Beto Sounds Lukewarm On 2020: ‘I Don’t Want To Raise Expectations’
Democratic superstar Beto O’Rourke is sounding less and less enthusiastic about a presidential run, even as his would-be competitors announce their intentions and construct campaign infrastructure.
According to a Friday Politico report, he said that his decision could still “potentially” be months away. He added that he’s still feeling the effects of his grueling Senate race against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) just months ago.
“There’s an exhaustion after an effort like that, that I’m learning is hard to recover from,” he said. “You don’t snap back.”
O’Rourke has also been just considering the prospect of a run for far less time than most of the other Democrats in the field.
“I just am not there to do that,” he told Politico. “I just don’t want to raise expectations or commit people if I’m not committed and if I haven’t made that decision yet.”
“Have I satisfied my commitment to this country and our democracy? That’s the question that we’re trying to think through right now,” he added. “Is there something that I can contribute beyond what I have already done that the country needs right now. Do I need to be back in the arena?”