Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Thursday promised not to document his dentist visits on social media if he runs for president.
McAuliffe, a prodigious Democratic fundraiser who served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee before the governorship, made the quip after fellow 2020 prospect ex-Rep. Beto O’Rourke posted multiple videos on Instagram with his dental hygienist. O’Rourke, who lost a 2018 Texas Senate race by a much closer-than-expected margin, was aiming to showcase what the political drama over the southern border means to people in his hometown of El Paso, Texas.
“I’m not doing that in a dentist chair,” McAuliffe joked on MSNBC. “Well, first of all, my father was so cheap, he would not let us have Novocaine as kids when we had our teeth drilled.”
McAuliffe was pressed during the interview on whether he had the liberal bona fides as a Democratic establishment darling to compete for the party’s nomination, particularly given his centrist record.
“I will put my progressive credentials up against anybody in this country. I have fought for this party for many years,” he said, referring to his stances on same-sex marriage and gun control.
McAuliffe, who this week said he would make a decision about a White House bid “by the end of the first quarter,” said he was continuing to mull over the possibility of a 2020 campaign in conjunction with his family.
“I haven’t decided whether I’m going to run, but I will tell you this: I think that federal money is the most important thing,” he said. “I don’t think these super PACS, I know some candidates are talking about doing big super PACS, I’m not a fan of that. I think you have to show federal money, that you can actually raise money.”
[Read more: 45 Democrats jostling to challenge Trump in 2020]
