“Are you excited about Beto running?”
“Guess you have to change your ‘for Senate’ sticker to ‘for America’.”
Contrary to what many have assumed, I am not excited about Beto running for president. Not as much as I thought I would be, atleast. When Beto lost in November I felt crushed, the only hope I had was him running for president. Since then, however, my mindset has changed. In the Senate race of 2018, Beto was the light. Now, we have so much more. We can afford to be picky, so I am.
Beto, in my opinion, is progressive for Texas. As a country, however, we can do better. We can have someone who isn’t afraid to be labeled “progressive,” who speaks out on controversial issues, like universal healthcare. It feels as if he’s trying to appeal to everyone, but right now everyone isn’t doing things in good faith. The way he speaks reeks of “good people on both sides” rhetoric, we need something more powerful if we want real change.
I won’t get too deep into other candidates, but it’s no wonder that more radical candidates like Bernie don’t get the same coverage as someone young…er and more charismatic. It’s a popularity contest. People like Bernie are the real deal. Beto is inspiring, yes, he created change. He’s exciting for many, but I can’t make myself feel that way about him again, especially when he’s among true and progressive change-makers. I also feel a sense of abandonment, like his popularity here was a stepping stone to something bigger, even if it dulls his shine from prior months
Although the excitement is over for me and I can see him in an honest light, people in all of the other states across the country are getting their first shake at idolization. Although I am cynical, he is still high on my list, I just believe we have an opportunity here to be picky. At the end of the day, I would vote for a Democrat piece of toast if they won the primary. This will surely be a long, long year.