Honestly, I don't really want Beto to win. I like him as a person, but he hasn't really done anything outstanding. Yeah, he almost won TX, and...?
Which Senator's thinking about running have done something outstanding? (Maybe Bloomberg?)
Beto was in a Band, he was a nanny...he started a Tech company, he was city council in a city with a population bigger than Vermont, he was a congressman,
and he Ran as a fairly unknown Democrat for Senate in Texas... and managed to generation easily the biggest buzz in the country- even setting a record for the biggest political rally for senate- and ran a successful enough campaign to (I think) get the most ever Votes by a democrat in Texas history (got Over 4 Million votes).
I'd say that pretty well rounded. But in all seriousness... what he accomplished in his Senate campaign (going from unknown the most Buzz in the country, to getting over 4 Million votes in Texas as a Dem) ... that more than most Senator's can claim.
Its also worth considering that Beto in some ways created More national buzz in his Senate race than Obama did in the Senate race (Obama had the Huge Spring Board of the DNC Keynote address...just after winning his Senate Primary).
Granted- I think some of Beto's Buzz (esp Presidential Buzz) should be credited to Obama's success. ... in that Obama sort of provided a template that Beto fits in better than most others thinking about running (young, great on the campaign trail, tons of Charisma and likeability, and not a decades long resume in Political Office). One other way that Obama benefits Beto.. is by establishing the narrative of the timing picking the candidate rather than the candidate having a lifelong extended plan of when the candidate will run for President, etc.
One other somewhat related note... Obama lost his 1st bid for Congress in the Dem Primary (as a 2 term State Senator). Granted- Obama did win a US senate election... but it is worth noting that 1) he was in a Blue state... and 2) Obama basically had no Republican opponent... once all of the SEX Club, etc stuff came out about the Repub nominee- he had to drop out... then Alan Keyes was the scramble replacement (talk about a walk in the park general election opponent- can get much luckier than facing Alan Keyes- Obama beat his 70% to 28%.
