Posted on by Californiacontrarian

Yippee! “Who Cares? “

A few years back I used to volunteer at a nursing home, calling Bingo. Each week I used to make a big deal if I pulled I-26, “my favorite number!” One week I said, “The next number is my favorite number. What is it?” The immediate response from Margaret, one of the regulars was, “Who cares!?”

Well that was also my immediate response to the announcement that Robert Francis O’Rourke, better known as Beto, was running for President in 2020 . . . “Who cares?” However, before I make a snap judgement, let’s examine his qualifications. He is a one term U.S. congressman from El Paso, who lost his recent Senate bid to Ted Cruz.  As Michael Ahrens, Republican National Committee spokesman, pointed out, “Mr. O’Rourke failed to get anything done in Congress, and with extreme policies like government-run health care and tearing down border barriers. It’s telling that the Democrats’ biggest star is someone whose biggest accomplishment is losing,” 
But is he “the biggest star?”

The most recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll places O’Rourke sixth among a slate of current or potential candidates. The poll, reported first by The Hill, shows Biden leading the pack, with 37 percent of Democrat voters. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) came in second place at 22 percent, while Harris (D,CA) notched a third place finished with 10 percent, according to the survey.
What is he campaigning on? In February, O’Rourke unveiled a 10-point plan which would grant citizenship for “Dreamers” and their parents, along with “millions more” who reside in the U.S. illegally. Brandon Rottinghaus, a political scientist at the University of Houston, told The Chronicle that O’Rourke’s proposal places him to the left of several Democrat presidential candidates. “That is fairly to the left of where most of the people in the Democratic field are,” Rottinghaus noted. Some Texas Republicans say O’Rourke’s proposal is a slap in the face to U.S. citizens and those who immigrated legally.

Who is backing him? During “New Day” on CNN on 3/14/19, Vanity Fair special correspondent Joe Hagan discussed his profile on former Rep. Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke (D-TX) in-which Beto said that he was “born” to run for president. Hagan said he spent some days with O’Rourke and he described the failed Senate candidate as “a regular guy,” “down to earth” and “charismatic.”
So let me get this right! This Democratic rising star is a one term, perhaps charismatic congressman, who did not accomplish anything in Congress, and lost his last election. He is backed by Vanity Fair, and the only issue on which he will be campaigning seems to be unfettered immigration with views to the left of all the other potential Democratic candidates.

After examining his qualifications, I echo Margaret . . . “Who cares?”

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