Why hasn't Beto O'Rourke gained more traction?

[Drunken Irishman]

Is there just not room for two young, articulate non-status quo candidates? Did he jump in too late and during a period where his launch was largely overshadowed by Mayor Pete?

I like Beto. He seemed to be fire on the campaign trail in Texas. I didn't really think he would be a front-runner but I thought he'd gain a bit more traction than he has.

What's the deal? He seems largely absent from the town halls, too - was that by choice or threshold?

[question everything]

1. Too much hype, not enought flesh?

Not sure. I really liked him when he was on Bill Maher while running in Texas. Thoughtful, choosing his causes carefully, not following the herd.

But then, his visit to his dentist, jumping on tables..

Hope he makes it to the debates so we can get a better measure of him.

[we can do it]

11. You said it.

[LAS14]

28. My sentiments exactly. nt

[4139]

32. A bit too 'Sham Wow' with his pitch

[vsrazdem]

34. No substance. Being young and hip is not enough reason to be president.

[Indygram]

35. This is what he's doing:

Beto on Foreign Policy and Wars

Link to tweet

Voting Rights Act

Link to tweet

On Climate Change

Link to tweet

On the justice system and race

Link to tweet

On school shootings, gun control and universal background checks

Link to tweet

Partial comments on Mueller Report

Link to tweet

The Equality Act, unifying America and overcoming division in the US

Link to tweet

[Politicub]

41. Things will start to shift after the debates

We will get to see who is good on the debate stage. And we will get a feel for the people who were able to connect with the audience. People who I think are authentic sometimes come across as scripted when on the same stage as their opponent. And the opposite is also true.

There are just so many people running. It looks like Beto is doing what Beto does best: speaking off-the-cuff and from the heart to people in person. I think he needs to keep being himself. He trusts his gut and intuition, and these clips are examples of how effective that is.

He will need to have a strategic approach to the electoral college should he become the nominee. But he can hire people for that. And the DNC will be fully behind the nominee, and will amplify Beto or whomever makes it through the battle royale.

[Indygram]

42. I started a thread with those videos and added two more on health care and education

Here is the link for anyone who is interested or who thinks he doesn't have policy positions.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128784798

[brooklynite]

2. If you don't have the benefit of going to his town halls, you're not encountering him...

He's choosing not to go on TV and get seen by a larger audience.

[Drunken Irishman]

9. I get the retail politics of a campaign but this isn't 1992 anymore...

[Indygram]

21. He's doing exactly what helped him increase youth turnout by 500% in Texas

And give Texas 17 new African American women judges. And he almost beat Ted Cruz in Texas even when supporting gun control. He almost doubled voter turnout from the prior midterm.

He knows what he's doing.

[riverwalker]

33. I think Beto will be great in the debates

Until the debates, these numbers mean nothing. His will rise.

[Indygram]

38. Yes, he will, because he does not poll test on anything

So every answer he gives is 100% what he believes. He does not change his message based on which groups he's speaking to. That means all white rural voters hear every word of his extremely bold statements on race issues. When you don't adjust your message you don't end up tip toeing around topics or waffling. He's incredible at answering questions in a mature, respectful and unifying way and without insulting or attacking anyone. It's so refreshing.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. Mayor Pete stole his mojo.

[mtnsnake]

7. Bingo. n/t

[Indygram]

23. Nah, the media is implying that because Beto isn't saying yes to interview requests

Pete has benefited from that but the media is going to lose interest in him the second Biden announces.

[jalan48]

4. I think he's been replaced by Buttigieg.

[ecstatic]

5. My honest take is--his reaction after losing may have doomed him.

I was really excited about his candidacy. But the tour he embarked on didn't go over well. It made him look weak and unsure of what he wanted. I hope he can come back in 2028 or so, but I think he's toast right now.

[True Dough]

30. I feel the same way

I was enchanted by the Beto that rose up against Lyin' Ted Cruz. But then he suffered that close defeat in Texas and sort of meandered. He was frequently rumored to be a Dem primary candidate but he wouldn't confirm. He took quite a while on that tour and kept a low profile. It led me to wonder if his heart was really in it. I listened to him a couple of times since but for me Mayor Pete has supplanted Beto.

[madaboutharry]

6. I don't understand it either.

It is like he just disappeared. Is it because he is not getting the needed poll numbers? It is a shame because I think Beto has a lot to add.

[underpants]

8. Not sure of his strategy but it's understandable

Big field.
There's only so much oxygen in the room.
He made a tour of Virginia just a few days ago and I haven't seen anything of it.
He lost only 6 months ago. Close but he lost.

Polls are going to ebb and flow but it's 7weeks until schools get out (at the latest) and it's summertime time. Trump is wearing everyone out AND he's at best treading water. It's going to be a long summer where the best bet - to me - is build grassroots and collect money. Maybe that's his strategy.

[msongs]

10. he went from star attraction david v goliath to one of the crowd. nt

[Awsi Dooger]

12. Maybe he doesn't overreact to day to day trivia

I love how people think February numbers are cemented as where we are headed. Then they think April numbers are cemented as where we are headed.

Doesn't it ever get tiring to be totally at the mercy of whatever is the conventional wisdom at a given point in time?

[mtnsnake]

13. His comment in the Vanity Fair interview didn't help him too much when he told them

"Man, I'm just born to be in it" (with "it" meaning the 2020 presidential race). I don't know how much that hurt him, but I do know that it turned some people off.

[karynnj]

14. I may have not been paying attention, but I just did not see him express

a reason for running. I was not impressed with the I was born to run.

I do see that he is charismatic and that he can energize a crowd, but there does not seem any deep heart felt issue that he is motivated by. Like income inequality for Sanders and economic fairness for Warren. Like climate change for Inslee There is no desire to fight systematic injustice as one hears from Harris. There also is not the clear "good government" motivation of Warren or Buttigieg. There is also no depth of experience - as compared to Biden, Inslee etc

I also think his Kerouac like drive around the country after the Texas race where he blogged what he was doing and thinking was odd. Obviously, if he pulls together a great primary campaign winning the nomination that would show a focus and ability to lead. That would make me reassess who he is and I will vote for whichever Democrat wins the nomination.

I know that there will be election years where my first - through say - fourth favorites lost (see 1992), but at the end, I will look for the positives and where I agree with the nominee.

[JI7]

15. he is doing his own thing. we will see if it pays off

[shanny]

16. to me he lacks substance

and should have stayed in Texas for now. I think he was and could be an excellent Senate candidate there, but is not ready for the national scene.

[elfin]

17. The Vanity Fair article did him in for me

I came away thinking he is an ebullient and well-meaning spirit who needs some more maturing. Pete is a grownup in comparison.

I am crazy about his good cheer, though.

[LAS14]

29. Yup. nt

[JI7]

18. here wants to avoid just being flavor of the moment

and win the nomination .

[Indygram]

19. He has been turning down media appearances in favor of meeting voters in person for now

And packing his full time campaigning full of local town halls instead. He is busy building a formidable ground game, speaking directly to voters, learning about the issues specific to the states he visits and visiting every college he can fit into his schedule. He's out there talking to young voters, and other important groups.

It's foolish to make yourself too available too early because you risk peaking too soon. Biden is going to take up all of the oxygen when he enters and he will get most of the press for the next couple of weeks. Once that newness of Biden's entrance passes is going to be the best time for Beto to start doing more media appearances, to avoid peaking too soon.

He is right where he wants to be. When he starts making those appearances he will already have a strong national grassroots organization in place. He did the same thing in Texas. The press is treating him like he's becoming irrelevant because they are trying to force him into doing interviews with them. It's all manufactured.

[hlthe2b]

22. I can certainly see that working in Iowa and perhaps NH. But, he's got to have National

"presence" by Super Tuesday, so I think he may be passing a bit too much on National Press. He's got time, though.

[Indygram]

25. He's already been building a ground game in Super Tuesday states

He's getting great crowds as well...and tomorrow he is doing a major appearance with other candidates in Houston at She The People.

Link to tweet

[hlthe2b]

20. He has charisma so I have little doubt he'll make his mark at some point...

But, in this crowded field, a lot has to come together. Even if one found him to be their favorite, when one considers who best to defeat Trump, he may come out less favorably than some of the others.

[Indygram]

26. Actually, if you consider that Trump is running on immigration and the border, Beto IS the best

He livestreams all of his townhalls on facebook as well as conversations he has with local politicians on different issues.

Once more people hear him answer questions (He's answered over 600 town hall questions locally so far) he will win over a lot of people here who seem to have written him off. I have no doubt.

[BlueStater]

24. Honestly, he really doesn't add much that Buttigieg doesn't already bring.

Buttigieg has all his youth and charm while also seeming more polished and mature (despite being a decade younger than Beto).

Beto probably thought he could depend on his youth to stand out. That idea was pretty much crushed the second Buttigieg started gaining traction.

[Funtatlaguy]

27. He's not doing any national interviews or town halls.

[doompatrol39]

31. "non-status quo"?

The only ways that he's not a status quo politician are superficial ones (his musical taste, youth, etc.) Placed up against the current crop of candidates, he's pretty moderate/centrist and the epitome of status quo.

I'm not trying to say that's a good or a bad thing but he doesn't really seem to be proposing anything radical in any way and in fact seems to be a fan of incrementalism which has fallen out of favor.

I think the original hope had been that he would appeal to "the youth" (whatever that means) which he did in Texas which tends more conservative. Most of the younger folks I know of have taken to calling him the "fellow kids" candidate.

[BlueFlorida]

36. Beto is bright and methodical

He is probably hanging back and the top tier struggles to get media and falters while he builds his grassroots campaign away from the limelight.

When the top tier has a shake-up, he will be waiting to reap the benefits.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

37. Two non-status quo candidates?

[cornball 24]

39. IMO, all hat no cattle.

[Indygram]

43. I disagree

A quick reminder of why...

[Ruby the Liberal]

40. He is in a position to flip the senate, which is critical

to the courts and with half the senate running for POTUS...

That really doesn't answer your question, but there are some seats that are more valuable than POTUS with the wealth of riches we have. Texas and Georgia (Stacey Abrams) are 2 where I think we could get more bang for the buck with a Senate flip than a POTUS candidate.

Which probably doesn't make sense, but its a crowded field. We need to pick our battles?

[Blue_true]

44. Beto is short on policy prescriptions, Buttigieg is detailed and consistent. nt

[Indygram]

45. Nonsense, here is a link to a thread that proves otherwise...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128784798

The only people who say he has no policy positions are people who have not bothered to look.