TX-SEN: True to Form

[GeorgiaModerate]

In the end, it's still good that Beto ran a real, well-funded campaign and built up some infrastructure for the next Democrats to tap into. Maybe this campaign will also end up bringing more Dem-leaning voters to the polls, which will help downballot Democrats in competitive legislative/House seats. Winning Texas was always a long shot with unlikely chances of success, but it was worth a shot.

Virginia, what are you thinking?  This thread is no place for thoughtful, reasoned posts.

[Beet]

Beto still has a chance. He had the big mo' and was dealt an unfair setback by Kavanaugh, but he can turn it around if he plays all his cards right from here on out.

[libertpaulian]

In the end, it's still good that Beto ran a real, well-funded campaign and built up some infrastructure for the next Democrats to tap into. Maybe this campaign will also end up bringing more Dem-leaning voters to the polls, which will help downballot Democrats in competitive legislative/House seats. Winning Texas was always a long shot with unlikely chances of success, but it was worth a shot.

Ik but from on an the ground perspective it’s still disappointing since I KNOW TX Dems could have done better.

I wonder how Henry Cuellar would have done.

[DataGuy]

Did anyone hear about Avenatti endorsing Beto and trying to fundraise for him?

I guess Cruz's day of good news just got even better.

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/410968-cruz-mocks-avenatti-over-kavanaugh-allegations-and-orourke

And Texas Democrats are going right along with him ... https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/article/Houston-Republicans-decry-Democratic-fundraiser-13293930.php

[Florida Man for Crime]

I wonder how Henry Cuellar would have done.

Not really any better. He would not have raised nearly as much money or excited as many voters as Beto. He would have low name ID in most of TX still.

Realistically, TX Dems could not have done much better (if at all better) than Beto. While he has his issues, like refusing to use attacks and making bad ads, he has generally run a very strong campaign and is reasonably likely to lose by only single digits, which is far more than any Democratic Senate candidate running in a midterm in TX has achieved in forever.

The very fact that his name ID is almost as high as Cruz's is a major achievement that other non-Presidential Dem statewide candidates in Texas have struggled to achieve.

[SCNCmod]

I wonder how Henry Cuellar would have done.

Not really any better. He would not have raised nearly as much money or excited as many voters as Beto. He would have low name ID in most of TX still.

Realistically, TX Dems could not have done much better (if at all better) than Beto. While he has his issues, like refusing to use attacks and making bad ads, he has generally run a very strong campaign and is reasonably likely to lose by only single digits, which is far more than any Democratic Senate candidate running in a midterm in TX has achieved in forever.

The very fact that his name ID is almost as high as Cruz's is a major achievement that other non-Presidential Dem statewide candidates in Texas have struggled to achieve.

Agree with this... and there is still time for him to close out the final weeks with a strong Ad campaign- we will have to see if he makes adjustments to his Ad Strategy or not. (And I don't think it necessarily requires attack ads... but at least much better Bio Ads/ or Ads that makes a better case of why to vote for Beto).

[Vega]

I like how we're writing races off 3+ weeks out.

[henster]

When has a candidate ever beat an incumbent without running negative ads? You have to give voters a reason to vote them out and not just let them assume the incumbent is bad. The fact Cruz has net positive favorability poll after poll just points out how bad this strategy has been.

[Arkansas Yankee]

I feel your pain.  I will not tell you how it makes me feel.

I will give you some feel good information.  Here is an article that sets out some views that Beto can still be President, even if loses to Cruz.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/10/11/beto-orourke-profiles-ted-cruz-vanity-fair-buzzfeed-gq-221304

I have one question.  Why did he become Beto?  Why did he not remain Irish rather than trying to become an Hispanic? Could he not have been as youthful, energetic, and charismatic as Bob as opposed to the made up Beto?  It is hard being someone you are not.

[Blair]

I feel your pain.  I will not tell you how it makes me feel.

I will give you some feel good information.  Here is an article that sets out some views that Beto can still be President, even if loses to Cruz.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/10/11/beto-orourke-profiles-ted-cruz-vanity-fair-buzzfeed-gq-221304

I have one question.  Why did he become Beto?  Why did he not remain Irish rather than trying to become an Hispanic? Could he not have been as youthful, energetic, and charismatic as Bob as opposed to the made up Beto?  It is hard being someone you are not.

Because he called himself Beto several decades before he thought about running for office? He's not trying to become Hispanic (have you seen the results of the 2016 primary?)

When has a candidate ever beat an incumbent without running negative ads? You have to give voters a reason to vote them out and not just let them assume the incumbent is bad. The fact Cruz has net positive favorability poll after poll just points out how bad this strategy has been.

I mean Bernie did very well without any negative ads- the point being that A.) Anti Cruz (or Clinton) voters naturally drifted to Bernie B.) People already knew why they hated Cruz C.) It's a colossal waste of money

I know candidates, and advisers sometimes sit around and see the stupid 30 second spots as being gamechangers- 'Ted Cruz voted for X, he doesn't share our values, Beto O'Rourke voted for Y etc etc'.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

I feel your pain.  I will not tell you how it makes me feel.

I will give you some feel good information.  Here is an article that sets out some views that Beto can still be President, even if loses to Cruz.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/10/11/beto-orourke-profiles-ted-cruz-vanity-fair-buzzfeed-gq-221304

I have one question.  Why did he become Beto?  Why did he not remain Irish rather than trying to become an Hispanic? Could he not have been as youthful, energetic, and charismatic as Bob as opposed to the made up Beto?  It is hard being someone you are not.

Yeezys chrysler, he’s been known as Beto every since he was crapping in diapers. When you grow up in a heavily Hispanic majority area, you are probably going to pick up a nickname, kind of like how my friend’s dad’s nickname is Juan even though he is African-American with 0 Hispanic heritage. Or a different example would be my dad who came here decades ago and his “real” first name would be one that many people in your neck of the woods would mispronounce and yell “Ayrahb” or whatever and run him out of town (ok yes hyperbole here). So he just chose a generic and short white American name as his nickname, and most people have been like calling him that for nearly his entire adult life.

[Doimper]

I feel your pain.  I will not tell you how it makes me feel.

I will give you some feel good information.  Here is an article that sets out some views that Beto can still be President, even if loses to Cruz.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/10/11/beto-orourke-profiles-ted-cruz-vanity-fair-buzzfeed-gq-221304

I have one question.  Why did he become Beto?  Why did he not remain Irish rather than trying to become an Hispanic? Could he not have been as youthful, energetic, and charismatic as Bob as opposed to the made up Beto?  It is hard being someone you are not.

Because he called himself Beto several decades before he thought about running for office? He's not trying to become Hispanic (have you seen the results of the 2016 primary?)

This has been explained to AY several times, yet he is still unable to grasp this concept

[IceSpear]

I like how we're writing races off 3+ weeks out.

Agreed. Geoff Diehl and Jenny Wilson are still in this. It's not over til it's over.

[Confused Democrat]

Beto O’Rourke raised more than $38 million in the third quarter — about three times Ted Cruz’s haul

Wow...

[Zaybay]

Beto O’Rourke raised more than $38 million in the third quarter — about three times Ted Cruz’s haul

Wow...

Good for both the present and the future. I hope he ditches the consultants and spends it on GOTV and outreach instead of ads.

[Yellowhammer]

Beto O’Rourke raised more than $38 million in the third quarter — about three times Ted Cruz’s haul

Wow...

$38 million kept out of the hands of democratic candidates who, unlike Beto, actually have a chance. Great news!

[Gass3268]

https://twitter.com/Nate_Cohn/status/1050743226435608576

[Zaybay]

Beto O’Rourke raised more than $38 million in the third quarter — about three times Ted Cruz’s haul

Wow...

$38 million kept out of the hands of democratic candidates who, unlike Beto, actually have a chance. Great news!

Eh, most already have enough money. Even Dems in Safe R districts have enough money. I mean, so far, there have been no underfunded house candidates or senate candidates. On the gubernatorial front, I would agree, but the underfunded candidates are Jealous and Gonzalez, who have no chance in their races.

[IceSpear]

Beto O’Rourke raised more than $38 million in the third quarter — about three times Ted Cruz’s haul

Wow...

$38 million kept out of the hands of democratic candidates who, unlike Beto, actually have a chance. Great Horrible news!

[ON Progressive]

Beto O’Rourke raised more than $38 million in the third quarter — about three times Ted Cruz’s haul

Wow...

$38 million kept out of the hands of democratic candidates who, unlike Beto, actually have a chance. Great news!

The vast majority of that money is from people who wouldn’t donate to anyone else, so this is hardly cannibalizing at all. Our Senate incumbents are raising far more money than they did 6 years ago. As Zaybay mentioned, we really don’t have many underfunded candidates that have a shot at winning anyway.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Cruz's 12 million was a record for a Texas Senate race, the 38 million is a record for all Senate races.

[Blair]

Yeah- it's a reminder that people want to open their wallets for candidates they like, and that if you actually have some values and beliefs (looking at you Phil Bredesen) then you'll get a lot more people donating to you.

The reality is that every Republican A.) Wishes they had this amount of money B.) Wishes they had candidates who could generate attention like this. I know I felt the same when I saw Bernie run rings around Hillary in online fundraising.

Beto O’Rourke raised more than $38 million in the third quarter — about three times Ted Cruz’s haul

Wow...

Good for both the present and the future. I hope he ditches the consultants and spends it on GOTV and outreach instead of ads.

Hasn't he already done this? His campaign has spend virtually all its money on digital ads/Field offices/outreach staff.

[Arkansas Yankee]

I feel your pain.  I will not tell you how it makes me feel.

I will give you some feel good information.  Here is an article that sets out some views that Beto can still be President, even if loses to Cruz.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/10/11/beto-orourke-profiles-ted-cruz-vanity-fair-buzzfeed-gq-221304

I have one question.  Why did he become Beto?  Why did he not remain Irish rather than trying to become an Hispanic? Could he not have been as youthful, energetic, and charismatic as Bob as opposed to the made up Beto?  It is hard being someone you are not.

Because he called himself Beto several decades before he thought about running for office? He's not trying to become Hispanic (have you seen the results of the 2016 primary?)

This has been explained to AY several times, yet he is still unable to grasp this concept

The reason is that it makes no sense.  I think I did read somewhere that the name was used when he was a child.  But he disgarded it when he went to fancy boarding schools out east.  During his really privilleged portion of his life he did not go by Beto.   How do you know when he thought about running for office?. So what is wrong about his Irish heritage.  It was too high class for El Paso.  

[Brittain33]

I think I did read somewhere that the name was used when he was a child.  But he disgarded it when he went to fancy boarding schools out east.  During his really privilleged portion of his life he did not go by Beto.   How do you know when he thought about running for office?. So what is wrong about his Irish heritage.  It was too high class for El Paso.  

Just wondering, did you vote for that down-home authentic Texan George Dubya Bush?

[Florida Man for Crime]

Beto O’Rourke raised more than $38 million in the third quarter — about three times Ted Cruz’s haul

Wow...

Good for both the present and the future. I hope he ditches the consultants and spends it on GOTV and outreach instead of ads.

He needs to either spend it in other states, or else hire 100,000+ people for GOTV. Anything else would be irresponsible.