Beto O’Rourke just posted an account of a morning jog in DC — finale below, whole post at Medium here:
I walked down the steps [of the Lincoln Memorial], too slick to run down.
Saw the mounted policemen again. Picked up my run as I headed due East, now on the south side of the reflecting pool. Snow in my face, the flakes smaller, more biting now, maybe sleet. It had changed. My knee no longer hurt, maybe it just needed to fully warm up. Ran next to and eventually past a man who stopped from time to time to defrost his shoes on the grates and manhole covers, warmed by the subway tunnels underneath.
The sleet stinging my face, I wondered if the winds had changed too.
He’s definitely running around DC, but is Beto running for president in 2020? Some might say a former congressman who came up short in a US Senate race doesn’t have a shot. But the current president is a crude, corrupt, grifty reality TV asshole, so I’m not sure the old rules apply. O’Rourke has Obama-level charisma, seems thoroughly decent and is young and handsome. What say you?
The Deadline That Wasn’t
01jack
I’m all for him running. Indeed, the rules have changed – might as well take the advantage.
(Edit for spelling)
MrSnrub
I say he has a shot. Too soon to say more than that.
Turgidson
Seems like a no brainer VP short lister for any possible Dem nominee. Or cabinet appointee to build his resume for future campaigns. Doubt he goes straight from losing a senate race to presidential contender however.
Corner Stone
He’s running.
Mnemosyne
I think he’ll be a great VP candidate for someone with a little more experience, and I like that he’s already putting himself out there.
Now I’m wondering how often presidential candidates pick their VPs from among their party mates who also ran for the nomination. Obama and Biden, obviously, but also Reagan and Bush I. Who else? ?
Corner Stone
@Turgidson:
Depends. Can he do a marathon in under 2 hours? And is he a wonk’s wonk?
TaMara (HFG)
This brightened my day:
Offal
As a baby boomer, I want the Dems to nominate younger candidates. Beto seems to have a great work ethic, and his Senate campaign seemed to be really well run.
(((CassandraLeo)))
If he came within 3% in Texas, a state where Democrats haven’t come close to winning statewide races in a generation, that actually suggests he could be quite a strong national candidate. However, there’s a question of whether his campaign model can be reproduced nationwide. Part of his success rested upon visiting all 200-something (?) counties in Texas repeatedly, including places Dems haven’t campaigned in years. Even taking the gigantic size of Texas into account, I don’t see how that can be scaled upwards. His political career certainly isn’t over, in any case, and I’m definitely not opposed to him running.
TaMara (HFG)
@Mnemosyne: I’m holding out for a woman candidate – we have plenty who are qualified and agree Beto would make a great VP.
ruemara
I’d say it behooves Dems to not keep going CHARISMA CHARISMA and chase every new face like the media does while remembering to support and encourage people who ran decent races in purple & red states so they can run again. I’m getting more than a little sick of white man savior syndrome. This is what it feels like about Beto. As far as experience, I don’t think Obama had massive levels of experience, but I am certain he had the intellectual heft for the job. I think Beto does too. But I am wary & weary of our little fanboy & girl problem in politics. Talk to me in late 2019, once I see where liberal & progressive engagement is, before you tell me about anyone in 2020.
@TaMara (HFG): That’s perfect.
catclub
I would like to mention Brexit is blowing up at the moment. My question: Why is Scotland apparently staying quiet about it?
Didn’t almost 60% of the Scots vote against Leave?
Maybe they know that the DUP will kill any Tory led Brexit.
Brachiator
Right now, he doesn’t have a shot. Not for prez. Not for VP. He’s got that loser ‘taint on him.
Kraux Pas
Well, he’s an elected Rep so he already has way more governing experience that Trump (should I even count Trump’s almost 2 years as president? Nah.). He’s not on the top of my list right now, but I could see him being a strong contender if nominated.
tobie
Good post, as always, Betty Cracker, but I must object to the false advertising. I looked at that picture of Beto running and for a brief moment imagined it was sunny, dry, and warm in DC. Then I looked out my Maryland window at the snow and sleet and realized the picture must come from Texas. Bummer.
Nodaker
I guess I understand the skepticism.
It would be unprecedented to see a short tenured congressman who loses a close, high profile race for the Senate go on to win the Presidency just a couple short years later…
Oh. Wait.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln?wprov=sfti1
OzarkHillbilly
What was the closest Obama ever came to winning Texas? Pretty sure Beto beat Obama’s best mark there, and Obama won 2 elections for President.
Mnemosyne
@TaMara (HFG):
Harris/O’Rourke 2020? ?
Emma
@ruemara: Come sit by me. He’s a more-than-decent possibility, but that’s all for now.
The Moar You Know
It’s happened before: House to Oval Office. Not often but it has.
At the moment I see no better contenders. He has some momentum. He is smart as a whip. He is a formidable fundraiser. People like him. A lot. He gets social media far better than most. He is good looking, that shit matters. Ask Obama. And he works like a mule.
Get his ass in the ring and find a few others in the next three months, and get them in there too and start working them. It’s already time. Trump’s got two years on us.
(((CassandraLeo)))
@Kraux Pas: Can’t qualify what Trump does as governing or leading, for starters. Angela Merkel is the leader of the free world now.
petesh
No. That’s what I say.
Someone seems to have kneecapped Avenetti, about which I have mixed feelings (I do NOT want him to run, but I also do not want him to be slimes), but if the Democrats were to ditch Pelosi and run O’Rourke (neither of which I think will happen) then they are bigger idiots than I thought.
AndyG
I would go for a Klobuchar – O’Rourke ticket, but what I would really like him to do is to stay here in TX and keep organizing, driving registration and helping turn TX from red-purple-blue.
catclub
and what about this:
U.S. Sanctions Saudis, Alleging Involvement in Khashoggi Murder
The U.S. announced sanctions against 17 Saudi officials over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
I bet those 17 are the sacrificial lambs to whitewash MBS’s involvement. I wonder if they will be executed (the prince’s real whipping boys)
or quietly released after a while.
The Moar You Know
@catclub: Um, they are not. Scottish parliament released statement today saying it’s dead. I think May does not last out next week. She’s toast.
Cermet
And O’Malley isn’t exactly someone to overlook in any aspect. He was a successful two term governor and ran for president against Hillary before being prematurely closed out.
WaterGirl
I love you Betty, but that headline is cruel. I thought Beto had announced for President 2020.
Betty Cracker
@ruemara: I can’t think of a Democrat who’s won in the TV era who didn’t have loads of charisma — unless there was a special circumstance (LBJ ascending due to JFK’s assassination, Carter winning in the wake of Ford pardoning Nixon). It kinda bugs me too, this insistence on charisma, but it really does seem to be pretty important.
Mnemosyne
@ruemara:
I’ve noticed that while online “progressives” are screeching about evil corporatist conservative Nancy Pelosi, the actual Congressional Progressive Caucus in the House seems happy to vote for her and has no intention of trying to run their own candidate.
Of course, most of the Twitter “progressives” claiming they want Rep. Barbara Lee over Pelosi seem to be Russian ‘bots anyway.
TaMara (HFG)
@Mnemosyne: That is on my Christmas list, for sure.
WaterGirl
@Mnemosyne: How is Beto putting himself out there?
Facebones
I’m totally fine with him running! As has been proven in our current idiotic president-electing system, charisma and media savvy play outsized roles and are valued more than actual policy positions by the media. May as well take advantage.
Betty Cracker
@petesh:
Wait, what?
Kraux Pas
@petesh:
Haven’t all the names put forward for Pelosi replacements been more conservative Ds? If the lefter elements in Congress were looking to replace her, I think they would have put a name forward by now.
Still, I’m gonna call my Rep to express support for Pelosi today, just in case.
catclub
@petesh: but if the Democrats were to ditch Pelosi
I still want the House to select Hillary as Speaker. a) Younger than Pelosi b) drive the GOP even more bug-fuck crazy.
I do remember that having the Speaker not be a member was considered for the GOP.
Mnemosyne
@Cermet:
O’Malley bellyflopped in 2016 on his own merits, and the actual Democratic Party base of African-Americans has strong reservations about his record as the mayor of Baltimore. He’s a non-starter.
Corner Stone
@catclub:
They are going to kill all of them, eventually. I read somewhere SA has charged 5 as of now and are looking at the death sentence.
eclare
@The Moar You Know: Agree with your comments. Yep, time for everyone who is thinking about 2020 to get their asses in the ring. PBO announced in February 2007.
Tom Levenson
Beto v. Coryn in 2020 would be my preference.
I see him as a possible VP candidate — but I expect Klochubar/Gillebrand/and/or maybe Harris to be the nominee.
Corner Stone
@Cermet:
Since we’re talking about charisma, O’Malley is a charisma sinkhole.
catclub
@The Moar You Know: Thanks! I am expressing the moderately ( but not well) informed yank sector.
Barbara
@catclub: Scotland is not staying quiet. I saw this at the Guardian:
First, “This is from Carwyn Jones, the Welsh first minister. He and Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, have written a joint letter to Theresa May demanding more involvement for the devolved administrations in the Brexit process.”
Second:
WaterGirl
@ruemara: You should give Beto more of a chance, rue. He is the real deal. He worked his ass off every single day for 22 months. Beto is one white male who his not coasting on privilege.
I predict a big place in history for Beto.
trollhattan
California’s 2020 primary is March 3. Come west, young man and claim the prize to pole-vault to the front.
Think we can all agree Iowa caucuses need to be put out to pasture. Also, too, NH primary.
Mnemosyne
@WaterGirl:
Keeping himself in the public eye.
Actually, what would be really awesome would be if Let America Vote would hire him to step into Jason Kander’s spot while Kander gets his PTSD treatment. That’s just me making up cool fantasy politics stuff on the Internet, though.
@Betty Cracker:
Nancy Pelosi said in a press conference this morning that she has the votes to become Speaker. Everything else is sound and fury at this point.
WaterGirl
@Brachiator: I think you’re wrong about that.
Kraux Pas
@trollhattan:
I do like that these states have smaller populations and put value on direct engagement from candidates. It gives candidates with less resources a chance to build a name for themselves and get in the running.
That said, there must be a way we can switch it up. There must be states fitting this description whose demographics are…more in line with the rest of the US.
catclub
@Corner Stone: I also read that 5 are charged. I also read the present story of the crime is a lethal
sedative injection. (Not sure if that was before or after the fight in which I think they said he suffocated.) It is of course SOP to bring a bone saw and sawyer to an injection party.
I suspect they will be quietly released after a while.
Betty Cracker
@Mnemosyne: Has anyone even floated the idea of making Beto speaker? I haven’t heard about it. That’s why I was baffled by the comment.
ruemara
@Betty Cracker: Online “prog” bot hogwash.
@WaterGirl: Oh, I am. That’s why I feel we’re flapping gums for exercise’s sake. Let the man have some time to prove he’s got what it takes.
@Corner Stone: I’m sure they knew that if it wasn’t an entirely clean killing, their necks were forfeit.
khead
@Cermet:
No, it’s perfectly ok to overlook O’Nochance.
Re: Beto
Run, Forrest, run!
Brachiator
@WaterGirl:
I was recently in Texas to visit family. We didn’t talk much about politics, but nobody cared much about Beto, even though they had voted for him. He was a nice guy, he had his shot and blew it. Maybe he’s got a future. But Prez or VP? I’m not seeing it right now. Things may change down the road, but still.
WaterGirl
@Mnemosyne: I think he has been laying low. Beto made two statements on his twitter account re: veterans day and that’s it since he wrote his “thank you” after he lost. This is the first public thing I’ve seen from him.
MattF
Well, too many candidates is a bad thing. But otherwise, why not?
WaterGirl
@Brachiator: Look at Beto’s twitter feed and look at all the photos of people all over Texas who did more than just vote for him; they believed in him and they still do.
At this point, there’s obviously no way to prove something that will or will not happen in the future. But think you’re dead wrong on this and I’m laying down my maker on this now. See you in a few months.
Betty Cracker
@Brachiator: Since their opinions are apparently dispositive, could you ask your family in Texas whom the Dems should nominate in 2020 so we can dispense with this expensive and interminable primary nonsense? ?
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Brachiator:
I wouldn’t say he “blew” it. It was probably never going to happen anyway
EthylEster
@TaMara (HFG): I’m holding out for a woman candidate
and will she be as attractive as “handsome” Beto?
Betty Cracker, WTF?
Roger Moore
@Kraux Pas:
The demographic argument is only part of it. Having the same states lead off the nominating process every time means the party leaders in those states can become kingmakers. It distorts the whole national political picture by giving those states outsized power compared to other, otherwise similar states.
trollhattan
@Kraux Pas:
I want to fire the state of Iowa. As long as they keep sending us Grassley and King they cannot be trusted with the out-of-proportion influence they have on the primaries. If they regain their sanity we can talk.
geg6
So far, I haven’t been much impressed with the female contingent of possible Dems running, so I’m open to almost anyone who’s politics are within my wheelhouse and who haven’t turned me off so massively that I can’t bear the thought of even seeing their names on a ballot (this would, so far, include Bernie and Gillibrand). I like the idea of Harris, but she hasn’t done anything to make me want to vote for her and, being a Dem from California, she hasn’t ever really been tested in a tough race. Klobuchar is vanilla ice cream. Nice and all, but not even as electric a speaker as Hillary. Elizabeth Warren is too one note for me. If someone can find another woman with the right political and personal qualifications, I’m probably going to go for her.
But I could just as easily vote for Beto. I think he’s great and one of those political superstars that burst onto the screen from the first minute he pops up. I think, more than almost anyone being talked about, he would really confuse and infuriate Trump. If not president, then definitely vice president.
Mart
Beto is sporting New Balance running shoes. New Balance CEO gave Trump $400,000. New Balance shoes are favored by MAGAts as they do not run any ads featuring that flag & military hating Kaepernick the kneeler, like the liberal Nike does.
The shoes obliviously demonstrate that Beto has been put in place by Trump. (I did not trust Obama when he first announced, too far right for me. But I came around as he ran in Asics.)
Omnes Omnibus
Is this blog now completely populated by morons? Beto has a decent chance if he runs in 2020. Blew it, my ass.
ruemara
Ok, for those who think Beto “blew” it. i don’t think he did. I think, based on the fuckery with auto voting and the good old red state tradition of fuckery, it might have been closer if it was a full loss at all. I think Beto did a good job, he engaged white voters – who I think we can all acknowledge are the real MVProblems – and converted moderate voters & republicans. I just don’t see him entirely as a candidate for 2020 because I think we have a much bigger immediate issue on our hands. Keep new voters and canvassers engaged, aware and ready for 2019. This feels too much like a national problem of unresolved daddy issues and since I have shitty parents, I speak with experience. I don’t want charisma, good looks or excitement. I want practical efforts, savvy and a fast thinker. I know that puts me in the minority but what’s new? I feel Beto has a shot at winning the next contest. He will have a better shot with a Democratic House & Senate that has a laser-like focus on destroying the anti-democratic machinery Republicans have installed in multiple states and in our courts. He’s not a loser, he’s a good candidate for Texas and he gained a lot of respect nationwide among POC for his frank and clear answers on minority rights. But it’s just not a discussion I feel is worth the effort for right now, no disrespect intended towards Beto.
Kraux Pas
@Roger Moore:
But, guys, I really do think we need those corn subsidies…
They are sending a 3/4 D delegation to the house this year. Also, too, Obama won there in the caucuses and both general elections.
Mary G
I love Beto and hope he spends the next two years going all over the country to be swooned over and raise beaucoup bucks for Democratic causes and campaigns, particularly voter registration, helping people in red states jump through the hoops to get IDs, and other reforms. I have no idea whether or not he could be a good candidate for 2020. He has as much right to throw his hat into the ring as everyone else. Let the voters decide. I prefer Kamala Harris, because I want to thumb our noses at this acceptance of misogyny that Avenatti prescribed. The only person I want barred from the Democratic primary is Wilmer. You should have to be a real full-time Democrat to run for the Democratic nomination.
different-church-lady
I say… I DON’T GIVE A SHIT WHO’S RUNNING FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER SIX MONTHS. MAKE IT STOP, GOD ALMIGHTY JUST MAKE THE STUPID FUCKING ELECTION CHAIN-PORN STOP!!!
Platonailedit
@Brachiator:
Didn’t st raygun run twice in the primaries no less before he won? It’s nonsense to claim that one becomes a permanent loser just by losing one election
schrodingers_cat
I like Beto, I also like Kamala Harris. I would be happy with a Kamala/Beto or Beto/Kamala ticket. But I will think about 2020 seriously in the New Year.
@ruemara: What she said.
Omnes Omnibus
@different-church-lady: Why don’t post it on FaceBook?
khead
@Omnes Omnibus:
I have a decent chance in 2020 right now. Probably couldn’t defeat Baud in the BJ primary, but I’m guessing you’ll get my point.
bobbo
Everyone should run. Let the primary voters decide
geg6
@Mary G:
Yep. Fuck that disgusting old fuck. I so despise him and I won’t give a penny to the party if he’s allowed to run on our backs.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Omnes Omnibus:
How you feeling today Omnes?
FlipYrWhig
@Betty Cracker:
So JFK, Clinton, Obama, or a special circumstance. I’m not sure that’s that revealing. And why can Republicans win with un-charismatic people like Nixon and George H.W. Bush and very nearly Ford?
Ya know, I’ve always been lukewarm on Bill Clinton’s “charisma.” I find him more earnest than charismatic.
But if we’re going all in on attractiveness let’s do O’Rourke/Sinema. Um, excuse me, I’ll be in my bunk.
The Moar You Know
@Omnes Omnibus: Getting there.
Omnes Omnibus
@khead: If you can’t defeat Baud, You don’t have a decent chance. Don’t kid yourself.
geg6
I see a lot of Kamala Harris love here. Can someone please tell me what she has done to deserve all this love? She certainly wasn’t very impressive during the Kavanaugh hearing. So I’m pretty puzzled. I mean, I’m open to her if I can find something convincing, but no one has given me anything.
Kraux Pas
@Platonailedit:
St. Raygun is a Republican, though. Republicans comport themselves as winners no matter what and, thus, are immune to loser stink.
Democrats, however, have an inherent loser stink due to the original sin of being eggheaded poindexters and not accepting a baptism ritual at the church of St. Raygun.
trollhattan
@ruemara:
He peaked too far before the election and I don’t know how one controls that. Rafael had to scramble to catch up and I doubt we know 10% of the Republican shenanigans committed to make that happen. Did Beto catch Texas and virtually the entire nation by surprise? He did. Can he appeal to the nation at large? My money’s on yes.
Also, too, Cornyn’s seat is up in 2020.
Keith P.
The guy can raise money like there’s no tomorrow, and he has people talking about him, so yeah, he’ll probably run (the ticket floating around in my head is Harris-O’Rourke, but cable news seems to want Gillibrand more than Harris). Almost beating Ted Cruz in Texas is pretty impressive, even coming up short.
Omnes Omnibus
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: Angry. Why do you ask? Been that way since November of 2016.
trollhattan
@Kraux Pas:
It took Hillary two goes to get the nomination, so it’s not just a Republican thang.
Mnemosyne
@Betty Cracker:
I don’t think so. Sounds like more political fantasy football.
geg6
Well, you’ve just given me another reason she’s on my “never will I vote for her” list.
The Moar You Know
@different-church-lady: I understand the reaction but six months is far too late. If anyone is going to be running for president, they need their organization, management and first round of funding in place by January. Trump put his in place the day after he won – not sworn in, but won. That’s one of the very few things he’s done that is smart and by the book. I’ll be he personally had nothing to do with it.
FlipYrWhig
@Mnemosyne:
Kerry/Edwards ’04, right?
Betty Cracker
@EthylEster: It’s unrealistic to pretend that good looks aren’t a political asset, and the same goes for charisma. I’d prefer a serious race focusing entirely on detailed debates about policy, but that’s not the world we live in.
Kraux Pas
@trollhattan:
I wonder if Beto is going to try for this seat. I’d like to see him become a Senator, though I worry that Cornyn is somewhat less inherently unappealing than Ted Cruz.
Also, too, Trump will most likely be on the ballot in 2020. I wonder how that will affect things.
Roger Moore
@Mary G:
Also, too, you should have to provide your most recent 7 years of tax returns. If you’re married filing separately, you should have to provide your spouse’s, too. And that should be the full return, not just the 1040. I refuse to trust any candidate who isn’t willing to be that level of open with me.
schrodingers_cat
@FlipYrWhig: Also, Gore and Holy Joe, and Clinton and Gore.
OzarkHillbilly
@Brachiator:
When he got in he had no chance. The TX DEM party was in a shambles and all but non-existent. Now, in his wake there are quite a few more elected DEMs and an infrastructure they can build on. He went from zero chance to almost 50/50. If that’s “blowing it” in deep red Texas, we need more DEMs like him, especially here in Misery.
As to who I would like to see? I have no idea. I think I’ll do like I’ve always done, wait and see who decides they want it and then see how their campaigns shake out. I know, I’m old fashioned that way.
The Moar You Know
@geg6: You got me. She was competent in CA as AG but nothing more than that. She has – and this is a big deal – never had to fight a seriously contested race. Would I vote for her in a general? Hell yes. Primary? Probably not.
ETA: also someone upthread, maybe you, mentioned Kavanaugh hearings. I agree. Seriously unprepared and underwhelming.
Kraux Pas
@trollhattan:
You’re right there. Although the primary I think is a little different. Could you imagine the hot takes if she decided to run again? They’d be…even less fair than last time.
geg6
@Roger Moore:
I would agree to that. Would certainly keep Bernie out. I suspect he’s only beaten in the grifting competition by the current squatter in the Oval Office.
Omnes Omnibus
@geg6: She is a very plausible D candidate based on her resume. Whether she really has a chance is another thing. Right now, I am hoping that Jason Kander’s treatment is successful and that he is available for 2020.
currants
@TaMara (HFG): YES. I think Beto’s great, and yet another white guy….no thanks. (I’d go for an all female duo, though.)
Platonailedit
@Betty Cracker:
The voters chose an fugly thug with zero policy positions let alone chops.
schrodingers_cat
@Betty Cracker: Then how do you explain the current occupant of the WH. Fake tan, reverse racoon eyes, pot belly, grossly unfit and that thing on his head made of Barbie wigs. And don’t get me started on that screechy whiny voice.
Fair Economist
Beto will run for Pres because he is a charismatic and skillful pol with noplace else to go. If he couldn’t beat the loathsome Cruz he won’t beat the more under the radar Cornyn and 2 losses do give you loser stink (one close loss is OK). No gov election in Texas for 4 years. Back to the house in 2020 is a demotion. So he will run.
Can he win? He raised enough as a Senate candidate to make a big dent in a a presidential run. He has a lot of out of state support and offers the chance to flip TX, which will excite a lot of people. He could be a compromise candidate in a hung convention. So a reasonable chance to win the nomination.
If he is nominated he has an excellent chance against Trump.
I would certainly take him over Biden or Sanders. Policywise I would prefer one of the Senators but I would feel better about our downticket races with Beto. He had hella coattails in TX.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Turgidson:
Abraham Lincoln begs to differ.
trollhattan
@Kraux Pas:
It would be a bloodbath. I’m comfortable believing she’s done running for office, for a thousand reasons, but the media’s residual desire to abuse her one more time and the combined right and left-wing Hillary haters are going to keep the rumor mill grinding simply because it pleases them to do so.
She was a senator, she was secretary of state, she was the Democratic nominee, she’s not a failure and has nothing left to prove.
geg6
@The Moar You Know:
Yeah, the fact that she hasn’t ever had a competitive race for anything in her career doesn’t give me a lot of confidence in her campaigning chops. I know she’s smart, she’s attractive and she is okay on cable news interviews, but I just don’t see many accomplishments outside of her California wheelhouse. I am open to being persuaded otherwise, though. I’d really like a woman president. So far, though, the women being discussed are not impressive in my book.
And before I get dumped on, I am open to all of them (except Gillibrand). But I need to be convinced. As far as I can see, Beto has done something more impressive than any of them so far in breathing not only new, but powerful life in to the TX Dem party.
Omnes Omnibus
@Platonailedit: @schrodingers_cat: Jesus, folks. She said good looks were an asset. She didn’t say they were a necessity.
Kraux Pas
@schrodingers_cat:
Well, he’s certainly charismatic. Even though that charisma is only calibrated to resonate with a very specific subset of white voters, it resonated VERY strongly with them. To some people, he’s a gregarious asshole that they can relate to, his lack of policy chops not withstanding.
He actually reminds me of a handful of friends I’ve managed to part ways with since 11/2016. For reasons unrelated to Trump, ostensibly.
Mnemosyne
@schrodingers_cat:
Trump has been a media “personality” since the 1980s. His Q rating (that’s what TV marketers call someone’s name recognition) was very high. He doesn’t wear well for more than the length of a TV reality show, though.
TenguPhule
@catclub:
Its not. Scotland just lost their collective shit about May’s dungheap.
MattF
And… another House race joins the D column. The D seats gained is now at 35, with three more likely D, three more likely R, and one cliffhanger in CA39 where the R candidate is up by about 100 votes with many more uncounted.
Yutsano
@trollhattan: I could absolutely see Beto taking out that old bird Cornyn. Cornyn had been in the Senate forever, is pretty much only liked by older white folks, and has never had a serious challenge. Beto woke up the Democrats in Texas HARD. I could actually see Cornyn retiring and this becoming an open seat. Now wouldn’t THAT be a shebang?
Betty Cracker
@Platonailedit & @schrodingers_cat:
I didn’t say good looks and charisma are required to win; I pointed out that they’re a political asset. Do you disagree?ETA: Never mind. Omnes got there first.
VeniceRiley
@Fair Economist: My charisma choice is Oprah Winfrey, hands down. I’d love Harris too. Obama ruined the “not enough experience” argument forever. Beto is fine but he’s such a white guy. I’ll wait and see the judgement from WOC if he is acceptable. Their pick will be my pick.
Fair Economist
@geg6: Harris won a tough race in 2010 in overtime. It was the first big race where the Dem was behind election night and won on mailins, which is now getting routine.
Cheap Jim
I don’t know. The lack of experience of the current president, combined with his failures in the office, makes me want someone with a lot of experience. Reactionary of me, I admit.
A propos O’Malley, as a Marylander I wouldn’t vote for him, although I do honor him for his work in ending capital punishment here.
Mnemosyne
@geg6:
Fair enough. Harris does seem to have a bit of that Obama mojo that gets her opponents to destroy themselves without her having to lift a finger, which is an underappreciated gift.
Corner Stone
@The Moar You Know:
ISTM every D Senator on the comt got caught flat footed and blew that hearing. Did they expect rational behavior from a rapey drunkard who saw his life’s destiny being stolen from him? Then using their closing time to all ask the same question, as if getting him on record ten times was going to be significant somehow.
schrodingers_cat
@Betty Cracker: No I don’t disagree. Good looks are an asset and not just in politics.
JR
@Mnemosyne: tommy carchetti is DOA. Not a candidate.
Jamey
He called Lincoln slick. Why does Beto hate America?
TenguPhule
@different-church-lady:
Seconded. Can we at least secure the fucking House speakership first before jumping straight to the circular firing squad?
Betty Cracker
@trollhattan: There’s an op-ed piece on CNN right now begging her not to run. Which said already said she would not do again. Maybe she should get a man to say it for her so the word “no” will finally compute.
Tractarian
NO! We need need need need need Beto to run against Cornyn in 2020.
TenguPhule
@schrodingers_cat:
40% of the US population are Nazi-curious assholes that belong in forced labor camps.
geg6
@Mnemosyne:
I am unaware of this mojo. Probably because I don’t pay a ton of attention to CA politics, living in a state that voted for the short fingered vulgarian and all. I have my own problems in my own state to worry about.
beef
I’d like to see Beto put in Keith Ellison’s former spot, as Deputy Chair of the DNC. Get him on TV and make use of that thoughtful charisma. The fundraising talent can’t hurt either.
For the presidency, I’d rather see someone with a tad more experience.
Betty Cracker
@TenguPhule: No. This is a political blog, and I’m a volunteer contributor who writes about what interests me. Complaining about post-midterm 2020 speculation here is like complaining about dog dander at PetSmart. Besides, that’s why God invented the scroll button.
SenyorDave
@Mnemosyne: Q rating also factors in likability. Not sure Trump’s likability was ever very high, but it wouldn’t shock me if it were. I never got him at any point, but my view was colored since my dad was with a firm that did work for Fred Trump, and he was as big a thief as his son.
I do think some people thought that Trump was their ideal of a billionaire, someone who did as they pleased. Besides a lot of people are just plain bad human beings, and probably would be like Trump given the chance. Unfortunately, until he strokes out on the crapper, he is still the POTUS.
Kraux Pas
@TenguPhule:
Brilliant! They won’t get a chance to enact their Nazi schemes if we enact Nazi schemes against them first…
Corner Stone
@Omnes Omnibus: I like Kander and hope he returns to public service, either in elected office or head of some org that works to better peoples’ lives.
MazeDancer
2020 is far away.
First we have 6 months of investigating Trump.
Well, actually, as they bros say online, first we have to keep conserva-dems from dragging the party to the right by fooling the upstarts into thinking the time has come for maximum foot-shooting and dumping the most effective Speaker in anyone’s lifetime.
Then, we have Trump fighting.
Right now there is a horserace vacuum. And the MSM abhors a vacuum. So. after Pelosi bashing, 2020 speculation it is.
And, two white guys on the ticket – not an option. Sure I like Sherrod Brown. And Brown-O’Rourke would make for a mighty White House. But no to two white guys. Which may be discriminatory, but so what.
trollhattan
@VeniceRiley:
Beto’s response to the anthem-kneeling question guy was as decisive a political moment as I’ve seen in the last several years. I think he’s got the goods. Do I think he’s in the top five? Probably not but no way I’m counting him out.
Omnes Omnibus
@geg6: I don’t get the Obama “mojo” feeling from her either.
MazeDancer
@beef:
That’s a good idea.
The media will always call Beto before they would Perez. Which would be excellent.
eclare
@JR: Nice reference!
Fair Economist
@VeniceRiley: Obama showed you do not have to have a lot of top political experience but he was in the Senate and had been in the statehouse in IL a long time. Trump shows we do not want a celebrity President – he just does not know how politics works and has a hard time getting things done. That has been a lifesaver with Trump but we cannot afford it in our next Dem president. Beto has adequate experience by the Obama standard (6 years in the House) and that is OK, but I am not good with less.
Omnes Omnibus
@Corner Stone: He is one of the good people.
Fair Economist
@MazeDancer: There is a media vacuum now but 2020 candidates have to be preparing NOW. They need to announce by late summer and they need organizations, endorsements, and funding before that.
Corner Stone
@trollhattan:
George Allen is on line #1 holding for “Macaca”.
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker:
“No means yes and Yes means anal.”
Ladies and gents, your 2018 SCOTUS!
JaySinWA
@Tom Levenson: Win or lose against Cornyn, Beto coattails could move Texas forward again. Probably more workable than a presidential run.
rikyrah
@Brachiator:
You DO know that the entire judiciary in Texas changed overnight because of Beto’s coattails
If only other Democratic losers would have such impact.
Aleta
Side note about the challenge to ranked choice voting in Maine. A U.S. district court judge today denied Polliquin’s motion to stop the rc counting. (The counting never stopped and the lawsuit didn’t slow the announcement that Golden won.) Judge Lance Walker let the rest of the lawsuit (claiming rc voting is unconstitutional) go forward.
He belongs to the Federalist Society and the National Rifle Association. In private practice he ‘handled personal injury and products liability claims for insurance companies’ (wiki) before Le Page appointed him to be a ME district judge (2014) and then ME superior court judge (2015). Trump nominated him for federal district judge last spring. He was voted out of committee this summer, confirmed in October, and seated less than a month ago.
Although the purpose of rc voting is to substitute for a runoff election w/o the extra cost, and Poliquin’s claims are lies, Poliquin’s backers will probably take it to the Supreme Court because it threatens the way they get wins. Le Page would not have gotten in the 1st time if it had been in place, for example. Nothing about the rc system changes ‘one vote per person.’
Poliquin today: “It is now officially clear I won the constitutional ‘one-person, one-vote’ first choice election on Election Day that has been used in Maine for more than 100 years,” Poliquin, a Republican, said. “We will proceed with our constitutional concerns about the rank vote algorithm.”
More quotes from the decision (and a link to it) are here:
https://bangordailynews.com/2018/11/15/politics/judge-denies-poliquins-request-to-stop-ranked-choice-count-as-decision-nears/
Mnemosyne
@geg6:
When she ran for Senate, her Democratic opponent Loretta Sanchez managed to have a public meltdown at a debate that made her look both stupid and crazy. And Sanchez has way more political experience than Harris.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@FlipYrWhig:
Liberal = future
Conservative = past
That’s why the Dems have to have Mr/Mss Charisma and it’s a virtue for the Repugs to run real life Mr Squidwards.
OzarkHillbilly
@Corner Stone: @Omnes Omnibus: You have not seen the last of him.
TS (the original)
@geg6:
If the alternative is he runs as a third party candidate & gives the election to trump – what does the democratic party do?
James E Powell
Every time someone mentions this, he should ask him if he has a five dollar bill.
We are living in crazy times. For better or worse, prior experience in government is almost the kiss of death to one’s presidential prospects.
Brachiator
@Betty Cracker:
Right now, they don’t much care. They are not political junkies like I am.
Now, they can tell you why Soulmans’ BBQ is tastier than most other places. :)
Also, they are hard headed people who would say that charisma and promise are fine, but what matters is what you really have to offer and how hard you can work to achieve it.
@Platonailedit:
Didn’t say he was a permanent loser, just that he’s got some loser ‘taint on him.
Reagan was governor of the mighty state of California. That provided a great deal of insulation against his primary losses.
Roger Moore
@Betty Cracker:
Of course the Republicans don’t believe Clinton when she says she isn’t running again. They never believe a woman when she says “no” if they really want the answer to be “yes”.
Kelly
I called my Rep. Schrader’s Washington office and vehemently objected to his anti-Pelosi efforts. He’s been like this for a while. I emphasized this is time for a united front against Trump and the Republicans. This congressional district has had a Blue Dog since before there was an official Blue Dog coalition but hasn’t been a swing district for 10 years or so.
Regarding the primaries, I’d like Oregon to pass a law that simply says on Presidential years the Oregon primary will be held on the same day as New Hampshire. If I recall correctly New Hampshire has a law that says they must be first. Simply saying we’ll do ours the day you do yours should drive them crazy. Vote by mail should be able to move quicker than they can.
rikyrah
@beef:
yes
yes
yes
Omnes Omnibus
@OzarkHillbilly: I just hope that his treatment works. If he can come back to public service, I want him to do so. If he can. If not, he has already done enough.
OzarkHillbilly
@rikyrah: The high Texas courts are still dominated by GOP.
Martin
The 2020 Dem primary is going to be a fucking goat rodeo. We’re going to start with 50 candidates. It’s going to look like the 2003 CA recall election and Iowa residents are going to have to move out just to not die under the sheer weight of mailers and robocalls.
White & Gold Purgatorian
Seems to me Beto’s last line “ I wondered if the winds had changed too” is meant to refer to more than just the weather, but also changing political winds. From Jim Wallis:
We desperately need a change in the wind. If we see elected Republicans crossing Trump in the new year, I might believe we’re getting that kind of change. The midterm looks like a voter realignment, which ought to scare any GOPer up in 2020. As for Beto, he is charismatic, can raise money, and seemed to be a leader people would follow. He has a shot.
I don’t care much who gets the nomination, “just win, baby.”
Omnes Omnibus
@Martin: Woohoo for being the first person to pre-panic.
Kraux Pas
@Martin:
Well, hopefully that will be cause for them to reconsider their determination to be the first in the nation to vote.
geg6
@Mnemosyne:
That says more about Sanchez than Harris. I’m not sure it says anything at all about Harris other than I’m guessing she had the sense to get out of the way and let Sanchez have her meltdown.
Mary G
@Mnemosyne: Sanchez did the “dab” at the end because her hairdresser suggested it! Kamala just had to stand there frowning to win.
A Ghost To Most
Draft Adam Schiff.
OzarkHillbilly
@Omnes Omnibus: Same here, I’d like to see him return to politics but if he decides he’s done I have a hard time seeing him turning to a corporate position. He just never struck me that way.
MattF
TPM Headline:
Ew. Too bad about that ‘all my pals are murderers’ thing.
geg6
@TS (the original):
Well, I don’t know what anyone else will do, but I’m applying for asylum in Canada or moving to Mexico. To have that creepy, finger waving piece of garbage throw two elections to Trump would end any feelings I have for this godforsaken dump of a country. Bernie is simply the mirror image of Trump. I despise them equally.
WaterGirl
@schrodingers_cat: Democrats fall in love. Republicans fall in line. All the rules are different.
FlipYrWhig
@White & Gold Purgatorian:
https://goo.gl/images/BeY8xB
Omnes Omnibus
@OzarkHillbilly: Public Service doesn’t always mean politics
Humdog
@MattF: I am only surprised it took the piece of shit so long to offer up Gulen as a sacrifice. I don’t see any way they can legally remove him, but Gulen must have been worried about this since Flynn.
OzarkHillbilly
@Omnes Omnibus: And if not politics that’s where I see him.
Yutsano
@geg6: If the Democrats somehow can’t get to them first, I’m leaking both Dolt45 and Wilmer’s returns. Then hightailing it to Canada. I already have friends who can put me up while my asylum claim goes forward.
Mary G
@geg6: Kamala’s Twitter is unimpressive progressive rote talking points, but her emails are much better. She talks about issues and sent a ton of emails supporting other Democratic candidates, even ones likely to lose.
She’s also great in person – Iowans already love her:
and
I also have to disagree about her not doing well in the Kavanaugh hearings – I think she did the best she could with what she had to work with.
WaterGirl
@trollhattan: Beto said recently that that was not an answer he prepared in advance. The question caught him by surprise and he spoke from the heart and said what he believed. Helluva answer just off the cuff. Beto’s got the goods.
Omnes Omnibus
@Mary G: Some of us don’t live in CA.
Jeff
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If Donald can be President anyone can be.
Roger Moore
@Yutsano:
There’s no reason you couldn’t leak the returns from Canada. I’m sure Daniel Dale would be happy to publish them for you.
Martin
@Omnes Omnibus: I’m not panicking, rather noting that our primary process is already extraordinarily shitty when it’s just trying to filter through a handful of candidates. I’m not convinced it will even work with dozens. Republicans were not well served by having a mountain of candidates in 2016. That’s not to suggest that the primary process will yield a bad candidate, rather that the process is likely to produce an unexpected one. And democrats aren’t wired to do the kind of political assassination and law breaking that was needed to get a candidate like Trump over the line.
We’re also likely to see the primary schedule turn into a free-for-all as states try and bias the process toward their preferred candidate by going early. How much party infighting are we likely to see if California throws down and says that we should go first when Kamala is running, locking up probably 15% of the potential delegates on day one and appearing to give her an insurmountable lead? I don’t know how the DNC shapes this process.
TS (the original)
@geg6: I agree with your point of view – just wondering if he is enough of a sh!t to give trump the election
Aleta
A cat video. Without music I wouldn’t have survived these days.
https://twitter.com/videocats/status/1061733857924268033
artem1s
ugh, lowering the bar again. run for local office and do some good somewhere for the next two years Beto. prove you aren’t a common Dennis Kucinich, Sarah Palin or Ron Paul. there are so many possibilities. Get a job and prove you have skills other than running for office. don’t just become another perpetual grifter running to make money. There is a reason he couldn’t beat the most hated guy in Congress.
pro tip. After Governor Moonbeam figured out he was never going to be elected President. he rolled up his sleeves and took on the pretty thankless job of trying to fix Oakland and then CA after the Governator nearly broke it. I’m sure there is some poor district in TX somewhere that could use a really good legislator and representative who is willing to give you a shot. But you have to decide it’s OK that you aren’t in front of a crowd or camera every waking moment.
eemom
@different-church-lady:
You new here? ?
@TenguPhule:
Speaking of ships that have sailed….
Kraux Pas
@Martin:
Well, as part of discouraging the horse-race aspect of political coverage, it may behoove us to discourage the notion of a current delegate lead (if it is surmountable) being an indicator that we must all line up behind the front-runner NOW NOW NOW!!!
Corner Stone
@geg6:
I am no Bernie fan, to make an understatement. But come on! *Equally*?!?
The Moar You Know
@TS (the original): Takes the loss, if that’s the result and I doubt it would be. He is obviously and manifestly unqualified for even the position he now holds, never mind the presidency.
Mandalay
@different-church-lady:
Well you say that, but I know you’re just kidding.
Perhaps I could interest you in this vitally important poll about the possible contenders for the Republican nomination to oppose Democrat Joe Cunningham in South Carolina in 2020 that was run earlier this week…
Corner Stone
@artem1s: Did you really type this? Or just copy it from trollposts.com ?
eemom
@Corner Stone:
Worse than that — when it came out that Kav’s fucking calendar CORROBORATED Dr. Ford’s testimony about the event taking place and the people she said were there being there, which was during that repub shill’s questioning, they fucking FAILED to seize on it. Had they done so, the outcome might have been different. IDIOTS.
Also, that was when the repubs decided to shut her up and start pontificating. Even they had the sense to recognize that a bombshell just dropped.
Just One More Canuck
@Yutsano: if you want to come to Toronto, I’ve got you covered
Josie
@artem1s: This post proves that you know nothing about Beto or Texas. DIAF.
Brachiator
@rikyrah:
Did not know that. “Impact” is good. I had been concentrating more on family matters and catching up on California news once I got back home.
More on the Beto Effect:
geg6
@Mary G:
Well, I don’t do twitter and I certainly don’t get her emails. And if I did, I probably wouldn’t read them, to be honest. If she comes to my part of PA, I’ll be happy to hear her out. Just not seeing any of this superstar stuff everyone here says about her yet.
FlipYrWhig
@artem1s:
Say, I wonder who represents El Paso?
Martin
@Kraux Pas: That’s a natural byproduct of how candidates are funded. The early frontrunner is going to benefit from dollars shifted from other candidates, which only reinforces the process. That’s part of why the primary process is shitty. Iowa is choosing the frontrunners. They’re determining where the donations are going to go. If CAs primary is back in June like it was in 2012, then we basically have no say. If we’re up front, then we have all the say.
I’m not advocating for one state over another, I’m just saying that process is shitty, and with a handful of candidates you can reasonably keep most of them in there for a while, but with dozens you’re going to lose a bunch of good ones early on simply because the dollars didn’t flow their way. Would you fund Kamala if you knew her home state wasn’t up in June? She’d probably win CA handily, but if she doesn’t have the money to last that long then it doesn’t matter.
geg6
@Yutsano:
Heh. You can count on me to be a stop on the underground railroad on your way north if you’re passing this way.
@TS (the original):
I have no doubt that he is.
Kelly
@FlipYrWhig: Veronica Escobar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Escobar
Mandalay
@geg6:
I was listening to Morning Joe in my car the other day and someone was spewing Palinesque word salad. I wondered who it was, and it turned out to be Gillibrand.
Unfairly or not, she has Franken having over her, but a I think a much bigger problem for her could be her off the cuff speaking skills unless I just caught her on a bad day. OTOH, that is something that can be addressed and fixed. Not so sure about the Franken issue.
Yutsano
@Just One More Canuck: Thanks. My two best options are either Vancouver or Calgary. And although Calgary is a further drive, the crossing to the border is shorter. The clock starts as soon I down load the information. So as soon as I can bug out the better off I am.
@Roger Moore: True, there is no reason I couldn’t leak them from the other side of the border. It all depends on how fast I can get in front of TIGTA. If they get word to the border to look for me then it could be problematic.
FlipYrWhig
@Kelly: I guess Beto lost his chance, then. ;)
cain
@(((CassandraLeo))):
Obama did similar things for his 2008 campaign. The thing is, you gotta show up in red staters and not just fuck around in blue states. That’s how you break their bubble.
geg6
@Corner Stone:
Yes, really. I think he’s just as much of a narcissist and would sell us all out to Russia in a minute. I don’t trust him and I don’t trust his wife.
cain
@TaMara (HFG):
I’m holding out for a hero at the end of the night.
Roger Moore
@artem1s:
You should probably look up somebody’s resume before you slag them. O’Rourke worked his way up, first on the El Paso city council and then as their representative in the House before running for Senate. He’s not some random guy who thought Senator should be the first office he ran for.
Van Buren
I refuse to support (at least until the general) anyone older than my 56 year old self.
geg6
@eemom:
Yes, that was when I lost all confidence in the great CA AG Kamala Harris. You would think a high power prosecutor who is supposed to have been one of the top prosecutors in the nation would have jumped on that like flies on shit.
cain
@AndyG:
Agreed. I rather he carry Texas for us and end Republican domination of presidential politics from here on in. They should never ever get the presidency again.
Julia Seto
I don’t think you get points for degree of difficulty. Yeah, it sucks that Beto could have easily won a similar election in New York/California/Illinois/Washington/Maryland you get the idea, but lost by a little in Texas, but he still lost, which means he’s what–a former congressman at this point? He wouldn’t start out as my favorite. I would also feel grudgy and out of sorts if we don’t have a woman nominee or at the very least, a woman on the ticket.
You know what I’m looking forward to? Dem primary debates that aren’t an array of man suits or array of man suits and one woman suit. I would love to see a debate panel where the women outnumber the men and there are so many of them that people don’t have enough attention span to dissect all the outfits.
Kelly
@FlipYrWhig: I hadn’t checked her out before. She seems as solid as Beto. Nice to know his seat is in good hands.
Yutsano
Is this where I should mention Swalwell has been spending a lot of time in Iowa lately?
Keith P.
@Mandalay: She connects about as well as Hillary, so hopefully she won’t make it too far through the primaries.
Corner Stone
@cain: Dooo dooo do DOOO!! AHHH! AHHH!
Jack the Second
@Kraux Pas:
The problem with Iowa and NH picking the Presidential front runners isn’t that they’re small, it’s that they’re white as fuck.
I’d be all for putting, say, Mississippi and Delaware first for politicians to pal around one-on-one with the little people for three months in before moving on to the jumping-from-state-to-state-daily stage of the campaign.
geg6
@Mandalay:
Nope, she pretty much sucks at speaking. I caught her on something the other day where it was obviously set up to be a softball interview about her new children’s book and it was pretty much like this:
I wrote a book for kids about awesome women. I just won’t discuss those women, only myself.
Palinesque word salad.
Aren’t I awesome?
Palinesque word salad.
Oh, I’m not announcing anything yet. But stick around and don’t shut the camera off any time soon.
Palinesque word salad.
All said with that perky Palin affect and with the same dead eyes. No thanks. She reminds me of every single stupid asshole sorority sister that I’ve ever met. Vapid, blonde and very full of herself. Again, no thanks. And we haven’t even brought up Franken and don’t need to. She’s awful even without that.
trollhattan
@Kelly:
That will be quite enough of the smutty talk!
Kelly
@trollhattan: ;-P
Corner Stone
@geg6:
I’m sensing something…it’s beginning to come into focus but it’s not quite there…I…I just can’t be sure.
Bobby Thomson
@Cermet: prematurely? Not hardly. He sucked.
joel hanes
@Mart:
New Balance shoes are favored by MAGAts
New Balance shoes are favored by many people with feet wider than a C width, as they have consistently, for decades, offered their entire range of shoes in actual widths up to at least EEEE. When I started wearing New Balance, Nike and Adidas mostly came in “regular” and “wide”, and fit me abominably.
I really think that criticizing O’Roarke’s politcs by using his choice of running shoes as a metaphor pretty much disqualifies from serious consideration any other comments you might make.
Bobby Thomson
@TS (the original): he’ll do what he’s told.
cain
@Kelly:
This. I’m sick of our primaries being ineffective because by that time everyone is already selected.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@The Moar You Know:
The 2010 AG race was pretty highly contested, Cooley(LA DA, Harris was SF DA) declared victory on election night, it wasn’t until a late count that she pulled ahead by a good margin.
Yutsano
@cain: I really like the Four Wave idea. Four days of primaries divided up so no one big state or region has outsized influence so all the candidates have to work to get ahead.
Betty Cracker
@Julia Seto:
Hear, hear! Maybe this could be the election cycle when women running for president becomes a normal thing.
Mandalay
@geg6: This is one of the things she said the other day that got my attention:
I guess her heart was in the right place, but Republicans would toss her in the wood chipper if she said that in a presidential debate.
Here’s a link to the entire interview.
Michael Cain
At some point, the national Dem party has to throw a bone or three to the West. In 2016, the West went Clinton 98-30 (ignoring some foolery by Washington’s electors once it was clear it didn’t matter), flipped House seats, flipped state legislative chambers. This year, they flipped governors, Senators, more House seats, and another legislative chamber. Across both years they held absolutely everything that they already gained.
satby
@Yutsano: I know other couches up there you can surf. And someday you’d probably win a medal.
WaterGirl
@Corner Stone: No shit! It’s clear that this guy has no idea who Beto is and what kind of campaign he ran. Just like with Obama, the campaign tells you a lot about the candidate — if you’re smart enough to pay attention to the right things.
WaterGirl
@Josie: I hope everyone pies him and he’s just talking into the wind.
Betty Cracker
@Mandalay: Glad you linked it so I could see it for myself. I don’t get the Gillibrand hate, but it’s definitely a thing that colors people’s perceptions of everything she does. There was nothing even remotely Palinesque about her appearance on that segment in my opinion.
FlipYrWhig
@Michael Cain: Is Jay Inslee going to run for President?
RedDirtGirl
At work, so haven’t read the whole thread, but did anyone mention the “Sexy Beto Tweet”? Holy cow!
mainmata
@Mnemosyne: Kennedy and Johnson for one and Reagan and Bush
Ryan
I for one am pro-jobs.
ProfDamatu
@artem1s: Are you kidding with this BS? Beto represented El Paso in the House for six years, unseating a popular incumbent in his first race. Before that, he was on the city council for six years, and before *that*, he started his own IT business. All of this information is literally a two-second Google search away. FFS. Maybe a little research before popping off?
Oh, and that “reason” he couldn’t beat Ted Cruz? I’ll say this slowly. BECAUSE. IT’S. FUCKING. TEXAS!
Incidentally, the woman who won Beto’s old house seat has lots of people in El Paso pretty excited, from what I’ve heard!
artem1s
@Josie: Beto had no opposition in the primary. It’s not his fault he was running in a deep red state and there wasn’t a pool of experienced Dems to challenge him. I give him kudos for doing what he did. but it’s a huge assumption he would have been the nominee in blue state with Dems who have name recognition. I think he could probably win a state level position easily now that the voters in TX know who he is. but he still has to overcome the hurtle of not having experience. Everyone who runs against him will beat him up with his inexperience until he gets some. The Senate was a reach but the circumstances in TX made it a possibility. but losing a close Senate race does not qualify him to be President. What he does with his name recognition is up to him. He can take on some project and prove he has the creds to get things done or keep working the talk show circuit and prove he’s good at getting his face on camera. The bar for winning a presidential nomination is pretty low now. I’m sure he can clear that – so much winning – aren’t we lucky! Still doesn’t mean he is qualified to be a Senator, let alone be President.
Fair Economist
@artem1s: Beto was in the House of Representatives for 6 years from a swing district. That is fairly substantial political experience. Like the previous poster said, do you know about this cool thing called search engines?
Yutsano
@satby: The nice part is that between cousins and various friends, I have lots of places I can decouple while the unpleasantness back home takes care of itself. And as far as a medal goes, I’d rather take the credit for lancing the boil at the top of our country over a shiny bauble.
Having said that, having more options is always good. I will say it’s nice to be able to walk up to a statue in Vancouver and call him my great-great-great-great-great uncle.
FlipYrWhig
@artem1s: I’m getting the feeling that you heard he was in a band and misunderstood that he jumped from that right into running for Senate. Instead of that being 25 years ago.
Josie
@artem1s: I don’t understand why six years as a representative in swing district is not considered enough experience to run for senate. Additionally, I’ll bet he knows how to spell “hurdle.”
geg6
@Betty Cracker:
That was not the same interview I saw. This one was a bit better. But I still don’t like or trust her. Like I said, she’s every vapid, entitled sorority girl I’ve ever known. Blech.
Michael Cain
@Fair Economist: Where do you get the swing district? TX-16 has been held continuously by the Democrats for 50 years.
LugiDaMan
He’s running and I’d vote for him. I’d vote for any Democratic presidential candidate who could remove the Scourge of the White House.
Joseph A. Miller
No, I don’t think Beto should run for president. I love the guy, but you gotta win something BIG first. Six years in the House isn’t enough. He did a fantastic job. He put together an amazing organization. I think he should stay in Texas and help the Texas Democratic Party get ready for the 2020 election, and then challenge Cruz again in 2024.
Corner Stone
@Joseph A. Miller:
Maybe he could be a contestant on a reality show like DWTS or The Apprentice?
WaterGirl
@Corner Stone: Lots of new nyms on this thread today.
Corner Stone
@WaterGirl: I’m just happy we have so many kind souls willing to map out Beto’s political ambitions and future paths to a more helpful public service.
ProfDamatu
@Fair Economist: Just a slight correction – Beto’s district is in no way a swing district! I grew up there, and checking Wiki, I see my intuition was correct – the only time El Paso has been represented by a Republican was for two years, 1963-1965. So, no, not a swing district. :-)
What’s impressive about his taking the seat was successfully primarying Silvestre Reyes, who had been very, very effective in advocating for El Paso’s interests, especially in terms of making sure the local military base (Ft. Bliss) always made out well in in the BRAC process.
WaterGirl
@Corner Stone: They are selfless, with no agenda other than to help Beto slow down, lose his momentum, and know his limited place in the world.
Yutsano
@WaterGirl: Screw that. I want Cornyn to face an ignomious retirement.
ProfDamatu
@artem1s:
Okay, again – he has twelve years of experience in government, local and in the House. An opponent could certainly try to harp on his “inexperience,” but especially these days, I don’t think that attack is going to be nearly as convincing.
Unfortunately, you’re almost certainly mistaken about Beto being able to “easily” win a state level position in Texas. The last time a Democrat won a statewide position in Texas was in, IIRC, 1994, when Ann Richards’ Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock was re-elected. Texas *should* be trending purple to blue given its demographics, but gerrymandering, voter suppression, and low voter turnout are the major obstacles to that. Thus, name recognition alone won’t get Beto, or anyone, across the line in Texas until those structural issues are addressed.
The funny thing is, serving as Governor wouldn’t necessarily provide a ton of experience, because Texas has a weak governor system – the Lt. Governor has more practical power. As we (current and former) Texans tried to tell everyone when GW Bush tried to claim that being governor of Texas was sufficient government experience!
WaterGirl
@ProfDamatu: I am now convinced that this guy you replied to is a troll.
ProfDamatu
@WaterGirl: Yeah, me too. I thought I remembered the nym from awhile back (I’ve been a lurker for years), but maybe not!
ProfDamatu
@WaterGirl: Though I am slightly amused that for once, the disingenuous sea-lioning and concern trolling is being applied to a white guy. :-)
Bonnie
Is Beto old enough? But, he would have my vote. I believe this country is still too sexist to elect a woman; but, what do I know at 73.