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| Beto O'Rourke jumps into a crowded field. |
O'Rourke is going to face a handful of competitors for the Democratic nomination.
I am running to serve you as the next president. The challenges we face are the greatest in living memory. No one person can meet them on their own. Only this country can do that, and only if we build a movement that includes all of us. Say you're in: https://t.co/EKLdkVET2u pic.twitter.com/lainXyvG2n— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) March 14, 2019
He gain popularity during the 2018 Midterms. He was taking on the most hated lawmaker in Washington.
O'Rourke had nearly beaten Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Cruz once considered a viable candidate for president in 2016 was defeated by Trump in the Indiana primary. He and running mate Carly Fiorina both faced scrutiny from Trump and his allies. The seven day alliance fell apart when Trump swept Indiana after the National Enquirer ran the sex scandal story on Cruz.
Cruz who refused to endorsed Trump went to Cleveland and blasted him. Republicans and especially Sean "Softball" Hannity turned on Cruz. Democrats thought the Republicans were going to abandon Cruz in 2018.
Cruz went through the usual "culture war" and "fear mongering" tactics to beat O'Rourke.
Cruz even went as far as to beg Trump for an endorsement. Same with Mitt Romney and others.
Cruz's victory was slim. He only won by approximately four points. It was one of the most watched races in the country.
O'Rourke defeated said that he won't let a loss hurt him. He said that he will travel the country to get input on how to recruit viable candidates in Texas. O'Rourke also took tours through New Hampshire, Ohio, Iowa and plans on heading to states that Trump won in 2016.
Beto O'Rourke announced Thursday he is running for president, entering the 2020 race with a call for Americans to look past their differences in order to confront the challenges facing the country.
"This is a defining moment of truth for this country and for every single one of us," the 46-year-old Democratic former congressman from Texas said in a video announcing his candidacy. "The challenges that we face right now, the interconnected crises in our economy, our democracy and our climate have never been greater."
"They will either consume us, or they will afford us the greatest opportunity to unleash the genius of the United States of America," he added.
O'Rourke, who is starting a three-day swing through eastern Iowa on Thursday, said he will hold a kick-off rally for his campaign in El Paso, Texas, on March 30.
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| Can he bring the magic back! After six months off, Beto O'Rourke decides to run for president. |
In his announcement video, O'Rourke said he would run a "positive campaign that seeks to bring out the very best from every single one of us, that seeks to unite a very divided country."
"We saw the power of this in Texas, where people allowed no difference, however great or however small, to stand between them and divide us," O'Rourke said.
O'Rourke also began to lay out what he saw as his top priorities on the eve of his entrance into the 2020 race.
"Rewriting and signing into law immigration policies that reflect who we are and our values and what we know to be true, grounded in the facts," he said. "Making sure that everybody can see a doctor and live to their full potential. Listening to and then raising up rural communities that for so long have been left behind. Making sure people that are looking for work are able to find it -- that they're equipped with the skills and training and education necessary to maximize their potential. But also investing in people that are already working. ... There are so many people in this country working two and three jobs and struggling to make ends meet."
While O'Rourke will have to prove his policy bona fides, his strengths -- he's a tireless campaigner who won over younger voters -- will serve as a test of whether the Democratic base and its legions of young voters are more interested in inspirational figures or candidates whose ideology matches theirs.
O'Rourke's entrance into the presidential race is the culmination of calls for him to explore a bid for national office that began after his closer-than-expected finish in the 2018 Senate campaign.
Throughout that race, O'Rourke had insisted he would not run for president -- but that stance shifted after he lost. He acknowledged at a town hall shortly after the election that he was weighing a presidential bid. Then, in December, he met with former President Barack Obama.
Afterward, Obama praised the Texan for his Senate run, calling him an "impressive young man who ran a terrific race."
Do you believe Beto O'Rourke is qualified to be President of the United States? (Expect trolls to pick the dumbest answers)
He is the son of Pat Francis O'Rourke and Melissa Martha O'Rourke (nee Williams). He was has Irish and Welsh ancestry. His family gave him the name "Beto," a common Spanish nickname for first names ending in "-barto," intially to distinguish him from his namesake grandfather.
O'Rourke was arrested for a driving while intoxicated after a car crash in 1998. The charges were dismissed in 1999. He admitted responsibility and was grateful for his second chance.
He also had a burglary charge held on him. He and his friends were sneaking under the fence at the El Paso campus of the University of Texas. He was held overnight and was criminal charged. The charges were dropped when they couldn't find significant evidence of malice.
Beto O'Rourke is a viable skateboarder and former drummer of a local El Paso grunge band.
He had business ties with the city and held positions as a live in aid, proofreader, art buyer and community activist.
He is married to his wife Amy Hoover Sanders, the daughter of real estate magnate and founder of JLL, Inc., William Sanders.
Sanders and O'Rourke have three children and live in the Sunset Heights neighborhood.
Julian Castro, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders and now Beto O'Rourke seem like the only candidates capable of beating a Republican (but in 2024).
I am just gonna keep it honest. No viable candidate is capable of beating Trump. He has a 70% chance of winning reelection.
So let's be honest, if Joe Biden does run, he will likely be the Walter Mondale of 2020.
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