As an exhausted electorate warily anticipates the upcoming 2020 presidential election, Democrats are desperately searching for a candidate to pit against President Trump. At the top of the list is former Vice President Joe Biden. Following behind him, though not closely, is the fiery yet polarizing progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, a former presidential candidate himself.
Absent decades of experience in Washington, D.C., these two potential challengers don’t look any different from the “old, white, male” persona the Left works hard to avoid. Routinely, Democrats will chide Republicans for clinging to the type of politician that they themselves clearly prefer.
There is, however, growing interest in the young and passionate second-place finisher out of the Senate race in Texas: Beto O’Rourke.
Unsurprisingly, the curiosity and clamor surrounding O’Rourke have little to do with his limited track record and much to do with his Obama-like qualities. There are few truly viable candidates who would pose a legitimate threat to the man who beat Hillary Clinton. If Democrats learned anything before and during former President Barack Obama’s eight years in office, it’s that election success on a national scale is more about personality than policy. An idealistic and emotional plea from a young Democratic candidate may coalesce left-learning and undecided voters enough to bring them together at the polls to oppose the incumbent.
At least, that’s what the growing consensus would suggest, as noted in this report in The Hill:
“Millions of people already believe in Beto O’Rourke and that moment for them and him, may be upon us,” he concluded.
While Obama calls O’Rourke an “impressive young man who ran a terrific race,” there is no endorsement of him yet. Obama’s former vice president is a likely candidate in what is sure to be a crowded field. Obama’s allegiance would likely go to Biden first.
Though the midterm results did not produce a crushing wave for either side, they did serve to remind Republicans that the mindset promoted by this administration doesn’t appeal to everyone. In fact, the MAGA mantra pushes plenty of reluctant voters away from full or even partial support.
The GOP can be pleased that they kept the Senate, but it is no small thing that they lost control of the House. If Democrats wish to retake the White House in 2020, they’ll need to offer a very different, more palatable alternative to Trump. Their answer may just be the young and actually likable Beto O’Rourke.
Part of Obama’s mass appeal was his ability to connect with voters on a deeply personal level. Campaign posters with his face and just the word “hope” were every bit as powerful as the MAGA hats of the current era. Despite that similarity, Obama’s measured tone contrasts sharply with Trump’s brash demeanor and language. To counter the hard and aggressive, Democrats will need a softer, but still passionate, approach.
O’Rourke’s failed attempt to beat Sen. Ted Cruz is a microcosm of what a presidential run might be like. Even some Republicans, while still supporting Cruz, were quick to note that his junior challenger was the more likable of the two. While this means nothing of substance when it comes to legislative action, it does suggest what may happen if O’Rourke ran against Trump, who is even more polarizing than Cruz.
The country still has a long way to go before the 2020 campaign season kicks into high gear. However, it seems Democrats are in a hurry to repeat the presidential wins of the recent past and choose a young man who acts more like Barack Obama, their celebrated son.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a senior contributor at RedState.com.
