Robert “Beto” O’Rourke, who unsuccessfully challenged Pro-Life Senator Ted Cruz in the Midterm Election, appears to be eyeing the presidential race in 2020. Despite O’Rourke’s defeat in the November election, he amassed more than 70 million dollars and the fawning praise of anti-Life pundits across the nation. His astonishing fundraising indicated that his bid might not be about just Texas but was likely a stepping stone to the national political arena.
Even before his loss to Senator Cruz, O’Rourke was consistently questioned about whether he would consider running for president. He repeatedly, and in no uncertain terms, said that he would not be running for president in 2020. After the dust settled following Cruz’s victory, however, O’Rourke is much more sanguine about running for national office. He told reporters at a town hall in El Paso that he and his wife “made a decision not to rule anything out.”
Kicking rumors into high gear, information surfaced this week that O’Rourke met with former President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. The Washington Post reports that the meeting took place on November 16 after former Obama aides encouraged O’Rourke to run in 2020. Spokespersons for both Obama and O’Rourke declined to comment on the meeting.
O’Rourke’s ascent to the national spotlight highlights the Democrats’ strategy in Texas and beyond this year. Anti-Life political groups sunk tens of millions of dollars into the Midterm Elections backing radical abortion candidates and incumbents. Like O’Rourke’s, many of these races did not result in victory. Yet, because of the well-funded campaigns and the collusion of anti-Life media outlets, failed candidates like O’Rourke have been launched into the arena for much bigger races.
The money and campaigning by pro-abortion political groups this year was not about this year. This year was a testing ground for 2020, the election on which pro-abortion Democrats are focused. 2018 was a practice run, and there is no mistaking that Texas was the practice battlefield for anti-Life political forces.
Senator Cruz represents Pro-Life, Texas values. He has demonstrated unwavering commitment to Pro-Life and conservative principles. In this, he was emblematic of Texas, a stronghold of the Pro-Life movement, making Texas fertile ground for testing how to overthrow strong, Pro-Life leaders. O’Rourke, with a thoroughly anti-Life record, toed the line of radical abortion groups. If anti-Life Democrats could fundraise enough to put O’Rourke into a tight race with Cruz, if not outright win, they would know how to hone their anti-Life messaging, and fill their coffers, for the presidential election.
To his credit, although O’Rourke lacks Texas values, he seems to have recognized that Texans do not want their elections swayed by outside voices and outside money. The Washington Post reports that Obama repeatedly offered to assist O’Rourke’s senate campaign, even offering to appear at a rally or send out a robo-call. Sources close to the campaign claim Obama made a video for O’Rourke’s campaign that was never used.
There is speculation about lingering acrimony because Obama endorsed O’Rourke’s opponent in his 2012 congressional campaign. But more than that, O’Rourke seems to recognize that Texans do not want to be told what to do by special interest outsiders.
In October, O’Rourke responded to rumors of Obama’s endorsement saying, “I don’t think we’re interested.” He praised the former president, who was the most anti-Life president in our nation’s history, but added, “And yet, this is on Texas.”
This is still Texas. Despite a growing furor by powerful anti-Life lobbying groups and radically pro-abortion politicians, Texans will decide for whom they vote in 2020. There is a reason, despite raising more money than any senate campaign in U.S. history, Beto still lost. Victory is not based solely on money and the lies of the radical abortion political machine. In the Pro-Life movement we have the truth on our side. The help of Texans like you will be enough to stop Beto, or any other anti-Life politician, from winning in 2020.