As Beto mulls 2020 bid, Dems warn he has major challenges

For a minute, Beto O’Rourke looked like a politician who could win by losing.

In the weeks after his defeat in last year’s Texas Senate race, “Draft Beto” presidential efforts took shape. Early-state Democratic activists pined for visits from the outgoing congressman, whose statewide campaign had electrified liberals across the country. And the comparisons to President Barack Obama spread, as the ex-president himself mentioned O’Rourke approvingly.

But now, as the contours of the Democratic presidential field emerge and O’Rourke faces growing scrutiny, some Democrats say the early excitement is dissipating. Should O’Rourke run for president in 2020, he will face a vastly different environment—not only compared to Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, but also compared to his own Senate race.

“He’s kind of a house of cards,” said Jess Morales Rocketto, a Democratic operative who worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. “When you’re running against Ted Cruz for Senate, it’s really easy to come out the victor in public opinion.”