Beto 2020 (Part 3)

Link to Previous Thread

Love him! He’ll get attention and bring positive solutions... not division and grumpiness. I like that the GOP and Russians fear him too

Given how viciously he's been attacked today by the Trump trolls, the BernieBros and the we gotta have a woman trolls, he's got people worried. Hell, John Cornyn was fundraising off Beto's name and today Kamala Harris did the same thing.

Someone needs to TIE HIS HANDS DOWN. So incredibly distracting and patronizing.

And his wife could reel in that goofy grin.

The fear coming from the Bernie Bros says it all.

I mean, they’re sure as fuck not going after Kamala Harris or Joe Biden like this!!!

R4, what is “patronizing” about his hand movements? Garett Haake said he’s highly caffeinated.

I agree they are distracting and someone does need to tell him about that. This is the first criticism I’ve ever made of him.

There's no denying a lot of things, namely that he lost his last election, and against a completely scrofulous unpopular incumbent; and that this thread was started in Robert Francis' campaign office.

R6, it's like he feels the need to make these 'points' with his hands because people are apparently too stupid to understand him without them. If he's highly caffeinated (which is obvious) he needs to cut back big time...

Glad we agree on one thing anyway. Definitely distracting, especially in that taped ad, which had to have been approved before sending it out.

R7 Ted Cruz's approval rating in Texas among idiots is 51%. Trump's approval rating in Texas is - as of today - 39%. Beto can carry Texas and he's the only Dem who can. A Dem who can carry Texas would not only become President but destroy the GOP. The GOP cannot win the Presidency without Texas.

Maybe this will help...

R7, I am the OP of the second Beto 2020 thread. You can “troll dar” me and see that I don’t work for him. I would like to, if I could get paid.

And your lone talking point about how he lost Texas just goes to show you know nothing about politics in Texas and how they compare to the rest of the US.

Who is your preferred candidate, and why? Tell us know.

R9 Yes Robert Francis O'Rourke -- oh, sorry, Bey-to, is the candidate to DESTROY Trump in Texas. After he couldn't beat Fredy Munster. Ok.

Tell us now*

R12 if Beto's such a lousy candidate, why do you keep posting about him?

R7 and R12 (same person) is new to Datalounge. So either a Bernie Bro on a mission, a Trump troll, or a Russian. No other posts on all of Datalounge.

Block and forget.

R7 I don't troll-dar, I don't have time for that garbage -- you're on the clock and I'm not. And my preferred candidate is None-of-the-Above, which is my right. And what should I know about politics in Texas to understand why Ted Cruz, who probably could be elected Least Popular in any Senate poll, and who the Dems were PRETTY sure they could unseat with Beto, won? Thanks, I'll wait.

No need to wait. No one expected him to actually WIN.

And news flash: Trump won't be around to run next year...

You’re responding to yourself, R16.

Everyone please F&F R16 and block him.

Two questions:

Why doesn't his official website have any positions on it? It's just a fundraising website with black and white pics and some hats, signs, and bumper stickers and a place to donate money.

And...

Why

does he

talk

like this?

He couldn’t beat Cruz in Texas. He has no relevant experience. I find him interesting but I’m a palled that people are so desperate as to elect someone like this. I’m sure my post will anger some people. But I don’t feel this guy is any better nor more qualified than our current president

R19 Because He's Not That Full of ideas. #IdeasAreNotEverything

So many first-time callers here on Datalounge in the Beto threads, talking shit about him. How curious.

OP, you're a full-on idiot. Really? I'm [R7] ? who is also OP on another thread defending Beto? How does that even work? FF me all you like, you can't do that in an election.....So far.

I’ve blocked the shit stirrers and others will do the same, so your antagonism is a waste of your time, trolls.

I am sorry but because of Beto s own words, he seems like a nut.

R24 Have you seen the "How to be a Humorless Prick on Datalougne" thread? Your magic doesn't work here. Be gone!

Parscale's got his troll farm overrunning Beto's twitterfeed and I guess those are the same trolls on here. Why is Parscale so worried about a guy who - according to his trolls - is no threat?

Um R27 Who the fuck is Pascale and why do you know ho he is ? i see a Brad Pascale,who worked for Trump, but seriously , unless you're an operative, how do you know all Trump's shills? You have to be a shill yourself. Dope.

R19 he talks like that because he needs time to swing and flail his arms to make his point while he's speaking.

You know, he's fine, but "charisma" only takes you so far, and Trump would rip him to shreds in a debate - not with facts or logic but just with slashing attacks, and he would be too nice and weak to respond.

In this election the Democratic nominee will need to have either a major policy agenda or a pitbull's attack skills (and preferably both) and he doesn't have either one.

The new hacker revelations smell of a hatchet job.

Apparently his fundraising flopped. As expected, his campaign is nothing more than an excuse to give him something to do since he's unemployed now. We need a candidate who is serious about governing and getting through the reforms and changes needed to fix this country, not someone who skateboards in Whataburger parking lots.

We had 8 years of hope and it ended in despair. Now it's time for action.

R32 and I totally agree, but we need to have somebody electable in order to do take action. I love Hillz but all of her platforms, competency, and general intelligence couldn't make her any more charismatic or less boring to Middle America. Same with Kerry..and Gore...and Dukakis...etc. All of the policy wonks in the party can't do shit to "take action" unless they win. And for that, they need charisma.

Now I'm not saying that that person is Beto or even that Beto is the best chance, but charisma is going to be a major factor in determining whether or not the democratic nominee can win. I mean look at Obama. More style than substance, and someone who believed wholeheartedly in the spirit of bipartisanship and compromise. And look where it got him; flat on his back getting gangbanged by McConnell and Putin over and over again. Hillz (with the help of Queen Nancy) wouldn't have taken either of their shit. The ACA, Garland, Russia annexing Crimea hell even the prosecution of Dubya and Cheney, would all have handled completely differently had a serious policy wonk reformer been president. But I don't know if she would have won in '08. And that is what worries me about 2020 and underestimating the importance of charisma.

[quote]Apparently his fundraising flopped. As expected, his campaign is nothing more than an excuse to give him something to do since he's unemployed now.

This is patently absurd. It was an agonizing decision for him and his family.

R32 has never posted on Datalounge before.

Go troll somewhere else, loser.

[quote]but charisma is going to be a major factor in determining whether or not the democratic nominee can win.

Not charisma. Showmanship. Americans love showmen, hucksters who play to the masses, providing the circus and razzmatazz that the masses can't get enough of. The masses don't vote for boring. See Obama and Trump for details.

R32, thanks for the laugh. You're quite the comedian.

R37, he’s a troll who came to Datalounge specifically to shit-talk Beto.

r36 oh yeah you're right. My bad. We do love our soaps and reality shows.

I was born in Texas and my family there thinks he is great. I like his message and would have voted for Beto. Until I saw Mayor Pete. Jesus, Pete Buttigieg is the real deal. A winning team would be old guard Joe Biden and charismatic and pragmatic Millenial Pete Buttigieg. Sorry Beto, but you seem nice though.

If it's going to take "charisma" to get elected, fine. Put him in the White House. Bring him out for the occasional show. Put a real policy wonk in the VP position and fill the Cabinet with amazingly smart people with ideas and the know-how to get shit done. Beto can skateboard around the White House hallways and spin around in his chair behind the big desk while everyone else get the work done.

It really sucks that we have to hide our intelligent, idea-laden, hard-working people and run Barnum & Bailey showmen instead but that's America now.

Bunch f BS in that OP video. Slogans, that’s all he’s got.

That fucked up first person story he wrote about murdering random children because he felt entitled to their happiness, then meditating on it, is reeeeeeeaaaally gonna haunt him. Doesn’t matter if it was the 90s.

So, what did you think of Hillary Clinton's detailed policies, R42? Surely you studied them at the time, seeing that's really important to you.

Uh huh. Sure, snowflake @ R43.

R43 has one post in this thread and a few words in the Urinal Peeking thread (he’s anti-foreskin). Otherwise, brand new to Datalounge. Welcome, R43! What brings you here?

R42 is another troll who’s never posted on Datalounge before tonight.

Click R47 and a third of third of the thread disappears.

I am the OP, R48, and I will continue to call out the real TROLLS who are here just to shit-talk Beto. Would that be you?

R49, I think it would be more honest of you to say "My Boo, Beto" whenever you mention his name.

[quote]I will continue to call out the real TROLLS who are here just to shit-talk my boo, Beto.

See. Much better.

[quote]But I don’t feel this guy is any better nor more qualified than our current president

There's a minimum threshold of subtlety essential to effective concern trolling. You do not possess it.

You may also want to work on your English, though I understand that a windowless room in Saint Petersburg filled with hotdesks is not the ideal setting for that.

Really R50. One does not question or criticize OP's Boo, Beto. One submits. Silently.

I also came here to discuss the 'murder fiction' so pile on boys.

Anyway, on the one hand I get that he was a teen and that we all do stupid shit as teenagers (or later!), but on the other hand that story (I just read the description in axios) is really unsettling and creepy. I don't really know how I feel about it, or if I should even HAVE an opinion on it (BTW where did they get this story from? did he publish it or something?!!), and I don't think that the story reveals a Freudian truth of homicidal tendency. I wrote a story with death in it when I was a teen, but the person dying was me (suicide, such angst!) and not little kids.

Even the most fervent fangirls here have to admit that the story is a little off, whatever you think about how much it impacts/should impact his 2020 campaign.

Ok thanks for listening, proceed to call me a troll/russian/alt-right/etc....

How is pointing out that Beto was committed enough as a young man to fantasizing about sacrificing children to his own douchebag vanity — one seriously fucked up fantasy that probably indicates psychopathy — that he wrote some terrible short stories about it “trolling”?

I get the stupid prefer sanitized versions of their heroes, it’s this pathetic need they have because reality is too hard for them, but you can’t hide from the truth forever about anyone. Just ask the Trumpmongers.

He will lose, and his pathetic “rebel” Che Guevara t-shirt wearing would be serial killer youth is what will do him in.

He’s a good ball.

Wow. The Trumpniks are going nuts on here. Beto's got 'em scared. Here's the Republican who prepped Cruz for the debates and did oppo research on Beto. This explains all the rightwing trolling. Scared shitless.

r56 not a Trumper, not even close, I just would prefer to see a D candidate who doesn’t fantasize about murdering kids like Adam fucking Lanza. Apparently that’s too much to ask when fanbois have their self-respect on the line. That’s all.

It pains me to see him being attacked so viciously from both the GOP and the other Dems (and of course the Bernie Bros), but that has to be a good thing because it means they see him as a real threat.

One thing I'm curious about, though ... he declined to announce how much money he raised on day one, and of course people are pouncing on that and claiming he's hurting in donations. My guess is that he didn't do as well as he'd hoped, but I think he needs to take into account that he lost some momentum between November and now, and that donations will pick back up when more people get to know him and see him speak. (For the record, I donated 20 bucks when he announced.)

GO BETO GO!!!!!

[quote]As expected, his campaign is nothing more than an excuse to give him something to do since he's unemployed now.

His “campaign” is all about publicity and raising his profile. He will transition into a television and media career.

r60 has it right.

[quote]I like that the GOP and Russians fear him too

Putin would love a president Beto, some inexperienced guy who doesn't even realize he's been tricked. Beto is like Jimmy Carter, giving Iran back to fundamental islamists and Russia.

Seems like someone who should have a YouTube channel rather than run for President.

The Russians and GOP have crunched their numbers. Outcome: take down o'rourke and Biden on social media (and pretend you’re a Democrat doing it) !!!

The paranoia on this thread and everywhere online is unreal. Closer every day to just cutting the cord, it’s not worth it.

And can we stop saying that Obama did not accomplish things, of that he favored style over substance? He was good at both, and didn’t call a lot of attention to it Compare his record on healthcare to Hillary, who couldn’t even get her plan introduced in Congress when her party controlled both houses and the presidency.

He's poetic.

Yeah, the jazz hands give me the willies. Also, the wanna-be rocker political “rock star” vibe is a turn off. I’m an old lefty and I’m tired of people who think that charisma is equal to having sound ideas. He might be great at campaigning but shit at governing. I have reservations.

I mean, he lost to *Ted Cruz*.

C’mon.

Fiction that you write as a teenager is just that, fiction. I don’t think you can judge someone by it.

That video, on the other hand, looks like a parody, with him and his wife looking like robotic mindless people. Whoever approved it should be sacked...

Writing that shit is in no way within the normal and healthy compass of teenage behaviour. It’s completely creepy and so is he. People change less than we like to imagine.

The Russians have confirmed that a Beto presidency is in their Best Interests, so they send out their 'Internet Research Agency' trolls like r64 to attack true Americans and promote Beto. How many rubles do you get per post, r64?

The Vanity Fair piece was over the top. He grappled with the decision to run. Spent time in the wilderness. Christ. He knew a minute after he gave his concession speech to Cruz that he was going for the big enchilada. Maybe his wife didn’t but he did. He’s addicted to the cheering throngs of adoring groupies. Just like Trump. This gives me pause.

[quote]The Russians and GOP have crunched their numbers. Outcome: take down o'rourke and Biden on social media (and pretend you’re a Democrat doing it) !!!

Yep, that’s exactly what’s going on here.

Oh well. Can’t fight all the trolls all the time. Between bernOuts, Trumptards, Russians, and “concerned” Democrats, Beto is just going to have to campaign and make personal connections with people in real life, and fuck the trolls online.

Let’s see how many more times you idiotic cunts can level the same criticisms in this thread. How soon can we get to 600 replies?

I don’t think it’s too much to ask that when you do that, you also state who your preferred candidate is and explain in a few words why you think he or she can CAMPAIGN BETTER than Beto and actually get people to the polls. Perhaps that requires a separate thread (one which would get significantly less traffic).

I'd do him.

Looks like the GRU has sent another russian-- r74 --to tells us all about Beto's majesty (or is it the same troll?). This one sounds a little more American than the frantic russian OP, so they must have bumped us up in their "foreign influence campaign importance queue." Da Svidaniya Coraline.

R76, are you fucking retarded? I’m the OP of this thread and the previous Beto thread. Russians aren’t pushing Beto, they’re pushing AGAINST him, you ass.

You can “troll dar” me if you know how to do that and you will see I am not a Russian troll. I’ll even fucking meet you in person here in New York.

It’s surreal how everyone is so sure about Russian intervention based on so little substantial evidence.

Seth Rich did it, right R78?

r77 Everything your wrote sounds exactly like what a russian would say. Nice "new york" touch, by the way, but I'm pretty sure New York isn't in Moscow.

Where do you want to meet me, R80?

Beto is Beta.

From Newsweek 3.16.19

I helped prepare Senator Ted Cruz for his 2018 debates, and here’s what I learned: Beto O’Rourke is the toughest candidate I ever prepped against and one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen. The media might not recognize his skills, but voters do — and will in 2020. In fact, being underestimated may be one of his biggest advantages.

For those who believe he’s a lightweight, that his social media habits are not presidential material and he doesn’t have enough experience or gravitas, I’m here to set you straight. What he managed in Texas in his race against Senator Cruz was not a fluke: Beto got out the vote in ways none of us expected. His four million votes surpassed Hillary Clinton’s 3.87 million votes in 2016, which had been the highest total ever achieved in Texas by a Democrat.

In a state that’s redder than a red light, a state where a Democrat hasn’t won a statewide election since Governor Ann Richards did in 1991, Beto lost by a slim margin: 50.9% to 48.3%. On that basis alone, he’s the primary frontrunner.

How will he connect in Michigan? And Wisconsin? And Iowa? He ran the table in Harris County so my guess is, he can succeed in all kinds of environments.

How do I know? I spent lots of time studying Beto. I began by going to the game film. And my goodness, is there a lot. He livestreamed his life the way high school girls livestream theirs. Beto drinking coffee. Beto bowling. Beto eating a hamburger. Beto riding a skateboard. Even Beto doing his laundry. But what most interested me were the livestreamed town halls.

It made studying Beto easy. So did the endless gushing profiles by every website, publication and media outlet imaginable, all essentially anointing Beto as the next Bobby Kennedy.

In May of 2017, Vanity Fair published a 1,993 word profile with this title: “Meet the Kennedyesque Democrat Trying to Beat Ted Cruz.” In February, the New York Times ran their own puff piece, running 1,690 words. Time Magazine followed with a 1,658 word press release masquerading as a news report. On July 9, Politico ran a 4,800 word profile, and Town and Country weighed in with a 3,823 word profile. You heard that right: Town and Country! Buzzfeed would follow with an 8,021 word piece, and not to be outdone, Texas Monthly ran an 8,373 word love letter.

The photos that accompanied the coverage had the feel of a Ralph Lauren ad. Beto always looked great. And made looking great easy. And always, he looked like a man of the people. I say all of this not to slight Beto. On the contrary, Beto — it was clear almost instantly — had real star power. And that matters.

Democrats dismissed President Reagan’s star quality, and Republicans dismissed President Obama’s. Critics miss the point about star power. In politics, it’s a big deal. It can’t be taught. Or bought. You either have it. Or you don’t. Beto had it.

Beto loved the camera. And the camera loved him. More important, the people loved him. The people who attended those town halls he live streamed were not mere Democrat activists or the party faithful. They were, dare I say, fans. And having fans is more important than having voters.

He had real talent on the stump, and didn’t use prepared remarks. He did what great pastors do when they get comfortable: he preached on his feet.

His speeches had the feel of a religious revival, without any trace of Elmer Gantry sanctimoniousness. Always, he framed things simply and in a moral dimension. And not with the anti-capitalist shrillness of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren or Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.

[cont. below]

Beto was not an angry candidate. He was the opposite. I might even say he was a joyful candidate, and in this age of anger and resentment, this made Beto different.

Beto wasn’t just a star on the stump, but off the stump, too. I watched him talk to people who lined up for a quick selfie, and he turned even those small moments into something personal. Meaningful.

Unlike President Obama, an introvert who didn’t seem to care for the palm-pressing, Beto seemed to draw energy from interacting with the public. In that sense, he had what Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had — an instinctive feel for the interpersonal part of campaigning. The retail nature of the business.

Beto was a natural on the debate stage because he understood something profound about the ritual. It isn't actually a debate. It's an audition. It was less like Firing Line and more like American Idol. As often as possible, he kept a smile on his face and his eye on the camera, hoping the people watching at home would like him more than my guy.

Beto had advantages that critics thought were problems. He didn’t have a speechwriter, didn’t have any outside consultants, and he didn’t rely on big data. That made him dangerous. And difficult to prepare against in battle.

No one understood this better than President Obama. "What I liked most about his race was that it didn't feel constantly poll-tested," Obama said on The Axe Files about Beto’s campaign. "It felt as if he based his statements and his positions on what he believed. And that, you'd like to think, is normally how things work. Sadly it's not."

Beto did things his way. When he committed to visiting all 254 counties in the state of Texas, some people dismissed him and others wrote it off as a gimmick he’d never pull off. But Beto was serious, logging tens of thousands of miles covering a state that’s so big, it could house two Californias, four Floridas, 28 Vermonts or 221 Rhode Islands.

Why’d he do it? Because he wanted to win over voters in places that others would have written off. How better to change someone’s mind or heart than to meet them?

The candidate did a lot of the driving himself, with aides in tow. He often spoke about how his never-ending tour of Texas felt a lot like his days managing his own punk band — called Foss — that he’d assembled in El Paso. He and his bandmates started a record label and booked tours, traveling the country and parts of Canada during his summers off from Columbia University, where he majored in English and captained the crew team. O’Rourke wasn’t the best musician in the band, but he happily told reporters that he was the best roadie.

That too was a big advantage. Many critics made fun of the not-so-proficient outtakes and videos of the band. But Beto learned important things in that period of his life. He learned how to command a stage. How to play with an audience. And how to let the audience play with him. No amount of coaching or consultants can teach that.

Beto had a relentless energy. He was fueled by ambition but seemed to enjoy himself. That, I suspect, is something he learned on the road with his band mates. If a band isn’t having fun, what’s the point?

Beto was good at teasing himself. He often brought up the fact that he was still working hard on one voter in Texas: his mom, who was a Republican.

And he could be funny, joking about the low approval ratings of Congress. “Congress has an approval rating of around nine percent,” he said. “Communism ten percent. Gonorrhea eight percent. We’re right in the middle.”

(Cont. below)

Beto was a prodigious fundraiser, reeling in an astonishing $80 million. And more than $61 million came from ActBlue, an online portal for small dollar supporters.

Beto had one last advantage: He had a real story about his roots. His El Paso story. He didn’t always love his hometown, and like so many of us growing up, couldn’t wait to escape — and leave tensions with his father behind. After wandering for a time and trying life in Brooklyn, he came to a life-altering conclusion: he wasn’t a New Yorker after all. The journey home is a big theme in American life. And in Beto’s. His story — although I heard it ad nauseum — was powerful. Proof you can indeed go home again. Beto lives a few blocks from the house he grew up in.

Sounds a lot like the life of a New Jersey guy named Bruce Springsteen, who had father problems of his own, and a hunger for the road. Including an anthem he wrote that might as well be Beto’s: Born to Run.

Lee Habeeb is VP of content for Salem Radio Network and host of “Our American Stories.” He lives in Oxford, Mississippi, with his wife, Valerie, and his daughter, Reagan.

People who want hero political leaders deserve the despot they eventually get. See Trump/Trumpkins.

We want whoever can win the election as a Democrat, hysterical idiot @ R86.

r81 Let's meet on the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge. You know where that is, right? The place where your boy had his political opposition gunned down? Nice friends you got there.

r85 OP is Russian Troll confirmed.

R72 = triggered BernBro

R62: "...some inexperienced guy who doesn't even realize he's been tricked."

This thread isn't about Trump. Try to stay on topic.

Beto so fake.

[quote][R81] Let's meet on the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge. You know where that is, right? The place where your boy had his political opposition gunned down? Nice friends you got there.

No, I have no idea where that is. Where are you located? You want to meet in Manhattan? I’m in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and I don’t know if the L train is running this weekend or if it starts again next weekend, but I can meet you wherever you want in NYC, just might take me an hour to get there.

The idea that Beto is being pushed by RUSSIAN TROLLS is about as daft as the idea that Russia wanted Hillary to win.

Take your meds, and once they’ve kicked in, tell me where you want to meet here in NYC.

Sigh...sad to see he's already apologizing for stuff on only day 2 of his campaign. He playing into the hands of his opponents.

I woulda nailed the mf were I the interviewer.

Everyone stop and imagine what would happen if his story had been about killing blacks or raping white girls.

You all know what would happen.

He does not get a pass for one about killing kids whose happiness he feels entitled to.

Fucking freak.

OP/Russian troll, that Newsweek article is all well and good. Nobody disputes his skill at campaigning and his ability to connect to people.

But what happens when he wins and has zero experience in foreign policy? How will he defend the US and western democrats against the attacks of Russia, China, North Korea. What will he do to solve conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Lybia, North Africa?

I heard him talk in a conference with people who deal with Russia. His ideas were ridiculous and it was clear he knows nothing about those conflicts and it was also clear he wasn't willing to listen to the people.

That's the problem with Beto. Obama didn't react quickly and decisively enough on Russian intervention in the 2016 election and the US is in the biggest constitutional crises ever because of this. Beto is even less experienced than Obama.

Beto is like the exact opposite of Hillary Clinton.

He’s an excellent campaigner, who has zero understanding of policy.

You know what r93, I doubt ANYTHING he did would be good enough for you. You'd bash him if he didn't apologize and you bash him because he did, you're so transparent.

So tell me r93, who are you backing in 2020?

[quote]The idea that Beto is being pushed by RUSSIAN TROLLS is about as daft...

Says the Russian Troll.

r96 That's a good take. I keep thinking about how he's like an off-brand Obama, similar in some ways but lacking the core features that made Obama the powerhouse politician that he was. Hypothetically if Beto were running (with the same pre-exposure circumstances) in the dem primaries last cycle, how do you all think he would have fared against Bernie and Hills? I've heard him compared to both John Edwards and Gary Hart and I think he's more similar to either of them than he is to Obama.

r92 /OP - Here's a good link for you:

Is it true he said these things at R93?

Omg, the children story. The guy is a crazy, disturbed psychopath. No wonder he makes it all about him and his wife's job is to just look admiringly at him for three minutes without saying one word.

Sorry, this guy is nuts! Go away Beto!

R62 Igor, why would Putin want Beto when he's got Donald Frederovich?

Wow, Parscale's blowing his wad on the DL today.

Still waiting for you to tell me where to meet you face to face, R98, you fucking nutjob. So far, there’s more evidence that you’re the Russian troll. What are you afraid of? Did you troll-dar me? What in my history of posting here lends credence to your wacko theory about me? The only other thread you’ve posted in outside of this one is about Helix Studios.

Come on. Are you a flyover queen? Or a fat, porn-addicted loser who can’t tear himself away from his computer in Hell’s Kitchen or Chelsea to come meet me face to face? WHERE DO YOU LIVE. Meet me. I dare you. Bring your friends. What are you afraid of?

You’re the only cunt here who thinks I’m a Russian troll, by the way.

R99, clutch those pearls, pussyface.

R98, I never said I was “from Manhattan”. I live in Brooklyn and before this I lived in Astoria for 10 years. Before that, I lived in Pennsylvania, where I was born, for 26 years. And you have zero evidence to dispute any of it.

Meet me face to face. Put your money where your mouth is.

r101 Mary! Okay, we will meet in the middle of sunset park at 11AM tomorrow. If I'm not there then just keep waiting until I show up, unless it's been three months, in which case you can assume that your Russian friends had me "taken care of."

I mean honestly, why are you trying so hard to convince everyone you're not a Russian Troll when you clearly are? You're either a troll or legitametely insane, because NO sane person unironically posts something like this:

[quote]Are you a flyover queen? Or a fat, porn-addicted loser who can’t tear himself away from his computer in Hell’s Kitchen or Chelsea to come meet me face to face? WHERE DO YOU LIVE. Meet me. I dare you. Bring your friends. What are you afraid of?

Wow, reading it again here just makes it seem more loony. Anyway, see you at 11am! Don't forget to just wait there if I don't show up, I'm sure I'll be there eventually to settle this question of "is Beto as crazy as his fangirl" once and for all!

r104 *we'll

Oops! My Russian-English translator must be on the fritz again!

r104 *legitimately

Oops! Too much vodka for this comrade!

Jimmy Carter in 1975 and Bill Clinton in 1991 were considered longshots.

One thing I'd like to point out about Harris's supposed huge advantage in California: delegates are awarded on a proportional basis, and the expectations for her to win there are very high. So, she would have to pretty much steamroll the rest of them to give her momentum if she's not busting out in other states during the early period.

You’re a paranoid nutjob, R98. I have not said anything that would lead a sane person to think I’m Russian. Out of nowhere, you’ve decided only Russian trolls could possibly be interested in Beto. Despite there being clear evidence that russian trolls online have been actively *disparaging* Beto, not propping him up, since the Senate race.

I’m not meeting you in fucking Sunset Park. Pick a spot in Manhattan. Any time tomorrow. We can invite other Dataloungers to join. Safety in numbers for you. I’ll bring my boyfriend.

Put your money where your mouth is. Are you afraid? Not of being being the sort of Russian who has people killed (seriously, what fucking sane person writes something like that?), but of being proven wrong.

Come on. I dare you. Neutral meeting place in Manhattan. We can go to the bookstore where I used to work and my former coworkers there can back me up. No, it’s not a Russian bookstore.

You started this, and you can’t back your shit up because you’re just a paranoid loon trolling a Beto thread. Talks a big game online, too chicken shit to follow through in real life.

I’m not threatening you, by the way, I just want to set you straight. You can even video record our interaction and post it here for everyone else to watch.

Brad Parscale, formerly of Cambridge Analytica, hires Russian troll farms. He is Trump's campaign manager. He lives in Texas now and he is obsessed with Beto. He's the one whose bright idea it was to hold a rally in El Paso presuming that would kill off Beto's campaign.

If the GOP loses Texas (and Beto is the only Dem candidate who could do that), the GOP will be destroyed. I presume 80% of the trolling of Beto is Parscale's trolls.

So, Beto also stole(hacked) credit card numbers and gave them to people who used them to make international phone calls.

That's a felony.

Since the other thread has been closed, I'm going to make my comment again....

Beto is the Olivia Jade of politics.

Pasting post from closed thread.

Beto is no Obama. Obama is more intelligent and his speech at the 2004 convention electrified the country so much that there was an air of destiny about his run in 2008. Also, most of the media and party establishment welcomed Obama’s announcement as the only hope to stop the then inevitable Clinton. Ted Kennedy and other heavyweights took sides early on. Not happening with Beto.

The media has been especially lukewarm. I think that Vanity Fair spread was a mistake. What I’m hearing is tepid “let’s wait and see if he has what it takes” caution from the media. Seth Myers basically mocking his ridiculous quote (which till now remains the most memorable line he’s ever uttered) is not bueno.

Of course there’s a chance he could turn it around but so far he’s stumbled out of the gates. He waited too long when only Uncle Joe (who has) and Bernie (who hasn’t) have the cache to do that. Rookie mistakes which makes me think he’s hired an inexperienced team.

Here’s Seth Myer who clearly isn’t eager to jump onto the Beto train. When Obama ran all these showbiz types were falling over each other to get on.

Beto is one of the reasons personal information on the internet has to be ultra protected.

This is such a inane fake analogy, R111.

Comparing him to an epitome of a lazy entitled brat who wants all the spoils without the work. Yeah, that sounds like O'Rourke - eyeroll.

Have trolls taken the knives out for this guy, or what.

I'm still having an issue of style over substance with Beto. And there is also the issue of his rap sheet.

So, people who criticize Beto are Russian trolls? Um, no. We are mostly liberals who want to win against Trump. We don't want an unvetted candidate with a questionable past like Robert.

On Face the Nation, a pundit just commented on the "brouhaha" about Beto talking about his wife sending the kids to school during his first Iowa stop.

The pundit said he asked people outside of DC and the media - like people living in the Midwest and they liked what Beto said. They took it as him giving credit to his wife and praising her for making it possible for him to run. The pundit said, things that the media will fan as "controversy" may actually play well with the voters outside the Beltway.

Mayor Pete is having the campaign he should be having.

Who doesn't have a questionable past, R116?

Gillibrand chased Al Franken out of the Senate.

BIden has Anita Hill and so much more baggage it's not even funny.

Harris has issues with her prosecutor record.

Bernie - do I even have to start?

etc.

The biggest insult yet is deplorables are calling his wife “robotic”. Seriously, I didn’t make that up. The adoring gaze will not work for the woke kids. He needs new PR advisors.

The fawning on MSNBC is quite revolting.

Beto... DUI, hit and run, poem about wanting to mow over children, and now a thief.

Yep, the BernBro playbook is in full swing here.

The media fawning is a bit over the top.

R123,

Can you deny anything in my post at R122?

Chris Matthews always manages to embarrass himself.

He just turns me off. All that breathless, manic nothingness. When pressed for details he stammers.

He reminds me of those charmers women meet online, then he turns out not to be who he claims and steals from her.

He'd be a disaster as POTUS. But the Millennials will go nuts for him cuz he's young 'n cute. Then when he doesn't win the primary, they'll pout into their craft beers and not vote (2016 redux).

R125, I don't need to deny anything. I don't run fake purity tests, nor am I delusional to think there are any pure white angels in this race.

[quote]But the Millennials will go nuts for him cuz he's young 'n cute.

The Iowa crowd wasn't anything close to millennial. Try again.

R127 = DJT, Kellyanne, the Castro bro, and Bernie

The guy is a Grade A phony.

Why the focus on Beto?

It's odd that people don't want to talk about the clusterfuck of events happening now.

I wouldn’t get too invested in him.

He’s gonna flame out hard and fast.

He already is. Only the stupidest millennial citizens of Twitbook could excuse the shit that’s coming out about his younger days.

Any American around his age knows the guy already — most of you grew up around those swaggering douchebag skater types in Che Guevara shirts. Rebels, remember? Green Day fans. Lol.

You don’t want one as president.

Ted Cruz is throwing a hissy fit on twitter because Beto's getting so much attention. He can't stand it! Lyin' Ted never wanted to be a Senator. He doesn't give a shit. HE WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT! His Daddy promised him Jesus would make him US President despite the fact he's a Canadian. So unfair!

R134 reminds me of the Hillary joke about unpaid library fines.

I'm sure a Che shirt and a skateboard three decades ago makes a 46-yo unfit for POTUS lol

So many of the attacks against Beto on this thread (and on the Internet in general) are so pathetic they're laughable, and most of them are coming from BernieBros.

"Why doesn't Beto's campaign website list any policy positions?" Um, most of the candidates' campaign websites at this stage don't list any policy positions. You won't find policy positions on the websites of Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, or Pete Buttigieg, either, but nobody mentions that. (Elizabeth Warren is one of the only candidates who lists policy positions on her campaign website.)

"He changed his name from Robert to Beto to appeal to Hispanics." Um, he's been known as Beto since he was a child.

"If Beto's so great, why did he lose to Ted Cruiz?" Um, no Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas since 1994. Beto did better than any statewide Democrat in Texas has done in ages.

There are legitimate criticisms of Beto, but most of the attacks so far have been incredibly lame.

You forgot, “He fantasizes about murdering kids in a short story that could plausibly have been written by an aspiring serial killer!” and “He was knowingly party to credit card fraud and profited from it!”

What about those ones?

R136 needs to have his/her credit card number stolen.

[quote]There are legitimate criticisms of Beto, but most of the attacks so far have been incredibly lame.

Well, go ahead and list some of the legitimate ones that have been brought up repeatedly here and in the coverage of him, #BetosNumberOneFan. Of course, then you'll have to call yourself a troll.

And, Beto have no positions listed anywhere is a problem. Those other people you listed have their professional websites with all their positions listed. He literally just finished a campaign five months ago but now he's got to change some of those positions to appeal nationally and, again, just like with the announcing, he's fucking slow as hell. He can't even discuss them when asked face-to-face. It makes him look unprepared. Maybe he should have spent some of that road trip time working on some issue positions.

What a lot of us aren't liking about him is that he's a whole lot like other men we know 9our brothers, sons, friends, co-workers, etc.) who've had every privilege handed to them and have no idea how average they actually are. They let others carry the weight (like letting your wife take care of everything while you go find yourself) and then they take the prize. The essence of white male privilege.

R37 only Warren, Gillibrand, Yang and Williamson (!) have their policy positions up on their websites.

So attacking Beto for that is ridiculous. He is also taking questions and giving detailed answers at all the many Town Halls he has already held - all livestreamed on Facebook. I was particularly interested in his answer about public lands and the one he managed to extend (by fucking with Trump) and the ones he wants to extend. They're OUR land and also a source of health for the planet.

[quote] Well, go ahead and list some of the legitimate ones that have been brought up repeatedly here and in the coverage of him, #BetosNumberOneFan. Of course, then you'll have to call yourself a troll.

The legitimate criticism of him is that he doesn't have a lot of experience. But voters these days don't seem to be looking for experience. If they were, neither Trump nor Obama would ever have been elected.

[quote] And, Beto have no positions listed anywhere is a problem.

Jesus. He just announced less than a week ago. The first primaries are 10 months away. Why is it so critical that you know all of his positions immediately? Besides, nobody outside DL ever reads the policy sections on campaign websites anyway.

[quote] Those other people you listed have their professional websites with all their positions listed.

So now you're blaming Beto because he doesn't have both a campaign website AND a professional website?

His future depends on whether Hillary would be willing to consider him as a running mate?

No, R142, I'm saying you are making an illegitimate comparison with the other people you originally listed because their positions are available through their professional websites. When you say, "Well, no one else has outlined their positions either!" you are wrong. We know those other people's positions. We do not know Beto's.

And, he has not had a bunch of town halls since he announced. Those are from his Senate campaign. If his positions were staying the same, he'd already be able to talk about his positions but every time he's been asked about any of them since he announced, he's begged off giving details. I'm not running for anything but I can outline my positions on everything I hold a position on. Why can't he even answer those questions now when he was answering them five months ago without hesitation?

Ummmmm....

Hello, #BetoTroll.....

You haven’t addressed r138.

Please do so, thanks.

[quote]Why is it so critical that you know all of his positions immediately?

Because some people actually base their support of a candidate on their positions, and not their looks. personality or popularity.

Seriously, what a stupid fucking question. Reveals the mindset of the average Beto supporter perfectly.

So, has Beto won any of his elections? Has he proven that his "charisma" is effective? I don't think he has the grit or team to even win the primary.

To those of you who keep insisting that policies don't matter, and that a pretty facade is sufficient, ask yourself this: How was Donald Trump able to conquer the Republican party without sharing its traditional economic platforms (eg free trade)? It wasn't due to his charm. He had a message to which voters responded. Anyone who thinks "charisma" is all it takes is kidding himself.

Ideas matter.

Why do we have so many threads about this man??? It's not like he's someone important or fascinating, like Meghan Markle!

It’s a hang-over from the Obama years — they need their celebrity leader fix. Junkies.

[quote]To those of you who keep insisting that policies don't matter, and that a pretty facade is sufficient, ask yourself this: How was Donald Trump able to conquer the Republican party without sharing its traditional economic platforms (eg free trade)? It wasn't due to his charm. He had a message to which voters responded. Anyone who thinks "charisma" is all it takes is kidding himself. Ideas matter.

His message was lying about protecting social security, replacing Obamacare with something better and lowering taxes... and, you know, saving the US from those brown people and immigrants. There were no ideas there. None. There were no policies there. None.

[quote] When you say, "Well, no one else has outlined their positions either!"

I never said anything of the sort.

I was responding to trolls like R19 who asked: "Why doesn't his official website have any positions on it? It's just a fundraising website with black and white pics and some hats, signs, and bumper stickers and a place to donate money." R19 seemed to find it very odd that Beto's campaign site would be used for fundraising and merchandise, as if that is somehow inappropriate, even though EVERY candidate uses their website for fundraising and merchandise. R19 seemed to find it very odd that Beto's campaign site had no mention of his policy positions, even though most of the other candidates' sites have no mention of their policy positions.

[quote] every time he's been asked about any of them since he announced, he's begged off giving details.

Once again: He announced on Thursday. Today is Sunday. You're talking about a span of 3 days. So when you say "every time he's been asked since he announced," you're talking about what -- one time? two times?

R148, you seem really confused about what the Republican Party stands for. In many ways, Trump broke their platform and traditional stance. He won because Deplorables loved his style.

I’m on his diet right now but I’m sick of eating hard boiled eggs all the time.

O’Rourke is a composite character churned out by a Google analytics algorithm that specified a youngish, Spanish-speaking, tall, skinny guy whose nickname sounds Latino, even though O’Rourke is 100 percent white, from a privileged background and the husband of a multimillionaire’s daughter, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

In this anti-white-male era, I suppose a white mother of three white males and one white grandson should be gratified that so many young people are drawn to him.“

[quote] How was Donald Trump able to conquer the Republican party without sharing its traditional economic platforms (eg free trade)?

[quote] Ideas matter.

Yes, platforms matter. Ideas matter. But that's not what the trolls are bitching about with Beto. They're bitching because Beto doesn't have yet have detailed policy proposals on his website -- 3 days after he announced. Yes, Trump had ideas ("Make America great again!" "Build a wall!" "Lock her up!"), but Trump never had gave detailed policy proposals -- not in the debates, not at his rallies, and not on his website.

I'm not suggesting that candidates shouldn't have policy proposals. Of course they should. But we're fooling ourselves if we think that's what decides presidential elections.

R153 that was my point. Trump broke the old Republican Party and made it his own. R151, on issues like trade Trump is miles away from traditional Republican stands. You forget that the party favorites early on were Jeb! and Rubio - never Trump.

Beto would do fine against someone like Bush. But we are in a different era. Trump chews up people like Beto and spits them out. Most voters now don't care about a pretty face and rolled-up sleeves. They don't care how old the candidate is. They don't care about identity politics. They want a message that appeals to them and addresses their concerns.

[quote]. [R151], on issues like trade Trump is miles away from traditional Republican stands.

Consider he has no idea what he is talking about, as he is generally completely ignorant of domestic and international trade and he has no idea how to negotiate, I still stand by what I said - he has had no ideas, then or now. He has slogans and a personality that resonates with certain groups of people.

R157, who will you vote for? Let's clear that one first.

[quote] They don't care how old the candidate is. They don't care about identity politics. They want a message that appeals to them and addresses their concerns.

So which Democratic candidate do you think will deliver "a message that appeals to them and addresses their concerns"? Trump's message (which was nothing more than vague slogans) resonated with a lot of voters in the Midwest and the Rust Belt. It seems to me that Beto might do a better job connecting with voters in those states than most of the others in the current crop of Democratic candidates. Maybe Beto doesn't yet have a clear message, but I'm not sure that the other Democrats do yet, either. Often times, the message doesn't come into sharp focus until shortly before the primaries. We're still nearly a year out. Why dismiss Beto so quickly?

R158 I didn't say his policies, or slogans, or whatever, were good - but they are non-traditional and they did play well to a large segment of the deplorables.

R156, I might hazard a guess that the idea that policies don't decide elections, and that most voters just want "charisma", smacks of the condescension that deplorables always claim to feel from "elitists". I think a lot of them care quit deeply about platforms. This doesn't mean I agree with them, but the wise tactician learns from his opponent. The Democratic party should bear that in mind instead of skipping down after the newest pretty face.

R160, I don't know. I haven't researched it enough. Right now, probably Bernie as much as anyone - because he does have ideas that people respond to. Before the attack dogs jump in, no I'm not a Bernie-bro. Bernie does well in the polls for a good reason - and it has nothing to do with his looks or rolled-up sleeves. So we should ask ourselves - what is he doing right?

[quote] Right now, probably Bernie as much as anyone - because he does have ideas that people respond to.

So you criticize Beto for not having detailed policy proposals, while you support the candidate whose policy proposals are pie in the sky with little chance of ever becoming reality?

USA Today article........ For Latinos, O'Rourke is just another privileged white guy trying to manipulate them.

R163, again, I didn't say I liked his policies (I don't really). But I can separate my personal views from tactical considerations of who could defeat Trump, or why someone could defeat Trump.

The more I think about it, I could see Sanders draining off a lot of deplorable voters from Trump. The idea of Beto doing so is just laughable however. Beto is running in the wrong year.

Now let’s deal with this business about the name. Who, or what, gave birth to the legend of Beto?

Robert Francis prefers to be called by that name, and he and his army of supporters — the Beto bots — swear it has nothing to do with politics. They even point to the fact that O’Rourke seems to have first gotten tagged with the moniker when he was a child, showing off a photo of him as a boy wearing a sweatshirt with the name “Beto” on it.

What they appear not as eager to talk about, however, is the fact that Patrick O’Rourke — Robert Francis’ father — once explained that he was the one who gave his son the nickname in the first place and the reason had a lot to do with politics, as well as geography. According to The Dallas Morning News, the patriarch reasoned that if his son ever ran for office in El Paso, the odds of being elected in that largely Mexican-American city were far greater with a name like Beto.

When told of his father’s words, O’Rourke shrugged them off, calling his father “farsighted.”

I’d use different words, like cynical and dishonest and manipulative.

It's certainly not respectful to assume people can be so easily fooled. And, as any real Latino can tell you, respect goes a long way in our community. O’Rourke should take the time to get to know us better. If he did, more Latinos might have a better impression of him.

[quote] The more I think about it, I could see Sanders draining off a lot of deplorable voters from Trump. The idea of Beto doing so is just laughable however.

I actually agree with you more than you probably realize, R165. I agree that Bernie's message (unrealistic as it is) resonates with voters in the heartland, and I think he probably would have won in 2016 if he had been the nominee. But I think Beto has many of the same qualities and appeal as Bernie. Accomplishing what he did in the Texas Senate race (and yes, I know he lost) was no small feat. I don't know why you think it's "laughable" to suggest that Beto might drain off a lot of deplorable voters from Trump.

[quote] Beto is running in the wrong year.

I think it's Bernie who is probably running in the wrong year. 2016 was Bernie's moment. But now he's 4 years older, and I'm not sure Bernie has the energy to recapture the magic of 2016. Bernie running in 2020 is kind of like Hillary running in 2016 -- their time has come and gone, even though they don't realize it.

Wait, that logic is confusing me. Bernie did run in 2016. He lost, so it obviously wasn’t his time. (And incidentally, Bernie’s candidacy is one of the things that made Hillary lose the GE in 2016 and gave us the Trump presidency.)

R166 the nickname is probably the result of having a woman who looked after the kids who was only Spanish speaking. Beto's mother always worked. I'm from Houston, my mother worked and it was a black lady Lillie who looked after us.

And if you didn't read the Vanity Fair article, Beto resented his father and took no interest in politics because that's what his father wanted him to do.

That's why he said that he was born to be in politics - something he had previously run away from.

One thing about Beto: he is not the darling of the DNC. First of all, he defeated an incumbent politician Silvestre Reyes who was a corrupt old man, doing the Catholic Church's bidding - anti-abortion, anti-gay rights. When Beto beat him in the primary in 2012, it was despite the fact both Clintons and Obama went to El Paso to campaign for him. Reyes was a crony of Pelosi's and when Beto got to the House he suffered the consequences of having taken down a DNC favorite.

Except that's not what his father said, moron at R169.

What they appear not as eager to talk about, however, is the fact that Patrick O’Rourke — Robert Francis’ father — once explained that he was the one who gave his son the nickname in the first place and the reason had a lot to do with politics, as well as geography. According to The Dallas Morning News, the patriarch reasoned that if his son ever ran for office in El Paso, the odds of being elected in that largely Mexican-American city were far greater with a name like Beto.

When told of his father’s words, O’Rourke shrugged them off, calling his father “farsighted.”

I

I love how R169 just comes up with her own scenario.

R167 I think it is laughable because Sanders at least comes off as authentic, and people know what he stands for. Beto doesn't, not by a long shot, and they don't. I offer as Exhibit 1 the celebrity glamour shots for Vanity Fair, of all places. Frankly, I really question his judgment in allowing those to be taken. What was he thinking? In what universe did he think those were a good idea? Does he not have, or not listen to, political advisors? Too glib, too slick, too pretty. Trump will have a field day with those.

My, did the VF article ruffle some BernBro feathers!

Oh, come on, R174.

You have to admit that Beto's rollout has been a disaster.

He hasn't had to issue apologies for nothing.,

I would add that in terms of pure political tone-deafness, the glamor shots are the worse move I've seen since Romney's 47% remark.

R174, it's not my feathers that Beto needs to worry about ruffling - it is the feathers of potential voters, most of whom are more worried about paying the mortgage than reading Vanity Fair.

I apologize for my white privilege.

I apologize for making it seem I had a stepford wife.

I apologize for that poem I wrote.

I apologize....

It's not like Beta stuffed a sock down the front of his pants.

R164 Ruben Navarette is a rightwing Republican. LOL! Wow, Trumpniks are really running up the Ruble bill trolling Beto.

Yes, R179, keep telling yourself it's Trumpniks, or Russians, or whatever. Always try to de-legitimize different views.

The OP/Russian Troll/"Come fight me in real life!!" Troll is obnoxious and unhinged.

r175 I think Beto's rollout has been pretty bad as well, especially when you combine the lack of any coherent/substantive policy positions, the frankly appalling 'murder fiction' (fiction about killing kids is weird at ANY age), that Beto WON'T reveal how much in donations he racked in during the first 24 hours (kind of a dumb barometer, and he could be playing the media with this, but I feel after the bad headlines he would WANT some good press), and as our Very Own OP/Russian Troll has said ad nauseum, the knives actually are out for Beto among certain parts of the dem coalition. Of course, what our lovable Russian Troll/OP forgets is that the knives are out for literally every dem candidate right now among SOMEONE; primaries are Civil War!

r154 Make sure you steam the eggs to hard boil them. Makes unshelling the eggs SO much easier.

R176, why are you so sure that the potential voters' feathers are ruffled?

Or that they know of VF's existence?

[quote] the lack of any coherent/substantive policy positions

Jaysus, this fiction.

I watched a snippet of the Iowa stop during which he was asked about wage issues. He talked about $15 min wage, the universal basic income, fair pay and continuing education support for teachers. Then I had to leave for work.

Waiting now for R181 to explain why $15 min wage isn't a "coherent substantive policy position".

r183 A "coherent/substantive policy position" includes... coherence and substance? Consider the difference between:

[quote]Prescription drug prices for seniors is too high. We need to empower Medicare providers to negotiate en masse with the drug manufacturers, and put into law that no senior will pay xyz% more for a drug available in other allied countries for less. If that becomes the case, we empower medicare to buy the drugs from other countries/the justice dept to bring charges against the manufacturer/HHS to open a government "public option" pharmacy to manufacture the drugs for a cheaper price, assuming generic. Drug manufacturers of drugs coming off patent frequently buy generic pharmacies making the newly public drug in order to control distribution and keep prices high---a public pharmacy competing against them will prevent that.

versus

[quote]Let's have a universal basic income!

Trump ran for president saying "build the wall." Trump had no idea how to get a wall built, he just thought it sounded good. Trump has totally failed to "build the wall." Don't be like Trump.

[quote] Bernie did run in 2016. He lost, so it obviously wasn’t his time.

Whether a candidate wins or loses and whether it is "their time" are two different things. I would argue that 2008 was Hillary's time. But she blew it because she wasn't prepared for Obama to be the force that he was. So she lost -- even though 2008 was her best shot at the presidency. By 2016, voters had developed "Clinton fatigue," and her time had come and gone.

2016 probably was Bernie's time, but Bernie didn't realize it until it was too late, so his campaign wasn't fully prepared to take on Hillary. I don't think Bernie can recapture the excitement in 2020.

[quote] Trump ran for president saying "build the wall." Trump had no idea how to get a wall built, he just thought it sounded good. Trump has totally failed to "build the wall." Don't be like Trump.

Yes, and Trump won.

Obama ran in 2008 on a vague message of "hope and change" and he won.

Of course, candidates should have substantive policy positions, but show me the evidence that it is those substantive policy positions that bring voters to the polls. All of the evidence from the elections of the last 40 years seems to suggest the opposite. The policy wonk candidates are almost always the ones who lose.

He once supported the bulldozing of a low-income neighborhood in El Paso—a project spearheaded by his father-in-law.

R184, he was talking to people in a coffee shop, not defending a PhD dissertation JAYSUS

[quote] he was talking to people in a coffee shop, not defending a PhD dissertation JAYSUS

LOL! If Beto had gone into the level of specificity that R184 seems to think is required, the Iowans at the coffee shop would have thrown their hot coffee at him and stormed out.

In a lot of commentary, both written and on the news talk shows, I've noticed that women aren't buying into Beto. It's all young-ish white men. It's just like the nascent BernBro movement from 2015/2016. I think those of you buying into it just can't see it and I don't think the BernBros will ever see it. The cult of the white male has been the touchstone for everything for so long, you can't recognize what's happening. In a diverse group, your attention automatically seeks out the white male because it's just natural for you and you are unable or unwilling to go further than that, therefore, the women and the minority males become background. Same as it ever was.

r189, Of course they would have, but he's clearly damned if he does and damned if he doesn't with a lot of these posters.

So I say....Beto you do you and the rest of them can FUCK OFF.

After that 'killing children' story came out he should resign. The republicans will exploit this merciless if he continues. But Beto got hooked on all the attention and cheers and he's got a big ego.

I hope the DNC can convince him to step down, if not they should force him. It's just a toxic story and will only reflect badly on all democrats.

LOL, R192. “Resign”. You should resign, 192.

R181, you had absolutely no basis to call me a Russian troll. I offered to meet you in NYC, told you to bring your friends, video record it—you could bring a bodyguard too. I called your bluff, which apparently makes me “unhinged”. Again, you started it—with your paranoia and stupidity. The obnoxious one is you.

Either meet me face to face in the city, or concede that I am not a Russian troll, and that you are full of shit. I think we know you don’t have the balls.

Now kindly fuck off forever. Your criticisms of Beto have been dispatched; you are obsolete. Go back to your Helix Studios porn threads.

R186 is exactly right, and it’s why Beto is better positioned than anyone else.

Beto is currently the subject of MSNBC's Headliners show. Started at 9 PM.

He will not recover from his past fantasizing about killing children. THE DNC should not associate with psychopaths. I am totally off the Beto train after reading this story, which he confirmed he wrote.

Never mind the content (just kidding), there are a lot of NICE pictures of a young Beto in this Headliners show.

You can tell that the GOP is scared shitless about Beto. I don't think I've ever seen such a relentless, concerted effort to attack a Democratic candidate in the first 72 hours of his candidacy -- and over such ridiculous things ("His campaign website sells hats and bumper stickers!", "He uses too many hand gestures!", "He drains his pasta!")

[quote] THE DNC should not associate with psychopaths. I am totally off the Beto train after reading this story, which he confirmed he wrote.

LOL! I doubt that you never spent much time on board the Beto train.

You've got to be kidding, R197.

The "things" have already been stated in this thread... prior DUI, attempted hit and run, one creepy ass poem, and the theft of credit card numbers.

[quote]I don't think I've ever seen such a relentless, concerted effort to attack a Democratic candidate in the first 72 hours of his candidacy

Well Beto is giving them enough reasons to attack.

I was a huge Beto supporter until he ordered a Once Around the Garden at a restaurant but pulled an Autumn Harvest.

He DRAINS his Pasta?!? That's it, I'm done with Beto! I'm back on board the Tulsi Gabbard train!

The only person attacked because of ridiculous things was Amy Klobuchar.

Ya know, she ate a salad with her comb.

Beto is the one who gave that stupid Vanity Fair interview..... and then had to apologize for sounding privileged(born to run).

r198, exactly! LOL

You live on Fantasy Island, R203.

No one is attacking him over that....

at least not a Dem.

So, Beta is now going to play the victim card. This is getting better and better.

[quote] No one is attacking him over that

Not YET.

Just a matter of time before Beta turns on the water works....

and they say women are weak.

[quote]You can tell that the GOP is scared shitless about Beto.

Biden perhaps... but Beto? Oh c'mon.

I think it's Biden and Harris the GOP fears the most.

R211 the Trump trolls on twitter are trashing Beto 100%, Kamala probably about 30%, then Warren, for Biden they retweet that gif of him being creepy with a little girl. They don't seem to be going after the other Dems and not after Bernie.

Beto freaks them out more than the others do.

Beto is not worth all this debate.

Everyone here will forget he exists by end of summer.

Move on to an actually *viable* candidate.

[quote]Beto freaks them out more than the others do.

No, he does not "freak them out". I think you're confusing things.

People like Beto or AOC are low hanging fruit. They're easy to ridicule.

The GOP loves "liberal" men like Beta. He's an easy target to both attack and is useful to try to brand the democratic party with to make dems look like weak milksops. Russia loves "liberals" like Beta because they know they'll have another 4 years of uninterrupted meddling on the international stage, and have an american president who is further destroying the country through incompetence. That's why the OP/Russian Troll is shilling for Beta so hard. It's ALL about the "agenda."

I loved the part in the MSNBC show when that older woman said he reminded her of John Kennedy.

That's about the highest praise a Democrat can receive from a potential voter.

I agree R215!

[quote]He will not recover from his past fantasizing about killing children. THE DNC should not associate with psychopaths. I am totally off the Beto train after reading this story, which he confirmed he wrote.

Really? Because it’s been one day and already no one is talking about it except Trump trolls. It’s not a big deal anyway—it’s called being an edgy teenager. Most people understand the concept of fiction writing.

And you were never on the Beto train. Your only posts on Datalounge are in this thread and they’re all about Beto’s teenage fiction.

[quote]The GOP loves "liberal" men like Beta. He's an easy target to both attack and is useful to try to brand the democratic party with to make dems look like weak milksops. Russia loves "liberals" like Beta because they know they'll have another 4 years of uninterrupted meddling on the international stage, and have an american president who is further destroying the country through incompetence. That's why the OP/Russian Troll is shilling for Beta so hard. It's ALL about the "agenda."

Look at this motherfucker. He’s called Beto “Beta”. He’s calling me a Russian troll because I started this thread—no other reason. I started this thread and the previous Beto thread, so therefore I’m a Russian troll trying to force Beto into the Oval Office so that Russia can have it easy for 4 years.

And I’ve invited to meet him in Manhattan, have it be video recorded, shared with the rest of Datalounge, to prove I’m not a Russian troll, but he just waves it away and calls me unhinged because he knows I’ll prove him wrong.

If any other ACTUAL Dataloungers—not trolls like the above—are in New York and want to meet me and confirm I’m not a Russian troll, I’m up for that, too.

I’m blocking you now, you nutcase—and I hope others will do the same. You have nothing to add to this conversation.

[quote]No, he does not "freak them out". I think you're confusing things. People like Beto or AOC are low hanging fruit. They're easy to ridicule.

I think you don’t understand what’s going on with the GOP going after Beto. He is basically a “centrist”. For fuck’s sake, the far left Bernie wing are calling him “basically a Republican”. So no, to the GOP, he is not a far left socialist “nut” like AOC. He is Trump’s most formidable opponent, and THAT is why they’re going hard after him.

He’s also BERNIE’s most formidable opponent and that’s why the Bernie / Chapo wing of the Internet has their knives out for him.

Trust me, I’ve been observing it up close since Beto announced. Really since the Senate race. Beto is the frontrunner.

But whatever, think what you want. You’re going to be left behind no matter what.

R220 I think you're deluded.

[quote]Really? Because it’s been one day and already no one is talking about it except Trump trolls.

Really? Because they just covered the 'killing children' story again on the nightly Chicago newscast on ABC. Also showed him talking about his white male privilege. The only place so absolutely in love with Beto is DL. Even MSNBC is managing to moderate themselves with the ones blathering on and on like lovesick schoolgirls all being the white guys. I'm calling it Beto Bromance Syndrome.

He’d be such an improvement. Sincere and optimistic. Love that the GOP, Fox and Russian trolls are pissing themselves over him...more please

Think what you want, R221. Time will prove me right.

I’m kind of feeling sorry for the Beto troll. I warned him over and over in the previous threads that blocking people with legitimate concerns about Beto was not viable and that he may have to block the entire world once he got into the ring. I also warned him that looks don’t matter (I personally think Beto is merely an AWG leaning on the horsey side) and that the so-called “it” that Beto allegedly has is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

Well, as you have seen, this has been the most disastrous rollout of any candidacy I can remember. I thought he’d last months but poor Robert Francis, aka “Beto, I was born to be in it” O’Rourke’s campaign is done in a little over 72 hours.

[quote]And you were never on the Beto train. Your only posts on Datalounge are in this thread and they’re all about Beto’s teenage fiction.

Not true R218, I liked him a lot in the beginning. I also posted on several threads today that have nothing to do with Beto. If he hadn't released that stupid VF article and the dumb 3 minute video, I would have said 'go for it Beto'. But he's done a lot of things lately that put me off. Apparently he's in Wisconsin today badmouthing Hillary Clinton.

I am beginning to think he is a crazy SJW who needs to grow up!

[quote]If any other ACTUAL Dataloungers—not trolls like the above—are in New York and want to meet me and confirm I’m not a Russian troll, I’m up for that, too.

And who WOULDN'T want to take you up on that, OP/Russian Troll? You seem so moderated and stable in your increasingly erratic posts in this thread that I'm sure no one would ever question whether they'd want to meet you in person to "settle" a dumb internet squabble.

To any Dataloungers thinking about taking OP/Russian Troll up on his offer to meet in New York, I strongly suggest you bring mace. Though he probably wouldn't show up, like he refused to show up in Sunset Park. Was he afraid? Was he meeting his Russian handler??

Also, how long until the cable media turns on Beto. I can't believe that he gets a "headliners" on MSNBC but Stacy Abrams, who is imminently more qualified, likable, and FUNNY, doesn't get one.

Blocking you now, R227. Fruitcake.

That’s quite the wishful thinking, R225. Beto’s unofficial campaign start has been a success. People like you who want him to fail are just going to proclaim him a failure no matter what. Time will prove you horribly wrong.

Incidentally, for all the skepticism and light criticism he’s received the past three days, absolutely no one in the sane-person media has declared his last three days a disaster, and no one has said his campaign is “done”. You really are a fucking troll.

And he was not “badmouthing” Clinton today. He just said the midwestern states she ignored in 2016 cannot afford to go un-visited. He’s going to visit more towns and cities in this country than any other Dem candidate. Mark my words. And it’s going to pay off.

OP/Yevgeny Ivanovich! We’re not paying you all these roubles for the launch to be such a mess. I want to see changes ASAP or you’ll be getting transferred to the Vladivostok office.

[quote]And he was not “badmouthing” Clinton today.

Yes he was! He's crazier than the BernieBros!

.@BetoORourke in Wisconsin on his plans to campaign in states Ds lost in 2016. "When we don't show up, we get what we deserve and that is to lose."

He just keeps on digging.

Candidates never spend time in the states where the polls show them leading when there are states that need propping up. If he gets the nom, I guess he's going to spend a lot of time in Massachusetts and Illinois, right? He sounds like a moron. He's going to lose women voters for the Democratic party. Quite the feat that will be.

How does that make him “crazier than the Bernie Bros”? You haven’t spent much time interacting with the crazy Bernie Bros if you think Beto’s remarks today are anywhere near their level.

I love the efforts to quash Beto’s campaign in this thread. Like anything any of us write here is going to have any impact whatsoever on the primary or the general. Like calling me a Russian troll, and suggesting that Beto is the preferred candidate of Russia (!!), is going to get any traction outside —or even inside— Datalounge.

R234, I don't think they are saying that Russia wants him in the White House. I think they are arguing that they want him to run against Trump so they are propping him up in the primaries. They think he'll be an easier target than Biden. You do remember that Russia propped up Bernie, right?

[quote] @BetoORourke in Wisconsin on his plans to campaign in states Ds lost in 2016. "When we don't show up, we get what we deserve and that is to lose."

And you call that "bad-mouthing" Clinton? LOL! Beto is just stating the fact that if you don't campaign in a state, don't be surprised if you lose that state. Even the strongest supporters of Clinton admit that it was a big mistake for her not to campaign in Wisconsin. Obama, Kerry and Gore all spent a lot of time campaigning in Wisconsin. They all won Wisconsin. Hillary didn't. She lost Wisconsin. It's not "bad-mouthing" Clinton to point out these undeniable facts. Hell, even Bill Clinton wanted Hillary to spend more time in states like Wisconsin.

Of course he was referring to Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin when he said that R236. You got to be incredibly naive if you can't see this.

I don't know what happened to this guy, he made a 180 degree turn from charismatic candidate who had the potential to unify democrats, old and young, left and right, to bloated ego psychopath who says one stupid thing after another.

[quote] Of course he was referring to Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin when he said that [R236]. You got to be incredibly naive if you can't see this.

I know he was referring to Clinton. But he wasn't "bad mouthing" Clinton. Please read my post again.

[quote] I don't know what happened to this guy, he made a 180 degree turn from charismatic candidate who had the potential to unify democrats,

Oh, yes. I'm sure you were a big fan of Beto's, and now you've suddenly changed your mind.

You trolls really need to try harder.

He basically said that the democrats deserved to lose because Hillary Clinton didn't campaign in Wisconsin.

Which btw it a total lie because she did campaign in Wisconsin and lost by only 20 thousand votes.

Sorry the guy is an idiot!

6.1 billion dollars in the first 24 hours. What's that about his campaign being over in a little of 72 hours R225?

He stole people’s credit card numbers when he was a privileged teenager.

Where’s Kamala on that?

If Kavanaugh’s every little high school fart mattered, then why not hold precious little Beto to the same standard?

Goose is cooked. We warned the Beto stans that they’d turn off potential supporters with their nasty attitudes (remember calling Stacey Abrams “just a fat black woman”?) but they wouldn’t listen. It’s over when his former champions in the media start turning on him. Let’s see where his alleged looks, charisma and “it” get him, now.

[quote] 6.1 billion dollars in the first 24 hours.

6.1 billion dollars would be pretty damn impressive! LOL! It's actually 6.1 million. But that's more than any other candidate raised in their first 24 hours, including Sanders. So much for the trolls' argument that Beto's campaign rollout has been a flop.

Oh LOL R243. I knew I shouldn't have posted anything before having any coffee.

[quote]6.1 million dollars in the first 24 hours

That's what the attacks out there are really about.

BETO BEAT SANDERS!!! BETO BEAT SANDERS!!! BETO BEAT SANDERS!!!

6.1 MILLION IN HIS FIRST 24 HOURS!!!!

Last time I checked, 6.1 million beats 5.9 million.

Yes I'm gloating, so what? These anti-Beto trolls deserve it.

And these trolling anti-Beto Berniebro trolls deserve it EVEN MORE!!!!!

Tell us again how Beto's campaign is finished already? LMAO!!!!!

The killing children fiction he wrote was the weirdest thing. I get that it's art, but... I kind of don't want someone quite so ... I don't know. Will vote for any Dem however.

Offering my unshowered, hairy AMERICAN hole for the anti-Beto trolls to lick in the wake of Beto’s $6.1mil first-day fundraising haul. Gooooood morning, cunts!

That’s right—LICK ME.

Let’s just revisit this tasty morsel again:

[quote]Well, as you have seen, this has been the most disastrous rollout of any candidacy I can remember.

LOL!

$6.1 million! Beat all other candidates’ first-day totals! HA!

The "russian troll" OP sure is having fun talking to himself about Beto's fundraising, as if that invalidates all of the other criticism. Ultimately I'm with r248, if Beto gets the nom I'll vote for him for sure, but I won't vote for him in the primary (if he's still around by my state).

Not to dismiss the BernBros hate for Beto, but I suspect some of the negative media stories are pushed from the Biden camp.

I was accused of being spy here as well lol. Russians are after Beto, not supporting him. so lame. Btw, if Saunders is nominated, how will you defend the titles like Americas Hugo Chavez or Castro’s Best Friend? So far I haven’t heard a convincing argument

I just signed up to volunteer with the campaign.

Bravo R254! Hope you donated too.

R254 which state?

[quote]$6.1 million! Beat all other candidates’ first-day totals! HA

Was this before or after credit card fraud reveal? Jeb Bush was the big fundraiser of the Republicans in 2016, btw.

Boomers who are part of the Kennedy cult will vote for him because of his appearance.

There was no “big credit card fraud reveal”, troll.

And was Jeb the electrifying rock star that Beto is? Was his fundraising haul funded without PACs? Are you seriously comparing the two? LOL.

You trolls are WEAK.

That’s no doubt part of his appeal, r258, but people tend to vote for whoever makes them feel good. Beto makes people feel good. I watched his live stream from Detroit this morning, meeting with black people. I was moved to tears.

He just has that effect on people. And online trolls like r257 do not and will not even register with the electorate.

Happy to give $50 to Beto because Hannity seems to really hate Beto!

R256 Pennsylvania. I'll probably be doing data entry from home, rather than knocking on doors. (I hope.)

I would like volunteer also.

For R263

r258, Kennedy cult? What is the Kennedy cult?

If you like the Kennedys and think JFK was a good looking man and a fine president are you a part of the Kennedy cult?

If you lament the fact that RFK never got a chance to show what he might have done as president are you part of the Kennedy cult?

Just so we're clear.

Well, with the announcement Beto broke fundraising records, reeling in $6.1M it's easier to understand why the Trumpniks and the Berners have been attacking him non-stop on social media.

Giggle.

I'll admit he has my attention. I heard a lot of things I liked in that clip. The wife needs to not star at him so much.

Piranha-rat-face False Kennedy O’Rourke in the lead, for now. Not for long, Bern’s gonna Bern, just you wait.

R266 Deplorables and bernie bros are quaking, it’s fucking great

R268 Bernie looks like shit and will drop Dead soon just you wait!

I don't want Bernie to drop dead, but I do wish he'd realize he's just way too old to be running for president.

Yes, Biden too.

I wonder what really happened with Bernie and his shower. I bet he had a fistfight with his ugly frau.

Beto has no chance in hell of getting the nomination.

It's all coming down to Biden, Harris, or Sanders.

[quote]Well, with the announcement Beto broke fundraising records, reeling in $6.1M it's easier to understand why the Trumpniks and the Berners have been attacking him non-stop on social media

So we’re using first day fundraising instead of polls now? Because we’re still waiting to see that bump.

[quote]I watched his live stream from Detroit this morning, meeting with black people. I was moved to tears.

Can you even hear yourself? Try to imagine what you'd think of a BernBro who said something like this. That's how those of us still living outside the cult think of you now. Can you really not see that?

R274, you can wait another day or two for the next poll results to to be released. In the meantime, yes, go on ahead and dismiss Beto’s record-breaking first day total. I’m sure it means *nothing*.

Why did they wait so long to release the first day totals if they were record breaking? Seems weird. Again. Does he not have an operation set up? Was he sitting there himself with a calculator or something?

[quote] So we’re using first day fundraising instead of polls now?

Ah, yes. The first-day fundraising totals were rather important about 36 hours ago, when the Beto detractors thought -- erroneously as it turns out -- that those numbers must have been bad. Now, when that proves not to be the case, all of sudden the numbers don't mean anything.

Keep moving those goalposts.

[quote] that Beto WON'T reveal how much in donations he racked in during the first 24 hours (kind of a dumb barometer, and he could be playing the media with this, but I feel after the bad headlines he would WANT some good press)

I called it at r181, he was playing the media. My guess is he wanted to use that announcement like a trump card, and didn't want to release the figure as soon as he did. A combination of 'keep them guessing' and 'poker face' strategies. Too bad OP blocked me(?), or he would know it too.

[quote] I called it at R181, he was playing the media. . .and didn't want to release the figure as soon as he did.

🙄

Beto says all the skeletons are out now. I believe him.

I have signed up to volunteer for Beto in Michigan and damn he was here yesterday! I guess Hannity ripping Beto will be a thing every night on his show

All that media attention and money raised by donors (we know that fundraising total wasn't grassroots or they would have said how many small donations he got) and he only went up 1 point in the polls. lol

He might actually be the worst candidate running. There's nothing to him besides alleged "good looks" and long speeches that say nothing.

You sound like a scared Bernie bro, R283.

Beto seems to scare both Republicans (the Club for Growth is already running oppo ads against him in Iowa) and the Berners. He's a real threat.

I hope Bernie drops out and makes a musical announcement of it from a balcony Evita-style.

I liked Beto when he was running against Ted Cruz, but the more I learn about him, the more I realize there's nothing worth knowing. He's an immature flake with a pretty face, no policy ideas, and apparently, the obnoxious notion that it's his birthright to do this. Yuck.

I've got no problem with a white male getting the Dem nomination if that's what it takes to get Trump out, but please can't it be somebody who is under 75 years old and actually has something to say and some experience to back it up?

The Kennedys claimed a birthright to lead, so why not Beto?

He's an empty blue shirt, but the media is in overdrive trying to convince us otherwise.

The trolls just keep flailing like Beto’s arms.

Flail away, trolls! You might be able to stop him if you keep registering your disgust on Datalounge!

You seem to be the paid troll at the ready, R289. I don't know who you think you are fooling.

As soon as someone posts something critical, there you are.

Imagine how disappointed r289 will be when he learns the exchange rate between Russian rubles and American dollars. He THINKS he's getting paid a lot to shill for Beto, but the rate currently is like .015 dollars/ruble! Oops!

Bernie announced he hired David Sirota as his speechwriter. Sirota's the nutjob who was harassing Beto on twitter, writing articles trashing him. Bernie knows who his competition is.

R291 Parscale is the Russian link. He is currently Trump's campaign manager, previously worked for Cruz and was the head of the Cambridge Analytica outfit. Nobody Parscale hates more than Beto.

[quote]The Kennedys claimed a birthright to lead, so why not Beto?

I hope you were being sarcastic, but is there a Kennedy you'd like to see claiming his/her "birthright" now? Did any Kennedy ever do anything much for this country, for that matter?

^Well, okay, Ted was a great senator, despite his many peccadilloes. But that's about it.

CNN going all in against Beto

All the pundits - right and left - are attacking him and ignoring every other Democrat. Reminds me of Bill Clinton in 1991.

If Beto comes through this - he'll be unbeatable. The media is not vetting the other candidates.

MSNBC noted that all this criticism of Beto in the media (Tall Poppy Syndrome and he's a very, very tall poppy) doesn't jive with what they're seeing on the ground. Beto's getting enormous, enthusiastic crowds.

The media did the same thing to Bill Clinton in 1991-92. They started by fawning over him to a ridiculous degree, almost acting more like pals with him then hard edged reporters at times. Then the Gennifer Flowers accusations came out, and the media smelling Gary Hart like controversy, turned on Clinton like a bunch of vipers; constantly picking a part everything he said and did. How Clinton managed to survive all of it I"ll never know, but somehow he did.

It appears it is happening again, although they've turned on Beto with lightening speed, much faster than they did Clinton nearly 28 years ago. And not over any big controversy either, but over stupid little nitpicky mistakes that Beto might have made here or there.

Whatever, I know it's all part of the process, but damn, is this really the best way to pick our next president?

Not sure Beto has the political savvy, good instincts and shrewdness of Bill Clinton.

R298 maybe not - but he definitely has Clinton's talents as an orator and also his touchy-feely-ness. Yesterday a black trans woman was at an event and getting upset and tearful about how black trans women she knew had been treated. Beto gave her a big bear hug. The trans woman was about an inch shorter than Beto.

Beto crop circles

Although it is not the verbiage I would have chosen, there is something to the Kennedy "cult". There is a certain contingent of Democrats, mainly those of a certain age, that will never stop looking for another John Kennedy (or Robert) to appear. Never mind that Kennedy was president 60 years ago, they are ever in thrall to the glorious myth. They will always be tempted to run after the newest young pretty face, because Kennedy. Of course policies don't matter to them. They can't help themselves. It's easy to pick this crowd out, because they invariably throw out terms like "style", "grace", "vigor", and the dreaded "charisma". It's similar to the influence that Reagan holds over the GOP, only much bigger in extent.

Nothing will convince me that Beto isn't intentionally targeting this group. Who knows, maybe it will be a winning strategy.

The comforting and hug is pure BIll Clinton r299.

Those first day fundraising totals could be a wad blown rather than a sustainable trend. Kamala, not Beto, gets the biggest bump in the latest poll.

1. Biden 28%

2. Sanders 20%

3. Harris 12%

4. O’Rourke 11%

5. Warren 6%

6. Kerry 4%

7. Booker 3%

8. Klobuchar 3%

9. Castro, Gillibrand, Inslee, Buttigieg, Hickenlooper 1%

10. Others incl. Gabbard, Delaney & Mcacauliffe > 1%

Article

Stinkfish.

It’s still too early, but worth thinking who the lesser polling candidates supporters will turn to once their candidate drops out. Looking down that list, I think Uncle Joe stands to gain the most.

Go Corey!!

I'm amazed by all the harping on "we have to have a woman candidate, we have to have a candidate who's a POC".

Our last Dem President was a black man. Our last Dem candidate was a woman. She lost.

I bet a good numbet of people who say we need a woman or a POC also said Trump won because of racism and sexism.

I've got a feeling some of these trolls pushing ' we have to have a woman candidate' or 'we have to have to black candidate' are rightwing trolls who figure it would be easier for Trump to take them down playing on the sexism and racism in this country,

Ah, yes, R309, the poor, put-upon, powerless, discriminated against white male. I weep for thee.

[quote]Those first day fundraising totals could be a wad blown rather than a sustainable trend. Kamala, not Beto, gets the biggest bump in the latest poll.

Considering Kamala has been in the race far longer and yet is in a dead heat with Beto looks good for him and not for her.

Beto is clearly the favorite. LOL @ the BernieBots™ soiling their panties. They can't believe people prefer another candidate.

Kamala will not be the Democratic nominee of 2020. This country is not going to vote for a woman of color this time around.

Her best bet is to hope that the eventual nominee will pick her for VP.

Beto is having his kickoff for his campaign on March 30 which is confusing

That's when his campaign will kick off. I imagine he will uncover his presidential platform.

He arrived in New Hampshire this evening and had a Town Hall in a mall - thousands of people showed up.

[quote]Beto is clearly the favorite. LOL @ the BernieBots™ soiling their panties. They can't believe people prefer another candidate.

They may not like it but they already have plenty of experience with people preferring a different candidate. Poor wittle BernBros will just vote for Trump again.

On the Beto front, I think you all are underestimating how much women of all colors are resenting the treatment that Beto is getting. I have yet to see one woman on the Beto bandwagon but I've seen plenty discussing the kid glove treatment and cheerleading he's been getting. The Democratic party pissing on women is beyond stupid. The 2018 election's lessons have not been learned. A minority lesbian was elected in Kentucky. You want to alienate women of all kinds while also throwing away all the momentum that was gained in getting the white female moderate/suburban vote away from the Repugs in 2018, go ahead and put two white males on the ticket or hand the nomination on a silver platter to the younger, less experienced white male over everyone else. We've never seen that happen before in our lives...except all the fucking time.

[quote]On the Beto front, I think you all are underestimating how much women of all colors are resenting the treatment that Beto is getting.

What a kid glove treatment? I've seen him get reamed on liberal media since he announced.

Come to Oakland, CA Beto! You’ll surround Lake Merrit in a powerful image and raise tons 🇺🇸 😎🇺🇸

Go to a Beto Town Hall. They are full of college girls having orgasms over him.

R321, I said women, not college girls. Women vote. College girls don't.

[quote]Yesterday a black trans woman was at an event and getting upset and tearful about how black trans women she knew had been treated. Beto gave her a big bear hug. The trans woman was about an inch shorter than Beto.

I watched this on Facebook live when it happened. At first I could feel my blood pressure going up, because that trans person was talking about the murders of trans people like it’s an epidemic, which it’s not, and like they’re all hate crimes, which they’re not necessarily. But when he/she stopped talking and let Beto answer, his response was so heartfelt and sincere and inclusive of other minorities besides trannies, I started to get emotional. THEN, Beto said he wanted he tranny to be an advisor to his campaign on this issue, and instructed his campaign “manager” Cynthia to get the tranny’s contact information.

I’m as skeptical as everyone of the trans movement, but the way Beto handled it, with emotional outreach and sincerity, made my eyes well up a bit.

R323, that's what happens when you fall in love. Unfortunately, this isn't your fucking romance novel and that cult-level shit is going to give us more Trump or Pence or, at the very least, an unindicted Repug (if they can find one!). Grow up because you sound like a lovesick teenager.

Tig Notaro will play him in the eventual biopic.

Has the Times started attacking him yet?

[quote]It appears it is happening again, although they've turned on Beto with lightening speed, much faster than they did Clinton nearly 28 years ago. And not over any big controversy either, but over stupid little nitpicky mistakes that Beto might have made here or there.

The media likes to create idols and then destroy them. And media cycles have gotten drastically shorter, not like in the Clinton years.

Plus when Beto when he ran in TX, he basically wasn't encroaching on any Dem competitor. Now is a totally new ballgame, and some primary campaigns have definitely reached out to friendly media ears with oppo research.

[quote] but I've seen plenty discussing the kid glove treatment and cheerleading he's been getting

Massive eyeroll. "Kid glove treatment." Yeah, right. They've been dissecting his teenage writings and tearing into him from the right and the left. Apparently, anything that isn't biased against him is now considered "kid glove" treatment.

Sure, Jan.

Seriously, the other candidates want some of the same type of coverage that Beto has gotten? Ok, lets see if Kamala kept a diary when she was 15 and what kind of terrible things she might have written in it. Let's see some of Elizabeth Warren's term papers when she was an undergraduate to see if any of them might have had some subversive themes in them? Let's see if Corey Booker ever cheated on a test when he was in elementary school.

Are you so sure that YOUR candidate was always pure and good at every point of their life? That they never did ANYTHING in their past that they should be ashamed of?

Willing to test that theory?

Morning Joe has a real hate on for him. I can only think it stems from the fact that Joe supports a Biden or Kerry run (we're going back to 2004?) and Mika is buried up Bernie's ass.

Kerry thinking of running again? Why? Losing once wasn't enough for him?

What a joke.

Heartening to see the big crowds that Beto's been drawing on college campuses.

R330, I think it's rather Mika taking offense "on behalf of the women candidates" to keep her feminist cred, while Joe is super jealous he's never getting VF cover stories with Kennedyesque (on in his case, Reaganesque) photoshoots.

Mika ripped Hillary to shreds every single day. So her newfound feminism is a joke.

There is a Hillary exception for everything, for sure.

The BernieBros are despicable. They are making childish, disparaging comments on the social media pages of every other Democratic candidate. Do they really think that is going to persuade anyone to vote for that old crank? Apparently they are intent on repeating the mistakes of 2016.

The Berniebros are just the left's mirror image of Trump's deplorables on the right.

Make of that what you will.

R337, they have a lot in common with the deplorables. White, sexist males as far as the eye can see.

And yet one of the criticisms that they use against Beto is that he's a white guy. That only builds on and adds to the purported resentment that has been peddled by the Reich-wing Club For Gowth on behalf of Cheatolini. Any port in a storm for these alleged Democrats.

Why are they putting Biden in all the polling? No one should be included in the polling until they announce. It skews the results and doesn't give a true picture of what's happening. It also gives a false boost to people with name ID who haven't even announced to the detriment of the others who already have. By even putting Biden's (and Beto's before he announced) names into the polls, the media shapes the entire conversation.

Imagine how the polling would have looked for the last few months if you only got in after you announced? Do you think Warren and Harris being constantly talked about as leading the polling by double digits, as would have been the case, would have effected how people viewed their candidacies? Of course it would. I'm sick of the media making the story instead of reporting the story.

To all of you on the Beto Train, have you given Mayor Pete a look? Watch his 3/20 interview on Morning Joe. I bet half of you fall in love. He's Beto with actual achievement, knowledge, positions, an amazing resume, and maturity to match his age. He's the real deal.

R341 I can only speak for myself, but I know about Mayor Pete and I ADORE Mayor Pete. If this were a normal election, I'd be behind Pete 110%. But now is not the time. The fate of the world literally hinges on this election. ("MARY!" me all you fucking want, it's true.)

We have to be hard-hearted, and we have to be ruthlessly focused on victory above all other considerations. We have to throw all of our support behind the candidate with the best chance of winning. And I'm really sorry, but Pete isn't it. He's too smart and his last name is Buttigieg. I'm not saying this to disparage Pete, please understand -- I'm disparaging the American voter.

Of all the candidates, IMO Beto looks like the one who could win this thing.

r341, I'll be blunt. Pete is great but he doesn't have enough political experience and he's gay.

He won't win this year.

[quote]He's too smart and his last name is Buttigieg

The Beto fans continue to bowl us over with their substantive insights. They’re never shallow.

Pete's the mayor of a little town. He ran for a statewide office in red Indiana and got 35% of the vote. Beto ran for Senate from a giant deep-red state which is the second most populated in the US and lost by 2.5%.

[quote]The Beto fans continue to bowl us over with their substantive insights. They’re never shallow.

Voters are shallow. If they weren't we wouldn't have Donald Trump.

You know what r341? Fuck off. You come on to a BETO thread and try to entice away from supporting him by using another candidate who YOU like better and then you have the nerve to insult us when you don't like our answers as to why we are sticking with Beto? Who are you to come here and do this in the first place. Should I go to YOUR candidate of choice's thread and try to get his supporters to turn against him and support Beto instead?

You get what you give Honey bun, just remember that.

The GOP is scared to death of Beto. They're trolling him on social media exhaustively. And here's Bannon today..

Bannon is a loon. And WTF? Has he been exiled or something? LOL Why do I always read about him being over in Europe in all these recent stories?

Nevermind, he and his racist stink can stay over there.

Beto almost made me cry...

Wow. That video at r350 is really something. Beto at his most Clintonesque right there.

I love the ending when he gives the trans woman a big bear hug - no hesitation. Imagine some other straight guy doing that.

So far Beto just isn’t happening like Obama. Now if only the Beto fans would entertain some constructive criticisms and look to make their candidate and his campaign better, there’ be cause for hope. But this childish blocking out and attacking of any negative comments about their candidate (“l can’t hear you, lalalalalalalalalalalalalalala ...”) will be a big part of why he ultimately fails.

Shame. He seems like a nice enough guy, just not insanely smart and a bit unprepared.

Not hugging the T would have been literal violence!

[quote] So far Beto just isn’t happening like Obama.

Hmmm. Sounds concerning. But then again, it's Thursday and he only announced -- in a crowded field -- a week ago. So, "isn't happening like Obama" seems a tad bit premature.

[quote] So, "isn't happening like Obama" seems a tad bit premature.

Especially since Obama didn't really start "happening" until the primaries actually began.

The trolls were declaring Beto's campaign dead in the water just hours after he announced. They're also upset that he hasn't provided highly detailed policy proposals on every imaginable issue in the first week of his campaign.

Some of the trolls in this thread are trolling so poorly it's laughable.

And to the genius who said Beto's supporters are all young white men ... I'm a woman, and I know plenty of women who support him. And if you look at the crowds at any of his campaign stops, you'll see a lot of diversity, be it age, race, gender, etc.

Beto, god bless him... he tried. Better luck in 2024.

[quote]Especially since Obama didn't really start "happening" until the primaries actually began.

Obama happened four years earlier with his speech at the convention.

R347, you stupid fuck, my last post was at R341 and I haven't posted again until this post. You rant like the brainwashed cult member you so obviously are.

[quote] Obama happened four years earlier with his speech at the convention.

Not really. Yes, he gained a lot of attention after that speech. But when the 2008 campaign started, everyone assumed that Hillary would be the nominee and that Obama had little chance. Hillary herself seemed to have no clue that Obama would be the big deal he turned out to be. Her campaign was caught completely off guard. It wan't until Obama won the Iowa caucuses that all the momentum shifted toward him and away from Hillary. Obama's speech the night of his Iowa victory was the moment when he "happened."

The Democrats should get rid of the caucus system.

He’s hot but too weird to be a serious candidate, He ate dirt in public.

Beto O’Rourke is no Bill Clinton. More like George W. Daddy issues. An intellectual light weight who talks around questions about policy because he doesn’t have a vision for governing. Questionable judgement. And on a purely superficial note hot he’s not. But I do concur that he’s somewhat weird. Which can be a good thing but not in his case.

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When are his fans going to realize that the GOP are trying to elevate Beto, not because they're scared of him, but because they know they could easily beat him? Immigration is what kills dems in the midwest and Beto would be the PERFECT foil for Trump.

Handing him a weak, easily definable (because he can't even define himself) candidate is Trump's wet dream. Sure it'll win over Hillary voters, and might even win him the popular vote, but it's going to take more than generic platitudes and "hope 2.0" to defeat Trump.

We need a candidate who can break through his hold on rural America. Taking into consideration who actually has the best shot to get the nomination, that's Sanders and Biden. But they aren't attractive or young enough for the eldergays. Either way, it's time to get serious and Beto is just another figure who makes democrats feel good, but ultimately won't get the job done. We had already had hope, now it's time for action.

Wow, four new posts in here and I can't see any of them. Trolls have such a hard-on for Beto.

[quote]When are his fans going to realize that the GOP are trying to elevate Beto, not because they're scared of him, but because they know they could easily beat him? Immigration is what kills dems in the midwest and Beto would be the PERFECT foil for Trump.

They aren't elevating him. They are attacking Beto because they know he's a major threat. They aren't attacking Sanders because Trump would love to run against him and throw out the word Socialist at every turn.

Go on twitter. Which Democrat are the Trump trolls attacking relentlessly? Beto. They don't seem to give a shit about the others. Beto can carry Texas and Texas is ALWAYS the key to a Republican victory.

Kamala Harris has gone to Texas for a couple of fundraisers, thinking she has a chance in Texas. She doesn't but it shows how Texas is going to be the linchpin of the 2020 election.

[quote]They aren't elevating him. They are attacking Beto because they know he's a major threat.

They attack to raise his profile. It's how primary politics works.

I'm not sure primary voters in Iowa make their decisions based on Twitter.

I think Beto will take a lot of votes away from Bernie, but I don't think he will win the primaries. Will he support whoever the democratic nominee will be or will he be another Bernie "It's my way or the highway"?

I can absolutely see Beto making it all about him. He's got a big ego and he seems obsessed.

Beto seemed so promising.

Beto makes Texas a swing state. That's huge.

Beto doesn't have a big ego. I followed the Texas campaign. He was constantly drawing attention to everybody but himself. If anything, he is too self-effacing and quick to criticize himself - like apologizing for bullshit.

People seem to forget Beto has been harassed non-stop since even before November 6th to run for President. Social media was goading him relentlessly as was the MSM. The only other potential candidate who seems to be pushed into the race is Biden.

If Kamala Harris were a white man, who had just arrived in the Senate and immediately starts running for President, she would be considered with the same contempt Ted Cruz was.

Beto can conceivably carry Texas. A Democrat who can do that is holding the Philosopher's Stone, alchemy that will destroy forevermore the GOP.

Right r376, the Beto haters on this thread don't know the real Beto at all.

Fuck em' all.

R377, you sound like you're talking about your husband. Grow up.

Beto shouldn't have apologized so pathetically for his comments that were already meant to be self-effacing. He looked absolutely weak doing it the way he did. He should have just said it was meant to be a joke and kept some dignity.

[quote]Go on twitter. Which Democrat are the Trump trolls attacking relentlessly? Beto. They don't seem to give a shit about the others. Beto can carry Texas and Texas is ALWAYS the key to a Republican victory.

Please stop with this. Neither Beto nor any Democrat, is carrying Texas. Not happening. Better chance to swing North Carolina which Obama won.

Also, Beto campaigned door-to-door in Texas and still lost (to Ted Cruz!). If he wants to spend his entire presidential campaign in Texas doing the same, fine. But doesn’t mean all purple, and even some blue, states will magically fall behind him while he spends time in his home state where he’ll probably lose again.

Non-Daily Fail link about poll showing Beto is the only main democratic candidate that Trump can beat.

And in the interest of balance, to prove I’m not at all about bashing him, some good news for Beto. A major Obama fundraiser says he’s leaning towards supporting him. Let’s see how he mange’s with more money than his rivals.

I think some of his actions on camera make him look crazy. like he is crazy.

A bunch of Obama stalwarts (the Pod Save guys, Plouffe,Axelrod, etc.) are obviously supporting Beto not Biden. Makes me think the Obama people know Biden can't do it.

It’s not all the Obama people. But I do think Biden’s presence (expected) is the main reason Beto isn’t polling as well as expected. Take Biden out of the equation and he might benefit. But how to do it? Attack Uncle Joe and risk turning off his supporters completely?

[quote]Beto doesn't have a big ego. I followed the Texas campaign. He was constantly drawing attention to everybody but himself. If anything, he is too self-effacing and quick to criticize himself - like apologizing for bullshit.

The first thing he did was releasing a 3 minute video with his wife staring at him the whole time like an obedient 50's frau, without saying one word. Then he said Hillary deserved to lose because she didn't campaign in Wisconsin.

Fuck Beto, he campaigned all over Texas and still lost!

really over him

[quote] Then he said Hillary deserved to lose because she didn't campaign in Wisconsin.

Well, he has a point. And he's not the only Democratic candidate who has faulted Hillary for not paying more attention to the Midwest. Amy Klobuchar, for example, has made similar comments. You've got to admit that Hillary's decision to ignore Wisconsin was one of the most boneheaded decisions in recent presidential campaign history. Historically, the Democratic nominees have actively campaigned in Wisconsin. Hell, John Kerry practically camped out in Wisconsin in 2004.

If Beto is willing to learn from Hillary's mistakes, then I think that's a good thing.

[quote] Then he said Hillary deserved to lose because she didn't campaign in Wisconsin.

Of course, that's not what he said -- but it sounds so much more dramatic the way you have rephrased it. And so much easier to bash him when you slip in "deserved to lose." He simply said he wasn't going to not campaign there. Which is not the same as Hillary "deserved to lose."

But, you knew that.

r384,Biden is a two time loser for the Democratic nomination; he's also just too old to be president at this point (and so is Bernie). So the smart money is going with Beto, who might even be able to give the Democrats their first Texas win in over 40 years.

^ Yet he’s underperforming in the polls against the two old guys. Clearly the voters don’t think Biden and Sanders are too old to be president or they wouldn’t be leading. Oh, and Drumpf himself is an old guy so that “too old” thing is bullshit. Ask yourself why your young guy can’t compete with these elderly men and you’ll see why many voters aren’t willing to back him.

Biden and Bernie are only leading because of name recognition. That's how polls this early work. But you knew that, didn't you? In fact, Biden keeps on delaying his entry because he knows he's going to have a lot of trouble appealing to Democratic voters due to age and his shitty record on Anita Hill and the Iraq War. He's also going to have a tough time raising money.

Bernie is a waste of time and a non-starter.

Beto didn't criticize Hillary. He has refused to criticize any other Democrat. He doesn't do bitchy. Some NBC drone asked him how he saw a pathway to victory and he said by showing up everywhere for people - the same thing he said in Texas where his slogan was...... wait for it...... Showing Up. The MSM interpreted that as throwing shade at Hillary.

However, the DL's beloved Mayor Pete did trash Hillary in the Esquire interview. Mayor Pete does bitchy.

Mayor Pete also got a glossy magazine treatment. But noone is bitching about that -- yet the bitchfest about Beto and VF will be forever.

Nothing against Mayor Pete. Just pointing out the double standards , both here and in the media (Morning Joe being the prime example).

R373 - Beto has already said publicly, at at least one of his rallies - that whoever the Democratic nominee is, we all need to get behind him or her because beating Trump is the goal that matters more than anything.

R393: Because Buttigieg is real and O'Rourke is fake. Here endth the lesson.

The only lesson you gave is in non-sequiturs, R395.

"If we don't show up, we get what we deserve and that is to lose"

Exactly Beto's quote and yes it was absolutely directed at Hillary Clinton.

Hillary actually did campaign in Wisconsin and lost by 25 thousand votes to Trump. Around 200 thousand votes were lost because of voter intimidation and canceling the Bernie to Trump voters would have given her a win in Wisconsin.

Of course Beto has nothing to do with this because he repeatedly said the DNC treated Bernie unfairly and he did interviews to several new leftie media outlets like TYT saying he only very reluctantly voted for Hillary as a superdelegate.

R397 It was not directed at Hillary. Dumbass. Beto said that repeatedly throughout his campaign in Texas. Democrats in Texas haven't bothered to campaign in red counties in decades. One little town Beto went to, they told him the last Democrat to campaign there was LBJ.

His campaign slogan Showing Up was even mocked by Cruz in a parody ad called "Showing the Fuck Up".

Beto is opposed to corporate donations and PAC money, founded the No PAC Caucus with Ro Khanna. God knows Hillary, bless her heart, was - just like Gillibrand, Klobuchar, Booker and Harris - the beneficiary of Big Bucks from Wall Street. The Clintons also campaigned against Beto for the incumbent, the corrupt Reyes, when Beto first won election to Congress. So holding a grudge is allowed.

Now, take down Mayor Pete. He had no reason to trash Hillary. Lil' bitch.

Beto's comment was unnecessary and absolutely directed at Hillary R398. He also campaigned to get rid of Nancy Pelosi BTW.

[quote] Hillary actually did campaign in Wisconsin

She didn't visit the state at all between the convention and election day. Tim Kaine (aka Mr. Excitement) did, but not Hillary. And her campaign didn't run any TV ads in Wisconsin until the week before the election. Hillary deserves to be criticized for that.

[quote] Beto's comment was unnecessary and absolutely directed at Hillary

It's interesting that the anti-Beto trolls are SO upset at Beto for supposedly taking a swipe at Hillary, but they didn't make a similar fuss when Amy Klobuchar took a much more direct swipe at Hillary over ignoring Wisconsin:

"We're going to be in Iowa and in Wisconsin," Klobuchar said during her campaign unveiling in Minneapolis. "I think we're starting in Wisconsin because as you remember there wasn't a lot of campaigning in Wisconsin in 2016. With me, that changes."

AK, unlike Beto never said Hillary 'deserved to lose'.

I think what he said was petty, mean spirited, counter productive and totally unnecessary.

R401 will be parsing syllables and phonemes soon enough.

[quote]When we don’t show up, we get what we deserve, and that is to lose.

Said in Wisconsin. He and Bernie should get along well.

If Beto is the nominee, let's see how much time he spends in Wyoming and Idaho, or Illinois and New York (excluding fund raisers, of course).

And you ran out of arguments R402!

Look, I liked Beto, never thought he would be a great candidate for the presidency because he is too inexperienced. But I always thought he was decent and in the future a great asset. I am just disappointed he, like so many others go for division and not unity.

Like it or not, Hillary won the popular vote, she got as many votes as Obama did in 2012. I hate that democrats use her as a punching bag for something she isn't responsible for, and for Beto it's stupid to alienate the people who voted for her. I thought he was better than Bernie and it's disappointing, although considering his past not surprising, he falls along stupid new leftie talking points.

[quote] I hate that democrats use her as a punching bag

Maybe they just realize that she ran a poor campaign, and they don't want to see us make the same mistakes in 2020. Can't fault them for that.

By the way, here's what Pete Buttigieg said about Hillary in the Esquire interview:

[quote] The problem with making it all about him is that's what we did in 2016, and when we make it all about him, then there's a lot of voters in places like the industrial midwest, where I live, who say, "Okay, but who's talking about me?" [bold] Part of how we lost our way in 2016 was, first of all, it was all about our own nominee. [/bold] "I'm with her," was literally the button. Then when we realized who the Republican nominee was going to be, the message became, "Don't vote for him." And we just left a lot of people out because it didn't seem like we were talking about the lived experience of Americans.

Between 2010 and 2018 the wonderful Nancy was out of power - the whole time Beto served in the House. Pelosi was blocking all the newer members and had consolidated power with her coterie of 75 year old pals (Hoyer, Lee, Clyburn, etc.).

Beto and Krysten Sinema both left the House to run for the Senate because they couldn't get anywhere in the House.

[quote]Maybe they just realize that she ran a poor campaign,

You don't run a poor campaign and win the popular vote.

Yes, you do. Ask Al Gore.

Listen, the electoral college sucks but that's the game and you have to win the EC to win the WH. Hillary's campaign didn't win the states needed, therefore it was not successful.

R406 It probably had more to do with the fact that Senate terms are 6 years compared to 2 years for the House. Do you want a guaranteed job for 2 years or 6 years? The choice is an easy one...also it saves them from having to run for reelection every 2 years.

[quote] You don't run a poor campaign and win the popular vote.

I'd say a campaign in which you manage the win the most votes but STILL lose is pretty much the textbook definition of a poorly run campaign. Could there be a more obvious sign that the campaign made some big tactical miscalculations?

Big tactical miscalculations make you lose states by more than 20 thousand votes.

I can't believe we're rehashing Hillary's mistakes.

Bill Clinton himself was concerned about her not paying enough attention to the midwest, and he was right.

What's this about somebody stealing credit card info as a yoot? I can't find it now, and the post just said "he", referring to another reply. Who was it ?

Nope, R404.

You'd have found fault with anything Beto said on the topic and however he'd said it.

r412, Because there are STILL Hillary fans who absolutely REFUSE to believe that Hillary did anything wrong during her 2016 campaign. It was all Russian collusion, actual changing of the votes (even though there's still no proof of that), or it was Bernie's fault or something.

HIllary and Mook ran a fairly lackluster campaign and she didn't campaign in Wisconsin so that's why she lost it. The simple truth.

And I voted for her so don't even start with calling me a hater or something.

Beto is the one rehashing 2016, nobody forced him to chime into the GOP and BernieBro smear campaign against Hillary Clinton. It's ridiculous anyway to throw dirt at her because he lost for the same reasons she lost. There was widespread voter fraud in Texas in 2018 (as was in other states) as there was widespread voter intimidation and fraud in multiple states in 2016. In a fair election Hillary Clinton would have easily trounced Trump, just as Stacey, Andrew Gillum and Beto probably would have won in their states in 2018.

R416 Beto didn't, Mr. Troll. But Mayor Petie did. Go troll him.

He did, his comment was cheap, petty and immature.

[italic]The former Texas congressman pledged Sunday in Wisconsin to "go everywhere" and take "no one for granted" during his bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. "When we don't show up, we get what we deserve, and that is to lose," he told reporters.[/italic]

R416 Easily. Right. They all lost because of massive, massive voter fraud and Republican dirty tricks. Not because Hillary's an unlikeable control freak chained to a sexual predator whose policies are repudiated on the left; not because her campaign staff would not and will still not admit they fucked up the Midwest; not because Beto is a cypher who STILL cannot articulate any original policy; and not because Stacey Abrams was an unknown whose problems being a tax attorney who owes $50k to the IRS, and even more to credit card companies. Nooooo

r417, these trolls are on a mission and it's a Beto bashing one, so telling them to go after Mayor Pete won't work, he's not the one on their radar.

Or they could just be hypocrites.

[quote]Hillary's an unlikeable control freak

Unlikable candidates don't win the popular vote R419. Facts are still facts, even if you deny them.

Funny you still perpetuate the Bill Clinton sexual predictor conspiracy theory even though Ken Starr, during a 5! year long investigation couldn't come up with any evidence confirming this.

Beto seems just a little bit fake and lightweight.

Once again, here is what Pete Buttigieg said:

[quote] Part of how we lost our way in 2016 was, first of all, it was all about our own nominee.

And here is what Amy Klobuchar said:

[quote] "I think we're starting in Wisconsin because as you remember there wasn't a lot of campaigning in Wisconsin in 2016. With me, that changes."

So why don't you "Beto sucks! And Hillary was the best candidate EVAH!" trolls kindly head over to one of the Buttigieg or Klobuchar threads and stink up one of those threads with your nonsense, and leave the Beto threads alone.

You realize this is a 'Beto 2020' thread R423!

Also Buttigiek and Klobuchar are minor candidates, Beto could become a close contender. Kamala is the only candidate who hasn't resorted to this kind of cheap rhetoric. This is why she is still my favorite.

BTW, Bernie just hired David Sirota as his speechwriter. Sirota in 99 was tied to a fake website apparently intended to scare off white residents from voting for a black opponent.

[quote] You realize this is a 'Beto 2020' thread [R423]!

Yes, and it's impossible to have a rational, thoughtful discussion about Beto's chances in 2020 when all you want to do is cry "Beto hurt my feelings because he didn't praise Hillary for running the best campaign ever!"

[quote] Kamala is the only candidate who hasn't resorted to this kind of cheap rhetoric. This is why she is still my favorite.

So your standard for choosing the best candidate is to pick the one who kisses Hillary's ass the most? 2016 is over. It sucks that Hillary lost, but it's time to move on.

[quote] BTW, Bernie just hired David Sirota as his speechwriter. Sirota in 99 was tied to a fake website apparently intended to scare off white residents from voting for a black opponent.

And how is that relevant in a "Beto 2020" thread?

You all are turning into insufferable twats a year too early. Crissakes!

You are the one making it impossible to have a rational discussion. Beto brought that onto himself, he mentioned 2016, he is the one unwilling to move on and he is the one who deserves criticism for what he said R245.

Bernie has hired a white racist in David Sirota and also a couple of Jill Stein cunt voters like Nina Turner and some other bitch who voted for Jill Stein in 2016.

Does this surprise you? It shouldn't.

[quote] and Mika is buried up Bernie's ass

Ewwwww.

On The Circus they interviewed Bannon. He said again that Beto is the scariest candidate for Trump because he excites people. Bannon claims he told the Texas GOP if Cruz didn't beat him by 10 pts, Beto would be impossible "to get rid of".

"Funny you still perpetuate the Bill Clinton sexual predictor conspiracy theory even though Ken Starr, during a 5! year long investigation couldn't come up with any evidence confirming this." Funny you ignore that the Ken Starr investigation was about sexual harassment to begin with, and indeed Bill Clinton paid out Paula Jones without a fight, and was disbarred to boot. I'd say Ken Starr came up with quite a bit. Are you referring to the the claims of Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick and others? They were never pursued by Starr, and the media sure as hell didn't either. But Bill Clinton is certainly a sexual predator, and was unused on the campaign trails of Al Gore, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton, for good reason.

[quote]Are you referring to the the claims of Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick and others? They were never pursued by Starr, and the media sure as hell didn't either.

Wrong!

Broaddrick was interviewed by Starr and he decided not to use her because her story was so flimsy it would have never held up in court. Willey, iirc had a history of making sexual assault accusations that never turned out to be true.

[quote] Funny you ignore that the Ken Starr investigation was about sexual harassment to begin with

Also wrong!

Ken Starr's investigation started with Whitewater and several other Clinton businesses, very few of Starr's initial accusations made it into the final report. Monica Lewinski only became part of the investigation after she blurred out her sexcapades with Bill to Linda Tripp over the phone. The Senate didn't convict Clinton just because he lied about a blow job, he was disbarred though. New Gingrich resigned afterwards because the whole shitshow was a disaster for the republicans. 40 million dollars of taxpayer's money, 5 years of useless investigation- all about a blowjob.

[quote]But Bill Clinton is certainly a sexual predator, and was unused on the campaign trails of Al Gore, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton, for good reason.

Again wrong!

Bill Clinton was one of the keynote speakers at the DNC convention in 2008 and of course during Hillary's campaign as well.

Just stop R431, you are too stupid to continue this fight with me.

*after she blurted

Let's get back on topic. Did Beto swing his arms around today?

No, R434, but he did apologize for not swinging his arms around today.

R432 Denying the obvious is fun, I'm sure, but PLEASE don't tell me that Clinton was the rock star of any of the last four presidential elections. Al Gore hated him with the heat of a thousands, and kept him well away from the campaign trail. Same with John Kerry and his own wife. How do you dare even question this? And please don't tell anybody that the Clinton impeachment, which is the core of the Starr investigation, was "all about a blowjob." That excuse got thrown out like a used cigar about a decade ago. It was about a sexual harassment case, just one of a string of examples of Clinton's harassment fetish, and as part of the evidence, Monica Lewinsky's affair came into play. Even his own party members admit it now. As far as the other accusations, I'm shocked that you don't "Believe the Women." Not. Maybe this could help you navigate the Juanita Broaddrick case.

*the heat of a thousand suns

* Broaddrick says she can remember every detail of the rape, except the month and day it occurred. If it scarred her for life, wouldn't she remember the date? Or at least the month?

* Broaddrick says she told her husband, David, what happened. But, at the time, David was not her husband. He was her boyfriend, with whom she was cheating on her first husband. Question: What if Clinton and Broaddrick had consensual sex? If you're cheating on your husband, and then cheat on your boyfriend, do you tell your boyfriend the truth?

* Within one year of the alleged rape, Broaddrick attended a fund-raiser for Clinton and accepted appointment by him to a state advisory board. Why did she still want to support a man who raped her?

* Broaddrick claims Clinton kissed her so hard he left her lip visibly black and blue, and she covered up by telling people she'd had an accident. But her first husband, Gary Hickey, says he remembers no such injury when she returned from Little Rock, nor such a story.

* One year later, Broaddrick filed divorce papers against Hickey, claiming he struck her on the mouth. Was that the only time?

* Broaddrick also told two girlfriends, who are sisters, what happened, which both confirm. But both admit they hate Clinton because he commuted the death sentence of the man who murdered their father. Can they be trusted?

* In 1997, Broaddrick signed an affidavit and gave a deposition in the Jones case, denying twice under oath that Clinton raped her. "These allegations are untrue and there is no truth to these rumors." If Clinton did rape her, 20 years later, why would she still not tell the truth?

* Last year, Broaddrick told independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr that her Jones testimony was false, but that she had been under absolutely no pressure from the president or the White House to file a false affidavit. So, did she lie to the Jones team? Or did she lie to Starr? Or is she now lying to NBC? How do we know?

Oh, I thought this thread was about Bed-Oh, not the Clintons. UGH.

Among Repugs, Bernbros, and BetoBoys, it's always about a Clinton.

Beto must be really confused about the attacks on him by the Bernie Bros because deep down he is one of them.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

People need to give Beto a break. He doesn't even have an official campaign manager. He's writing his own speeches. He's renting and driving his own van around the country. When he gives his speeches, they're things he says at the top of his head. I think once he gets a campaign manager, a speech writer (like Obama and Sanders) and eventually finesse his campaign machine and works on and focuses on his policies and a specific message for the country, he will be unstoppable. One thing he constantly talks about are his kids. That is a good message -- that he wants to be POTUS for his kids. He wants a better future for them, I think a lot of people can relate to that. (It's sure is a lot better than "I'm with Her." That was a fucked up message/slogan)

Wow R438 did Sidney Blumenthal write all these notes for you? You're invested huh? You're intentionally lying about the appointment Clinton gave Broaddrick -- right in the VOX article I linked, it says she didn't know it was a governor's appointment -- but it's easier to leave that out, isn't it. Dr. Blasey Ford didn't know the date or the month her assault happened, but you believe her against Bret Kavanagh, don't you? Dr. Anita Hill followed Clarence Thomas all over Washington in jobs he helped her get, but you believe her, too, don't you? And "last year" Broaddrick told Ken Starr there was no assault by Bill Clinton? Where did she tell Starr this, at an impeachment reunion? I think you have some evidence to give up -- nobody, I mean nobody has ever said that. Even Sidney Blumenthal can't come up with Broaddrick saying Clinton never raped her. That would kinda make MSNBC's and CNN's day wouldn't it ?

If Ken Starr could have nailed Bill Clinton on rape charges he would have.

Broadrick lied out of both sides her mouth and repeatedly talked to right wing outlets like the Drudge report, breitfart, she took Trump's invitation to appear at one of the debates in 2016, even though she claims she wants to bury the story.

Nobody is debating that Bill Clinton is a horndog and a philanderer who cheated on Hillary numerous times, but I am yet to be convinced he is a rapist.

Jeez. Give it a fucking rest with the Bill Clinton nonsense. No one gives a rat's ass about his sexual peccadilloes from the 1980s.

R440: That's rich considering it was you PUMAs that hijacked this thread because he DASSED to not kiss Hillary's tits. And I don't even support the guy!

Then comes the usual PUMA deflection to attack Sanders for shit he never did, in a thread that is never about him. And I don't even support the guy!

You Hillary people need to grow up and stop this personality cult shit. She is long gone and not coming back.

Does Beto suffer the Irish curse?

Just watched a Beto Town Hall in Las Vegas. He took questions from the crowd for a solid hour and a half about every conceivable topic. Mismanagement at the VA, CHIPs, immigration, creating small businesses, stock buybacks by giant corporations under Trump's tax cuts, Medicaid non-extension in states, the suicide rate among dairy farmers, Purdue Pharma, teacher salaries, federal cuts for education, the Equality Act. He fucking knows everything. Encyclopedic knowledge. Amazing.

And, I forgot, even through the tv, he smells like flowers AND donuts at the same time!!!!1!!!1!!

Really, R449? The Media has been having a play-day attacking him like he's Mr. Dumbo. Is that on CNN?

[quote] The Media has been having a play-day attacking him like he's Mr. Dumbo.

The media have been attacking Beto as a lightweight because they seem to be favoring Kamala Harris. But Harris is likely to be Hillary 2.0, appealing to the media elite, intellectuals and voters on the coasts, but not the voters in the swing states in the middle of the country that we need to win. Beto may not have a ton of political experience, but he may be able to connect with voters in a way that few of the other candidates can -- a skill that Bill Clinton and Obama both possessed and that helped them get elected. Of course, he might also turn out to be a dud, but it would be a crime to write Beto off so early.

[quote]You Hillary people need to grow up and stop this personality cult shit. She is long gone and not coming back.

Tell that to Beto, he is the one who brought her up.

[quote] Tell that to Beto, he is the one who brought her up.

He never even mentioned her by name. You're taking one sentence -- literally one sentence -- that he uttered where he never even mentioned Hillary's name and treating it as if he has launched an all-out assault on Hillary. You're a delusional troll, and nobody is taking you or your dozens of crazy posts in this thread seriously.

Beto is our future president. Huge dick. He's probably the only candidate that I could see choosing Mayor Pete as his vice president.

R454 Is it OK if the rest of us have our own opinions of other replies, or should we check with you first?

[quote] Beto is our future president. Huge dick.

I assume that you mean he HAS a huge dick and not that he IS a huge dick.

[quote]He never even mentioned her by name.

You got to be extremely stupid to not see that his comment was a dig at Hillary Clinton.

[quote] You got to be extremely stupid to not see that his comment was a dig at Hillary Clinton.

Of course it was. It was a perfectly valid criticism of her poorly run campaign -- one that has been shared by several of the other candidates. Are you suggesting that Hillary is somehow "off limits" from criticism?

[quote]Are you suggesting that Hillary is somehow "off limits" from criticism?

No, but considering all facts, people like Beto, a BernieBro, make it look like it was alone Hillary's fault that she lost. People like Beto use her as a punching bag for what is their shortcomings, their idiocy. Beto did numerous interviews to the lefty media admitting that he very reluctantly voted for Clinton and that the DNC treated Bernie unfairly.

Numerous factors helped defeat Hillary Clinton - Comey, voter suppression, a smear campaign, spoiler candidates.

Bernie voters alone swung Wi, MI and PA to Trump

Sanders -> Trump voters…

WI: 51k

MI: 47k

PA: 116k

Trump win margin…

WI: 22k

MI: 10k

PA: 44k

also

Wisconsin’s Voter-ID Law Suppressed 200,000 Votes in 2016 (Trump Won by 22,748)

R458, so what? As R459 said, anyone could see that her campaign was poorly run. Even her hubby told her to visit those Mid-west states. You seem very touchy about it. Beto never mentioned her name and by one sentence he uttered, he's slamming Hilary?

We are pissed that we lost in 2016 and got this Orange Idiot in the WH. I've heard many people say they only voted for Trump because they disliked the other candidate---Hilary. I also saw how she ran her campaign in 2008 against Obama. Obama ran a far superior campaign compared to Hilary. She always felt "entitled' or something and this attitude rubbed people the wrong way. I'm not a Bernie-Bro, far from it but Hilary ran a poor campaign twice.

I also dislike what Bernie's supporters did by voting against Hilary like that bitch, Susan Sarandon.

But you've got to put all this aside and focus on 2020 otherwise we have Trump for life.

[quote] Beto did numerous interviews to the lefty media admitting that he very reluctantly voted for Clinton and that the DNC treated Bernie unfairly.

So what? 2016 is over. The name of this thread is "Beto 2020," not "Beto 2016." Beto is looking forward to 2020. Maybe you should too.

[quote]I'm not a Bernie-Bro, far from it but Hillary ran a poor campaign twice.

You don't win the PV by 3 million (and get as many votes as Obama did in 2012) if you run a poor campaign.

Hillary Clinton lost the EC by less than 90 thousand votes. Obama never faced the obstacles she did, he never had a FBI director interfere 10 days before the election, he didn't have a massive smear campaign against him and several spoiler candidates that were propped up by dirty Russian money.

I know that the Obama camp, the GOP camp and the Stein/Bernie camp want to make it look like Clinton is the only one to blame here, because it is in their interest to do so.

well, it's the past, why don't you put it behind you.

She was a shitty candidate, btw.

R465. I don't care what you think about Clinton, but I do hope you voted for her, R365. I think Clinton was a great candidate, btw.

Of course, I voted for her.

P.S.

I can't believe you guys are arguing about the 2016 campaign in this thread.

I didn't expect you to answer, R467, for the simple reason that people can say whatever you want here. I don't expect truthfulness.

okay, back to Beto.

I hope he hires a campaign manager and speechwriter soon. He can't do this on his own as he's starting to look weird.

[quote]well, it's the past, why don't you put it behind you.

Tell that to Beto, he brought her up, rehashing 2016 again, blaming her again.

I agree r470. I think it's kind of odd that he jumped in without having a campaign manager to begin with.

[quote]I hope he hires a campaign manager and speechwriter soon. He can't do this on his own as he's starting to look weird.

You'd think people would be falling all over themselves to work for the second coming. Why is he having such a hard time finding people? Either it's a dearth of people or his inability to, again, make a timely decision. Decision making does not seem to be a strong point for him. But, hey, who needs that in a president when you know everything and have a big dick like the previous posters on this thread contend.

[quote] Why is he having such a hard time finding people? Either it's a dearth of people or his inability to, again, make a timely decision.

You sound like the trolls who said, "Why hasn't he released his first-day fundraising total? It must have been really bad." Then Beto releases his first-day fundraising total, and it turns out to be higher than for any of the other candidates. Now, you've moved on to "Why is he having a hard time hiring people?" He'll probably hire a campaign manager very soon. But I'm sure that won't shut you up either. You'll move on to to the next thing about Beto to troll about.

The Beto fans are about to find out the hard way that looks (even alleged, in Beto’s case) without brains mean zilch in politics. But honestly, Beto isn’t that big of a disappointment to me as I half expected him not to live up to the hype on the national stage because it was obvious the whole country had a projected hope that he would be the one to get rid of the hated Ted Cruz. What’s really disappointing, and even somewhat soul crashing, is that there are grown men, in 2019, that make political decisions based on who they want to have sex with. A painful reminder that some of the negative stereotypes about superficial gay people, where a family member or two have hinted that they can’t be trusted to be responsible,, are not without foundation.

Is R475 a parody post? I keep thinking that many of the anti-Beto troll posts in this thread are meant to be tongue in cheek, but it's hard to tell.

R476 We haven’t had three whole threads of people not being to explain why anyone should support Beto except that he’s “hot” and “tall” and the latest “has a big dick”?

I have r475 on ignore r476, so I wouldn't even know what you/they are even talking about.

To the outraged Hillary troll: I supported Hillary 100%. Hell I supported her against Obama in 2008. Beto is a fucking goodie two-shoes. He never criticized her, never criticizes any Democrats. Hell he even liked a tweet of Cruz's about Cruz's daughter playing baseball.

Beto's problem is he is too fucking nice. He's gonna have to get nastier.

[quote] three whole threads of people not being to explain why anyone should support Beto except that he’s “hot” and “tall” and the latest “has a big dick”

Those sound like three damn good reasons to me -- especially the "has a big dick" part.

For God's sake people, it's only March 2019! It's way too early to say that Beto has failed in his run for the presidency, or that Mayor Pete is about to be crowned the winner because....NOBODY IS VOTING FOR ANYTHING FOR ANOTHER 11 MONTHS!!!!

Literally a thousand things can and will happen between now and then.

Keep that in mind, and chill for fuck's sake.

Beto is a trap to lure Millennials away from Biden, who is the only one who can remotely beat Trump.

I think Mayor Pete is who the Beto fans should be worried about. They’re going for the same demographic and he’s even surged past Beto in the latest Iowa poll, mainly by taking away some of Beto’s supporters.

Why is Beto a candidate? Because he came within 2.5% of defeating a GOP incumbent in Electoral College rich, deep red Texas. Pete's done nothing.

Yeah 483 they're all shaking in their boots about Pete. At least the orcs and Gollum are, if Pete finds the Ring that RulesThem All in some cave. Then he can go back to his hobbit-hole and blow smoke-rings to his heart's content. Not going to be president anytime in this century.......

R484 Translation: he failed to unseat the least popular Republican senator in the last 25 years, at least, because he was vapid, had no real vision, and the electorate saw behind his uber-cultivated fake Hispanic nickname.

[quote]he failed to unseat the least popular Republican senator

On what stats exactly do you claim "the least popular"? Least popular WHERE? Compared to whom?

R487 Google is free. f you don't pay attention to the news, look it up. Don't be lazy.

Mayor Pete pulled ahead because he's been doing a lot of talk shows and interviews which reaches out to millions of people as opposed to visiting from town to town. I've seen him on tv A LOT.

Beto has only done 1 interview with Gayle King and then he was on the road.

That poll is based on 297 people with a margin of error of 6%. It's basically garbage.

True r489, true.

But like I said, this thing has literally a million miles to go before it's finished and there will be ups and downs for EVERYBODY, not just Beto and Pete.

Beto hasn't even officially kicked off his campaign yet (that happens March 30th) and Pete hasn't even officially declared himself a candidate yet.

Chill, there's time.

I decided to take pity on you R487 Here is one of many many articles that can confirm that Ted Cruz is very very unpopular among Senate colleagues, as well as his own constituents.

Be that as it may, Cruz's seat wasn't even considered in play until Beto took off in Texas.

R488, put up or shut up.

You were asked a legit question, on what evidence do you make this assertion?

And even if I was as obliging and willing to google, what do I google exactly? "least popular in Texas"? In Washington? In the US? Least popular among which voters and compared to whom?

So again, put up the stats or in case you're talking out of your ass, shut up.

Cruz is very unpopular in Washington and even among his Senate colleagues; he's much more popular in his "home" state of Texas.

R494 I just did, two posts up. You can count to two, right? I know you're on the spectrum but jesus. Google whatever you want, you're the only brain-dead Beto hard-liner left who doesn't know Ted Cruz is a prick that nobody -- I mean NOBODY-- likes. And your boy was less popular.

And yet, NOBODY would have thought Cruz's seat was even remotely vulnerable until Beto started running. Stick to facts, R496. You're embarrassing yourself.

No, Beto embarrasses himself, and you too, acting like you don't know Ted Cruz was one of the most vulnerable senators in that election. The pundits and anchors and pollsters all said it during the 2016 electoral process. You're a liar. Or you paid no attention in that election cycle.

You really are a stupid cunt of a troll, aren't you, R498. Show me ONE source that said Cruz was vulnerable until Beto became a national Democratic star based on his grass roots campaign. He was a little known Congressmen from El Paso. Cruz may be an asshole but nobody thought he would be in spitting distance of losing his seat. A Democrat hasn't been elected to state wide office in TX since the early 1990s. Beto did that on his own. Any other Dem running would have lost in a landslide.

Beto campaign for Hillary during the primary, despite that time he talked about Bernie. He also was there when she was campaigning in Texas during the general election.

I do want to make a correction, Hillary didn't lose the Midwest because they were neglected. To the contrary, they have always been catered to, especially Ohio and Wisconsin, in every election for the last 30 years. Those pesky undecided Midwesterners always have us holding our breath every fucking election. Thank good Arizona, North Carolina, and even long shot Texas will be in play in 2020.

R499 Dude I am SO sick of doing your fucking homework......Or is Salon.com too right-wing for you?

Cruz carried all the rural counties and small towns in Texas where all the Bible thumpin' rednecks live. Beto took all the major cities and flipped suburbs that are traditionally red. He flipped 4 counties including Tarrant Co. the biggest Republican county in the country.

Cruz may be unpopular outside of Texas but his current approval rating in Texas is 50%.

John Cornyn when Beto announced he was running for the Senate: "Beto's a great guy but running against Ted Cruz in Texas is a suicide mission".

R501 did you read the fucking article? Cruz was added to the vulnerable list because of Beto's strong campaign and how close polling showed him to be.

R501 is too stupid to read his own link. Don't worry. We will:

Article from October 5th, 2018

[bold]Roll Call listed Cruz among its most vulnerable senators seeking re-election for the first time this cycle.[/bold] The list is otherwise largely composed of Democrats seeking re-election in red states. The outlet cited O'Rourke's large cash haul and improving poll numbers in a state that President Donald Trump carried by 9 points in 2016.

[bold]The Cook Political Report also moved Cruz's race into the “toss-up” column. The race had been rated a “lean Republican” race after starting out as a “likely Republican” win. Cruz was elected to the Senate in 2012 by a 16-point margin.[/bold]

Thanks for proving that Cruz was a shoo-in until Beto showed himself to be a formidable opponent who ran a great campaign.

And to add to R501 doesn't read what he posts.

[quote]The polls still favor Cruz, albeit not by much. RealClearPolitics and FiveThirtyEight both have Cruz leading by about 4 points.

So the polls had him up by 4. That doesn't scream least popular, does it?

Beto did fantastic by narrowing this down to 2 points and change.But he's no Jesus and can't singlehandedly change the current Texas electorate overnight. In 10 years and a generation of new voters, Texas will be blue. Let's hope it will be even earlier.

R503 The article says nothing like that. And You said nobody ever questioned Cruz's re-election prospects, didn't you? The goalposts don't move, dude. Lies are lies.

R506 is an illiterate troll. Learn to read.

R505 Yeh he was fantastic! He'll be just as fantastic in the primaries.

R504 You're a piece of work. The article's point is that Cruz was not a shoo-in, even by the headline. Things change in a campaign, but incumbents are widely favored, and they don't get defeated unless there's a good reason. Especially by a newbie. In Cruz's case, the reason was that he's never been been popular, in the Senate or his district. Keep pumping Beto's charm though, Cruz gets off on it.

Go soak your head in the Volga, Alexei [485]. And get ready for the June debates. Mayor Pete is going to mop up the floor with Beto and those two old farts, Bernie and Biden.

Are you really advertising yourself as this retarded, R509? Before the campaign began Cruz's seat was marked as Likely Republican by The Cook Political Report. You know, from the Salon article posted? It was only as Beto campaigned across Texas and gained such a huge following that he was able to turn the race to 'toss-up' which hasn't been done in Texas since the mid-90s.

R509, did you read the articles after the election? There is also a possibility that Beto was a lot closer. There were machines that automatically chose Cruz when someone put in Beto. I wouldn't put it pass the GOP to cheat.

What Beto did was turn a lot of Texas Blue that were originally Red districts. He attracted thousands more voters to the polls---and these were people who normally did not vote. In that regard, he brought more votes to his fellow Dems in those districts and they benefited from his campaign. Even though he lost, this is what brought Beto to the Democratic party's attention. .

Tell it like it is r512.

Was it really a toss-up, though? The closing polls never put Beto even or ahead. And, who fucking cares what happened in Texas? He's losing rank in the polling now that he's announced. Strange that, no?

Beto and Biden will be dead after the debates.

"We're younger and faster!" - Beto and Mayor Pete

"We're older and we have more insurance!" - Bernie and Biden

Both end up crashed up in the parking lot.

Has Beto ever worked for a living, as in a real job , NOT on the public payroll?

Beto did better against Cruz in the 2018 race than any statewide Democratic candidate in Texas has done in over 30 years.

Beto and Pete are there to chip away votes from odious Bernie. I expect Bernie to implode after the primaries move to Nevada and South Carolina.

Both Pete and Beto will do well in the Southwest.

The rightwing trolls are all attacking Beto. Not the other candidates. Very suspicious. And of course the BernieBros are trashing Beto non-stop.

Everybody else seems to be getting a pass.

R517 Beto started a small business in the late '90s - a computer company called Stanton Street which is still up and running and very successful though he no longer directs day-to-day activities. He was also a punk rock guitarist which I don't believe is on the public payroll. He's one of the only candidates who in fact has worked in the private sector. Most are professional politicians.

yeah, I don't know why the Media is attacking Beto relentlessly. He should have skipped the The Vanity Fair cover but oh well....

You know every woman candidate is jealous as shit Annie Leibovitz didn't take their pics.

I love him to spank my bare ass.

Beto's dog (yes, she has a Twitter account) said Beto plans on campaigning in all 50 states. That would be great to see. I live in West Virginia and Obama never stepped foot in my state in 2008 but instead sent Biden. Yes, I understand his rationale -- that obviously, he knew there was no way he would win WV -- but still, it stung a little.

I agree R519. I believe Beto was generated for just this reason.

Beto went to every fucking county in Texas - including the ones that had voted 98% for Trump. I see him doing the same thing in the Presidential race.

While the Beto fans are complaining about negative media coverage caused by none other than their idol, they forget that Beto has received the more positive coverage than anyone, including a fluff Vanity Fair PR spread and an interview with Oprah. It almost seemed like a coronation. But of course that changed once the same media scratched the glossy surface and started asking questions. We’re they expecting kid gloves all the way? This is just the beginning.

[quote]Beto went to every fucking county in Texas

He still lost!

Which TX Dem would've won in Beto's place, R528?

R527 huh? I assume you didn't follow the Texas Senate campaign. Ted Cruz and his execrable campaign manager Jeff Roe are the dirtiest campaigners in politics. They had all the Murdoch media, the Wash Times, Breitbart, ad nauseam coming up with a new lie every day.

[quote]Beto has received the more positive coverage than anyone, including a fluff Vanity Fair PR spread and an interview with Oprah.

I haven't seen any media go after Bernie. And there are loads of negative things to say about that old bat.

Most of Beto's "the most positive coverage" was around and during his TX Senate campaign. Only a troll will begrudge him that here.

Since the start of Dem primary campaigns Mayor Pete had a glossy profile in Esquire. I haven't kept up with the rest to monitor their media exposure but I'm sure most have or will have similar profile pieces. It's part of campaign publicity.

Regardless of who we favor in the primaries, I hope the naysayers of any candidate will be smart enough to put "feelings" aside and vote for the chosen Dem candidate in Nov 2020. Otherwise you'll be electing Cheeto and that'll be a damn shame.

The pundits don't dare criticize Bernie because his troll army on twitter will make their lives miserable.

Presents himself as a lunatic

Accurate self-assessment , R534.

R535 - I am not Beto

You should look into irony, R534.

So glad all the white males are being trumpeted by the media. I feel so bad for the poor, ignored white males of the world.

A Dem strategist tweeted today that GOP pollsters and strategists are all over Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio trashing Beto O'Rourke. He's the candidate who is scaring them to death. Apparently they have no interest in trying to hurt any other candidates.

Was that Dem strategist named Deto O'Dourke?

R539 The only people who are scared to death of Beto are his neighbors that he might run down and leave for dead next time he's driving drunk to a booty call. Nobody else is remotely scared of him. *hic*

[quote]A Dem strategist tweeted today that GOP pollsters and strategists are all over Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio trashing Beto O'Rourke. He's the candidate who is scaring them to death.

Does that “strategist” work for Beto by any chance? For the last time, no one is scared to death of a candidate currently polling fifth in the Dem lineup. Some might even be so bold as to call said candidate a ‘non-starter’.

I received notice of viewing parties here in Michigan on Saturday for his announcement rally

R541 why are you, a Trump troll, on the DL if you aren't scared? It would seem pointless, n'est-ce pas?

Austan Goolsbee retweeted the comment R542.

The candidates: Bernie cannot even win all the blue states. Kamala cannot win any of the red or purple states. Warren isn't even popular in Massachusetts much less the rest of the country. Booker, Klobuchar can't even register. Buttigieg is a pipedream.

Biden is an unknown so far but his age will play a role. Being older than Trump and almost as prone to gaffes, won't help. Beto can conceivably carry Texas. A Democrat who can do that will destroy the GOP. Texas Republicans in particular are scared if Beto is on the ticket (even as Veep), he will affect down-ticket races. Beto won 9 districts where GOP Congressmen and Texas state legislators got re-elected by the skin of their teeth. If he's on the ticket, all those districts come back into play.

Texas Civil Rights project report - Beto probably did win.

[quote]Beto can conceivably carry Texas. A Democrat who can do that will destroy the GOP.

Just stop with this. He CANNOT carry Texas. No Democrat can. He lost the senate the most disliked person in America. Trump is, by all accounts very popular with deplorables. How will not win Texas over Trump.

[quote]The candidates: Bernie cannot even win all the blue states. Kamala cannot win any of the red or purple states. Warren isn't even popular in Massachusetts much less the rest of the country. Booker, Klobuchar can't even register. Buttigieg is a pipedream.

And what is Beto’s big negative? Or do you just think he has none and he’s flawless perfection? I dare you to mention the very obvious reason he isn’t polling better.

R546 Trump's current approval rating in Texas is 39%. Cruz's is 50%. Cruz is not "the most disliked person" in Texas. The Bible thumping teabaggers love him.

[quote] He lost the senate the most disliked person in America

The Cruz troll is nothing if not persistent. Dumb but persistent.

Hello, it wasn't an election for the Senator of America. It was an election for Senator of TEXAS. Whether or not Cruz is disliked elsewhere has no relevance to his popularity or electability in TEXAS as R548's figures show.

Beto's up in the new Quinnipiac poll.

^ Appears to have eaten into some of Bernie’s support. This will be interesting 😂

Ohhh Pete moves ahead of Amy and Cory Booker and is now in 6th place just behind Warren. ❤️

Bernie polling at 19pts is not a good sign. Once Beto and Harris up their game, Bernie will be polling in single digits.

Must be why the BernieBros attack Beto non-stop and have started bitching about Kamala.

Apparently Deplorable assholes are driving into El Paso from all over the country to protest Beto's announcement on Saturday. Did these fuckers do this to anybody else?

Oh shit, really R554? Now I'm going to start fearing for Beto's life.

David Axelrod seems to be confirming that Beto has a big dick in this NYT article about Pete Buttigieg.

[quote] Buttigieg's friend David Axelrod, the former political strategist to President Barack Obama, called it a “way, way uphill battle,’’ adding: “One of the realities is that he is a new-generation candidate and now Beto O’Rourke is in the race, and Beto fills a lot of space. They’re fishing in the same pond, and Beto has a larger fishing pole."

I like Beto but he doesn't seem as smart and eloquent as Pete, although Beto is much more flashier and charismatic. Beto talks like a pastor of a large Mega-Church, Mayor Pete is like a young Mr. Rogers.

Beto got asked by a black student in South Carolina if he was opposed to reparations. Beto gave an amazing answer - full of historical detail, talking about his discussion with Bryan Stevenson, the leading authority on reparations. Giving examples of the repercussions of slavery after the Civil War and throughout Jim Crow.

There's nobody out there who can speak as eloquently as Beto does and seems to have such a grasp of obscure facts on every topic.

As time goes by, the polling between Beto and Mayor Pete is going to be very interesting to watch.

I prefer Pete’s calmness, manerisms, and intellect, over Beto’s schizo-nervous energy, and non-answer rhetoric.

Beto did an excellent job in handling that pesky little troll. Beto comes from a state where Mexican and Spanish-Americans were the preferred target group. Lynchings, rape, and awful human rights violations of Hispanics citizens was part of the way of life in Texas.

Imagine if Beto were to say "Sure! Let's make Hispanics, Asians, and Native-Americans pay restitution for what white men did to you. Never mind their communities were also ravaged by the same people, and in many cases your own people as well." I wish Kamala would have given a similar response. She practically gave Beto an opening to take the Southwest from her.

Kamala seems to say things just to get people to vote for her. When she supported Medicare for All and was asked about what about the private insurance companies, she said we'd get rid of them. It didn't seem like she thought things through. Most people hate change, especially Radical change and some people like the health insurance they have. At least Beto and Mayor Pete talk about the reality of things.

The cankled cow fucked her own campaign because she thought it was her turn. Tear her down Beto

I hope Bernie croaks during the primary.

Prejudice against Mexican-Americans in Texas was as bad as prejudice against African-Americans.

I've read Robert Caro's series on LBJ. He writes about how the only job LBJ could get when he graduated from college during the Depression was teaching school in a Texas bordertown where most of the students were the children of migrant laborers. The kids couldn't speak English, had no shoes, they had no lunches, they had one set of clothes and their families would get chased out of town when the crops had been harvested. It affected LBJ so profoundly that it changed the racist outlook which he'd grown up with in the Texas of that era.

When a Texan of Mexican origin was killed fighting in WWII, his Texas hometown wouldn't allow him to be buried in the cemetery. When LBJ found out, he arranged for him to be given a hero's funeral and be buried in Arlington.

Have you seen this? LMAO!

R565 Isn't Washington Free Beacon a rightwing site?

Bunch of fucking dummies, starting with Alyssa Milano. I'm glad every single response was basically, "Hey moron, this is rightwing propaganda!"

So I'm guessing he put that DUI business behind him?

Beto got a DUI on his birthday while driving home with his ex-. In Texas getting drunk on your birthday is a time-honored tradition. His ex- should have been driving.

[quote]So I'm guessing he put that DUI business behind him?

If Dubya. and Jenna Bush did, why wouldn't he?

And Dick Cheney!

R555 I've been fearing for Beto's life ever since he announced he was running. His name was on the hit list compiled by that Trump nutter in the Coast Guard who was arrested a few weeks ago. And yes, other prominent Democrats were mentioned, but Beto is in the top tier. If he continues to do well and looks like a serious challenge to Trump, he'll start to attract more MAGA nutjobs determined to assure that Trump is dictator for life.

I hope I am wrong.

I want to wax Beto's ass and scrub Beto's balls.

Just stop, R573. You sound insane at this point.

R573 = Pathetic

R574 is a humorless troll.

He was Susan-Collins levels "concerned" that Beto didn't have a campaign manager:

[quote]You'd think people would be falling all over themselves to work for the second coming. Why is he having such a hard time finding people? Either it's a dearth of people or his inability to, again, make a timely decision.

Minutes after, Beto hired Obama's deputy CM .

R574 also opined:

[quote]On the Beto front, I think you all are underestimating how much women of all colors are resenting the treatment that Beto is getting. I have yet to see one woman on the Beto bandwagon

Minutes later, he recent Quinnipiac poll showed that blacks prefer Beto to Kamala, while he's as popular with women as she is.

Finally, R574 had some hard-hitting "questions":

[quote]Why did they wait so long to release the first day totals if they were record breaking? Seems weird. Again. Does he not have an operation set up? Was he sitting there himself with a calculator or something?

Seconds later, Beto released the best FD total of the bunch.

Three strikes.

R574 so is R572

There is nothing wrong with wanting to wash, caress, or play with Beto's balls.

Beto's official launch is today. Livestream of the first event, in El Paso, about to start.

A direct link to the livestream.

I hear Spanish and English being spoken and a pride flag being waved ! *snif*

Can this bitch hurry up so that we can finally see Betito in all his glory??? I get it, inclusion yadayadayada, show us the damn goods woman!

R576, I stand by what I wrote. Your timelines are way off.

So R574 / R582 still stands by:

- Beto doesn't have an operation so he didn't report FD fundraising totals when R574 demanded. And when he did, R574 SUSPECTS foul play. Well.

- He has yet to see one woman on the Beto bandwagon. Well. My only conclusion is R574 is blinder than Helen Keller.

- Beto didn't run to the media to announce a CM as a first order of business. The gall of it to make R574 wait a whole week!

Many pride signs at the Beto rally, many signs in Spanish, and I even saw one that said, "Goth Girls 4 Beto." Surely, he's covered every demographic base?

Beto's speech was amazing. He speaks without notes, without a teleprompter, reels off obscure facts on an endless array of topics. Only Beto could mention both the Enlightenment and The Clash in a speech.

His wife was good too. Passed her audition for First Lady.

I wonder what kind of music Mayor Pete likes?

The Hispanics are the biggest minority but most of them don't vote. Beto speaks fluid Spanish, if he can get a majority of them to vote, Texas can turn blue, This is why the GOP is so scared of him. Yes, they're are Hispanics who are Christian Fundies who vote GOP but there's also the huge untapped majority of Hispanics who don't feel their vote counts, they're the ones who came to the polls in 2018.

R576 needs a hobby.

R587, most of them can’t vote.

Most of them can, they just haven't registered.

They're the ones who registered for the first time and voted for Beto, R589. Isn't Trump polling badly in Texas? This is why they're so keen to bring him down.

Hispanics in Texas tend to be much more conservative than Hispanics in California. But Trump's non-stop insults may get some of them to question their fealty to the GOP.

[quote]The Hispanics are the biggest minority but most of them don't vote.

Hispanics were not the biggest voting eligible minority until recently. Their voting power will only keep increasing. If you were to remove the Hispanic vote from all the current blue states, more than 2/3rds turn red and the House and Senate would be wiped out.

Hispanics have a better track record of flipping red states into blue at a faster pace than African American voters.

I'm having fun with my hobby right here, R588.

You must be triggered.

Beto just had 10K people show up at Texas Southern U in Houston. Kamala was there a couple of weeks ago and got 2K. Texas loves Beto!

He's off to Austin now.

I think he'll probably do fine in 2024, but right now he just doesn't come off as a grownup. Too much gosh-golly-gee-whiz-aw-shucks vibes, mixed in with about 10 triple lattes.

Gotta give him credit though for not caving to nutjobs like AOC. She was on Chris Hayes last night (well, not ON him), and came off like a screeching (socialist) harpie. "Judge" Jeanine Pirro is all soft dulcet tones compared to that shrill know-it-all.

Did you hear his speech in El Paso? He’s a helluva orator. He speaks without notes, without a TelePrompTer. Nobody else comes close.

R548 Link please. It's easy to shit out figures with no proof. And if Beta can't carry his own home state, what the f--- are we even arguing about??

Any Democrat can carry California, Oregon, Illinois, NY, NJ, Massachusetts, Connecticut.

Look here at Texas

Working for the Beto campaign here in Michigan

He and the wife flew commercial to all of their events