Admittedly, Beto O’Rourke had me at “I’m running against Ted Cruz for Senate.”
But the more I have been following his nascent campaign, the more I have concluded this guy is for real – a progressive fighting to win over rural voters in a state Democrats have largely abandoned, beyond House races.
For anybody not familiar, Beto is on the road now in Texas, looking to span as much of the state as he can in 23 days or so. What makes him unique is his use of social media to connect with people every step of the way. His live Facebook feed is on all the time – in the car, at family stops, in restaurants, at town halls and wherever else.
But it’s not merely a “cam” to document travels; he is immersed in user comments, answering questions on the road in real time with inexhaustible energy. As a voter, the almost absolute transparency is immensely addictive. More importantly, it is allowing followers to organically connect with focused intensity. There is no layer of advisers, no formal feedback loop. It’s all real-time and direct.
As for Beto himself, I find him to be extremely humble – way smart on issues but also comfortable admitting when he needs to dig more deeply into an issue before “intelligently commenting.” In this way, he is the anti-Trump: deep, logical, precise, and concerned about facts. Further, he has a way of talking with anybody in an effort to find common ground; he is engaged, not condescending.
Anyway, after paying close attention over the past two weeks, I have these clipped observations. It’s not a full catalogue, but it should be enough to illustrate why I’m so excited about him:
- Critically, he is not accepting any kind of PAC or corporate money. It’s all grassroots. And in the most recent window, he actually out-raised Ted Cruz. That will be hard to keep up once Cruz revs up the interest group machine, so the netroots needs to have Beto’s back.
- His take on Charlottesville: “White supremacy” by name is to blame. And yesterday was an act of terrorism; there’s no other term for it.
- On healthcare: Fix the markets, offer a public option, and then figure out how to ensure universal coverage once and for all. If people are healthy, the economy is healthy.
- On the Supreme Court: A woman’s right to choose is non negotiable, which is why we can’t afford to wait until 2020. Texas is woeful on teen repeat pregnancy, because of backward policy.
- On the drug war: it needs to end, especially when it comes to pot. Too many lives and communities are needlessly ruined.
- On education: Public education is the backbone of the nation. Private vouchers must be firmly rejected.
- On immigration: People on the border don’t want the wall – in fact, border towns in Texas are among the safest in the nation, precisely because of their bi-national character.
- On war: We have been trapped in endless war for years, largely because Congress hasn’t done its job. We owe it to our veterans to ensure war is always a last resort, which is what veterans themselves believe.
At a thematic level, one thing that has really struck me is the level of rural interest in his positions. He is getting people to turn out in small towns all across the state. This to me is a wake up call to Democrats, in that we have to broaden our appeal beyond urban centers and energize voters wherever they may be. There most definitely ARE like thinkers in rural America.
Anyway, with the SCOTUS one justice away from a tectonic shift, we must go all out in 2018 to find those three seats, no matter how awful the map appears for Democrats. Not to mention that the country might not survive extended Republican leadership for much longer. In my view, Beto might very well be part of the next leadership wave that empowers us to take the country back.