That squeal of delight you hear is coming from the Beto O’Rourke fans as they awake this morning to the news that their dream candidate is running for president. His video appeared just minutes ago in his Twitter feed as I write this early Thursday morning.
I am running to serve you as the next president. The challenges we face are the greatest in living memory. No one person can meet them on their own. Only this country can do that, and only if we build a movement that includes all of us. Say you're in: https://t.co/EKLdkVET2u pic.twitter.com/lainXyvG2n
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) March 14, 2019
The video is a narcissist’s vision of realizing presidential ambitions. O’Rourke officially kicks off his campaign with a rally in El Paso on March 30 but in the meantime, he’ll be roaming around the country on a listening tour. He describes this moment in America as a moment of “maximum peril” yet fails to realize that conservatives will understand an O’Rourke presidency would produce maximum peril should he be successful.
O’Rourke is an anti-border wall Democrat. He voted against ICE and he voted against Kate’s Law. He voted against the Trump tax cuts. He supports single-payer health care and voted against restrictions on late-term abortion. He voted against sanctioning Iran. He calls law enforcement “The New Jim Crow”. How does he sound to you so far?
His announcement video is full of meaningless sops that will be lapped up by his base of support – young voters and Gen X voters ready to take over the political scene. “The only way for us to live up to the promise of America is to give it our all and to give it for all of us.” “We are truly now more than ever the last great hope of Earth.” Wow, of Earth. That’s quite a weight on his shoulders.
I knew all along that O’Rourke would decide to run. Anyone who watched his race against Ted Cruz for the Senate could see the ambition and arrogance oozing from his every pore. He does not suffer from low self-esteem, that’s for sure. He now promises “the greatest grassroots campaign this country has ever seen.” Most hurt by this announcement is Julian Castro, his fellow Texas Democrat. The media will be Beto’s biggest supporters and Castro will remain in the wilderness.
Many members of the media as Beto announces he is running for president along with his Vanity Fair profile. pic.twitter.com/oNXrcPHW91
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) March 14, 2019
O’Rourke has no accomplishments from his time in the House of Representatives to point to as a reason to vote for him. He was a back-bencher who’s only media attention came from a road trip he took with Republican Rep. Will Hurd from the San Antonio area that the two men put up on social media via video. He’s quite, um, flexible. He’s proven he will change a position on any given issue as he bends to public opinion. Hollywood money poured into his campaign against Ted Cruz, though, because the coastal elite sees Robert F. Kennedy when they look at him or something.
CNN’s morning show, New Day, interviewed the author of the Vanity Fair puff piece and he brings up the white guilt from which Beto suffers. Don’t’ worry, he’ll surround himself with lots of women and people of color to make up for his whiteness, he assures the readers. Beto is also married to a very wealthy white woman but that wasn’t a part of this clip. His schtick is that he can go anywhere and connect with people. He’s just a regular guy trying to save the country from the bad Orange Man, you know.
Here’s what Beto O’Rourke says is the most important issue facing voters, why he can connect with different types of people and what his biggest obstacle is for 2020, according to @joehagansays, who interviewed O’Rourke for Vanity Fair cover story. https://t.co/SubiLfor3m pic.twitter.com/9P19dk1Ffi
— New Day (@NewDay) March 14, 2019
What Beto’s run will do is ignite hopes of turning Texas into a blue state in 2020. Currently, Texas is a purple state trying desperately to hang on to its red-state reputation. While no statewide office is held by a Democrat, all of the large cities – Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio – are tightly under the control of Democrats. Beto can go to these cities and campaign in favor of sanctuary cities and abolishing ICE and in support of free everything-for-all. The crowds will lap it up as they did when he ran for the Senate. He draws large crowds that will rival Bernie’s crowds and that will be interesting. Beto came close to beating Cruz and that has jazzed up Democrats across the country who understand that no one can win the presidency without the electoral votes from Texas. As Texas goes, so goes the nation.
Will regular Americans in the middle of the country find O’Rourke appealing? He’ll be more than happy to bend any way they want him to bend on the issues. He’s energetic and loves to perform. He’ll skateboard across a stage or pick up a guitar at the drop of a hat. He also swears enough to make a sailor blush during his rallies and he sweats profusely. Is the Democrat Party looking to nominate a middle-aged white Irish-American with a Hispanic nickname? He thinks so. He has the enthusiasm of young voters. He garners small-dollar donations from across the country besides the big bucks from both coasts.
Stay tuned. It’s going to get interesting on the campaign trail.
