Why two former Beto O'Rourke staffers now say they're with Bernie Sanders

[workinclasszero]

Their journey reveals a major fault line for O’Rourke as he transitions from a statewide campaign in which occasional votes with the Republicans can be an asset, to a new national playing field where some see those moves as political apostasy.

BY JAY ROOT APRIL 9, 201910 HOURS AGO

A couple of days before Beto O’Rourke kicked off his campaign for president, two of his former student staffers, Bryant Young and Autumn Lanning, were reminiscing about those heady days during the Texas race for U.S. Senate when it seemed they had Republican Ted Cruz on the ropes.

“Watching the energy build up and sort of progress,” Young says, “we felt for sure that there was a chance.’’ For Lanning it was “very emotional.” They “got caught up in this frenzy thing,” she said.

Then, suddenly, it all came crashing down — not only the chance to retire Cruz, but also the “Betomania” they lived and breathed every day. Young and Lanning, both 18 years old and first time voters, soon woke up to a sort of political hangover — disillusioned with O’Rourke and convinced he was not the true progressive they had imagined.

“We were definitely very, very caught up and invested in it,” Lanning said. “It was after the election that we started being like like, ok his voting record actually is horrible.”

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/04/09/beto-orourke-staffers-flip-bernie-sanders-texas/

[Freethinker65]

1. Sounds like they might just follow whatever "progressive" is in the lead at the moment

Working on your first campaign where despite your best efforts your candidate loses can be disheartening.
Expecting any candidate to be perfect is a mistake. One must be careful even assessing voting records and past statements if the candidate is transitioning from a local position where his/her constituents had some policy concerns that are much different than an entire state or country's. They were 18 when this was written. They will learn.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. I think that's true. If you read the whole thing, it's

Basically their criticism of seeing the other side of issues. Very naive to think someone running for Senate in the number one oil export state would vote against the industry. In addition oil money contributions were from employees not oil companies, a small percentage of his total take.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

31. Riiiight... has nothing to do with Beto tanking.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Freethinker65]

35. They seem to want to go with someone currently in the lead and are easily swayed. Time will tell.

According to most polls, Bernie is currently in the lead. The two campaign workers seem pretty naive when it come to understanding previously local politicians running for national office. I would not be surprised if they end up supporting another candidate, or even take another look at Beto, a few months down the road.

I could introduce you to two 21 year olds that will never ever vote for Bernie again after supporting him in the last primary, and that would be as useful as reading about these two campaign workers. It would get some people upset, however, which is probably the reason for the original post.

[BlueFlorida]

2. They are destined to be on a losing campaign nt

[watoos]

3. Here we go again eating our own.

Every thread like this is following the Republican path to victory in 2020.

[Freethinker65]

4. Perhaps, but this one was way too obvious and is of no concern

[Demsrule86]

8. Funny they all stem from supporters of one campaign.

[workinclasszero]

29. What you can't talk about the differences between candidates views and their record in the primary?

This is the time to do that!

When we have a nominee THEN it's time for all democrats to join forces, but now is not that time!

[Paladin]

5. Good riddance. (nt)

[Power 2 the People]

6. +1

[Demsrule86]

7. They need to fall in love I suppose, all about the candidate ...not policy.

[aidbo]

19. the literally said they didn't like the candidates votes on policy.

[workinclasszero]

30. Right

They "fell in love" with Beto...until they examined his record.

Then they switched to a real progressive..Bernie!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

32. Yup... feel the Bern!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[lapucelle]

52. Poor Autumn! Poor Bryant! So easy to get caught in the frenzy, isn't it?

Have a donut, kids.

[Cha]

56. Bryant: "don't be fooled, these dems don't care about immigrants."

Link to tweet

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=61265

Bryant has the buzzwords down for faux "news".. Definitely needs some donuts.

[WeekiWater]

9. Attacking Democrats on Fox and Friends.

Link to tweet

For the most part, his whole twitter feed is a just attacks on progressives and Democrats.

Keep him. He won't be voting for Democrats in the general.

Link to tweet

[WeekiWater]

14. My apologies.

Unedited version can be seen here. It is as I described.

Link to tweet

[WeekiWater]

16. Fox Host: "Beto will say anything to get elected"

Bryant: "That's exactly right"

Then claims he is not a progressive and that can be seen in his launch speech that was nothing but platitudes and fluffy language.

After that he mentions three "policy positions" of Beto, one he defined inaccurately. But that was after being asked a follow up question. He started with empty attacks.

[WeekiWater]

20. That is a sidetrack to the piece I posted.

I described the video accurately. He said that Beto will do anything to get elected. Baseless attack.

I'm not sure what this has to do with what I posted: "When asked if he's a progressive, O'Rourke was evasive and said he "wasn't big on labels"."

This kid is the next HA Goodman. Baseless attacks, including an inaccuracy about policy.

That's the only point I was making. He has attack after attack on Pelosi, most completely void of policy. Same for many other Democrats and progressives.

Like HA Goodman his greatest interest seems to be calling others cowards and playing to the Fox crowd by attacking Democrats.

We are just going to have to disagree. I don't think claiming that Beto will do anything to get elected is vetting on policy.

[WeekiWater]

23. Fox Host: "You are saying Beto will do anything to get elected."

Bryant: "That's exactly right."

He doesn't touch on policy until asked a follow up question.

And you saw this. You replied to this post.

Link to tweet

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1069417182222839810%7Ctwgr%5E363937393b70726f64756374696f6e&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.democraticunderground.com%2F128761132%23post23

Bryant: "don’t be fooled, these dems don’t care about immigrants."

[WeekiWater]

25. Deep thoughts based in policy. I get it.

We did cover the fact that the first half of his Fox and Friends interview was completely void of policy and nothing but general baseless attacks.

Link to tweet

Bryant: "don’t be fooled, these dems don’t care about immigrants."

[WeekiWater]

28. What I was saying was clear and on point to the conversation.

Now you are moving to Obama. Not sure why. Very strange.

[WeekiWater]

37. No, he didn't. Not even close. NT

[WeekiWater]

41. No, it doesn't. You are really struggling here. NT

[WeekiWater]

43. I don't think you know what "upset" means.

One of the last things I am is "upset".

I have been honest at every point. It is bad form for you to say otherwise. I get why you feel the need to do so. It doesn't ruffle my feathers.

[ehrnst]

34. They are moderate republican circa 1970's. The RW GOP is now what the moderate Dem used to be

in the 1920's and 1930's.

And yes, Nixon's health plan was to the left of Obama (Teddy Kennedy was told by the Democrats to say no to anything but single payer, so we lost out on about 30 years of progress)

Nixon was sure as hell a far left Republican (in today's terms) with his founding of the EPA...

HRC was called Republican Lite, but I sure don't know of any Republicans who are feminist, pro-choice, pro-action on climate change, debt-free college for the 98%, pro-Planned Parenthood, pro-equal pay for women.

I just can't keep track of what's an insult and what's a description anymore when it comes to centrist/progressive/lite....

[Cha]

53. Bryant: "don't be fooled, these dems don't care about immigrants."

Bryant comes across like an asshole.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

33. What happened to not one penny for the wall?!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[namahage]

48. Cue the crickets.

Chirp, chirp.

[LanternWaste]

21. Moving the goalposts...

Nice job.

[lapucelle]

54. I wonder who's feeding this poor kid the anti-Democratic party talking points.

It's a shame to see him used this way.

[Cha]

57. Yeah, where did Bryant get those Buzzwords

about Dems to go a faux "news" and regurgitate them?!?

[BlueFlorida]

67. My suspect is David Sirota

Always go after motives .....

[helpisontheway]

11. Lemmme guess..because they want to lose? Because we will lose with Bernie. Nt

[TexasTowelie]

12. I believe these excerpts say a lot:

O’Rourke’s campaign, which has hired some prominent former Sanders aides, noted that Young and Lanning were just two of 211 paid student workers, or “less than 1 percent.”

People will move from campaign to campaign for various reasons. While I have no intention to insult these young people, in chess terminology this is the equivalent of sacrificing a couple of pawns for a rook and a bishop.

The messaging from Beto's campaign was also positive and unifying:

Though not, apparently, with the candidate himself. Evans, the Beto for America spokesman, said O’Rourke remains thankful that the young liberals “were part of the largest grassroots campaign Texas had ever seen.”

“He is grateful that they played a role in increasing voter turnout of young people in Texas by 508% and in securing the most votes a Democrat has ever received in Texas history,” Evans said.

[dalton99a]

46. But keep in mind 1% equals 100% in revolutionary math

I doubt the Beto campaign can ever recover

[TexasTowelie]

47. I could never place those decimals correctly

even though I earned a bachelors degree in mathematics.

[BlueFlorida]

68. More like 1000%

Revolutionary exaggeration has no bounds and it is effective in creating a wishful fantasy in the minds of people who don't look at things with skepticism.

[Cha]

58. Beto's campaign is too positive for

them. No wonder they wanted to go to BS' campaign and go on faux "news" to regurgitate" the buzzwords about Dems.

Link to tweet

[Amimnoch]

17. Wonder if this is two of the many more who left being "berned" for BeTogether?

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2019/03/14/the-ex-bernie-staffers-behind-betos-campaign

The Ex-Bernie Staffers Behind Beto’s Campaign

When former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke finally announced his presidential campaign Thursday morning, an experienced crew of digital strategists was ready to make the most of the moment, through social media engagement and small-dollar fundraising.

It wasn’t their first rodeo. Many of O’Rourke’s key staffers — particularly from his online team — spent the 2016 campaign working for another crowd-pleasing populist: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

At least eight former Sanderistas have decamped to O’Rourke’s campaign, according to online records. Several held top jobs on the Vermonter’s 2016 campaign before joining up with the Texan’s 2018 U.S. Senate race and 2020 presidential run.

“I have friends in both campaigns whose skills and talents I admire, but Bernie’s loss is Beto’s gain,” said Michael Briggs, who served as Sanders’ top spokesman in 2016 and who has not joined a 2020 campaign.

BeTogether 2020!

Anyone BUT BS.

[Cha]

59. BeTogether2020!

Beto2020 is Definitely Better without those two.

[RandySF]

27. Good for them.

[TexasTowelie]

38. The Ex-Bernie Staffers Behind Beto's Campaign

When former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke finally announced his presidential campaign Thursday morning, an experienced crew of digital strategists was ready to make the most of the moment, through social media engagement and small-dollar fundraising.

It wasn’t their first rodeo. Many of O’Rourke’s key staffers — particularly from his online team — spent the 2016 campaign working for another crowd-pleasing populist: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

At least eight former Sanderistas have decamped to O’Rourke’s campaign, according to online records. Several held top jobs on the Vermonter’s 2016 campaign before joining up with the Texan’s 2018 U.S. Senate race and 2020 presidential run.

“I have friends in both campaigns whose skills and talents I admire, but Bernie’s loss is Beto’s gain,” said Michael Briggs, who served as Sanders’ top spokesman in 2016 and who has not joined a 2020 campaign.

Read more: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2019/03/14/the-ex-bernie-staffers-behind-betos-campaign

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128737938

[MyNameGoesHere]

39. Ugh

Forgive the children for they know not what the difference between the Independent Senator from Vermont and a Democrat.

[dalton99a]

45. "We thought you were the elderly guy with glasses!!!"

Boy, what a surprise

[R B Garr]

66. Ugh is exactly right. Kids going on Fox to badmouth

Democrats isn’t fooling anyone.

[BlueFlorida]

69. It looks like a quid pro quo

How can two foot soldier kids get such a high profile unless the campaign they're working for had them showcased?

In return ... a townhall maybe?

[R B Garr]

72. Ah, I was actually thinking the same thing!

A little too much going on there for this to suddenly be about Beto...

[dalton99a]

44. Glad they saw the errors of their ways in time, repented and got on the right path.

This is very, very bad news for Beto. It’s a disaster

I predict he’ll cancel all events and drop out in two weeks

[BlueFlorida]

70. lol

[Peacetrain]

49. If someone goes on FOX news.. to dump on you.. you are better off without them

Seriously... Beto O'Rourke, my guess is you are better off with that knife pulled out of your back..

[dalton99a]

51. Now he's probably going to have to drive himself

Oh wait

[Cha]

55. Bryant: "don't be fooled, these dems don't care about immigrants."

That's a quote from one of them..

Link to tweet

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=61265

He's regurgitating the buzzwords. sounds like a real winner.

[dalton99a]

60. +1. I give him credit for not saying Cryin' Chuck

But who knows, pretty soon he'll be tweeting about Obama kidnapping children

Yeah, the revolution is where he belongs

[Cha]

61. Definitely where they belong.. Beto

is so much Better without them.

Beto got Lucky!

[Tipperary]

50. I am not a Beto fan, but they say they never looked into his voting record?

Please tell me this is not a normal couple of millennial politically active kids.

Never looked into his voting record? Wow.

[Hortensis]

63. Lol, wow. But notice these kids wanted and want a more

radical leader. Is it because they're ignorant kids and will grow out of it or is it because of personality traits typical of people leaning toward extremism that will never be outgrown?

In either case, truth, facts, honesty tend to conflict fairly often with extremist beliefs, and those who hold them learn early on to seek out sources that confirm what they want to believe. So there could be something there. Beto's record wouldn't have been what they wanted it to be from the beginning and may have taught them to avoid looking.

Since they've moved to Sanders, I think there's an excellent chance that's the case.

[Tipperary]

65. Good point there.

You may have nailed it.

[jalan48]

62. Makes sense. If you want Progressive you might as well go with the real thing.

[BlueFlorida]

71. ...

[Cha]

64. Beto is better Off.. what positive campaign would

want this kind of hogwash?

Going on faux news with his little buzzwords whining about and Disingenuously tearing down Democrats?