We may soon wake up to discover that the current Beto boomlet was just media hype—a fun, if temporary, summer dalliance that doesn’t wear so well after Labor Day. Or maybe not. Either way, Republicans should worry.
According to a recent NBC News/Marist poll, Ted Cruz is up just four points over Beto O’Rourke, among likely voters. In a world where Donald Trump can become president (!), is it so crazy to imagine Beto could be a U.S. Senator from Texas?
The smart money is still on Cruz, but in politics—even in the Lone Star State—sometimes all of the stars (re)align. And then, what happens? If Beto pulls this off, he’ll be the Obama of the new age—instantly in the 2020 mix. Democrats would have a charismatic young leader who looks like a Kennedy, who seems to pass muster (from what I can tell) with both the left and the establishment, who puts Texas in play, and who passes the “beer test” in a way no other Democrat does.
Forget all the talk about how Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer are old and in the way. Just as a front man in a band attracts 99% of the attention, it only takes one rock star to rebrand an entire political party.
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