Beto Has a Path to the Presidency: Lincoln's

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Of all the places in Washington, Beto O’Rourke chose to run to the Lincoln Memorial. Jogging through an early winter storm in the capital the week following his loss in the race for U.S. Senate, O’Rourke found himself, gimpy knee and all, running up the steps of the majestic monument to the 16th president. There, he wrote in a Medium post, he paused to read the words of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. Suddenly, his knee stopped hurting—as if Honest Abe’s words had a special healing power (but “maybe it just needed to fully warm up,” he wrote).

O’Rourke has not compared himself to Abraham Lincoln outright, but that hasn’t stopped others from noting some similarities as they muse about his potential presidential run. While O’Rourke lost his bid for the Senate to Republican Ted Cruz in red Texas, his fundraising skills, organizational reach and ability to attract throngs of volunteers (his “Beto-maniacs”) have vaulted him into the national conversation about who the Democrats should nominate in 2020. Seen through this lens, the message of his early morning run was hard-to-miss: If a long-shot former member of Congress from Illinois could reach the presidency in 1860, so too can a suddenly not so long-shot three term Congressman from Texas in 2020.


But to win the presidency, O’Rourke will not only have to have Lincoln’s luck, but also his withering focus, burning ambition and considerable political skills. And, say several scholars of the 16th president, he would do well to follow the script that Lincoln followed in 1860.

...

involved, but it was pretty well played.”

So, how far can the similarities between the two candidates take us? The process of nominating and electing a president in 1860 seems almost superficially more simple than it is today: There were no primaries, no “super delegates,” no mass mailings, no digital strategies and no shoulder-to-shoulder televised debates of half-a-dozen (or more) candidates. And, despite the controversy on any number of issues (like immigration), America is not facing “an irrepressible conflict” as it was in the mid-1800s. Then too, while Lincoln was underestimated in 1860, O’Rourke is not. And of course, Lincoln turned out to be one of the greatest leaders in U.S. history, and who knows now whether or not O’Rourke can come close to comparison.


But if Beto is channeling Abe, as his post-campaign jog up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial suggests, he might do well to study the Great Emancipator’s nominating strategy. For in 1858, as in 2018 (and as Lincoln knew), it’s one thing to be in the national conversation and another thing to stay in it.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/12/01/beto-orourke-2020-abraham-lincoln-222727

Embrace The Beto.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Yes! Beto is to be embraced!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. I changed it.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. As did I.

[manor321]

3. I strongly favor him running

He lost in Texas, so who cares? It's a deep red state.

Even if he doesn't get the nomination, it is good training for him running again in the future.

And he could also get picked as VP as an inspirational choice.

He should run.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. His sunny disposition is the perfect antidote to Trump.

[Kahuna7]

7. It's also a corrective to the horrid example trump and some other recent

candidates have set for our children. Our children need to experience hope and change again.

[Kahuna7]

6. I don't care what anybody says. I'm Team Klobuchar/O'Rourke...Or

Beto and his chosen VP.

[cynatnite]

8. I think he would be an exceptional candidate. n/t

[regnaD kciN]

9. But, haven't you heard? Rahm Emmanuel has already dismissed his chances...

...saying Democrats should't pick an election loser to lead their party.

[BannonsLiver]

12. Rahmbo isn't the only one saying it

That’s the no. 1 reason I see listed by DUers who don’t want him to run, or who are scared shitless he will and beat their preferred candidate in the process.

Also the ambiguous “he’s not ready” is thrown around too, as if it’s supposed to mean something.

[AdamGG]

10. Did Beto have to give up his House seat to run for the Senate?

I think the rules vary from state to state on whether you can be on the ballot for two offices. It's too bad he has to leave the House because he would be a force there now.

[LeftInTX]

16. Yes. He had to give up his seat.

[Honeycombe8]

11. I don't know much about him. But I'm interested in finding out.

He's very likable and charismatic.

Does he have what it takes to go the distance? Running for President is THE hardest race in the country.

You know what they say...Republicans fall in line, Democrats fall in love.

[TexasTowelie]

18. Beto did appear in all of the 254 counties in the state during his Senate campaign

In comparison, I've only been in about half as many counties during 53 years and I didn't have stops in some of them. I think he has the stamina for a presidential campaign and that Beto would be a better candidate than some other candidates that have more name recognition.

[grantcart]

19. I have read a lot of his interviews and statements.

He is wicked smart.

In terms of the primary track he has enormous advantages

1) He can start campaigning full time. All of the other candidates have full time and demanding jobs

2) Full time is twice as much as a normal person. He started at 4 and drove till evening in Texas. While he was driving he would go live on Facebook.

3) Unlike some great politicians who are uncomfortable with regular people he is comfortable with everyone.

4) He isn't just smart, likeable and attractive in English, he is in Spanish as well.

if we could get the Spanish speaking America to vote at the same level as AA then Florida, Texas and Arizona wouldn't be purple they would be blue

5) he could raise $ 200 million in a month if he really wanted to and he could by pass all PACS.

I believe that he is going to run, he is going to win and he is going to finish the Obama legacy.

[Honeycombe8]

20. Sounds good.

I guess I'm one of those Democrats who falls in love with a candidate. With Obama, he had me at hello. From his speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention.

I see a bit of Obama's qualities in Beto, to the extent I know about him. It's more of a gut reaction at this point. The charisma, the energy, the optimism and passion, with a bit of sassyness and spunk. He's no dufus. But I have seen him thrown by a question. I guess anyone would be.

He looks so young, though. Hard to believe he's 46. But he is.

[violetpastille]

26. I love that Beto is fluent in Spanish, but

I think we would have better odds cinching Spanish speaking voters with Julian Castro.

[Kahuna7]

28. All of this nt

[Victor_c3]

13. At this point, I'm pretty indifferent to the candidates

I hate to say “let someone else worry about it”, but at this point in the presidential election, that is exactly my thought. This time next year I’ll start to pay more serious attention to the names out there.

To those of you who are involved and motivated at this stage, a sincere “thanks”!

As far as quality of leadership, nobody can gauge that until there is a situation to really push them. Had Lincoln been president during a more innocuous period of our history, he might not be mentioned much at all in our history books.

However, I will say Lincoln was unapologetic and bold when it came to expanding the powers of the presidency. He knew that s number of his actions were pushing the envelope of what was accepted by a president - but he did them anyways. If a modern president tried some of the things he did, they’d get hell! I don’t know if I’m ready to deal with more expansion of presidential powers.

[NotASurfer]

14. Who will be his Stephen Douglas?

To follow that path he needs a national stage and a worthy intellectual challenger in order to run as a formed and formidable candidate

Who in today's crop of political figures on the other side of the aisle would be able to do that?

[StevieM]

25. Sadly, in this analogy, Ted Cruz fills that role.

He is the guy he lost to in the previous election's Senate race.

Cruz is extremely book smart and he did run for president in 2016. So the analogy is there, with some differences.

I am still leaning towards Tom Steyer.

[IronLionZion]

15. I just hope we don't have another civil war

Since Trump is worse than Buchanan was and this is a deeply divided country.

[left-of-center2012]

17. Are we no longer supporting Oprah?

[Honeycombe8]

21. LOL! nt

[Garrett78]

22. I'm hoping for 8 years of Harris, followed by 8 years of O'Rourke (after his 8 years as VP).

Rare as it is, I realize, for one party to have the White House for 16 straight years.

[Adrahil]

23. I hope he runs!!!

He's not a lock for my vote, but I'll look at him very hard!

[Blue_true]

24. Well, Beto can do a speech at Cooper's Union.

Or Haaavaarrd

[Docreed2003]

27. I truly hope he runs

He is not only charismatic and engaging, he seems to have a finger on the pulse of average people. Sure, he lost his election, but look at the coattails he helped to sweep into office. He may not win the nomination or even be a VP pick, but the guy deserves a shot in the field and I think he could do great things for us.

[octoberlib]

29. He'd make a great Vice President.