GOP meddles in Democratic nomination with takedown of O'Rourke

[Demsrule86]

This is hilarious! The GOP claims that Beto reeks of white privilege and is 'out of step' with his (Beto's) party. Hard to believe they expect people to fall for this crap. What are they afraid of? Could a Beto nomination turn Texas blue?





https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/10/beto-orourke-2020-attack-1214805

[Farmer-Rick]

1. They think they are God

They have Koch brother, Putin and the Walton's money at their back AND they have Trump calling for killing innocent people. They think they are invincible.

[Demsrule86]

4. True that. But one wonders if saying the Beto is out of step with Democrats will encourage more

Texans to vote for him...and turn Texas blue....an unintended consequence.

[kysrsoze]

2. "Reeks of white privilege." Project much?

[Demsrule86]

3. The idea that the GOP is concerned that a Democratic candidate' is out of step with the Democratic

Party and has white male privilege is hilarious. I guess Republicans don't do irony so this is on the up and up and not the onion.

[kysrsoze]

5. Agree. Unfortunately, their voters are a bunch of suckers who will swallow anything.

[Demsrule86]

7. But their true blue voters wouldn't vote for Beto anyway...so maybe this backfires and makes it so

other Texans who don't like Trump vote for our side. He is not popular in Texas.

[Awsi Dooger]

15. Trump's approval was 49-49 in the 2018 Texas exit poll

Those are actual voters. I place much more stock in that than scattered polling months on either side of any election day.

Exit polling differs quite a bit from everyday polling. That point is never emphasized enough. For example, the liberal/conservative percentages I always quote differ sharply from exit polling to standard polls. After voting and while participating in an exit poll the voters are much more willing to align with ideology. The liberal/conservative numbers combined will add up to 61-67% of the electorate in that climate, depending on the state. But prior to election day almost every state will add up to 53-59%, even if the question is identical to the exit poll question.

Anyway, no kidding the GOP will target Beto. We didn't get a full sample of this in 2016 because we only had two major primary candidates. Situational influence is everything. If we had a full field in 2016 then the Russians, etc. would have targeted some, ignored some, and boosted some.

[Demsrule86]

16. I agree with you but I think Trump's support has slipped lower since November.The wall and

taking people's land is going to hurt the GOP...so we may actually have a shot to turn Texas blue.

[peggysue2]

6. The GOP must see O'Rourke as a genuine threat

In fact, I listened to Mike Huckabee yesterday warn Republicans to take Beto O'Rourke seriously, that he's the sort of Democratic candidate who has been dismissed as a light weight in the past, only to win by huge numbers.

Btw, the white privilege comment coming out of Republican circles is the height of hypocrisy.

[Demsrule86]

8. I think Beto is a threat which is why he is my second choice. I want to beat the crap out of

Donnie shit for brains.

[Demsrule86]

10. I also think the white privlege think is hillarious coming from the GOP ...should be named the

GOWP...grand old white party.

[The Genealogist]

17. I agree

They'd not say much unless they were scared of him, like they are with Pelosi and AOC. It is their tell, they start up the smear ,act one when they see a Democrat as a threat. Bet they don't care for me numbers they are seeing in Texas.

[Demsrule86]

22. I hope they are in panic mode...bastards.

[NurseJackie]

9. I certainly hope these GOP attacks aren't picked-up and repeated by his nomination rivals...

I certainly hope these GOP attacks aren't picked-up and repeated by his nomination rivals, and/or his (or her) supporters.

Oh, don't look at me that way... everyone knows that it's happened before (certainly in MY lifetime) and I just hope that it doesn't happen again.

It's certainly legitimate to point out differences to contrast and compare or to criticize policies and visions... but it's quite another to engage in what can accurately be described as a "scorched earth" philosophy that has the sole purpose of intentionally and permanently sabotaging one's rivals. That's a very Sarandonesque way of doing things, and I certainly hope that the lessons about that haven't been so easily and quickly forgotten.

[Demsrule86]

11. A certain candidate will pick up on this... which I also think is hillarious.

[NurseJackie]

13. When (not if) anyone does start to parrot GOP talking points...

When (not if) anyone does start to parrot GOP talking points, regardless if it comes from the candidate or if it's his (or her) supporters and surrogates... it will be a clue that the candidate is feeling insecure, threatened and vulnerable. In a word: "SCARED".

Personally, I could never support ANY candidate who is frightened so easily. That doesn't speak well for his (or her) abilities to be the Leader of the Free World.

[Amimnoch]

12. he doesn't even have to turn Texas blue.

It is definitely something big that he adds a potential to turn a state like Texas blue for 2020, but just his being on the ticket going into the GE will force the GOP to divert a lot of their GE funding from the traditional battleground states to Texas to defend on a front they normally don’t have to bother with.

Consider that his 2018 Senate run was the most money the GOP has ever spent on a Senate election in any state, and he still was within 3 points of grabbing it.

[Demsrule86]

14. You are right. I like Beto. He could get Trump out of the White House.

[Power 2 the People]

18. Rachel Maddow thinks it might be that the Republicans really want him as our candidate.

She theorizes that the Repubs ads might be doing what Claire McCaskill did with Todd Akin in 2012. I have my doubts but it's interesting.

[link:https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/todd-akin-missouri-claire-mccaskill-2012-121262|]

[Demsrule86]

20. Anything is possible, but I doubt it.

[dalton99a]

19. What he did in Texas scares them.

[Demsrule86]

21. And it should scare them...once Texas goes blue...they are done in terms of the presidency.

[Hortensis]

23. O'Rourke AND Warren, Klobuchar, Biden, Kamala Harris.

Very easy to see who they fear by the nature of their attacks.