Beto O'Rourke Ramps Up in Iowa

As more and more would be candidates enter the fray for the 2020 Democrat Party nomination, one possible candidate has held back on declaring to date, but seems to be taking steps for a presidential run.  The candidate is Beto O'Rourke,  Where he will shake out in the mix is uncertain.  What is certain so far, is that no candidate who has announced to date has set the base on fire with enthusiasm outside of Sander's almost cult like followers.  Biden has not yet announced and, I fear is not electable despite the chatter to the contrary. Ditto for Sanders who, like Biden, is in my view too old.  O'Rouke, who came close to defeating Ted Cruz in deep red Texas might perhaps be able to rally younger voters to actually go to the polls and vote against Trump and others in the GOP who are busy destroying their futures.  Time will tell, of course, but at the moment, no one in the Democrat field so far excites me.  Some like Warren, Harris and Sanders who have meddled in Virginia's politics have already alienated me.  A piece in Politico looks at O'Rourke's seeming steps to launch his campaign.  Here are highlights:

Beto O’Rourke is beginning to staff up in Iowa and has been in talks about visiting the first-in-the-nation caucus state as early as this week.

Democrats organizing a rally for Eric Giddens, a Democratic state Senate candidate, in Iowa on Saturday have told prospective attendees that they expect O’Rourke to appear at the event, a source familiar with the plans told POLITICO.

Norm Sterzenbach, a former executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party, is assisting O’Rourke in the state and was reviewing resumes from potential staffers as recently as last week, according to two sources familiar with O’Rourke’s Iowa operation. O’Rourke, like several Democrats who already have announced their presidential campaigns, has been in discussions about assisting Giddens in his March 19 special election, potentially with a door-knocking effort, according to three Iowa Democrats.

O’Rourke’s outreach comes as the former Texas congressman begins to more intensely court activists outside of his home state. He is preparing for a near-certain presidential run after months of deliberation.

O’Rourke is scheduled to participate in a call with the High School Democrats of America on Sunday, the group said. Its advisory informed participants that questions must be “must be brief and unrelated to Beto as a potential 2020 candidate.”

O’Rourke said nearly two weeks ago that he has decided whether to run for president. In Austin, Texas, over the weekend for the South by Southwest festival, he told reporters, “I want to make sure I do it the right way and I tell everyone at the same time, so I’ll be doing that.”

He said, “I’ve got to be on the timeline that works for my family and for the country.”

A Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom poll released Saturday saw O’Rourke’s poll numbers slipping in Iowa. He had dropped to 5 percent in the poll, down from 11 percent in December. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are running far ahead of the rest of the field in the state.

O’Rourke’s advisers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nor did Gibbens, Sterzenbach, Tewes or Plouffe.

The Democrats MUST find someone who can defeat Trump or Pence should the lair-in-chief somehow decide not to run.  The nation and the world cannot stand four more years of Trump/Pence.