Why Beto O'Rourke could be Dems' 2020 nominee against Trump

Donald Trump and Beto O’Rourke are actually quite similar.

Yes, they both ran against Ted Cruz at one point, but that’s not it.

The answer is authenticity. You either have it or you don’t. And if you do, it can make up for a multitude of sins.

And for Beto, this could be how he ends up as the nominee.

For better or worse, you know who Donald Trump is and what’s on his mind. It’s obvious to anyone who has listened to him for more than five minutes that his answers aren’t poll-tested, messages aren’t focus-grouped, and his tweets aren’t approved by legions of staff – or really anyone for that matter.

Again, this isn’t always a good thing. But his authenticity does enable him to connect with people.

It was this contrast that – in many ways – helped him defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Where does Beto fit in?

A few weeks ago, I wrote an op-ed extremely critical of Beto. I believed then – and I still do – that he’s had the worst 2019 of any presidential candidate. While Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and others were raising money, hiring staff, and meeting voters, Beto was out driving the countryside eating cobbler and writing rambling blog posts.