I like Beto O’Rourke a lot. I wanted him to beat Ted Cruz and become the junior senator in Texas. I would still love it if Beto decided to run against Senator John Cornyn in 2020 for that Senate seat. But instead, the guy who couldn’t get elected to a statewide office in Texas is going to run for nationwide office. Yes, Beto O’Rourke is running for president. He’s also on the cover of the new issue of Vanity Fair – “Beto’s Choice” – timed perfectly for his formal announcement today. The VF editorial was shot by Annie Leibovitz and it’s full of beautiful photos of Beto at home with his kids and his dog (Artemis), and photos of Beto bumming around Texas in a truck. The photos are pretty. Beto is pretty. But…
Yeah, I hate this. I hate that everyone is conspiring to hype this guy just because he’s a white guy. Admittedly, he’s a charismatic guy and if he ran in 2024 or 2028, maybe I would much more into his campaign. But as it stands right now… he couldn’t win statewide office. He’s not qualified enough to be president. As much as Vanity Fair wants to position him like “the true heir” to Barack Obama, it just feels like we’re supposed to stop paying attention to all of the other Democratic Party candidates just because a charismatic white dude has decided he can’t Hamlet this situation anymore.
Anyway, for all of the excitement around Beto, the Vanity Fair cover didn’t seem to go down as hoped. I don’t know about your timelines, but on Twitter last night, most people seemed to feel like “eh, the Annie Leibovitz photos aren’t the way to go in 2019.”
Here’s a campaign announcement video.
Cover courtesy of VF, additional photo courtesy of Getty.
Lol the shade in this title.
I’m here for Beto running. Texas is typically red; the rest of the country is not.
The rest of the country isn’t, but as long as we have the electoral college, the true majority can’t be in control..i’ll vote for anyone who rids us of that outdated curse. Although I lean liberal, I know a more middle candidate like uncle Joe could rake in the votes in the midwest area I live in. He’s certainly not my first choice, but I don’t want dems to shoot themselves in the foot again.
But conservatives actually hate Uncle Joe… Fox was already running anti-Joe stories last week in anticipation of him jumping in.
What I’m afraid of is that the Dem field is looking like the GOP field in 2016. Too many candidates, so the loudest, most obnoxious person (the “personality”) will get the most attention/votes, regardless of qualification.
Yeah and so would Bernie Sanders if the latest Iowa poll is any indicator. Look, Sanders and Biden are the ones with the most name-recognition at this point. It’s still WAY too early to start banking on either of them getting swing votes from red states. People forget 2016 and how much can change in a few months, much less 2 years.
Same! Tired of people putting him down b/c he lost Texas. He was never going to win Texas. And he’s a great candidate for VP, running opens up a spot for him as VP. Stop putting him down b/c he’s white and not a women. This site is so ridiculous. Run the people who will beat Trump and get over your idealistic views, they sound more radical every day. Put him on the ticket with a woman for President. Biden and Bernie need to sit down. They’re too old. Most of the female candidates have a meh reaction everywhere but here. Kamala would be the exception. Put her with Beto. Julian doesn’t stand a chance, sorry to burst the bubble.
+1
Agreed! I actually LIVE in Texas and travel throughout it frequently for work and what Beto managed to do here was nothing short of spectacular. This is a very red, gun-toting, bible-thumping, good-ol boy state and he nearly flipped it! He only lost only by a sliver in a super-republican, jumbo sized state known for its proud ability to vote in the worst humans out of sheer loyalty to conservatism.
I saw Beto signs in lower income, middle class and super wealthy neighborhoods at about the same level, in big cities and tiny little country towns, in front of farms and factories, etc. There was even a large “Republicans for Beto” movement here, which was unheard of with any previous candidates! Imagine what that could translate to on a national level? If he has been hailed as the 2nd coming of Obama…ITS FOR A REASON (around here he gets comparisons to JFK). Only the most hateful, backwards-ass conservatives could still manage to dislike him after meeting him/seeing how graciously he behaved with opponent constituents. Unfortunately, it’s still Texas and our assholes NEVER FORGET to vote so he didn’t win, but he would have won most any other normal state by a landslide. This is the candidate that will visit & do incredibly well in the states that Hillary didn’t even bother to visit.
Sorry he’s not a woman or POC, but he’s one of the biggest weapons we got & probably the strongest candidate if given the chance to tour the country. At this point we just need someone who can WIN.
That being said, I hate that he did Vanity Fair, it’s incredibly off brand for him.
Totally agree – Kamala and Beto as VP would be a dream team. I’m Canadian but totally invested in what’s happening in the US because the GOP are pillaging the world, not just ‘Murica.
Yes to Lua and Luv. I’ve never seen such grassroots support for a candidate like I did Beto. Random people ages 20 to 70 holding up their Beto signs on street corners.
That said, I’ll keep my mind open but if you think for a minute Warren is going to have such an enthusiastic support, I disagree. She’d be same song, different verse of the last election.
Agree – would like to see him run as someone’s VP. Maybe Bernie’s???
The rest of the country isn’t Texas, though. What appealed to swing voters in Texas isn’t necessarily what works in other red states or even states that are already really blue. And I’m not trying to take away from everything Beto has accomplished, which is impressive–I mean, hell I donated hundreds to the guy’s senate campaign–but I think it’s a mistake to think that progressives would vote for him over say, Bernie and even Warren.
One thing you have to remember is that Trump’s presidency made states like mine (Massachusetts) swing even further left. There are SO many people here and in other deep-blue states who want a candidate who is a true progressive. Beto doesn’t even define himself as such—and he shouldn’t, given his voting record, which is mixed and also understandable for a TX rep.
And I’m not saying Beto can’t win–maybe he can–but I really caution people to refrain from saying that he’s a shoe-in because of the traction he gained in TX. He’s not–but then again, NOBODY is this early.
Early polls have Biden as the front-runner and Bernie second. I’m no expert but it makes me think that the Dem primary will come down to a battle of the progressive wing vs moderate/centrist wing of the party. Is Beto someone who can unite both factions? I don’t know..wait and see I guess.
One thing is for certain: if he’s the nom, he gets my vote without hesitation.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/2020_democratic_presidential_nomination-6730.html
None of the current Dem candidates would have won Texas and it’s stupid to frame it like that. O’Rourke is taking his chance because he can. If democrats are going to shoot down a very talented candidate it’s just stupid imo.
Meh.
I’m not American, but have seen Beto O’Rourke in a few interviews. I was rather impressed – I know, I know, ppoolittiians – and getting a teeeny bit excited about the coming months. Mind you, I am in election mode; wwe have a State election on 23 March, and the big Federal one in May, so…
The county I live in, which includes the fourth largest city, is mostly blue now.
I mean, I think we all knew he was running. so this rollout feels kind of flat, and also overly self-important. I’m also peeved that we have this democratic field of talented women and men of color, and the younger attractive white man is going to suck all the air out of it. But maybe that doesn’t have to happen.
I’m not writing him off; he could be a good candidate against Trump and we’ll see what he does over the next few months. But I’m just not as pumped about this as I could have been.
I will say that I think the fact that he lost to Ted Cruz isn’t as significant as some make it out to be; he came REALLY close to beating him in Texas. That’s not nothing.
You have to remember we have to pick the most qualified in the end. I don’t care what sex or color, what’s important to me is who is qualified and who can win, jmo. Hillary was most qualified to me but the people voted against her and tear her down. When Barack got the nomination I voted for him and did it twice because in the end I wanted him to win and he was the most qualified, IMO.
Yes, I am aware of that. My point was that I am not sure Beto IS the most qualified, and I think he’s going to take a lot of attention away from those who are more qualified.
I don’t know if he’s qualified yet, but he has charisma and that goes a long way. I’m waiting to see and hear what they have to say.
Why is it that whenever minorities are in competition, there always has to be a qualifier about picking the most qualified person? There is absolutely nothing in his record to suggest that this white man who has never won or held any national office is more qualified or as qualified than the women/POC who have already declared, so miss me with that coded bullshit. All he has is big teeth and pale skin; his supposed charisma is highly debatable.
I disagree we have to pick the most qualified. Hillary, John Kerry, Al Gore—all better qualified than their opponent—lost.
Obama was not the most qualified. But a hugely successful two term president.
I want someone who can win. I won’t say a bad word about any candidate (except Sanders, I think he’s got a cult of personality around him I can’t stand but I’ll vote for him if he gets the nomination).
Mimi, Lol. I think Beto is attractive in a nerdy kind of way myself but I think his charisma came largely from just being a normal human who could show empathy and humor and not rely on scripted talking points compared to Cruz.
Mimi – Beto was a US representative. He did hold a nationwide office, he just lost his bid for US Senate.
Esmom, I stand corrected. Thank you.
I am totally on board with Muffy. Picking a winner has way more to do with charisma and leadership and igniting voters than overall experience or a specific support base. Hillary had the resume but the bottom line is she lost to a moron.
I agree, if anything I think his run against Cruz shows what a strong candidate he is. “He lost to Ted Cruz” you can say, I say he’s a Dem who got extremely close to winning a Texan election. He got the most votes any Dem candidate has ever gotten in a Texan election.
I agree things are getting a bit overcrowded and that’s scaring me, but everyone was expecting Beto to run anyway.
Just make sure he’s no Justin Trudeau….I’ve never been more disappointed in an elected leader than I am with him….he PROMISED to clear up the mess made by the conservatives regarding Veterans Affairs……..he’s done less than promised, and it took him his whole damn term to get going….and now, running interference (in my mind, there is no question his subordinates tried to intimidate our Federal Attorney General) for SNC Lavalin…well, his “sunny ways” turned into a dark and deadly corridor. So make sure Beto has the DEPTH needed and is not just some surface ‘pretty boy’ with ‘sunny ways’.
How can you be surprised! Trudeau’s platform included “ budgets balance themselves “ and now our grandchildren will be paying off this mass debt he has run up in office. He was a joke from the start – a drama teacher with a silver spoon in his mouth. He ran on his name and not on his experience and people lapped it up. It’s disgusting. The only PM to have ethics violations. He will probably have criminal charges by the end of the year with his most recent scandal . How could you believe anything he said from the start ?! I am in no way surprised our country is in ruins right now. He only cares about Quebec and his riding. 9000 jobs! What about the 100,000 lost in the west. He doesn’t care. He’s Narcisstic and vapid. He now have allegations that he is blocking the media and trying to block negative stories about him. It’s sad to see but I hope it wakes people up. And also a lesson for our neighbours. Make sure you are voting for substance and not just catchy tag lines. Sunnyways! Canada will be digging out of this mistake for many years.
I have just two things here
1) If hillary had said she was born for it, you would have to tie major pundits down. I mean, Joe and Mika would have to be tied to their chairs for their own safety. They would be flailing around, running into each other, running into walls, tripping, falling….injuries galore.
2) I can’t help that this whole spread reminds me of nothing more than those awful Matthew mcconaughey car ads where he seems to be fantasizing about himself. If I were a Dem operative and wanted to take this dude out early, I would do a parody of those ads with Betos picture spread.
As per 1, this is the full quote:
The more he talks, the more he likes the sound of what he’s saying. “I want to be in it,” he says, now leaning forward. “Man, I’m just born to be in it, and want to do everything I humanly can for this country at this moment.”
Beto is running to be a strong VP candidate. Most of these candidates are. Does anyone believe Julian Castro is going to be president? No, he wants to show he’s a good attack dog and be considered for VP.
No, he is running to be President.
Darla,
I think what she was saying was Beto doesn’t really think he has a shot at winning the presidency. If it doesn’t work out (crowded field, uncertain times, lack of experience), he will have positioned himself to be a strong pick for VP. She didn’t mean he’s in a literal race for the vice presidency.
I would be so happy to see Beto on anyone’s ticket as VP!! I’m a fan of his, but I think the not beating Cruz stuff is going to hurt him. I truly think he will be Prez one day! Maybe not now though.
Joe and Mika is not on this morning. Btw, I always believe joe and Mika was one of the big reason we have Don the Con. Joe and Mika helped 45 and put down Hillary for months. I always believe that and still believe, especially Mika she never gave Hillary a break, always 👎. Now Don the Con is on their #$$$$ list, to bad, I don’t forget or forgive them.
i hate watch that show too.. it’s a good insight into what the wdc political media is thinking.
they are lying about dotard and their promotion of him. they provided him daily slots to call in where they’d yak it up and laugh (worth millions in free advertising) while constantly belittling clinton (but her emails). and now they deny they were instrumental in dotard’s ascent — ‘well, no one else would call in or we’d have given them airtime too’ — which is an out and out lie.
I sort of enjoy how much they have turned on Trump. or hate-enjoy like @mycomment said. I mean, they are definitely a part of the reason we are in this mess. They enjoyed Trump and his craziness and his tweets until….they didn’t.
I crack up every time Joe tries to say something deep and insightful with lots of pauses. “If you…..go to war with Washington……Washington….always…..wins.”
I am so here for your Joe and Mika comments 100%. Everything you said is 100% true, true, true.
Hell, if Elizabeth Warren or even Kamala Harris had said that people would be flipping out. And those ads….aren’t great. I want to hear more from Beto. Right now I’m just meh on his decision to run.
Reminds me of this: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-dont-hate-women-candidates-i-just-hated-hillary-and-coincidentally-im-starting-to-hate-elizabeth-warren
Yes! I absolutely LOVED that satirical piece in McSweeney’s–so spot-on. I think about it often now that we have several women candidates running in the Dem primary.
@darla, I agree on the parody part. Looking at these photos I can’t believe that we’re supposed to take this seriously!
If he cared about something other than self-aggrandizement, he’d run for Senate. Beto is just another entitled white dude who thinks the brass ring should be handed to him. It’s disappointing but typical.
I tend to agree. Say what you want about Sherrod Brown but he bowed out gracefully and I really respect him for it.
Same. Same.
Beto is just…fine. Doing a Vanity Fair cover seems like pandering to the wrong crowd. Now that Brown isn’t running I’m Elizabeth Warren all the way. I’ll vote for Beto but i don’t care that Texas is red or whatever – he lost to the most unlikable man in the United States (and Canada). It doesn’t inspire confidence.
Yay! Someone else for Warren.
Sherrod Brown is a really good, genuine dude. His wife is bomb, too.
I was kind of hoping Brown would run, but I respect him bowing out too. Maybe in the future.
I think Beto is doing this to get a VP spot. And honestly, I just don’t care right now, the field will narrow down, and whoever it is, I’m voting for them. After the midterms I need a rest before jumping back in!
@lucy2 i would vote for a rotten banana peel if it were on the democratic ticket
Lizzie and Kitten, Warren is my favorite too, followed probably by Harris. I’m hoping Brown will be a VP candidate. He might help sway OH voters (he has won there by comfortable margins even though his voting record is very progressive).
“He’d run for Senate.” Against John Cornyn? Then he’d lose again.
Beto is running for VP or running to up his profile while he waits to take another whack at Cruz. That said, I kind of like the spoiled-for-choice fresh and energetic candidate field we are assembling here … That said, Warren has my policy-wonk heart on domestic issues, but I would also encourage everyone to check out Pete Buttigieg’s CNN town hall since I don’t think I’ve seen anyone on this Beto thread mention him (and after watching I was rather smitten).
I’m a displaced Hoosier…living in MO. I love Buttigeig. I don’t necessarily think he has a chance for 2020, but I’m so excited to see what he does for Indiana. I fully expect to see lots more him in coming years.
I like Buttigeig too. He has good ideas and executive experience!
Chiming in late to say that I love Mayor Pete, too! I almost brought him up earlier in a comment but decided not to, funny that you mentioned him.
E.G.O.
It might actually mean something about his patriotism if he ran for Senate again and worked on voter suppression.
He’s good at drawing attention to himself, that’s for sure. Vanity Fair is exactly right for this but not exactly in touch with the grassroots.
I think that Harris and Klobuchar were both overzealous prosecutors who were very hard on drug crimes, which will probably come back to bite them. I think that Biden and Bernie are both too old (although that annoys me because no ones complains about oldie republicans running). I used to love elizabeth warren but I don’t think she can do it either. Beto might. Yes, he lost texas, but tons of non texans were impressed by him, so we’ll see. I just hope that whoever runs can get a majority of votes because, omg, four more years of trump scares the shit out of me
We cannot have four more years of trump for the judiciary alone. I will vote dem no matter who we nominate.
But I disagree with your take on Kamala, and I think Warren can do it. I think they both could. I am only giving money to women during the primary. And I will vote for a woman, right now I lean Kamala. If Beto is the nominee I will vote for him, but he is far from my first pick. I would vote Corey Booker before Beto. Easily.
But I am all for women in 2020. I am so tired of this shit.
I’ve read a few articles that were very critical of her prosecutorial days. And now she’s all, I smoked pot in college (or something along those lines), which is really rich considering all the people she put away for it. I’m just saying, it will be an issue (and more so because she’s a woman than a man, I would be willing to bet!)
I forgot about Corey Booker!! I have always wanted him to run. I would like a woman, but I also want the dems to win. Call me very pessimistic (which I am–I actually was pretty sure that Trump would win last election), I don’t think we are at a place in our society and culture where a woman will win. There are sooooo many women haters out there. So many. I would love it, but I just don’t think so. Hopefully I’m proven wrong sooner rather than later
Out of the men Corey is the one I like best. I would be happy with him.
Yes, you are right about the misogyny and that is why I want a woman. I am just so sick to my stomach of it. I understand where you are coming from though.
And can I also say, yes, I am so tired of all of this too! Does it make you feel like, crazy sometimes? Like, I lived so many years thinking pretty good things about my country (even when GWB was president), and now I’m constantly in this depressive funk of cognitive dissonance about how the Trumpers can all be so mean and hateful. Its just so shocking to me. I really hope we turn it around this time (fingers crossed emoji). I don’t know if its just because I’m older now and pay more attention, or if it really is worse
Yes manda I feel you. Yes, I do think it is worse, but WOC tell me its not. I just wasn’t affected as directly before. And they are likely right. Shame on me really. I find it all very shocking. A mob thug and crime family in the white house. I do find it all shocking. Shouldn’t we?
Do you think the country will vote for another black man so soon after Barack, I don’t know.
@ darla–yes, we should all be, but like, no one is!!!!! It’s so galling how the awful stories just fade away because there is yet another awful story, and whatever, it’s NBD. And yes, I think it probably always has been awful, and yes, I feel naive too because I didn’t see it because I wasn’t as affected either.
@ B n A — yes, and I think that he has more chance than a woman. I don’t think that Corey Booker has worse criticism than Obama did before he was president, but I could be wrong about that. BUT, if you were thinking about all the hate that has risen to the surface in the last 10 or however many years (I’m thinking of all the hate groups and overt racism we are seeing), then maybe not, because in this election there would be horribly racist propaganda used by the opposing campaign and so many people just believe what they hear and don’t investigate for themselves, so who knows? I’m so worried about the future of this country
@ Darla-Hello, friend 🙂
I don’t think Warren can do it which depresses me to no end because for me, she’s the only candidate who’s platform effectively addresses economic disparity while not ignoring systemic social issues. She’s the one candidate who’s presented cohesive, fleshed-out progressive policies. Will they all be implementable? I don’t know, but I love that she’s showing me the goods instead of relying on the same ol’ progressive talking points and vague rhetoric. I’m also biased because she’s my senator and I KNOW what a true fighter she is. I want someone with experience who gets shit done. To me, that’s Warren.
I also feel like on the Sanders–Warren supporters ven diagram there’s a decent overlap, enough that I could see Sanders people throwing their vote to Warren. Not that I haven’t seen my fair share of Bros going after her as well, but I think she’s *mostly* liked among the Sanders crowd whereas Beto, Harris, Booker etc are not.
Kitten do you think it’s because she’s a woman? Or just something about her personality? I’m just so tired of men. I know I sound old and bitter, and well, I am. 2016 killed me. We didn’t have to be here and wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for misogyny. I know women who won’t support a woman candidate in the primary because they got so burned in 2016 they feel no woman can win. I go the opposite route and say, no I am not going to eat that, YOU eat this, you are getting a woman! But i don’t know.
@ Darla-I am SO with you. I think it’s self-defeating to say that a woman can’t win. I actually DO think that a woman can win, but the key is that it has to be the RIGHT woman. But we should NEVER underestimate the women’s vote. We can do a lot when we organize and come together.
I honestly think that for Warren, she’s been hurt by her alignment with Sanders. It really sucks for her because for the most part, Sanders-supporters don’t like anyone who isn’t Bernie and Sanders-haters tend to immediately vilify anyone who is associated with him. I also think that Warren is an older white woman and after what happened to HRC, people just don’t want to deal with that. I’ve also heard people complain about how she talks and gets winded/raspy and how “annoying” that is to listen to. Sigh. It bums me out so much. 🙁
I wonder if Abrams will officially run? My BF said he wants her on a Sanders ticket *side eye emoji*.
I think Abrams is one of the people who can shake things up. That would be interesting. I also think Holder could. I think Holder could sweep in and kick Biden right out.
@Darla: agreed on all counts. I mean I would assume (and hope!) that most people here will vote for the Democratic candidate when it comes down to it, no matter who that person is.
I don’t actively dislike Beto, but all of this breathless “will he or won’t he?!” plus that VF spread has been a real turnoff to me. He comes across as extremely tone deaf to think that article/Liebowitz photos is a good idea at this moment in time in our country. JMO
I have read quite a few twitter threads criticizing Kamala from the black community for her days as a prosecutor. She definitely has some work to do to mend her reputation regarding justice.
Yep. I want a women after more than 250 years of men running this country. So over it.
This was a misstep. Going this route makes it feel, to me, that he’s courting fame and adulation as opposed to running for the highest office in the country. It reeks of immaturity and he may well have shot himself in the foot before he ever really got started (again, only IMO).
Yeah, I actually couldn’t believe the Vanity Fair cover, and that quote they pulled out, ugh. It feels so antithetical to the Beto who inspired so many during his race against Cruz. It’s really disappointing. Misstep indeed.
The optics are so wrong. I’m rather shocked he would do this but this is likely a sign of his (relative) political inexperience.
I’m confused. Was this a presidential bid announcement or a photo shoot for the Room & Board catalog?
lols
Courting fame and adulation is a part of the game. Right or wrong, that’s the reality of american politics. I do think that Beto’s people need to understand that he’s not going to win this with the Obama playbook – and I say this as someone that adores Obama.
Okay but was Vanity Fair smart or on-message for the supporters he’s courting? I don’t think so. As someone said on Twitter, this man has made his politics about NOT being the most affluent or having summer homes in the Hamptons but then he announces his bid in a ridiculous photo shoot with Vanity Fair? He’s not playing to his base at all. It was a dumb, rookie move, and I imagine the other candidates would have a field day with it.
Who is his base, exactly? Who is it that he’s trying to court?
I welcome him to the race, but as a die hard Obama supporter—he’s no Obama. Not yet, anyway.
He seemed like a real find running against Ted Cruz. But running against Cruz would make just about anyone look great. I don’t see where his losing that Senate race qualifies him to be running for President. I say he flames out after a few months. At this level of the game I’m not all that impressed, regardless of what Oprah says.
I like Beto and wants to hear what he’s offering. I also like Elizabeth Warren right now. Don’t know about Kamala yet because of her association with Willie Brown. I believe Joe B would make a good president but he has a lot of baggage and his age in my opinion is a negative, I just believe we need younger people at this time, imo. I’m still waiting to see who else is going to jump in before I settle on a few to follow before making a decision on who to support.
Btw, I have a feeling Beto has charisma like BO and if he plays it right he has a shot.
If the Dems want to beat Trump, Beto is their best shot.
Why?
Agreed. As for the quote, it’s being taken out of context. He was in the middle of the March for Truth in El Paso (a rally he led to counter Trump’s visit and the border wall) when he said this. From the VF article:
“This is the fight of our lives,” he continues, “not the fight-of-my-political-life kind of crap.
But, like, this is the fight of our lives as Americans, and as humans, I’d argue.”
The more he talks, the more he likes the sound of what he’s saying. “I want to be in it,” he says, now leaning forward. “Man, I’m just born to be in it, and want to do everything I humanly can for this country at this moment.”
Good luck with the out of context thing, it worked great for Hillary, who was always given the benefit of the doubt. Though I won’t be surprised if Beto has better luck with that.
May I ask why you agree that Beto is the best chance to beat trump?
The latest polls would disagree with you. I know it’s early and a lot can happen but I really don’t know how you can deduce that Beto is our best shot to beat Trump at this point, when there’s literally been no indication that he can.
The polls also had Hillary winning the presidency, so I’m done with trusting polls.
Sure don’t trust polls but also, don’t make sweeping statements that can’t be backed up. As I said, it’s really early and so much can change, but truthfully all we have are polls to rely on at this stage.
The polls that had Hillary winning were proven to be accurate on the national level; she did handily win the popular vote. The polling was fine but did not take into account the role of the Electoral College, and therein lies the problem – narrow victories in 3 targeted areas.
just watching the cable commentariat excitement and love for him this morning tells me everything I need to know. not a chance i’d support him. one of the yakkers, steve ratner — a hedge fund gazillionaire — piped up ‘and he believes in capitalism’… a favorite new trope of that demographic… the sneering way they constantly spit out ‘progressive/socialist’ tells me they are terrified about their privileged lifestyle coming under scrutiny.
Oh Donny Deutsch over on MSNBC is always saying a Biden/Beto ticket will be the best shot to beat trump and dems have to nominate those two. He was told outright, by Sam Stein, listen dude, the dems cannot nominate TWO white men. But he keeps saying it. This is what so many of them want. Two white dudes. And they will never talk about the fact that Warren states she too, is a capitalist.
love sam stein; deutsch being a marketing guy, occasionally says something interesting; but, yeah, he’s mostly annoying as hell. and that he’s a target of mockery by meeka — how desperate for attention must you be to put up with that treatment.
re biden — he literally sounds weak. i saw clips of his appearance at the firefighters union conference, and he really just needs to step back. his time has passed.
mycomment, I think Biden is fighting a cold. But hearing him sound like that did make me hyperaware of his age. I loved hearing him speak, it brought tears to my eyes, before reigniting my rage at that Trump being in the WH.
I remember thinking in the 2008 election cycle that there were only two sure things. Obama had to pick an old white guy for his running mate and McCain had to pick anyone one but an old white guy.
Malificent…in McCain’s case, it turns out that “anyone but an old white guy” was a little too broad. Maybe “Any informed sane person but an old white guy might have served him better”
You know what, I don’t know why I let this bother me. The bernie camp is gunning for beto and has been long before he announced. I should just step aside with my gals and watch the show. Two men enter…you know the rest.
Anyhoo, we’ll be here when you’re done sortin that all out.
The Bernie camp is gunning for everyone who isn’t Bernie. And while I do agree with a lot of what they have to say, they do it in such an obnoxious way, I’m worried…
I used to be an avid TYT watcher. Now I can’t make it through 30 seconds of a clip without getting annoyed.
It’s gonna be a bumpy ride this primary season….
Argh, that’s one of the many reasons why I wish Bernie would just take a seat.
He’s had his shot, he’s been around forever…sorry Bernie, your moment has passed. Grab your real, enduring power by throwing support behind the candidate you think can best get the job done, and use your influence to impact the platform and your time/effort to get the Democratic candidate elected to the Office of the Presidency.
They are terrified because they know Sanders doesn’t stand a chance. They are obsessed with Beto, it’s hilarious.
I was born and raised in El Paso ( my parents knew his parents and grandma in the 70s-80s). Although I am beyond proud of what Beto and his campaign accomplished against Ted Cruz, I feel like he should be running against Cornyn for Senate in 2020. He needs more experience.
Remember they said BO was not ready and was just 2 years a Senator and could not win. We will see, Beto is drawing big crowds, he’s likable, now we will hear his platform going forward.
Obama’s resume was still deeper at time of announcement than is Beto’s at this point in his political career.
Yes, Obama had the charisma to win, but also made some very rookie mistakes in his first couple of years in office that he wouldn’t have likely made as a more seasoned politician. I liked Obama and I voted for him in both elections, but from a purely practical standpoint, I think he would have been more effective early in his presidency if he’d gotten more experience than a couple of years as a junior senator.
But now it’s 2019 and Kermit the Frog would be a more effective commander-in-chief than the current resident of the White House. So, winnability is more critical than hair-splitting about early missteps.
For the first time in forever, I think there are a number of candidates that would make very solid presidents, so I’m actually excited to watch how this all shakes out.
Yes and Obama made some mistakes on his way out too. Do you ever wonder if Hillary had been nominated in 08 and picked Obama as her VP, whether Putin could have pulled off what he did against Prez Hillary? Could McConnell? Or, would she have seen them coming and we would be in the first Obama term right now. BEcause I think about it. A lot. OTOH I know the Rs would have very likely made Hillary a one term President. So then would Trump have been president in 2012 and then beaten by former VP Obama in 2018, and again, we would be in the first term of the Obama presidency right now? I think so! I think we are in the absolutely worst timeline by a complete glitch. A glitch.
No, this is false. Beto was a Congressman for 6 years before he announced. Barack had been a Senator for 2 years.
THIS. He didn’t win a big federal ticket (and yes I know it’s texas and it’s ted Cruz but a loss is a loss)
I used to live in Texas and I know a lot of people like him a lot-but he should turn that into a successful senate run. They need a dem senator instead of Cornyn and he’s the biggest name and best chance for a win there.
He lost a senate race against Ted Cruz for goodness sake. Win a Senate seat and then run for President. Or be on the ticket as VP candidate. I am at a loss as to why he is being hyped up so much.
Peter Buttigieg looks like the best and least flawed candidate thus far. I like Kamala but as someone pointed out, she was a ruthless prosecutor and that will hurt her.
I like her for being ruthless when she’s grilling someone before a Senate committee. How much of it was her need to work with the law at the time? I don’t know what was happening in the California system at the time she was prosecutor. Also, aren’t all prosecutors tough? And would she have been trying to prove herself?
I don’t know about the experience angle. A long record of service can absolutely be a plus but also a hindrance. There is something to be said for new blood.
As with Donald Trump?
All things being equal, I want someone with some executive experience in government. Someone who knows how to work the levers of power and get things done.
Yes, as with Donald Trump. I’m talking about electibility. It’s all that matters to me right now. I just want a dem that can win.
I would love to see him run against Cornyn. I’m in Austin and I really think he needs more experience. I want to see him do really good things for his constituents for another few years as a rep or senator. He’s not ready for the presidency, not yet. I love him, love his ideas for the most part.
Sorry, but no… He’s up his own butt and has no reason or qualifications to feel that way. Big white man ego, just a gentler package.
I will literally vote for a yellow dog before I would vote for a Republican so I don’t care who it is as long as he’s got a D after his name. He’s a lot more qualified than trump.
Word!!! ^^^
Anyone is more qualified over 45 and Pence, IMO.
THIS. I’m kinda over him at this point but will vote for whoever wins the nom. As for his inexperience, it’s not like he’ll surround himself with criminals and charlatans like Trump has if he does win.
I just said I’d vote for a dirty diaper, if it was running against Trump. No more Republicans.
“He’s more qualified than Trump” is literally ALL you have to say to a Republican when they question Beto’s experience.
I know, right? I can’t believe the GOP could side eye ANY Dem candidate after standing behind the worst person, who possesses zero qualifications. Their hypocrisy is infuriating.
Or a Berner, LMAO
This seems more like an Oscar campaign than a political one. I’m less than impressed.
I’m a Texan and raised republican… till I woke up in 2016. I voted for Beto and he accomplished some incredible things in Texas, where so many people will only vote for the republican, even if they hate him. Cough Cruz. I love Beto and I want him to do more for our country in the political sphere. I think he has a good heart, he wants to bring people together vs. antagonize the other side, and I think he’s a lot more willing to listen than a lot of people.
Having said that, there are TONS of democrats running right now. I don’t know if he has enough experience YET. I would love to see him as a VP first, then move on to running for president. But I don’t know who would be the best choice to run for president. And who could beat trump. People I know love Biden, but he would be one of the oldest presidents we’ve ever had. I’m not familiar enough with the other candidates, but I sure would be happy to vote for a woman, a person of color, someone other than the old white guy.
I feel like we’re in this huge culture of celebrity era. It’s more about the persona than the actual platform. Like, trump autographing bibles. Obama had the celebrity “It” factor and i see it very much in Beto. And maybe that’s what we need to beat Trump. But is that what our country needs to right itself somewhat?
I like what Beto stood for… in Texas. I have no idea what his platform is going to be on a national level. I will be watching this unfold.
As far as this rollout, people have been screaming BETO 2020 since the second he lost the senate race, even more. Constantly. I don’t know if he is grabbing for this or if it’s being sprayed on him with a fire hose and he’s saying “OK.” Not really a fan of this whole VF rollout because it portrays him like he’s always wanted to be president. I don’t know if that’s the case, but everyone surrounding him has been wanting it.
Honestly it feels like a lot these people are running, not necessarily because they think they’ll win, but because they are lobbying for a future position in the white house. Beto has thrown his hat into the ring, great, but at the end of the day I’m voting for who ever is on the Democratic ticket.
And while I get the reaction to solely view Beto as the guy who lost to Ted Cruz, it’s ingenuous. People outside of Texas don’t seem to realize the massive positive effect he had on this state, and how many Dems won just because he ran. I can understand why his campaign would want to keep that momentum going. It remains to be seen if has what it takes to go all the way.
Unpopular opinion. I love him and will vote for him. He has that same Obama vibe and comes across really genuine. He will win over the middle of the roaders too. I also think he’s be a great vp candidate for Biden. Interested to see how this goes down.
Yeah I agree with all of this. Just wish that Biden wasn’t so old.
Beto’s embrace of immigrants, his stand for Kapernick, his lyricism about the problems that average Americans face–nurses, janitors, teachers, truck drivers–is a thing of beauty. Watch any one of his Senate campaign speeches against Ted Cruz and if you are not moved you do not have a heart. Beto’s fundamentally moral–as opposed to solely political–persona is exactly what we need right now. He is the anti-Trump and will help us heal in the aftermath–and there is a lot of healing that will need to be done.
I was devastated when Hillary lost. But it hardened me to the fact that a woman cannot win the highest office in this land until women become better represented across all sectors–business, the law, congress and the professions in general.
Not you, but some of his online supporters have shades of Bernie bro about them. It strongly, strongly turns me off supporting him.
Nothing screams grassroots like a VF cover and photo series. Sigh. Can we just PASS on this? No, thank you.
He’s looking for votes wherever the votes are. What’s wrong with VF doing a story about him? IMO he’s hustling for votes everywhere.
With a Vanity Fair cover, he’s hustling for money and endorsements, not votes.
He will need both money and endorsements to run a successful campaign. That’s the way it is.
He will also need the votes of millions of independents and unhappy Repubs to win the general election, should he get that far. It’s not just about making the Democratic base happy during primary season. I’m fine with him putting himself out there in any way that’s favorable.
Do you want to win? https://thebulwark.com/biden-beto-or-biden-beto-is-the-gops-worst-nightmare/
Agree with this article and Jennifer Devlin upthread. We need a lock on someone who can beat trump. The trump years have proven how ass backwards and racist the country still is and we need a ticket can unify us and heal the country.
Bulwark’s conservative, no? I take them and their scorched earth politics with a bag of salt.
I will just come out and say it: none of the candidates are great. What we need against Trump is CHARISMA, humor and competence. Kamala is nice but no charisma, same for Booker, Warren and the rest really.
I don’t know what charisma is. I just don’t. I have finally had to concede that. People say hillary had no charisma. People say Trump has it. And he must because he is the head of a cult. This all leaves me so bewildered and confused I have had to concede that I don’t know what charisma is.
THIS. So tired of the charisma nonsense when that term is completely subjective. For instance, I find both Harris and Booker VERY charismatic. And as I’ve said before, the people who say that Warren lacks charisma have probably never listened to her speak or even listened to one interview with her. Also, for every one person on the left braying about charisma there are two people on the left who see charisma as more smoke and mirrors and are focused on policy.
It’s Something you know when you see it and each person see what they want to see in a person. just like you are here trying to find out more about him. However, we will have to listen to his platform, and all the others, I’m going to pick out three or four others who find themselves in the mix, to see who to support.
Right, each person sees what they to see in a person. So is charisma a thing, or is it just a matter of people being drawn to those they see themselves in? Or in whom they see some idealized version of themselves? Something they fantasize about being? In trump’s case a mafiosa thug?
I hear you. I thought Hillary was charismatic and very likable, for example. She just could never get out from under the false narratives that were created about her over such a long period of time. So many people who shrieked about how awful she was probably never even took the time to listen to anything she said.
I feel like “charisma” now means someone who’s bombastic enough to out-Trump Trump and I don’t know if such a person exists.
I thought she was too Esmom.
I hope such a person doesn’t exist! can you imagine? omg.
Darla, Right? The problem is Trump is just a useful idiot for the GOP. No one sane, ie most Dems and other rational people, wants to lead or govern that way. I honestly have no idea who will be able to go up against this successfully. I gotta believe it can and will happen, though, considering the blue wave this past Nov.
So sad about the hit job against HRC. By almost every account of people who worked with her she was charismatic, warm and kind. Gah. It still hurts to think about how badly she was mischaracterized by the media, GOP operatives, AND some people on the left. Sigh.
People wanted to have a beer with George Dubya Bush, too. I hate this.
I saw Elizabeth Warren speak last year, and I don’t know what people are saying when they say she doesn’t have charisma. Is it because she’s smart? Is it because she’s not a tall white guy? Warren is charismatic, Harris is charismatic, Booker is charismatic. Are they smooth talking charlatans? No. But we don’t need a charlatan as President, we don’t need a carnival barker and circus clown as President. Enough with that nonsense.
Time to elect someone with smarts, a sense of humor, the ability to strategize and empathize with other human beings. And time to stop giving a moment of time to anyone, no matter which side they claim/pretend/think they are on when they get hung up on whether or not a candidate is “likeable”.
Ditto everything you said, Kaiser.
Goddamnit I wish the road to the primary wasn’t so bloody long! I am so tired of watching the leftist to leftish-ist spectrum braying at each other on social media.
I’m an Austinite and campaigned for Beto and genuinely love what he means to so many Texans. I actually do kind of think this is what he should be doing with his life. BUT!!!!! Not in the upcoming election. This is not his year.
I want him to spend the next few years doing policy work, community organizing, maybe run again for us house for his district. Learn more, do more good, and then come back at the next election. This doesn’t feel right.
Anyone is better than Bernie Trump.
Here here. But I still don’t like him since he declared (so…. six or seven hours, lol).
I wish like heel he was going for Cornyn seat. That will have the most impact and the Dems can have both chambers.
A Warren/Beto ticket might work. Her negative charisma & his energy could find a fine balance. I firmly believe all presidential candidates should have experience as either a governor or senator. I’m a dem from MA but I love the work Charlie Baker does. His support of Diehl really upset me as he was the last Republican I had any respect for.
I think this is an ego move. We need Dems in the senate, so it would’ve been much better if he ran again in 2020. But, in typical white guy fashion, he’s just going to skip all of that and run for president.
I wish for one f**king day I had the ego and confidence of a white man.
Just no. If he is chosen to run, the GOP will crush him more than they did HRC. We need someone strong to defeat Trump.
So far not one candidate to be can do that.
This sounds very Avenatti. I just don’t agree.
I’m more in line with Grace here. We need someone who can stand up to a full-force attack from the Right. Can Beto do that? Because honestly, “When they go low, we go high” doesn’t work for every situation. We are literally dealing with bottom dwellers here, so polite won’t cut it. The candidate has got to be able to counter punch when the right starts going overboard and hyperventilating their “end of the world” scenarios they are so fond of blanketing the air waves with.
The Dem candidate has to be able to push back strongly, but sanely. We can see that MANY people in this country want a strong leader who they can follow. You want people to cross the aisle? Get someone with fire in their pants to blaze a trail across this country saying what they would do for the American people. ENOUGH, with this pablum of trying to please everyone.
If the Dem candidate just rolls over and tries to be gracious all the time, we are going to lose again. If Beto wins the nomination, he better be able to say, NO! to the BS that will be tidal waving his way.
Personally, I think Beto would have a better change in ’24, but mostly I think he should run for Cornryn’s seat. We can always ALWAYS use more Dem senators. I think he would be an amazing Senator, and it really could set him up for an easy presidential win if he lights it up in the Senate with good governance.
I was team Kamala until I heard Buttigieg on Pod Save America. He was impressive. I don’t know if he’ll get anywhere but he appears to have rational thinking and sanity in abundance.
As an aside, I’m freshly naturalized and this will be my first time to vote in a Presidential election & primaries.
I live in Texas, I went and heard Beto speak a few weeks after he rolled out his Senate campaign and started volunteering for him shortly thereafter. I have met him on several occasions, a few times for more than just a handshake but for an actual conversation. I said to my husband almost 2 years ago that this man is going to be president someday. Is it now? I don’t know but I can tell you he is the real deal. I am *not* one to get starry eyed over celebrities or politicians, etc. But Beto is genuine when he says he wants to represent all people. This man has a huge heart and a giant will to serve his country. It’s not bull****.
However, my biggest complaint about his senate campaign was that it was too grassroots. It was disorganized, relied on new volunteers to run things who had no idea what they were doing, there was a ton of reinventing the wheel (and doing it badly often). Beto also made some mistakes initially in not meeting with established Dem leaders in certain communities who held access to voters. I personally am glad to see he is going more mainstream because he is going to need to accept help and strategic organization in order to even make this possible.
Thanks for sharing your personal story and yes, I believe all of that about Beto. I DO believe that he’s the real deal. But I also don’t believe that this is his year. We’ll see though. If Beto is it, then he’s got my vote obviously. And it won’t be a “hold my nose” vote, I’ll be genuinely excited to vote for him IF he’s able to win over the majority of the party.
I am surprised by a lot of the comments today. I absolutely am crazy about Beto. I also love Biden and Kamala and Booker. What matters is defeating Trump. First, last, and always, defeat Trump. I want a Democratic ticket that can win. I also don’t want to tear down any of our candidates. I personally would like to see Warren as Secretary of the Treasury, if Kamala isn’t on the ticket I’d like to see her as Attorney General. If two white guys win the nomination, I want promises that the Cabinet will be at least a third women, and and citizens of color. Maybe all the candidates wouldn’t be interested in being in the Cabinet, and that’s fine. We need them in Congress also. The one I don’t want is Bernie, the faux Democrat. He tried, it didn’t work, and he hurt Hillary.
So maybe the VF cover was a mistake. Fine. But give the guy a chance please. He is hard working, he cares, he’s great on his feet, and he’s knowledgeable. He’s a guy who I don’t think will get flustered by Trump. We have to beat Trump. Another four years of that orange bastard might kill me.
I’m surprised, too. The quote is taken out of context here. Beto is likeable, although he did draw out his am I or am I not going to run for President long enough. I’m also tired of hearing about how he lost to Ted Cruz, the least likeable guy in the Senate. Hillary lost to Trump, the least likeable guy ever & I wouldn’t be surprised if there wasn’t some voting irregularities in Texas that caused Beto to lose. Trump was elected with no political experience whatsoever, at least Beto was an elected US congressman. Let’s concentrate on his platform & see how well does campaigning before we judge him.
Another 4 years WILL kill me and I am not that sure I will make the first four. My health has gone downhill fast, and I was healthy when he took office. I am totally serious. I fell and broke my arm, I get chest pains, I am on anti-depressants for the first time ever, I have gained weight, I have stopped exercising. Picture Pete Campbell and his classic “Not great, Bob!”. Thats me if asked how I am doing.
So believe me I will vote for whoever gets the nomination and I will become their biggest fan as soon as the nomination is clinched. But right now, I still have some say in who is and is not nominated and I want to express myself on that.
Aw, Darla, I am so sorry to hear that Trump is affecting your health. My heart goes out to you. He’s affected mine, too, but not quite to the same extent. My biggest problem seems to be not being able to enjoy my once favorite pastime of reading nearly as much. I’ve always struggled with anxiety and depression so I guess I was already sort of down for the count when Trump was elected anyway.
I recommend trying to get back into exercise. It really is a great way to work through your frustrations in a physical, tangible way. If only the feeling would last for more than five minutes outside of the gym or trail, though.
Points for the Pete Campbell reference, too, lol. I once used that gif to reply to Jon Favreau and he liked it. It is very relatable these days.
Esmom, thank you. That means a lot. I think I am also lonely. I broke up with my bf over politics, and my entire family except my mom are trumpsters. I have my own business and I did rent a Regus office to get out more, but I don’t really see anyone there. lol . I will get back into exercise, I really think its the only thing that will help me mentally and physically. I am going to start by walking and then hit the bike trail when the weather gets really nice. I will keep your words in mind.
Regarding reading, my friend told me her therapist advised it second only to exercise for your mood. I have struggled with reading too, and I am lifelong big reader! Maybe that’s something we can both commit to getting back.
Damn, Darla, that suuuucks. Hopefully we can all pull together and help each other get through another > two years of this but holy HELL am I with you about another 4 years after this. I just cannot.
I was just thinking the other day about how we used to come to this site to crack each other up and joke around, laugh and just have a good time. Feels like so long ago when I just had a sense of peacefulness and…lightness. These days everything is so dark and heavy. Sigh. Let’s hope 2020 gives us back that sense of weightlessness and general happiness.
Hi again Darla, Loneliness is rough, I’m sorry. I worked from home for about 15 years so I know how isolating it can be. I felt like I could easily become a full time hermit if I wasn’t careful so a few years ago I made a career switch and started working outside the house more. Just this month took a job where I’m in an office with actual, normal, nice people 20 hours a week. I’d forgotten how pleasant it is just to idly chitchat with someone about inane things when the mood strikes.
I’m sorry politics has caused such destruction to your relationships. I get it…as my parents became Fox watchers I’ve grown increasingly distant from them over the years. I wish it didn’t have to be this way.
I also know how therapeutic reading can be, I’m here for making it a bigger priority again. I actually read a novel over the weekend and it was nice to get lost in the story, which was about two guys trying to survive a number of crazy events in the Canadian wilderness. What helped me was deciding I need to stay off Twitter on the weekends, if possible.
I like your plan to start walking. Hopefully with every step you can start to unburden your rage and despair a little bit. Virtual hugs to you.
And yeah, Kitten, seems like a million years ago that “balls” was the biggest drama around here. Sigh.
Oh thank you both, you are my two fav commenters here, and this means so much to me really. You made my day. 🙂
No Beto, you shouldn’t run just because you think it’s your destiny. That’s entitlement. Fix your position first before considering running because we want someone who is not a moderate left like you know, the billionaire coffee guy.
Beto is undeniably very charismatic, he just has that x factor.
We were ROBBED of the first woman POTUS…by 77,000 votes in 3 Republican led states that committed election fraud…
Me and mines will NOT support ANY POTUS candidate who is NOT a woman…
Period…
Point…
Blank…
I will support whoever is the democrat nominee, I will not vote for Bernie, he is not a Democrat, or anyone not a Democrat. Also, I see already some here are starting to tear down some candidates if h/s is not our choice. Btw, this is how we got Don the Con. I’m pledging to not bad mouth a candidate, I will say why I like someone, not tear down the others.
Actually…that’s NOT how we got “Don the Con”…but okay…and I’m talking about the primaries…I have NEVER been politically stupid enough to cut off my nose to spite my face….however, all is fair in love and war….and THIS IS WAR….
Same! In fighting gives ammo to the rethugs imo
I love you! This is how I feel!
You know, at least he’s not 80-years-old. I’m pulling for whoever can get the voter base excited.
I hate that the field is all over the place and that everyone continues to tear down the candidates they aren’t in to on social media, etc. I feel like this hurts the Dems in the long run. I’m registered Independent and can’t vote in the primaries in my state, anyway, so I’ll just see how this all shakes out.
I’m worried all the good people will cancel each other out and we’ll end up with a dud of Democratic candidate who most voters are fairly indifferent to, because you know those Trump thumpers will be out in full force.
I’m a Texan, and I echo upthread comments on the massive effect that Beto has had here. Gotta eyeroll this a bit though. Overall, I think the large primary we are going to have is fine, and part of a healthy democratic process. All these pundits who make their living writing “think” pieces about how terrible it all is and the democrats are ripping themselves apart are completely missing the point. I think all the candidates ( except Tulsi Gabbard) bring something to the process that will make the process better. Some candidates have more baggage than others, and the candidates and voters will have to figure this out. I think some of this has been happening already with Amy Klibuchar. As it should. Personally I feel more galvanized around the Warren and Harris campaigns, but that could change. A key element to all of this will be how the campaigns do their social media. If they are savvy with this it will make a tremendous difference IMO. Hoping the candidates all have young, smart social media people in their inner circles and that they actually LISTEN to what those folks are telling them.
I had rather vote for Beto than Bernie. Man the Russian trolls were all over the web yesterday talking about they want Bernie over Beto!!! Even tlaking like they did in 2016 about donating money to Bernie because of it. Remember Bernie is being used by Russian trolls to divide us and they will be very heavy handed when it comes to Beto.
Does anyone actually care about their policies? Just wondering as no one mentions that. Kind if idd
Literally said several times upthread that I like Warren specifically because of her policies.
America isn’t smart enough to vote for her. We are very shallow, even liberals as voters. It always boils down to personality, anger, romancing the candidate, clout and then last on the list ideas.
Love him! And he can win. So excited for this.
Ahhh to have the confidence of a white dude. I like Beto. I donated to his campaign when he ran for Governor. I think he has great ideas. I also think his running for POTUS is like losing at your local poker game and then deciding to play in the all-star game. I would have much preferred for him to tal a back seat and align himself with another candidate who. Boost and elevate their message. But again – it’s the hubris of being a white dude who has perhaps bought into his own hype too much.
I personally think he would make a GREAT VP. To a woman. Kamala Harris to be specific. That would be a fantastic ticket. But right now I’m just annoyed at how yet again how he is getting an elevated platform just for being the young white guy. He isn’t any different from most of the other candidates. So what exactly makes him special?? We ALL know what they think makes him special…
So he just openly supported the green new deal. Do posters On here support that deal? because it seemed a bit much to me. I agree that we need to look at the earth and temperature change but this proposal seemed very far out and not realistic to me.
One thing I will tell you about Beto; trump is out there now claiming Beto has crazy hands, and it’s stuff like this that will make me like Beto more. Keep talking orange dipshit.
I saw him saying Beto talks with his hands, funny 😆 for him st say that when he talks with his hands. Don the Con trying to see what he can stick on Beto. I bet he will not call him low energy.
The election is next year November and some people are acting as if we should have decided already on who we are supporting.
I did want him to beat Cruz and he did come very close but I have major side-eye for his belief that he was born to do this and he is the right person for the moment. Really? WHY?!? We need a candidate with actual ideas and policies (Elizabeth Warren so far has been the best at this I think- she is putting out a new big bold policy ideas seemingly every week -universal childcare, breaking up Google/Amazon/FB). Sure, Beto’s race against Cruz was an absolute uphill climb but after the election a lot came out about how his campaign missed a lot of opportunities because he refused to listen to anyone and thought he knew best. So far this presidential campaign would appear to be more of the same. Hillary was hurt by this in 2016 (thinking she didn’t even have to step foot in WI, etc) and we can’t afford to go down that road again.
I’m a bit irritated that there is not enough mainstream news coverage of Andrew Yang. People might think he’s laughable because “no one in mainstream America will vote for a person of Asian descent to be president,” but I find that his ideas and policies are the most practical and because he is such a data-driven guy, he’s the most reasonable. He wants to implement universal basic income. He is the only one talking about the sea change that is coming in regards to robots/automation. He is warning us that the jobs displacement that is coming (that is already happening) will cause more and more reasonable people to become Trump-esque voters who are reactionary/violent and want to find a scapegoat of people to blame for their economic woes. We have to prevent this from happening. Upwards of 9 million+ people (and that’s just truckers/people related to the trucking industry) are about to lose their jobs. Democrats generally want to put a Band-Aid on this problem. Democrats want to “retrain and retool workers,” something that is not feasible in such a large scale. This change is happening really quickly. How can we “retrain and retool” 3.5 million truck drivers to become software engineers in such a short time? He’s the only one running that has acknowledged this problem and is trying to find ways to prevent the worst from happening. Please look him up and spread the message.
Don’t need to look him up because my BF’s stepdad loves him and already sent us some links.
Yang’s platform is fine–it’s progressive, it’s smart–but the dude is an entrepreneur with ZERO political experience. I’m sorry but that’s an automatic no for me.
In 2020 we will be working as hard as possible to undo the mess that Trump (ALSO a businessman with no prior political experience) has created and we need someone who has existing relationships with people in Congress and politics writ large. It’s so easy to tout ambitious and complex policies, the hard part is implementing those policies.
And in post-Trump America we simply won’t have the luxury of hiring a political novice who requires time and patience as he/she learns the job. On the contrary, we need someone to get in, take the reins and WORK. In order to do that, whoever gets the nom HAS to have an existing network of experienced, talented people who they trust and trust THEM. Yang, with his business background and lack of political experience is just not what we need right now. I’m sorry because I don’t have anything against Yang on a personal level–he seems like a genuinely good guy–I just don’t think he’s the right person to save a country that’s hanging by a thread.
But on the topic of Asian candidates, I would absolutely vote for Ted Lieu in a heartbeat. I know he can’t run due to his citizenship but he’s one of my absolute FAVORITE members or Congress.
Thank you for your input! Those are good points. Of course I would prefer someone who is skilled at navigating Congress and D.C. politics who can get things done quickly to undo Trump damage.
But I think I’m not alone in thinking that voters distrust candidates for the very reason that they are experienced: these experienced senators/governors/representatives seem entrenched in “business as usual” and get caught up the bubble of privilege that is D.C., forgetting to keep their campaign promises. A lot of the current candidates seem to be made of platitudes and pandering and not enough substantive policies.
The scariest thing for me, and I think for a lot of people, is the millions of jobs we’re going to lose in the coming years. Nothing destabilizes a country more than that. It has been proven time and time again, all around the world and throughout history, that when there is a large proportion of young, unemployed men in a country, chaos ensues. It already happened with Trump, and that was just in the Midwest, which I believe was the biggest reason why he was elected (I live in the rural Midwest so I saw this firsthand). I hope that whichever Democrat is elected has a swift but long-term plan to stem the hemorrhage of jobs, that isn’t just a temporary solution. I believe that everything goes back to jobs. That is the only first step to address all the economic and social inequalities. It is not enough, but it can dramatically change the lives of a large portion of the population.
I also truly fear the rise of China and the increasing influence it has over Asia, with all the human rights abuses it is doing along the way. They know how to play their political cards and they have tremendous power right now over the continent. The only way to prevent the threat of this other ruthless superpower is to create a smarter population that can compete with the sheer numbers. Those for me are my priorities. That is why I think we need a younger candidate who understands 21st century technology and 21st century business practices and 21st century globalism/global politics and who has been steeped in the language of the future (which is technology/Silicon Valley). I’m worried about all these older candidates who, even if they have the best advisors in the world, may not know or understand the intrinsic/inherent issues that arise with hacking (especially militarized by foreign powers), privacy issues, net neutrality, all of these things. These are also really urgent things and it will not be good if the president-elect has to be taught over a long period of time about all these things by advisors who may have their own special interests. I hope that is not being ageist. I got really frustrated when I heard that the American military still uses floppy disks on a regular basis….how can we combat the threat of Russia and China with floppy disks? well, I guess they can’t be hacked…
Sorry for my English; it’s not my first language.
One of the big reasons I left Facebook is that I got fed up with “conservative” family members condescending to me about capitalist markets because of my support for programs like universal income. A lot of them aren’t in tech fields and they legitimately do not understand what’s going to come down the pipeline in the next twenty years or less. I literally had somebody tell me that nobody had an excuse to be poor because jobs like truck drivers exist where people can make good money if they’re willing to do the work – even ignoring the ableism inherent in that statement, I was like…bitch, we literally have self-driving cars now! Wake up! What do you think is going to happen to those positions in ten years once the technology is perfected? You really think they’re going to pay fallible human beings who are insurance risks when they can sink the investment in technology that’s technically safer?
The American school system is about to crash in a big and ugly way. We just will not be able to keep up with the rapid pace at which technology will turn over with how expensive our schools are. People will need to be able to learn new skills at a rate never previously seen. My mother thinks I’m crazy for having three different degrees in very different fields, but I’m like…lady, you don’t understand. I work in the medical industry. I see what’s coming. I’m keeping my bases covered. The days of lifetime professions are coming to a fast end.
This is a fascinating conversation and this whole topic is something I have to look into a lot more. I have to admit that what with climate change bearing down and all of the other stuff, I have not given thought to this.
I love Yang and am sorta in the Yang gang, but come on, be real! Same for Buttigieg. As an Asian the most qualified and electable I see is Ted Lieu.
Grass roots….Vanity Fair…somebody’s got their PR mixed up there.
But Christ, do some of the comments here scare me going into 2020. I DON’T CARE WHO IT IS I WILL VOTE FOR THEM. I DON’T CARE. There are no politicians with clean hands because country’s with power are unavoidably exploitative. I just want somebody who won’t be another Bush or Trump.
Same! Same! Same!!
i feel many people are analyzing beto and the primary based on the standards and norms that existed before 2016. shit has changed. trump smashed all the norms. sadly it’s not about policies or qualifications but charisma, celebrity and who can garner the most media attention. the most qualified candidate ever lost to donald trump!! sure warren may have a comprehensive and equitable platform but she can’t beat trump so what good does it do? if the orange one gets another 4 years the planet will literally be destroyed. we can lament all day how far things have fallen or accept it and move forward.
Amen Jesica! Talk some sense into some of us please!!
Did he though Jessica? A lot of conservatives said the exact same about Obama in 08. Think about it. Weren’t they a little bit right? Hillary was far more qualified than he, he won the primary because of charisma, celebrity and media attention. Cons said he beat McCain for the same reasons. As a liberal it is hard for me to properly judge the 2nd claim. I love Obama. But I do a lot of thinking these days.
In the long run, was 08 a good thing?
Beto is the real deal. I have been volunteering some and monitoring him for well over a year and a half now, and he is exactly what this country needs. The exterior is a white guy, for sure, but he is literally inclusive of ALL people in his actions. He is the only Politician I have seen who actually seems to realize that his children will also inherit this mess along with ALL of us, and he is a hard core progressive who LISTENS and LEARNS and is willing to tackle new ideas~and old ideas that no longer have a place~head on. He has PLENTY of experience~3 terms as a State Representative, and he will be able to not only unite a badly fractured Democratic party but also rope in the Independents, Progressives, swing voters, and unhappy republicans. NO ONE else will be able to do that. Not Bernie, not Elizabeth, not, Kamala~Beto is the only one with the actual possibility of being elected. #beto46
Yes to Beto!
Articles like this with such a “meh” attitude towards a STRONG dem candidate are NOT helping to unify the party. He is a charismatic, qualified, hard-working candidate that the party and COUNTRY are lucky to have working for them. Nearly beating Ted Cruz in Texas is no easy feat in such a red state. He is a great addition to the ticket.
Agree he is extremely talented. Dems would be shooting themselves in the foot by not tapping into the enthusiasm he’ll create.
So far I’m still sticking with Biden.
We need some new rules when it comes to elections. I’m already over the 2020 election. Why can’t we have the election season at the very earliest Jan 1st of the year the election will be held. Until then no campaigning, no announcements, no commercials, no big rollouts. Gah. It’s exhausting and increase the general apathy towards voting and participation. As for qualifications, he’s been a Congressman and held state office before if I’m correct; he’s about as qualified as the other Dem candidates who’ve declared. But I also need to do a little more research to see what everybody else been doing – as it stands my top choice is currently Amy K. It remains to be seen if her campaign will be torpedoed.
I like him but I’m also going to wait to see who is still around in January.
Doesn”t support Medicare for All so it’s a no from me.
I think Beto is a great candidate that can drum up lots of grassroots and youth support. I agree he reeks of white male privilege and he’s far far far from perfect but let’s not shoot ourselves in the foot here because ANYONE is better than Trump (Bernie being the last on my list). If he takes off I say go with it and try to ride a blue wave. I absolutely think he can take the nomination and help a ton of down ballot candidates with him.
Not against him but he’s white male privilege personified.
And it’s weird that he’s positioning himself as a progressive given he voted with republicans more than anyone more or less anyone else running.