The Big B Prepares to Enter the Race
Not Joe Biden, whose Delaware-sized ego is going to convince him to run again, despite the cries of a majority of Democrats. No, I mean Beto O’Rourke, who appears to have made up his mind to enter the race, according to the Dallas Morning News.
The newspaper is only reporting that anonymous sources close to O’Rourke said he would not be running against Sen. John Cornyn, which is smart whether or not he runs for president. Cornyn is just as conservative as Ted Cruz, but isn’t nearly so big an asshole, so O’Rourke would probably lose again. And, as it is in boxing, so it is in politics — two consecutive losses for the same office essentially end your career.
Progressives won’t cheer this, because they’re convinced O’Rourke is a centrist or worse. But that assumes he would run for president on the same platform he used to run for a Senate seat in Texas. My guess is that, if he runs, you’ll see Beto employ much more liberal rhetoric this time around, because he’ll have little chance if he’s being attacked from the left by a half-dozen progressive candidates.
“Progressives won’t cheer this, because they’re convinced O’Rourke is a centrist or worse.”
I didn’t pay very close attention to the Senate race, so I don’t really get why some of my fellow liberals don’t like Beto. An old blackface yearbook pic? Bernie fans getting out in front of the news cycle?
As far as this progressive is concerned – we have an embarrassment of riches running for President. I’d happily work, contribute to nearly all of them. And happily vote for any of them.
Takes money from Big Oil, on the wrong side of some votes, etc. REV posted about much of it when the first calls came for Beto 2020.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/19/us/politics/beto-orourke-democrats-president.html
[A Democratic Party] county chairwoman posed an uncomfortable question. Mr. O’Rourke had not endorsed Ms. Jones. In fact, he had elevated her Republican opponent, Representative Will Hurd, with frequent praise and, most memorably, a live-streamed bipartisan road trip that helped jump-start their midterm campaigns. Would Mr. O’Rourke support the Democrat?
He would not.
“This is a place where my politics and my job and my commitment to this country come into conflict,” Mr. O’Rourke said. “I’m going to put country over party.”
…In Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, his choice was more than symbolic. Mr. Hurd won by fewer than 1,000 votes, and many voters and local activists hold Mr. O’Rourke — whose success helped lift down-ballot candidates across the state — largely responsible for Ms. Jones’s defeat.
OTOH, the Republican was the border-district guy who is fighting his party on immigration, and who put Beto on the map in Texas by taking his road trip-on-Twitter journey with him. At the time, Beto was virtually unknown, so he owed this guy.
https://www.expressnews.com/news/news_columnists/gilbert_garcia/article/Beto-bump-tightened-race-between-Hurd-and-Jones-13376291.php
And, contrary to the “largely responsible for her defeat” narrative, other analyses note it was the surge in turnout that O’Rourke helped produce that put Jones that close in the first place.
So, you see, I find these litmus tests — which all but Bernie will flunk — unhelpful. You can apply your own litmus tests, but I’m under no obligation to adopt your standards.
Litmus test? Who said anything about a litmus test?
Me. You can call it whatever you like.
“because they’re convinced O’Rourke is a centrist ”
Well, there’s the pure progressive and then there’s everyone else.
He supports Medicare For All, but he took oil employees money, so cardinal sin. Ergo the only suitable punishment is excommunication. And so it goes. I remember the time when people didn’t think Obama was black enough. Anyway, I agree whatever term of art they wish to apply, it remains a cabbage.
I do find it kinda rich that Bernie’s not-even-a-democrat©
But Biden & Beto campaigning for Republicans is simply pragmatic and politically expedient and fine.
Strange.
For the record, I call it a thing that happened.
The only people who care that Bernie isn’t a Democrat are people who would find other reasons to object if that one disappeared.
If there’s a characteristic that bands Clintonistas together, it’s their air of entitlement.
And, to your joining together of Biden and Beto, Biden did it for money. Beto did it as payback. There’s a difference.
^^^This is clearly the work of some bot farm is Tallinn. Sowing division in the party with…
*check notes*
…actual facts.
Actual facts are welcomed at all times.
Unactual facts, frenzied ad hominem attacks, and vows to NEVER SUPPORT THAT MOTHEHRFUCKER IF HE/SHE WINS THE NOMINATION!!! are not.
ok
Alby:
“Delaware-sized ego”?
You saying Joe is humble?
No, I was thinking of the ice shelves that break off from Antarctica. They’re always “the size of Delaware,” unless they’re smaller, in which case they’re “bigger than Manhattan island.”
OK. I was thinking in terms of 1 percenters with “Texas-sized” egos, which would make Joe seem pretty small.
The other good thing about your analogy: as the race heats up, Joe’s chances will melt away.