“I hate to say this because it would piss off a lot of Democrats but the fact is, we have so many people and we really have nobody that’s thrilling, nobody that would send a thrill up Chris Matthews’s leg except for Beto,” the strategist said, referencing the MSNBC “Hardball” host who expressed such excitement about hearing President Obama speak.

“You know how I know? I had friends calling me to ask about him. I would overhear conversations about him. He’s generating the kind of buzz we haven’t seen since hope and change,” the strategist added.

Even Republicans express surprise at O’Rourke’s performance.

“He was able to raise an enormous act of money and that alone separates him from the crowd,” said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist based in Texas. “He has a bit of a star quality to him. People in Texas were mesmerized and moved by him.