'They can't look to Northam:' O'Rourke's visit a sign of things to come for Democrats in 2019 races

[TexasTowelie]

Beto O’Rourke, the former Texas congressman whose failed bid to the U.S. Senate catapulted him to national recognition, kicked off Virginia’s presidential campaign season this week while also lending his name to Democrats’ efforts to capture the General Assembly.

“It goes without saying that 2020 is going to be a very important year for the Democratic Party,” said Lizzie Drucker-Basch, chairwoman of the Henrico County Democratic Committee. “We have a really heavy lift here in Henrico. … That’s why we’re here, and Beto.”

O’Rourke made several stops on Tuesday — starting in Norfolk, then to Hampton, the College of William & Mary, Richmond and ending the day at the University of Virginia. On Wednesday, he will attend an event with Joshua Cole, a Fredericksburg-area candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, who lost by 73 votes in 2016 in a district mixed up by misassigned voters.

He highlighted the same issues throughout the day: the cost of health care, climate change, the use of prison in place of mental health care, raising the minimum wage, teacher pay and gerrymandering.

Read more: https://www.virginiamercury.com/2019/04/16/beto-orourke-kicks-off-the-2020-presidential-campaign-for-virginians-while-lending-support-to-legislative-candidates/

[helpisontheway]

1. Oh man I had no idea he was in my area! Darn! Nt

[Laura PourMeADrink]

2. If Beto was super human, and could somehow go

to every single town in the country, he'd for sure win it all.

[JI7]

3. if anyone can do it , it's him

[JI7]

4. Northam has too much shame to campaign in public right now but he is a good governor

and he is doing good things for Virginia.

look at Georgia to see what would be happening if he had stepped down.

[Blue_Tires]

5. +1

Not only that, if Northam *had* stepped down over a goddamn yearbook photo, then half the state house would be leaving with him...

[dalton99a]

6. The "comically inept campaign" almost flipped Texas and gave them the scare of their lives

[BannonsLiver]

8. What dope said they were a comically inept campaign?

[dalton99a]

9. The writer evidently forgot to mention a name

[RLG]

7. You gotta love this guy.

I'm not committed to any candidate, but I like the fact he recognizes this and is willing to campaign in Virginia even though it's not one of the early primary/caucus states and realizes that there is a major election in the state.

My respect for him grows daily.

[Blue_Tires]

10. Virginia will be fine...