Seriously, why is Beto polling so low?

[Otto Lidenbrock]

On paper he ought to be top tier.

1) An excellent campaigner who works extremely hard and does all the retail politics stuff but with actual purpose. He's not just going shaking hands...."hey how you doing, what's your name", he's visiting towns and localities to meet with the locals and hear their stories and their concerns and ambitions.

2) Somebody who can excite the party. He's inspiring. Young, energetic, acknowledges the flaws of our past with an optimistic message for our future. Like in 2016 it looks like we will have an ideological split but what Beto offers is he reaches out to both.

3) We saw what happened in Texas. And when we hear the term "political revolution" I think he is the one who best reflects it since he was not preaching to the converted. Texas is a red state. It hadn't had such a close race for forty years. Ted Cruz was a strong incumbent in Texas despite his national polls being poor. Beto flipped numerous counties Trump won and actually got a higher number of votes from the state than Hillary did in 2016. He brought it into play for us for the future. And he can do it again in 2020. If we flip Texas the entire state of play will change for a generation.

4) And if he can cause such a effect in Texas then the normal swing stages surely must be more open-minded to him. The famous Obama-Trump voters. To rebuild the Blue Wall.

I look at the front-runners and see a lot of great qualities but also some notable fallibilities. Therefore as someone who is undecided I am looking for someone with affability but not complicated baggage, someone who is progressive without being dogmatic. I'm struggling to find someone better. Yet he is a non-factor in polls. It makes no sense to me.

[bluewater]

1. Beto, Like Klobuchar is moderate-to-liberal in the policy spectrum.

Joe Biden has a strong monopoly on the moderate part of that spectrum, leaving little room for other moderate leaning candidates.

[LAS14]

37. I think you've nailed it. nt

[Polybius]

41. Beto is certainly to the left of Biden though

Biden would never express support for taking a knee, and also going against the Betsy Ross flag on sneakers like Beto did.

[Turin_C3PO]

2. Good question.

I also wonder why he hasn’t gained more traction. He’s my third choice currently, behind Biden and Warren.

[qazplm135]

3. well let's go point by point

1. So are all of the top five folks on the list. He's no more of an excellent campaigner than any of the folks ahead of him.

2. Clearly he isn't exciting the party. If he were, he'd be higher.

3. Cruz is about as disliked as a republican can be in Texas...which means still liked enough to barely not lose to a Democrat. O'Rourke ran a strong race, but any relatively good candidate probably gets a similar result. He didn't discover something new. He's not a revelation. He just ran a good race against a weak candidate.

He had the same shot Buttigieg had so far, and Harris. All three have had a chance to rise up. He's done the least of the three to seize that chance. And obviously to this point, it's still early, and none of the three have broken for any significant period of time out of the second tier. That could change, but if I had to rank order who is most likely to do it, O'Rourke brings up the rear out of those three.

[BeyondGeography]

4. No policy focus at least compared with Warrren and Sanders plus a terrible first debate

[madville]

5. I really like Beto but

I think many people may find him a little too weird and goofy to be taken seriously for the Presidency. His quirkiness and enthusiasm make him very likable but unfortunately that does not always translate into serious political support.

I think his resume is light as well, I would also say the same for Buttigieg, Castro, Gabbard, and similar candidates.

[Skittles]

23. LOL

like, he makes a lot of gaffes? Touches people too much?

[madville]

39. Nope

Weak diversion

[Skittles]

40. yes, that's Biden

[FBaggins]

6. Name recognition and all that adds up to that

His highest elected office is a few years in the House without much to show for it.

We can argue that he was an excellent campaigner and excited the party... but that was in Texas. He raised plenty of money nationally, but that was in a race where Democrats knew that the only chance of taking back the senate involved him... so the cash flooded in. Likely what we're learning here was that national Democrats are not the same as Democrats in Texas.

Two of the top four have been on the national stage for years... the third has not much more experience, but it's in the senate and she has significant achievements and was also on the national stage (to a lesser extent).

[calimary]

7. I kept asking that about Inslee.

[4139]

8. You asked but might not like the answer...

“On paper” he looks good, but he come across as an Preppy ‘A.H.’

Post number 5 above by madvill hints at it, I’m more direct.

[Thekaspervote]

11. Agree.. I think he still has a bright future.. he just needs to hold office for a while. The rest

Will come along

[4139]

20. Agreed, 8-10years will help him

[RLG]

22. Which office?

He can't run for the congressional seat. He can't run for governor.

By the time he reaches his "bright future", other candidates will pass him by.

[Celerity]

28. Buttigieg has the same issue, he is trapped in a Ruby Red state and in a Ruby Red district.

The people who say Beto should run for Senate against Cornyn are failing to take into account Cruz was far more hated and the election that Beto lost to Cruz came in a Blue Wave election, and also in non POTUS election year.

The TX Rethugs are going to be turning out in droves, and even if they do not vote for Rump, I simply cannot see all but a small number of them also voting against Cornyn.

It is asking Beto to walk into a electoral buzzsaw and basically do serious, if not fatal, damage to his future career options in elected politics.

The only realistic path back to Congress is to wait until 2024 and make a run at Cruz again, or (if dog forbid we lose to Rump) make another run in 2024 for POTUS. Incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott is running for re-election to a third term in office in Texas in 2022 (no term limits in TX), and that might be a rough year for Democrats if we win the POTUS and the economy (through no fault of our own, but the current party always gets the blame, usually unfairly, especially if it is us Dems) goes to shit.

He cannot go back to the House, as he would have to battle the very popular Veronica Escobar to do so, and she has both the left and the centrists lanes covered (she is one of the very rare members of both the Progressive Caucus and also the centrist New Democrat Coalition.) She also has the Hispanic vote more or less on lock too.

[monmouth4]

9. I like him well enough but when I hear his name I think "the kid." nt

[Funtatlaguy]

10. He reminds me of Eddie Haskell from Leave it to Beaver

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Haskell

[Celerity]

29. I had to look that up, but wow, this seems a serious slam on Beto

Eddie Haskell was the smart-mouthed best-friend of Wally Cleaver. The character, played in the original series by Ken Osmond, has become a cultural reference, recognized as an archetype for insincere sycophants.

Eddie was known for his neat grooming—hiding his shallow and sneaky character. Typically, Eddie would greet his friends' parents with overdone good manners and often a compliment such as, "That's a lovely dress you're wearing, Mrs. Cleaver." However, when no parents were around, Eddie was always up to no good—either conniving with his friends or picking on Wally's younger brother, Beaver. Eddie's duplicity was also exemplified in his efforts to curry favor by trying to talk to adults at the level he thought they would respect, such as referring to their children as Theodore (Beaver's much-disliked given name) and Wallace, even though the parents called them Beaver and Wally.

An untrustworthy wise guy, Eddie could be relied upon to concoct and instigate schemes with his friends, schemes for which they would be in the position of blame if (and frequently when) they were caught.

not nice!!

[Funtatlaguy]

36. Harsher than I thought.

I remember o that show that Eddie was very well spoken, but overly polite and a little nerdy. That’s kind of how Beto comes across to me. Sorry.

[cwydro]

38. Lol, one of my favorite childhood shows.

I can see that!

[karynnj]

12. Look at your description - what is missing?

1) Resume that shows many accomplishments. All of the top tier have far stronger resumes.

2) Gravitas - note that Obama, at a young age had far more of this than Beto has shown.

I think many of us knoe that whichever Democrat wins will have to almost immediately call upon a very good team of people (in and out of the administration) to undertake efforts to restore the country - domestically and internationally. Here, I think other than Bernie, all the frontrunners have worked and know well many of the people that should be called upon to be part of this effort. For the most part, Beto doesn't.

[jalan48]

13. I think this time is about positioning himself for a future Presidential run.

[Amimnoch]

14. Choir boy here that you're preaching to.

I'd think the battleground status he'd put those 38 electoral votes of Texas into PLUS if he does pull that off would very likely add a net gain of +1 senate seat ousting Cornyn would be enough to have many salivating... but, doesn't seem to be getting that kind of traction..

[BannonsLiver]

15. You should pose this question

To one of our resident polling analyst geniuses. I bet they could figure it out in a snap and get him back rolling again!

[Thekaspervote]

16. Oh..and I bet I know just who that is

[Princetonian]

32. hahahaha...I can't wait!

[LincolnRossiter]

17. I like Beto. He seems like a good guy. But I just don't see a president standing there.

I’m sure he’s an intelligent guy with some good ideas, but he’s too much of a “bro.” He’s more Ashton Kutcher in Dude, Where’s My Car than Michael Douglas in The American President.

[RLG]

24. You make him sound like he's Buttigieg's age.

He'll be 50 in four years.

I know you're supporting a septuagenarian, but don't assume he's a kid.

[LincolnRossiter]

35. I know how old he is. Buttigieg seems (but doesn't look) older.

I’m not trying to be an ass. The OP asked why a guy who looked so awesome last year is failing to catch on.

[uponit7771]

18. Light resume, real him mostly comes across at time of crises or anger, not on scene long enough ...

... even Obama was on the scene longer than Beto.

He's no doubt a player in future US politics

[milestogo]

19. Charisma, but not enough experience.

[CTyankee]

21. I'd like to see Beto on the ballot with Warren as her VP. He's young. Lots of time ahead.

[Beartracks]

33. That's what I keep thinking, too: a Warren/Beto ticket. n/t

[cwydro]

25. I read that Vanity Fair article, learned enough about him there to strike him off my list.

When on the City Council, he supported a deal to tear down a poor Hispanic neighborhood in order to build a Walmart.

I’ve read more since, but that was a deal-breaker right there.

[JI7]

26. he doesn't do much big media or use any occasion to raise money

after announcing he did a bunch of in person events but not big media.

after el paso he went home and asked money for victims and to do something about gun violence.

why are those who DO do a lot of big media and a lot of fundraising not doing so well ?

also Betos base is similar to bidens and Biden has an advantage right now since he has more experience and was a recent vp.

[Kurt V.]

27. there will be better polling after labor day. beto and buttigieg should both move up in 6 months.

[JI7]

31. they are all polling low other than Biden

and then under him are Warren and Sanders

[sacto95834]

34. He did badly in the debates...

Unfortunate.

[NNadir]

42. Because we have a lot of good candidates who people like better?

It could be.