Beto O’Rourke is the only Dem candidate who has declared against Ted Cruz. He’s said he intends to run a ground-based campaign across the state, and he’s already begun holding up to that promise. He’s been to Waco and College Station - he said that it's important to go to Democratic strongholds like Dallas an Austin, and not take them for granted, but to also go to West Texas and everywhere else, to speak and listen, and fight for every vote. He did do a callout to Indivisible, as well as those who came out for Houston’s 15K-strong March for Science, and EVERYONE who was just getting involved, organizing and running for office. Today, he was in Sugar Land, outside Houston. Ft Bend went blue for president for the first time in 2016: unfortunately, it didn’t translate into down-ballot victories...but is still a promising sign.
So Beto swung by (he’s heading to Galveston tomorrow), and spoke with about 250 excited Dems at Big Bend brewery. Here are some of the topics from the 2-hr event!
“Our town [El Paso] is safer because of who we have here, not despite it” — he is very opposed to what Border Patrol has been doing, and believes militarization is making us LESS safe. He mentioned how people are afraid to report crimes, abuse and rape. He mentioned how he’s on the Veteran’s Committee and the Armed Services Committee...and that he’s the senior member on Veterans (despite being first elected in 2012) because no one wants it, for lack of major donors. He’s pushing to improve funding and staffing at the VA hospitals nationwide, an issue close to my heart. He stressed how important it was to help vets with PTSD, and with sexual trauma. He didn’t shy away from those facts, or from the stat that 20 military members or veterans commit suicide daily. He also pushed straight up for single-payer health care.
After his prepared remarks, he moved into a town hall — astutely commenting that he should, because Ted Cruz has been afraid to! Questions ranged from Glass-Steagal (re-instate) to the environment (Keep with the Paris accords, fight against the Trump budget), nonpartisan redistricting — at all levels, even pushing for a constitutional amendment!, and said flat out that he would unequivocally stand for a woman’s right to choose: it is her right, it should be her choice, and for many women, it’s a matter of life and death. He also addressed the fact that since TX passed the TRAP laws in 2011, TX maternal mortality rose to the highest in the nation...and when TX passed more in 2013, it rose to the highest in the developed world.
Beto has the issues, but we all know that’s not enough. I had the pleasure of seeing then-Senator Obama while he campaigned against Sen McCain: Beto has the same integrity that I saw then. He also has the ability to speak and connect with folks — and the integrity to stand by his positions, and say what he believes and WHY he does. I was impressed: the Tribune was right. Beto DOES have a chance against Ted Cruz. He’s young, charismatic, has integrity and speaks fluent Spanish — he can reach out to and LISTEN across the state.
For 2018: we need to remember that while TX is red, it is becoming less so. In 2012, Ted Cruz won his first election against Some Dude, former (from 2003) State Rep Paul Sadler...and only won by with 56.6% of the vote: Romney beat President Obama by 16 points here. Money difference? $9M to $136K. In other words, Cruz ran equal to the Presidential margin. In 2016, Trump only beat Clinton by 10, despite a) holding a Primary debate in Houston and b) the Dems only competing for TX-23.
Links
www.betofortexas.com
www.washingtonpost.com/…
www.salon.com/…