Beto O'Rourke travels California seeking direction and his old spark

[TexasTowelie]

Vincent Casalaina is quite captivated with Beto.

The 73-year-old Berkeley retiree spent a month last year in Texas working unsuccessfully to elect Beto — that would be Beto O’Rourke — to the United States Senate. He was on hand this weekend, clad in his “Beto for Senate” T-shirt, when the former El Paso congressman brought his much-hyped presidential bid to San Francisco.

Casalaina has been worried, though, about Beto, who has lost altitude — Oprah! Vanity Fair! — since his March launch. He needs to draw more attention, Casalaina said, suggesting O’Rourke follow President Trump around the country and draft on the gust of Democratic outrage that invariably follows.

But Jessica Freels, who crossed the bay from Walnut Creek to join hundreds of candidate-shoppers at San Francisco’s United Irish Cultural Center, counseled the opposite. “Dry matches and good batteries,” said the 47-year-old photographer, a maxim she described as keeping your head down, maintaining a steady balance and focusing on the basics.

Read more: https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-beto-orourke-visits-california-20190501-story.html

[Skittles]

1. I am hoping he picks up steam

he truly is a great candidate

[Indygram]

2. I'd like to see him do a CNN town hall soon

And he will shine at the debates. Once people see him there you will see him begin to do very well.

[Va Lefty]

3. Think Iowa is going to be key for him

[marylandblue]

6. Iowa is key for everyone.

[Va Lefty]

9. Point taken

[RLG]

4. It's sad how the MSM treats him like dirt after his announcement.

Even when he discusses programs and policies, he's still treated like he doesn't have a chance in hell.

That's too bad.

[marylandblue]

5. He made the mistake of not going on their shows before they found their darling Pete.

But if they tire of Pete, he'll have another chance. He better say yes.

[RLG]

7. I saw him on Chris Hayes's show.

Plus, isn't that HBO documentary premiering this month?

[marylandblue]

8. Pete went on many shows, rarely turned down offers, and aggressively pursued opportunities.

O'Rourke deliberately kept his media appearances low, perhaps hoping that would make each appearance more impactful.

[RLG]

10. So O'Rourke was damned if he did and damned if he didn't.

Thanks to the Vanity Fair article, he feared overexposure, yet when he didn't do shows, he fell behind.

That's politics for you.

[marylandblue]

12. He feared overexposure, but he was probably wrong to do so.

There really isn't such a thing as overexposure. There is only getting bored. As long as you have something new and interesting to say, they will keep covering you.

That is Trump's secret. He gets coverage because you never know what he will say next.

[ucrdem]

11. I think he's taking a good approach.

He's already a household name. Maybe #1 isn't in the cards but if #2 is, he doesn't need to run around making a lot of enemies and can let some of the others have their day in the sun. Plus he's getting good practice on the stump.

[NYMinute]

13. Beto will be in top 3 in California

Biden and Harris will be the other two.