How long can O'Rourke wait as 2020 pace picks up around him?

[TexasTowelie]

AUSTIN -- You won't see Beto O'Rourke announce whether he's running for president in 2020 for a while. But you may see him do almost anything else in the meantime.

"So, I'm here at the dentist," the former Democrat congressman said with a giggle during a teeth-cleaning seen live on Instagram last week, before quizzing the dental hygienist about life along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Anyone grumbling about livestream overexposure can catch O'Rourke on more traditional airwaves next month in New York, when Oprah Winfrey interviews him.

O'Rourke barged into last year's Senate race almost laughably early, in March 2017, insisting he was a credible contender against the incumbent, Republican Ted Cruz, when almost no one nationally knew of O'Rourke.

Read more: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/texas/story/2019/jan/14/how-long-can-orourke-wait-2020-pace-picks-around-him/760968/

[hlthe2b]

1. I just don't see it. He's compelling but hard to see him propelling himself to the highest office

after losing in his bid for the previous. Sure, plenty of former Presidents have lost prior elections, but they didn't launch a Presidential campaign IMMEDIATELY after such a loss. They went on to win in another election for office PRIOR to seeking the Presidency.

I know it is Texas and we give him latitude because he came close, but I still don't see that propelling him.

[femmedem]

2. I understand that argument, but that logic disqualifies good candidates from deep red states.

And maybe you're right; maybe a Democrat from a red state can't get enough national exposure to rise to the top tier without having been a national political appointee. But I hope that isn't the case.

[hlthe2b]

3. Just realistic. It HAS disqualified many a good (yet losing) candidate from deep red states AND

blue states as well. Winning higher office gives you a platform from which to seek higher office and social media aside, it is hard to launch a national campaign from within the private sector. (Fully aware that Trump did so, but he already had the "CELEBRITY" bully pulpit and a much undeserved reputation as a "successful businessman", so this is a unique case).

History is littered with those who have tried, though. I wish him luck.


I'd add that as much as we all try to block out Trump and his nasty ilck, there is a subconscious effect of hearing your favored candidate being referred to as a "loser". It is subconscious because we all know this is coming from a perpetually lying and despicable person who should have ZERO credibility and surely a lot of Dems are fully capable of tuning him out. But there is going to be an impact when the MSM keeps repeating it day in and day out in their zeal for "bothsiderism"... I don't dismiss the impact of that, no matter how compelling I find Beto to be.

Maybe we will get to the point where the electorate is sophisticated enough to block that crap out. But, I doubt we are there yet.