WASHINGTON – Beto O'Rourke jumped into the 2020 presidential race early Thursday morning – which means voters nationwide will start to get to know where the young Texas Democrat stands on the issues.
In a 2020 Democratic primary field that's currently awash in candidates each looking for a way to claim the mantle of"most progressive," it's unclear precisely where O'Rourke would fall. But it surely wouldn't be on the far left. O'Rourke also backed increased funding for Pell Grants and student loans, but he has yet to explicitly endorse the type of tuition-free college model that his fellow 2020 hopeful, Julian Castro, called for in January.So where does O'Rourke stand out in the crowded 2020 field?
In recent weeks, however, signs have emerged that O'Rourke may have decided to embrace his centrism, instead of trying to match the righteous indignation at big business that's become so closely associated with candidates like Sanders and Sens. Elizabeth Warren. More importantly, in terms of the primary, it signaled that O'Rourke intends to fashion himself as a sort of anti-Sanders – a champion for capitalism, albeit a much more tightly regulated version of it than the one espoused by the Trump administration.He doesn't rail against the evils of Wall Street, a subject area in which Warren tops her rivals, both in expertise and in passion.
Much of O'Rourke's 2018 Senate platform was focused on criminal justice reform, a prominent issue in a state that operates the largest prison system in the nation. But many of his proposals could easily be translated onto the national stage, where they would likely galvanize support among young people, and among minority communities that are disproportionately affected by mandatory minimum sentencing laws.
He’s a white Obama
No he's definitely not on the right! He's for open borders for god's sake
Lol
(shrugs) Does it matter? 🙄
Too bad he’s a white man. Otherwise, he’d be perfect.
No legislative achievements. Republican lite.
robert: *announces* me: *donates to BernieSanders*
When we have Trump, who needs Obama? Obama was mostly words. Trump is all action and that too for America.
What does this have to do with business
jchaltiwanger How does a 'Candidates' policy generalizations create solutions? They DON’T, and unless a candidate is specific; their 'statements' are nothing but 'fodder'. Everybody wants to be him in 2020, but there’s only one BernieSanders SenSanders Issues & How to Pay:
Eugene_Scott They love comparing the mediocre white man that loss to Ted Cruz to Barack Obama just because he sounds nice. Another reason our media sucks.
Two clowns. No thanks.
Leave it Joe Kernan to ruin a good story about Leslie Stahl because of his total bias blindness and hatred toward anything or anyone that might be left leaning or he believes could be liberal
Trump is going to curb-stomp these candidates in 2020.
I have nothing against Beto but a Biden/Beto ticket is about the least interesting ticket I can imagine in an election that needs to engage new and first voters more than any other group.
He echoes Nixon, a loser who will keep trying until he wins.
Tear down the fence? Shiny loafers; Empty pandering suit
Copycat? 🤨