Beto!
For about a week now, I have had reason to believe that Beto O’Rourke is not running for president, but he’s interested in running for Senate against John Cornyn. He really, really wants to be a senator.
Politico picked up on it today. There’s all kinda of political chess going on, with Texas Democrats feeling relief that we no longer have to beg candidates to run, but the new feeling of being tangled in primary fights kind of scares us.
Julián Castro lost a lot of goodwill when he decided to sit 2018 out. His presence in a statewide race might have carried the weight to have thrown the senate race to Beto and lifted other statewide candidates and judicial candidates. There’s still some heavy resentment about that.
MJ Hagar, a female war hero and excellent candidate, came awfully close to beating a well financed incumbent Republican congressman in 2018. She is also thinking about running against Cornyn. If not, she ought to take on the congressman again.
And there’s even talk of Wendy Davis running. She has been conspicuously absent since losing the Governor race four years ago. Conspicuously.
I’m sure there will be lots of squirreling around through the summer so I haven’t even polished up the crystal ball yet. Texas is getting to be fun. Finally.
Mixed feelings about Wendy, she’s got a compelling personal story but she’s maybe not the most skilled politician. Beto for anything, including president, but there’s a lot of talent w national name recognition in the presidential race, and his next race needs to be a win or his star will begin to lose its luster. Same for Hagar, she needs to right-size her ambitions. We’re so hungry for statewide wins we’ll grab onto anybody with a positive trajectory, but some.of them need development first.
1Hey, all that action and all those people! Actually a healthy sign! Which one will be the really “different” one to make it? Its going to be a fun time for awhile!
2Brad in Dallas, we share your thoughts about Wendy Davis. We love her, but her political skills may be more tempered to running for a House seat. Something maybe in the already vacant like Louie’s seat. Replacing Cornyn with Beto would be some balm to soothe the wound of Teddie Crooze still stinking up the halls of the Senate.
2020. If Beto could defeat Cornyn, anyone step up to defeat Old Scratch McConnell, Mark Kelly for AZ, there’s hope for the country.
3I love Wendy Davis, met her in 2014, and had high hopes. After that 20-point loss in a statewide race, I think she’d have a better shot at a US House seat than Cornyn’s senate seat. She’s doing good work now with Deeds Not Words, but I’d like to see her in public office again.
Beto for senate makes sense. He’s already got all the infrastructure of a statewide campaign in place and a solid donor pool. While I have no doubt he could appeal to people all over the US in a presidential bid, that field is already getting a bit crowded, and competition for funds will be tight. I think Beto would be an outstanding senator, and I hope that’s the race he chooses.
4Friends’ opinions aside, I prefer, for now, Beto as a Senator from the great State of Texas rather than the Democratic vp or potus candidate. Not only is the Senate an slightly easier race to manage and win, the chances of a repeat in 6 years are greater, and Beto might be able to accomplish so much more of lasting import over 12 or 18 year Senate years, PLUS at only 48ish in 2020, he would only be 60isg in 2032. And 64ish in 2036. Certainly not out of the range of a presidential run given the geriatric fool presently occupying the space. And Joe 3 is only 38 today. 40ish in 2020. and so on. The presidential quadrennium favors both men as candidates.
On the other side I’d like to see Susan Collins primary the sitting president. And burn down the nacilbupeR party to inconsequential embers. After her crap with the Kavanaugh vote she’s the top nacilbupeR turd on my sh!t list. That is to say after the sitting president, who is not actually a nacilbupeR. He flies that flag for convenience. He is for himself and the card-carrying nacilbupeR voters, supporters, congressvarmints and Senators range from useful idiots to fellow travelers for the sitting president.
5JJ and Brad,
Major MJ Hegar’s surname is spelled with an “e”, not an “a” (married surname, née von Stein).
Mary “MJ” Jennings Hegar:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MJ_Hegar
As far as Brad’s quote (below), implying that MJ Hegar may not be ready for primetime in a prominent position like US Senator, I call utter bullshit on that crap.
I’m real tired of the usual Democratic “crabs in a bucket” mentality*. How many of y’all have even handled crabs in a bucket? (on NPI, SPI, and Boca Chica too, they’re miserable damned critters, great on a plate though…)
MJ Hegar began leadership training in high school (ROTC), university (BA, MBA), and had a very distinguished USAF career as an officer for twelve years (which certainly involves ‘politics’), rising to the the rank of ‘Major’. In civil politics she has been active in several areas. She’s also an accomplished author.
MJ Hegar is more than qualified to be a Democratic Senator from TX, even compared to any others, and would pick up the ‘frills’ of the position in a heartbeat. What experience did BHO have?
Hell yes dammit, MJ Hegar is my first choice, Beto second against the execrable Cornyn. Give either one a term, then on to prez…
Brad in Dallas BS quote:
“Same for Hagar (sic), she needs to right-size her ambitions. We’re so hungry for statewide wins we’ll grab onto anybody with a positive trajectory, but some.of them need development first.”
* Hell yes there’s a Wiki for it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_mentality
“Crab mentality or crabs in a bucket (also barrel, basket, or pot) is a way of thinking best described by the phrase “if I can’t have it, neither can you”.[1] The metaphor refers to a pattern of behaviour noted in crabs when they are trapped in a bucket. While any one crab could easily escape,[2] its efforts will be undermined by others, ensuring the group’s collective demise.[3][4][5]
The analogy in human behaviour is claimed to be that members of a group will attempt to reduce the self-confidence of any member who achieves success beyond the others, out of envy, resentment, spite, conspiracy, or competitive feelings, to halt their progress.[6][7][8]”
6Beto…Meh. He’s already campaigned for a Republican rather than a genuine progressive. Yes, I know one must compromise in politics to be “electable”…but the corporate Democrats are the ones who have to explain their electability, not progressives. There are plenty of polls showing Bernie would have kicked Trump’s butt.
…but corporate D’s would rather have a first class cabin on the Titanic than a successful crossing… Guys like Beto join them there. Honestly, losing to Ted Cruz!… Take a look at what Nader says:
“The Democrats could blow it again. They blew it in 2010, ’12, ’14, and ’16, against the worst Republican Party that Kafka could ever imagine. Cruel, vicious, ignorant, Wall Street-indentured, warmongering, anti-labor, anti-woman, anti-consumer, anti-children — these are their votes in Congress. Why aren’t the Democrats landsliding them? They’ve lost the state legislatures, the majority of state governors, the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court and the executive branch. Because they’re still dialing for dollars and that’s the most important thing.”
Of course Beto has a billionaire spouse…so there’s that.
7Either candidate for senator is ok with us.
Wendy again? IDK.
8I think Texas might be in play in the 2020 Presidential election. Having a really strong candidate facing Cornyn and campaigning with the Dem presidential nominee would probably be mutually beneficial. Especially now that the straight-ticket voting option has been taken away in Texas, we’ll need recognizable names up and down the ballot, and they’ll all need to work together to get the best overall result. Fingers crossed to turn Texas blue in 2020!
9Fivethirtyeight.com did a somewhat tongue-in-cheek Democratic 2020 VP draft, and Nate Silver picked Beto fairly high up, on the reasoning that there’s a better-than-even chance the Dem presidential nominee will not be a white male, so the VP pick should be (his words not mine), and since the VP slot is somewhat developmental (somebody you’d want running for president in 8 years), neither Biden nor Bernie would fit that description due to age.
10I liked Wendy Davis until she whimped out during the Gov. campaign and bowed before the NRA
11She showed that during extended campaign her spine will melt.
If MJ runs first thing would be to ensure thuglicrats like cuellar are made irrelevent since he showed last time by his support of her thuglican oppenent that he prefers to be in minority and take orders from his thuglican masters.
I know he if very comfortable and effective where he is but I am ready for Kirk Watson to pick a spot- Sen Gov or the like – and era lly turn up the heat.
12ive been aquainted with Sheila Kennedy,and seek more, as a kid growing up in the ny,nj metro area(1960s), I miss the intelligence of good humor,and intelligent minds at work. i didnt do college,but decided a street career driving truck. presently allowed to live in north dakota,home of trump dirty underware. (im a lone blue voice)
13im amassed everyday with know it alls who voted for agent orange. im a few up here,who actully read beyong foxs drivel.journalism is a hobby,not writing it,reading it..started about 9, with grandparent upbringing. i never thought about “what if “like this present admins. where we come together here,or anyother viable words of wisdom,thanks, its a big deal when we are looking at,loosing our country to fascists,and corp america.. best wishes…
I want Bill Gates to run for President and Beto to be his running mate. Trump cannot denigrate Bill Gates and Beto would take the South and possibly Texas
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