Harry Truman noted, when a republican runs against a democrat who acts like a republican, the real republican will win.
Only if democrats have the guts and the brains to return to being real democrats, will they have a shot in 2020. They may even win back the thousands who demexited.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
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I am a supporter of Beto who wishes he had endorsed Ortiz Jones. However, the article makes it sound like he endorsed Hurd, which is not the case; he remained neutral. Furthermore, it is true that it would have hurt Beto's argument that he was bipartisan if he went back on an earlier pledge not to support Hurd's opponent. In that event, there is no way to know how that might have affected Beto's overall support, which in turn had an effect on how many came out to vote in each district.
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I understand the appeal to party unity but an endorsement would have cast doubt on his integrity, and for good reason. Neutrality was the right choice and I applaud him for it.
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