Even before a tide of Republican votes doomed his spectacular but ultimately unsuccessful senatorial candidacy, Beto ORourke sought to rule out what many of his fervent supporters saw as the logical next step, win or lose.
I will not be a candidate for president in 2020, the El Paso congressman told MSNBC. Thats I think as definitive as those sentences get.
But no is rarely a flat, Shermanesque no in presidential politics. The words of a tired candidate at the end of a long race wont stamp out speculation that, in a massive field with no logical front-runner, ORourke has the charisma the Democrats will need to defeat President Donald Trump.
The Democrats dont have anyone of his caliber on the national stage, Jeff Roe, chief strategist for victorious Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, told Politico. I pray for the soul of anyone who has to run against him in Iowa.
ORourke compares favorably in age (46) and experience (12 years in elective office) to the four other post-World War II Democrats who returned their party to presidential power John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Hes got everything the liberals love great speeches, great looks, and he loses elections, joshed comedian Michael Che on NBCs Saturday Night Lives Weekend Update. Heres a more serious look at his pluses and minuses:
Pluses:
Charisma. In his year-long campaign, ORourke attracted the fervently cheering crowds that greeted the Barack Obamas and Donald Trumps. That quality seems lacking in the current field, though its very early and one or more could catch on.
Name ID. Thanks to the massive national publicity for his Senate race and the lifelong nickname Cruz sought to denigrate, Robert Francis ORourke–aka Beto–has a big advantage over lesser known rivals.
Fundraising ability. Raising an unprecedented $70 million for his Senate race means ORourke has one of the countrys best fundraising lists.
Freshness plus experience. Its good that hes new to the national stage, but his six years on the El Paso City Council and six in Congress compare favorably with Kennedy (14 years), Carter (8), Clinton (14) and Obama (12). Besides, most recent presidential winners had less experience than their rivals.
Superb retail political skills. Theyre crucial in the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. After visiting all 254 Texas counties, Iowas 99 should be a breeze.
Communications skills. He showed himself in the 2018 campaign to be an excellent communicator. Texas, with its diverse population and 20 media markets, is great preparation for a national race.
Doesnt hold office. History shows running for president is a lot easier when unconstrained by the demands of public office. Jimmy Carter showed that. So did Donald Trump.
Minuses:
