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O’Rourke In No Hurry to Decide on Presidential Bid

December 18, 2018 at 7:23 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“If the deep field of potential Democratic presidential contenders is on pins and needles as Beto O’Rourke decides his next move, it could be a long wait,” the AP reports.

“The outgoing Texas congressman’s team says he has no timeline or roadmap for deciding if he’d like to parlay a surprisingly close loss to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz into a White House try. People close to O’Rourke insist he hasn’t expanded staff or lined up consultants even as the interest in him intensifies. They say he’s spoken to top Democratic donors, but describe such discussions as fact-finding missions, researching the logistics of a possible run rather than securing assurances that coming campaign cash would go to him and not others.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

O’Rourke Concedes He’s Not Sure He’s Ready

December 17, 2018 at 12:54 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) “is getting more buzz as a potential White House contender than people who’ve served as governor, senator or even vice president and secretary of state, even though he’s still stinging from falling short last month to Sen. Ted Cruz,” the Dallas Morning News reports.

Said O’Rourke: “The fact that we came close doesn’t diminish the bitterness of the loss.”

Acknowledging the very real doubts about whether someone who couldn’t win election in his home state deserves promotion to commander in chief: “Oh yeah. I think that’s a great question. I ask that question myself.”

He added: “I just don’t feel comfortable talking to anybody in Iowa or New Hampshire, because I don’t want to stoke. I just truly have not made a decision or even really begun the serious work of making a decision, so I just don’t want to lead anyone to think that we’re doing something or not doing something.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

Beto Supporters Brace for 2020 Brawl

December 17, 2018 at 7:17 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Beto O’Rourke says he hasn’t decided yet if he will run for president. But here in his hometown, his supporters are bracing for a combative primary. And they point to a previous campaign — his 2012 run for Congress — as evidence that he can hold his own in an intraparty brawl,” Politico reports.

“Six years before the high-minded Texas Senate run that lifted his national star, O’Rourke felled an eight-term incumbent House Democrat, Silvestre Reyes, casting him as ineffectual and unethical in a bruising primary campaign. The race pit O’Rourke not only against Reyes, but then-President Obama, who endorsed the sitting congressman, and former President Bill Clinton, who campaigned for Reyes in the West Texas border district. In a stunning result, O’Rourke went to Congress, while Reyes became the only Texas incumbent to fail to win re-nomination that election year.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke


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Top Warren Operative Talking to O’Rourke

December 11, 2018 at 9:39 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “Mindy Myers, who was one of the primary architects of Warren’s political rise and has remained one of her close advisers, had been expected to play a senior role in the senator’s campaign. But she has been in talks with several rival campaigns and is planning to meet soon with Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), who is considering a presidential run.”

“Myers ran Warren’s 2012 U.S. Senate campaign and then served as her senate chief of staff, giving her a deep understanding of Warren’s strengths and weaknesses.”

First Read: “So yeah, Beto is starting to look very real for 2020. And maybe more than that, whether he runs or not appears to have frozen the Dem field. Think about that: His decision might be the biggest shoe to drop in the 2020 Democratic race.”

Filed Under: 2018 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

O’Rourke and Gillum Spoke About Future of Party

December 10, 2018 at 8:17 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Beto O’Rourke hasn’t made up his mind about a possible presidential run in 2020, but behind the scenes he’s speaking to potential kingmakers among a constituency whose support he’ll need in a Democratic primary: African-Americans,” NBC News reports.

One of those people is fellow 2018 progressive darling Andrew Gillum.

“The phone call with Gillum has not been previously reported… One source, granted anonymity to describe a private conversation, said the pair discussed their mutual preference that someone ‘young and unapologetically progressive’ lead the Democratic Party going forward.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

December 10, 2018 at 3:46 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“I look forward to welcoming Beto to the Brookland Baptist Church. I would love to be there to see if he can clap on beat.”

— Former South Carolina state Rep. Bakari Sellers (D), quoted by the New York Times, on whether Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) can appeal to black voters in the South.

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Bakari Sellers, Beto O'Rourke

O’Rourke Spoke with Al Sharpton

December 10, 2018 at 2:04 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Beto O’Rourke and Rev. Al Sharpton spoke on Friday, a source familiar with the interaction told BuzzFeed News, as O’Rourke considers a presidential campaign and courts allies of Barack Obama.

Said a Sharpton spokesperson: “They spoke and agreed to meet within the next couple of weeks and they had a great conversation.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Al Sharpton, Beto O'Rourke

Beto O’Rourke Emerges as a Wildcard for Democrats

December 9, 2018 at 9:40 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Rep. Beto O’Rourke has emerged as the wild card of the presidential campaign-in-waiting for a Democratic Party that lacks a clear 2020 front-runner. After a star-making turn in his close race against Sen. Ted Cruz, Mr. O’Rourke is increasingly serious about a 2020 run — a development that is rousing activists in early-voting states, leading veterans of former President Barack Obama’s political operation (and Mr. Obama himself) to offer their counsel and hampering would-be rivals who are scrambling to lock down influential supporters and strategists as future campaign staff.”

“Advisers to other prospective Democratic candidates for 2020 acknowledge that Mr. O’Rourke is worthy of their concern. His record-setting success with small donors would test the grass-roots strength of progressives like Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders. His sometimes saccharine call to summon the nation’s better angels would compete with the likely pitch of Sen. Cory Booker.”

“And his appeal to some former Obama advisers — and, potentially, his electoral coalition of young people, women and often infrequent voters — could complicate a possible run for former Vice President Joe Biden, who would aim to win back many of his former boss’s constituencies.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

O’Rourke Talking to Obama Operatives In Iowa

December 6, 2018 at 9:08 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Democratic rising star Beto O’Rourke’s team has been fielding calls from senior operatives who worked on President Barack Obama’s campaign in the pivotal states of Iowa and New Hampshire as the Texas congressman considers running for president in 2020,” CNBC has learned.

“While people close to O’Rourke insist that the discussions have not led to any hires, a former senior Obama administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it is clear O’Rourke will have the consultants in place to help guide him if he chooses to make a run for the White House.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

O’Rourke Met with Obama

December 4, 2018 at 6:09 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Beto O’Rourke, weighing whether to mount a 2020 presidential bid, met recently with Barack Obama at his post-presidency offices in Washington,” the Washington Post reports.

“The meeting, which was held on Nov. 16 at the former president’s offices in Foggy Bottom, came as former Obama aides have encouraged the Democratic House member to run, seeing him as capable of the same kind of inspirational campaign that caught fire in the 2008 presidential election.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

O’Rourke Wins Over Obamaland

December 2, 2018 at 8:23 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) “may have lost in Texas, but he’s winning in Obamaland,” NBC News reports.

“Aides to the former president and the man himself say O’Rourke’s campaign against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) gave them flashbacks to Obama’s precocious political rise and has positioned the young white congressman as an early if unlikely heir to the first black president’s ‘hope and change’ mantle.”

“Obama said as much at an event in Chicago last week and some of his former political lieutenants have been publicly encouraging O’Rourke to consider a 2020 presidential bid, while privately counseling him on what to expect should he jump in.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

Emanuel Dismisses Beto O’Rourke for President

November 30, 2018 at 12:46 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) dismissed the possibility of Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) running for president in 2020 in an interview on MSNBC.

Said Emanuel: “If Beto O’Rourke wants to go and run for president, God bless him, he should put his hat in and make his case. But, he lost. You don’t usually promote a loser to the top of party.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke, Rahm Emanuel

Obama World Loves Beto O’Rourke

November 28, 2018 at 6:12 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) is inspiring aides and allies of former President Obama, who say they could support him if he decides to run for president in 2020,” The Hill reports.

“The Obama allies are quick to point out similarities between O’Rourke, 46, and the former president, who was 47 when he was elected to the White House.”

“Both are political upstarts with unusual names who seemingly came out of nowhere and inspired thousands upon thousands of people to be part of a movement.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

Beto O’Rourke Won’t Rule Out 2020 Bid

November 26, 2018 at 5:13 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), “who built a national following and a deep fundraising base during his unsuccessful bid for the Senate, would not rule out a run for the presidency, telling constituents at an El Paso town hall that he and his wife were considering next steps,” the Washington Post reports.

Said O’Rourke: “Amy and I made a decision not to rule anything out.”

“O’Rourke, 46, a three-term congressman from Texas, would enter the race with less elected experience than many of his rivals but a proven ability to excite Democratic voters in a political era dominated by President Trump. In a crowded field that could number more than 20 candidates, charisma is likely to be key to attracting attention of early voters and the small-dollar fundraising that most candidates will need to survive the early stages of the primaries.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

The Case for Beto O’Rourke

November 26, 2018 at 2:15 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Dan Pfeiffer: “Democrats have fallen behind Republicans on the campaign-innovation curve—it’s a key reason we lost in 2016. But a Beto O’Rourke presidential campaign has the potential to change this. Like Obama’s 2008 campaign, Beto’s Senate campaign felt different because it was different. He didn’t hire a pollster. He spoke like an actual human instead of an AI-generated amalgamation of focus grouped talking points and consultant approved buzzwords like ‘fight’ and ‘everyday Americans.’ He spent his money on digital advertising rather than dump it into the black hole of TV ads that fatten consultant pockets more than they inform voters; and he communicated with voters in innovative ways.”

“By live-streaming so much content, Beto was able to tell his own story directly to the voters without filtering it through the funhouse mirrors of the legacy media. Tens of millions of people watched Beto’s impassioned defense of NFL players exercising their right to protest, taking his message directly to the people, instead of relying on the mainstream media or political Twitter to do the job for him. If Democrats run the same old campaign, using the same tired and outdated tactics, we will certainly lose to Trump.”

Related for members: ‘The Arena Test’ and 2020 Democrats

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

O’Rourke Won’t Close Door on White House Bid

November 20, 2018 at 8:49 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

TMZ caught up with Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) “strolling around Capitol Hill and asked him straight-up if he’s planning to run for Prez in 2020… and the rocker-turned-politician left the door wide open.”

Politico: How the Beto bubble could burst.

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

Beto O’Rourke Freezes the 2020 Presidential Field

November 19, 2018 at 6:41 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “Sparked by his narrow defeat in a Texas Senate race, Beto O’Rourke is scrambling the 2020 presidential primary field, freezing Democratic donors and potential campaign staffers in place as they await word of his plans.”

“Even prior to O’Rourke’s meteoric rise, many Democratic fundraisers had approached the large number of 2020 contenders with apprehension, fearful of committing early to one candidate. But the prospect of a presidential bid by O’Rourke, whose charismatic Senate candidacy captured the party’s imagination, has suddenly rewired the race.”

“O’Rourke — who raised a stunning $38 million in the third quarter of his race — is widely considered capable of raising millions of dollars quickly, according to interviews with multiple Democratic money bundlers and strategists, catapulting him into the upper echelons of the 2020 campaign.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke

Beto O’Rourke May Have Sidelined Julián Castro

November 15, 2018 at 10:36 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Texas Monthly: “The allure of San Antonio’s Castro brothers has been building for years and their status as the crown princes of a new era of Texas Hispanic politics is now well established. As one longtime Democratic consultant said, they have successfully established themselves as the next generation of leadership in Texas, with an Ivy League pedigree and reputation for strategic thinking. But something happened this election cycle: Beto O’Rourke.”

Said the Democratic consultant: “Julián and his brother are like Bing Crosby and Perry Como—who just saw Elvis.”

“Before Beto, there has been a well-choreographed buildup to the will-he-or-won’t-he moment when former San Antonio mayor and former Obama cabinet member Julián Castro announces his decision about a presidential run in 2020.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: Beto O'Rourke, Julián Castro

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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