Once a Leading Candidate, Beto O’Rourke Now Fading Badly in 2020 Democratic Party Presidential Nominee Odds

• Beto O’Rourke was as high as +800 to win the Democratic nomination but he’s now down to +1600
• Many of the qualities that helped O’Rourke in the Texas Senate race have hampered him in the national race
• O’Rourke will face further scrutiny about his history as the race continues

Beto O’Rourke was once a darling of the Democratic Party and his 2020 Democratic Party nomination odds were once as short as +380. But now as the field has become crowded, he’s failed to separate himself. With odds of +1600 at this point, is he worth a bet?

2020 Democratic Party Nomination Odds

*Odds taken 05/13/19. 

Beto O’Rourke Fading

There was a time that Beto O’Rourke looked like he’d unseat Ted Cruz in the race to become a Texas senator. At that point, O’Rourke was a viral darling, a beacon of blue hope and the signal of change. Nowadays, as the odds indicate, his star has fallen and some wonder whether he can recover.

With his eyes on climate change, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke unveils a sweeping $5 trillion plan with significant federal action aimed at achieving net-zero emissions in the United States by 2050 and to be halfway there by 2030 https://t.co/hvntXN0HsV pic.twitter.com/P069xyB0YL

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 10, 2019

O’Rourke lost the campaign against Cruz and while some thought it to be premature, he decided to run for President of the United States. Since that time, though, a crowd of people 20+ candidates have joined the field and he’s gotten lost in the shuffle.

#BetoFatigue

It’s a term coined by The Guardian but it seems to be true – for whatever reason. Six months ago, the country couldn’t get enough of him. Nowadays, he barely makes the news. Even when he released a proposal to make sweeping climate change reforms in the United States – something most Democrats would love – his plan barely made a whimper.

Breaking: Official Trailer for @RunningWithBeto released #RunningWithBetoDoc @BetoORourke pic.twitter.com/iIsJwYpUzh

— Vegas for Beto (@VegasForBeto) May 9, 2019

What’s mostly happened is that a lot of his assets that helped him in the race for Texas have been working against him nationally. In Texas, he was the southern charmer compared to a stale Cruz. He had a slew of great one-liners and viral moments, but the night he announced his Presidential campaign, many winced when he said “I’m just born to be in it”.

And now he’s viewed as just another guy with white privilege. He was the hot newcomer on the scene but now he’s a fading memory – one that won’t even be a real asset in terms of being a running mate.

His Plan Was Flawed

You could see why O’Rourke thought it was a good idea to run for President. He went from being a nobody to being a national star as democrats had hoped for a blue wave. National money – not just Texas money – poured into his campaign.

TUESDAY: Presidential hopeful @BetoORourke joins @TheView co-hosts for the first time — see his daytime exclusive interview LIVE at 11e|10c|p! pic.twitter.com/VPZxhVRkau

— The View (@TheView) May 10, 2019

At the same time, looking back, the optics look pretty horrible. He failed to win the senate race and on the heels of that, decided to run for the White House. That’s like a football coaching candidate failing to win a high school job but then deciding to apply for NFL head coaching gigs.

Too Many Questions About Him

Beyond all of that, O’Rourke will face many more questions if he somehow stands out in this field. He’s going to be scrutinized quite a bit why – as a running Democrat – he’s voted with Donald Trump’s agenda 30% of the time. And while he’s announced a new climate change plan, his history in Texas shows he’s been super friendly to the oil industry.

This campaign is about showing up everywhere, for everyone, every single day. It’s why we’ve held more than 150 town halls, visited more than 115 cities, answered more than 1,000 questions. And it’s why we were on the ground in Pacific Junction and communities across our country. pic.twitter.com/QvrwV0ChoR

— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) May 14, 2019

O’Rourke is a fading commodity and I’d pass on him. The good news is he was on Rachel Maddow’s show this week and will have a CNN Town Hall coming up. Still, I’d need somewhere in the range of 20/1 to be interested in taking a flier.