Are Democrats Developing a 2020 Frontrunner?
By 
I think they are. Or at least they are if Beto O’Rourke wants to do this.
The Des Moines Democratic party has invited Beto O’Rourke to come visit Iowa, the stomping ground of possible presidential contenders.
According to a Wednesday Hill report, local Democrats have been clamoring for a visit from the charismatic Texan who lost his challenge against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) by three percentage points last week.
Though O’Rourke has reportedly not responded to the invitation, and has previously said that he will not running for President, many of his supporters hope that he’ll change his mind and mount a challenge to President Donald Trump in 2020.
Personally, I think talk of who is going to run and all is premature, if inevitable I suppose. Ultimately, people want someone inspiring, someone charismatic, someone who is really good at campaigning. What they really want is someone who makes them feel like Barack Obama did in 2008. And maybe that actually is Beto. Why not? He ran a hell of a great campaign and nearly upset Ted Cruz. He is a great fundraising. He is a genuinely cool guy who throws down Clash lyrics in a debate and played in bands with the guys who became The Mars Volta. He would put Texas in play. Sure, the policy chops aren’t that well known. But no one cares about policy except weirdos like me. As for experience, the similarities between his career and Lincoln’s have already been brought up, as facile as that comparison might be.
So I don’t know. Maybe? I’m going to be pretty happy with anyone who isn’t Andrew Cuomo or someone like him. The only other potential candidate who really excites a lot people is Bernie, but there are huge negatives there as well, and maybe Booker, who also does not lack for negatives. Warren may have shot herself in the foot over the response to the Native American heritage deal. And as much as I love Gillibrand and am interested in seeing what Klobuchar or Merkley or Sherrod could do, if Beto grabs all the energy, I can probably live with it.
But we are a long ways away too. Still, if the Party was begging me to run for president, I’d have to consider it, no?