Somebody pick up that phone because I CALLED IT.
Even before the midterm elections were over, political analysts and commentators — including yours truly — surmised that then-Texas Senate Democratic candidate Robert “Beto” O’Rourke would attempt a run at the Oval Office in 2020. Now it would appear that our suspicions may prove correct.
After flatly denying that he wouldn’t run in 2020, O’Rourke seems to be singing a different tune. According to the Washington Post, O’Rourke is now saying that he won’t rule out an attempt at the White House in 2020 against President Donald Trump:
“Amy and I made a decision not to rule anything out,” he told reporters afterward, admitting that his position is different from the one he took on 2020 during his campaign.
O’Rourke, 46, who is leaving the House after three terms, would enter the race with more limited elected experience than many of his rivals but a proven ability to excite Democratic voters in a political era dominated by President Trump.
According to WaPo, no consultants have been consulted on the idea, but O’Rourke’s wife Amy has labeled the proposition as “scary.”
“To me that just seems like you have to give up so much,” she told the Post. “I don’t know if this is a line that I or we really want to cross.”
While it seems like they’re still on the fence, chances are their minds have already been made up. According to Open Secrets, O’Rourke still has over $10 million on hand, and it’s money that he was unwilling to share with other Democrats before the race was even over. Let’s also not forget that O’Rourke gained national fame, becoming one of the most beloved politicians of the year, putting him at third just under Bernie Sanders at second place.
This means that in order to run in 2020 he must first defeat the “democratic socialist,” as well as overcome the Democrats’ current top choice to contend with Trump, former VP Joe Biden, who is already topping Trump in the polls.
Others, such as Kamala Harris and Cory Booker may also attempt to topple Trump, but they’re not placing anywhere high enough in the polls to give him any worry. At this time, Biden, Sanders, and O’Rourke are poised as the top choices for the left.
It’s likely that being flush with cash and support, O’Rourke will soon come out as a candidate during the next Presidential race.
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