We all know that if former President Barack Obama would have been allowed to run for a third term and go up against Donald Trump, the election would have been a done deal for the Democrats. Unfortunately for Trump, there’s someone he’s really going to have to worry about if one particular Democrat decides to run in 2020, because parallels are already being drawn to Obama.
Beto O’Rourke, the likable U.S. Representative from Texas, is already capturing America’s interest as Obama’s inner circle has eyes on him. As we get closer to the 2020 election cycle, more and more of Obama’s people are vowing to support O’Rourke if he decides to run for POTUS – and it’s going to be really bad for Trump!
Although O’Rourke lost against his Republican opponent Senator Ted Cruz, Obama’s crew realized there were many similarities between O’Rourke and Obama after the Democrat had run such a great campaign against Cruz. Many have stated that O’Rourke is the 2020 version of Obama. David Litt, who was a speechwriter for Obama, said:
That ability to make people feel invested in his campaign and his story does remind me of Obama ‘08. You see the crowds and the enthusiasm, the kind of movement that isn’t about me but about us.”
Litt also pointed out that unlike Trump, O’Rourke isn’t lazy and has a work ethic like Obama:
They wanted to put in an extra shift or make a dozen phone calls on his behalf or talk to their neighbors because they really believe in him. And even when he came up short, everyone felt like they had achieved something great. There are very few people who can inspire that kind of sentiment.”
Another former Obama staff member said O’Rourke has revived and energized the party like no one since Obama:
The party hasn’t seen this kind of enthusiasm since Obama. There isn’t one other potential candidate out there that has people buzzing. And that’s exactly why people supported Obama and why they’ll support Beto.”
Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to Obama, also said something that should terrify the president:
I have never seen a Senate candidate — including Obama in 2004 — inspire the sort of enthusiasm that Beto did in this race. If O’Rourke runs he would be one of the strongest candidates in the field. Millions of people already believe in Beto O’Rourke and that moment for them and him, may be upon us.”
Even Barack Obama himself has talked up O’Rourke:
Impressive young man who ran a terrific race. What I liked most about his race was that it didn’t feel constantly poll-tested. It felt as if he based his statements and his positions on what he believed. And that, you’d like to think, is normally how things work. Sadly, it’s not.”
O’Rourke’s influence is unmatched, as Litt pointed out something he noticed during a book tour in Italy in September:
All these Italians kept asking me, ‘Can Beto win in Texas?’ And I was like, ‘How do you even know this person?’”
To be fair – people in Italy and other countries know Trump, too – but for all the wrong reasons. Trump needs to watch himself, because with O’Rourke earning this kind of support so early on, the election could be a done deal.
Featured image via screen capture
