When I see a picture of O’Rourke, the first name that pops into my head is Robert F. Kennedy. It’s the combination of looks, idealism, and a sort of sheepish youthful charm, I suppose. It is to Beto’s advantage, and he milks it for all it is worth.
The difference between the two is that RFK was qualified to be president when he ran in 1968. He had been the AG and a senator; more importantly, he knew where the bodies were buried, because he had created more than a few corpses himself. He had a well-deserved reputation as a ruthless political operator. That wasn’t entirely to his credit as a man, but as a politician, it meant he would have been prepared to deal with Brezhnev on day one of his administration.
A successful president has to be a combination of idealism and clear-eyed pragmatism. He has to be able to pass the Putin’s dog test. Beto has a lot to prove to me and the rest of the world on that point.