Beto O'Rourke Getting Some Early 2020 Presidential buzz (voting, Democrats, liberal)
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Michelle Obama is winning on her book tour right now. She is great. But haters will hate.
I like O'Rourke. Of course, Trump supporter will bash anyone that is Democratic or against Trump. They aren't credible critics.
Obama’s stated mission has been to build a new generation of Democratic leaders, and two weeks ago he said that O’Rourke, who is 46, reminded him of himself. The three-term congressman, he said, was one of the rare politicians who can connect with a wide swath of the electorate in an increasingly siloed country.
“The reason I was able to make a connection with a sizable portion of the country was because people had a sense that I said what I meant,” Obama said in an interview for “The Axe Files,” a podcast hosted by his former top strategist David Axelrod. “What I oftentimes am looking for first and foremost is, do you seem to mean it? Are you in this thing because you have a strong set of convictions that you are willing to risk things for?”
“What I liked most about his race was that it didn’t feel constantly poll-tested,” Obama added of O’Rourke. “It felt as if he based his statements and his positions on what he believed. And that, you’d like to think, is normally how things work. Sadly it’s not.”
First, O’Rourke comes from red Texas not blue Illinois. As he showed in his hard-fought Senate race against Ted Cruz, he can speak both to the left and to disaffected Republicans. He is clearly progressive, but can talk in a way that does not frighten voters who are more moderate. He can tout his legislative record in promoting health care for veterans — but also vigorously oppose President Trump’s family-separation policy. He supports immigration reform but has avoided silly positions such as abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He is at ease talking about values — as he did when he defended the rights of NFL players to protest (“I can think of nothing more American than to peacefully stand up, or take a knee, for your rights, anytime, anywhere, in any place”). While he is a strong advocate of restrictions on semiautomatic weapons, he can also say with conviction “we have this great proud honorable heritage and proud tradition of gun ownership in Texas.”
Second, he’s young (46 years old) but has been in state and local government since 2005. He certainly seems like a newcomer because he was unknown to most Americans before 2018 (and, hence, hasn’t worn out his welcome or made well-publicized missteps). However, he can handle himself like a far more experienced pol and has proved to be a mega-fundraiser.
In a field that could include 69-year-old Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), 77-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former vice president Joe Biden (76), Michael R. Bloomberg (76) and 66-year-old Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio (who seems older than he is), O' Rourke will stand out. (At 6 feet, 4 inches, O’Rourke would be taller than most every other candidate as well, which does not hurt.) https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...=.b93b7e15d01a
Better choice than some others but it will be hard to see how a white man can survive a Dem primary these days
No, a white guy can definitely win the primary in today's Democratic Party. Hell, really there's only been two times a white man didn't....
However, given the overly-PC culture of liberals today, I think there would be an outcry, however unreasonable it may be, if Democrats ran two white men. I do think that is political reality.
No, a white guy can definitely win the primary in today's Democratic Party. Hell, really there's only been two times a white man didn't....
However, given the overly-PC culture of liberals today, I think there would be an outcry, however unreasonable it may be, if Democrats ran two white men. I do think that is political reality.
Yup. The same reality for the Repubs too.
I still remember seeing the yard signs that popped up late in the 2008 election. They had Sarah Palin's name above John McCain's.
Now if a semi-dumb and completely clueless Republican woman can generate that much support and favorability despite her faults, it makes me wonder how many supporters a smart and attractive Repub woman could get leading the ticket.
Palin wasn't the average conservative female, and she wasn't the exception either. The GOP must reach out to all the female voters eventually if it hopes to survive as a party. The Democratic party may have led the way, but they sure don't control the female vote, and probably never will.
Last edited by banjomike; 12-07-2018 at 11:48 AM..
I told you he'd lose Texas and he did. Just like I told you that Bill Clinton's wife would lose, and she did. I do enjoy schooling you on politics.
But he almost won in Texas. He could have if it wasn't for the heavily energized white evangelical vote in response to the Kavannaugh debacle.
Beto could easily win the Rust Belt and might have a chance at purple states Obama won like Florida and North Carolina. Texas might actually be competitive as well. So what if the state still goes to Trump, if the GOP has to spend money there to defend it, that already isn't good.
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