# And in goes Beto **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 14, 2019, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119 "2019-03-14T11:42:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/61 "2019-03-18T15:00:52Z")
Would like to note that in Texas, people driving on the wrong side of the highway is pretty common given how our roads are laid out. It happens a _lot_ on 281 between San Antonio and Austin - even I had to double-check a couple of times that I’m on the correct side and I’m always stone-cold sober. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/62 "2019-03-18T15:35:34Z")
Oh, Beto filed that he got $6.1 million in donations in his first 24-hours of the campaign, topping all Dem nominees: > **[O'Rourke reports massive $6.1M fundraising haul in first 24 hours of campaign](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/18/beto-orourke-2020-6-million-dollars-1224704)** > > O’Rourke initially refused to release his first-day fundraising numbers — a standard marker of early support in presidential races — like many of his competitors. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/63 "2019-03-18T16:54:45Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Oh, Beto filed that he got $6.1 million in donations in his first 24-hours of the campaign, topping all Dem nominees: > > [https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/18/beto-orourke-2020-6-million-dollars-1224704](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/18/beto-orourke-2020-6-million-dollars-1224704) IIRC Bernie came in a close second at 5.9 million. It’ll be interesting if it comes down to Beto vs. Bernie given how the Bernie Bros are already going after Beto. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/64 "2019-03-18T17:45:55Z")
I notice that Beto did not disclose how many donors got him to that number, and there’s some good evidence that 4.5 million of that comes from returns of his senate run contributions. Or maybe his billionaire father in law made sure his numbers were up. Sure took him a while to let the numbers out, though. I’d sure like to see the real breakdown of where the money came from. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/65 "2019-03-18T19:55:22Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > I notice that Beto did not disclose how many donors got him to that number, and there’s some good evidence that 4.5 million of that comes from returns of his senate run contributions. Or maybe his billionaire father in law made sure his numbers were up. Sure took him a while to let the numbers out, though. I’d sure like to see the real breakdown of where the money came from. From examples of his campaign style, all you have to do is ask. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/66 "2019-03-19T00:14:00Z")
I love the way Beto successfully trolled Bernie backers. One of them was gloating just the other day on my page about how Beto must have had a very disappointing first day of fundraising if he wasn’t releasing the numbers. Then when the truth came out, he looked dumb–and maybe most important, he couldn’t pooh-pooh the importance of the huge number, since he had committed to a low one being so bad. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/67 "2019-03-19T03:28:33Z")
So you’re of the opinion that Bernie progressives aren’t aware of the fact that when you take the 4.5 million returned from senate race funds out of those first day numbers it actually means O’Rourke’s first day fundraising from actual donors is more like 1.5 million and significantly below Bernie’s first day fundraising? Aware of it and snickering over the baldfaced idiocy of claiming he earned six million when in fact he just moved 4.5 million out of one fund into another and called it donations? And did it just to try to fake it that he beat Bernie’s first day take? It’s fucking hilarious, is what that is. Fucking rich kids posturing and blustering and insisting they’re important and relevant. Political incels lol. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/68 "2019-03-19T04:45:55Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > So you’re of the opinion that Bernie progressives aren’t aware of the fact that when you take the 4.5 million returned from senate race funds out of those first day numbers it actually means O’Rourke’s first day fundraising from actual donors is more like 1.5 million and significantly below Bernie’s first day fundraising? Aware of it and snickering over the baldfaced idiocy of claiming he earned six million when in fact he just moved 4.5 million out of one fund into another and called it donations? And did it just to try to fake it that he beat Bernie’s first day take? It’s fucking hilarious, is what that is. Fucking rich kids posturing and blustering and insisting they’re important and relevant. Political incels lol. Dude, you’ve been here long enough to know you can’t make statements like this and not provide a site. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/69 "2019-03-19T12:08:41Z")
Yeah, that sounds a lot more like seething rage than snickering SmartAleq. Please tell me “political incels” is not a phrase floating around the Bernie camp. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/70 "2019-03-19T12:11:55Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > So you’re of the opinion that Bernie progressives aren’t aware of the fact that when you take the 4.5 million returned from senate race funds out of those first day numbers it actually means O’Rourke’s first day fundraising from actual donors is more like 1.5 million and significantly below Bernie’s first day fundraising? Aware of it and snickering over the baldfaced idiocy of claiming he earned six million when in fact he just moved 4.5 million out of one fund into another and called it donations? And did it just to try to fake it that he beat Bernie’s first day take? It’s fucking hilarious, is what that is. Fucking rich kids posturing and blustering and insisting they’re important and relevant. Political incels lol. Cite that this happened. After all, he ended the Senate campaign with $.4m cash on hand. So we need a cite. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/71 "2019-03-19T12:17:29Z")
We won’t know until he makes his first FEC filing. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/72 "2019-03-19T12:35:39Z")
True. But we do know how much money he had remaining after the 2018 race and it sure as hell wasn’t $4.5m. (Correction: he ended it w/ $300k, not $450k.) ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/73 "2019-03-19T18:18:52Z")
The Bernheads really hate Beto, don’t they? I wonder if that will tank both campaigns, or just theirs. Seems unlikely it will have the effect they are desiring. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/74 "2019-03-19T20:35:44Z")
Can you imagine what office Beto will run for after he loses the Democratic nomination for POTUS? Secretary General of the UN? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/75 "2019-03-19T21:37:56Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Trump and the Republicans seem to be more scared of Beto than any of the other Dems that are running. The official GOP twitter account posted a photoshopped picture of Beto’s mug shot from his drunk driving arrest back in the day. > > [https://twitter.com/GOP?ref\_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author](https://twitter.com/GOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) > > There are several tweets from the official GOP twitter account attacking Beto. Since the beginning of the month they have only tweeted twice attacking any of the other Democratic candidates, once for Hickenlooper and once for Gabbard. If the GOP is that afraid of him they probably think Beto has a better chance than any of the other candidates. In a way I can see it, at least on a superficial level. Beto is non-threatening, so he won’t drive away moderate republicans who are wary of Trump. He has appeal to latino voters He could make Texas a swing state He has a lot of Obama in him (he is a good looking, charming political moderate). ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/76 "2019-03-19T23:08:25Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > - I’m on the record as preferring that Biden, Sanders and Warren step aside for younger blood, but I don’t yet have a preference from amongst the choices on offer. It may be a bit more than mere preference. Of the last five Democrats who captured the presidency (excluding Truman and Johnson, who ascended to it), the oldest was Carter at 52. Democrats do not fare so well with candidates beyond their mid 50s. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/77 "2019-03-19T23:21:11Z")
Pretty sure Beto has done the same math. And, sadly, ladies and gentlemen, I am loathe to be the bearer of bad news, but God made us a cruel world, a harsh world, and we can no longer deny the truth, but submit to the honesty of the whispers I keep reading on the blackest websites deep within the Dark Web: that our man, Beto, this week just… just… just _killed_ the ever-loving shit out of Joaquin Castro. RIP Joaquin2020. Oh, we will still see you around… I don’t even know if you have admitted to yourself the seriousness of this wound, but it _is_ mortal. Please, Joaquin, just don’t go broke. Make it to a few debates, I know you want to get to Texas, so… yeah. Just don’t go broke. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/78 "2019-03-19T23:39:41Z")
\*Julian ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/79 "2019-03-20T00:07:06Z")
Case in point. RIP Julian. And I even went to his announcement! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119/80 "2019-03-24T19:33:19Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > I’m sure you’ve seen more of this than I have since I’m not following Beto’s campaign, but I thought it was relevant to your comment about the Beto/Bernie issue. > > There was an [article in the Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/20/beto-orourke-congressional-votes-analysis-capital-and-main) written by David Sirota, who now works on Bernie’s campaign, claiming that Beto voted for the Trump administration position roughly 30% of the time, which is supposedly higher than his blue district would warrant. He points to[a piece on 538 on Beto](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/beto-orourke/). I don’t know what the numbers after the 30% are supposed to mean, so I won’t try to interpret them. Beto supporters [are saying](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/03/sanders-promised-civility-hired-twitter-attack-dog/585259/) that the Sirota article was a hit piece, but Sirota did back up his piece with numbers from 538. Sirota is pushing back. A good find, and certainly provides further support for **Slackerinc’s** contention that Sanders and his people are very, very worried about O’Rourke. Sirota is known as a “zealous advocate” (some would say an “attack dog”) for the Sanders campaign (in addition to the Atlantic article, see [ElectoralVote](https://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2019/Pres/Maps/Mar21.html#item-6)). We could wave away random people on Facebook or even random people in this thread as “not really working for Sanders,” but it seems doubtful that Sirota’s a Russian bot. It’s interesting to me that Sanders’s negative efforts are being focused on O’Rourke. I guess they see him as the candidate at present most likely to cut into Sanders’s base of younger white men…Anyway, I’m not seeing anything like this leveled by Sanders supporters at Elizabeth Warren, say, or Kamala Harris, or Amy Klobuchar, just O’Rourke. Maybe I’m wrong. That being said, does the thrust of the Sirota article strike anyone else as…odd? It’s fine for one candidate to complain that another doesn’t toe the party line as often as he should (“voting against his own party’s positions”). But when the candidate making the charges is someone who is proud to say he is not a member of that party–well, that’s a peculiar complaint to make. Or maybe it’s just me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-in-goes-beto/831119.md?page=5)