Beto O'Rourke may have lost his bid for senate, but whispers about a potential run for President are already happening. During his concession speech, Beto hinted that he wasn't done running for office when he told the emotional crowd "We'll see you down the road." For such a small turn of phrase, it inspired a massive response.
His supporters are showing up for this idea already.
It would be pretty easy to dismiss this call for 2020. So far, people's reactions aren't anything we haven't seen before. This happens every time there's a race this close. There is an interesting and unexpected aspect to this story, though. The opposing party's strategist has openly admitted Beto has what it takes. Ted Cruz's chief strategist, Jeff Roe, spoke to Politico about Beto:
"The Democrats don't have anybody like him. I've seen all of them. They don't have anyone of his caliber on the national stage. I pray for the soul of anyone who has to run against him in Iowa in 453 days."
Texas has long been considered among the reddest states in the nation, and Beto was able to pull about half of the state. That's an accomplishment that many believed was impossible. Not only that, but he broke all kinds of records for how much money he was able to raise without contributions from Political Action Committees. If that sort of charisma, fundraising, and ability to unite people were to hit a national stage, it could be nearly unbeatable. Interestingly, since his loss, sites have tracked that Beto's popularity has surged, not declined.
Trump's camp says it isn't worried about Beto, though. As far as Corey Lewandowski is concerned, the entire idea that he would run on a national level is ridiculous. Lewandowski doesn't care that Beto united people or raised record-breaking funds. He didn't win, so none of that matters. Not only does it not matter to Lewandowski personally, he doesn't think it matters to voters either. Sure, they may have been passionate and Beto may represent their beliefs, but Lewandowski believes Beto's voters and supporters are fickle and will abandon him because "people don't like to elect losers."
Twitter isn't so sure Beto should be dismissed so easily.
Do you think he should consider a national run, or would you rather see him focus on local government? Is Trump's camp unwise to write him off or do you think he's a non-issue for them? We'd love to hear your thoughts.
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