When asked about a potential O’Rourke candidacy, Donald Trump responded to the effect that one should win something before running for president. Much as it pains me to admit it, I think there was a kernel of truth in that statement. I suspect Beto may think so, too; it appears to me that he never planned to run, but that he is being dragged into the race by well-meaning, but misguided, activists who see him as an Obama successor.
The presidency is the most important job, and the hardest, in the world. It is not enough to be bright and charming and to have enviable political skills; you need a steel backbone, good judgment, and the ability and willingness to persevere during difficult times. To me, that means the job qualifications must include some substantial accomplishment, or at least evidence that the candidate has overcome some serious adversity in his or her life.
Most of the likely candidates for president on the Democratic side have met this test in one way or another. Biden and Warren meet it in spades. I’ve reviewed Beto’s biography, however, and I just can’t see anything in his record that gets him over the hurdle. Unless I’m missing something, then, I really don’t think he should run–at least, not yet.