If Beto O'Rourke beats Ted Cruz in Texas, let me say it again with the emphasis on Texas which hasn’t had a Democratic Party United States senator since June 13, 1998,* could he be a potential candidate to run for president against Trump? In fact, could he be the darkhorse candidate Trump fears more than any other?
Outside of his home state, he is only a little less known nationally as Barack Obama was before he gave the 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address. If he wins he will be in the national spotlight and has two years to position himself as a serious presidential candidate. If there’s a bruising primary fight, he could end up as the compromise candidate.
Instead of boring you with why I think Beto O’Rouke has a lot going for him should he run for president against Trump, not the least of which is that he is a relative unknown, first check out his Wikipedia page.
Most of you probably know he was in a punk rock band and had some minor run-ins with the law, but how many of you even knew he was he was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2012 where he still serves out of the glare of the spotlight because of his membership on two somewhat low profile committees, Armed Services, and Veterans Affairs.
Now that you’ve read his Wikipedia page (you have read it of course) take a look at these photos (and read the articles) and ask yourself whether you can see the politician Town and Country calls Kennedyesque as an effective, even a formidable, candidate.
Why So Many People Are Betting on Beto O'Rourke? He's a Kennedyesque longshot in a roiling red state, but the Democrat from Texas just might have a chance at unseating Ted Cruz. Town and Country
John F. Kennedy played touch football, Bill Clinton played the sax, Barack O’Bama shot hoops. Beto would be our first punk-rocker president. He’s also a runner.
If This Punk-Rock Democrat Can Win in Texas, Maybe We’re Not Totally Screwed
What It Was Like to Be In a Punk Band With Beto O’Rourke, According to Cedric Bixler-Zavala
While on the subject of music. Donald Trump has Kanye West. Look who Beto has:
Ted Cruz bought ads on Stephen Colbert the evening Beto was on. In an anti-Beto ad, Cruz posted a mug shot from when Beto was arrested for DWI which backfired when social media responded by asking why Ted Cruz thought he benefited from posting a photo a guy who looked cool as shit.
If you watched the Colbert interview and think that the 47-year-old Beto seems too young to be elected president, take a look at this John F. Kennedy campaign speech when he made a joke about his own youth. JFK, at 43, was our second youngest president after Teddy Roosevelt who was 42 when elected. Of course, Obama was 47 when he was elected.
Have I piqued your interest? If so, take a look at his Twitter feed.
* Footnote:
Lloyd Bentsen was the last elected US Senator from Texas. He served from 1971-1993. He resigned to become US Secretary of Treasury and was replaced by Bob Krueger who lost the special election to fill Benston’s term to Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison. Ann Richards served from 1991 — 1995 as the last Democratic governor from Texas.
Addendum:
Satirical quote from The Onion from Cruz’s 10-year-old daughter Caroline: “Mr. O’Rourke, could you be our new daddy—please, please, please, with a cherry on top? You’d be a nice, normal daddy, not weird and creepy like the one we have now. We could even introduce you to our friends without being embarrassed. We love you, Beto!”