Beto O'Rourke Launches Criticism At Joe Biden: 'We Cannot Return To The Past'
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke of Texas criticized the frontrunner in his party's 2020 primary, Joe Biden.
On MSNBC Thursday, O'Rourke said the former Vice President represents a turn to the past.
"That cannot be who we are going forward. We've got to be bigger, we've got to be bolder, we've got to set a much higher mark. You cannot go back to the end of the Obama administration and think that is good enough," said O'Rourke.
The Real Clear Politics average of polls between May 28 and June 11 shows Biden maintaining a wide lead in national polls with 32%.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has 17%, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has 11%, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has 7%, followed by California Senator Kamala Harris who has close to 7% and O'Rourke with 4%.
The other Texan in the race, former San Antonio Mayor and former HUD Secretary Julian Castro is at about 1%.
Andrew Morris, President of the Young Democrats of Denton County, says O'Rourke is right about Biden.
"I think so, yeah. Certainly, the way Biden is setting up his campaign, is 'I'm the anti-Trump, the best anti-Trump there is,' and I think as Democrats, we need to be bigger, better, bolder, than that frankly as Beto said."
While O'Rourke is leading the 2020 race in Texas, in the Change Research poll out last week, another survey last week by Quinnipiac University, shows 60% of Texas Democrats and those leaning Democrat believe O'Rourke should run for Senate against John Cornyn, while 27% said he should run for president.
On the Late Show Wednesday night, host Stephen Colbert asked O'Rourke why he isn't running for Senate as he did last year, when he came close to unseating Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
O'Rourke said, "I want to run and serve as President of the United States and I want to do so in a way that brings people in, that fixes our democracy, that ensures we're not defined by our differences, but instead by our ambitions. I'll say this for Texas, there are going to be some extraordinary candidates running to oppose John Cornyn, one MJ Hegar, a combat veteran, an extraordinary candidate. If she is the nominee, she would defeat him."
Hegar came close to defeating Republican Congressman John Carter in Central Texas last year.
Morris says he is leaning toward Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren for President. "She is the most-policy oriented candidate."
As for O'Rourke, Morris says he is among those who believe the former El Paso Congressman should challenge Cornyn. "Many Democrats feel he would have a better opportunity in the Senate. WithBeto having tried that out, that's why I think Beto, if he were to flip to the Senate, could be a little bit stronger especially with the name recognition he's gained over the past two years."
O'Rourke is not changing his mind and recently increased the size of his campaign staff in Iowa.
Morris says he is keeping an open mind and looking forward to the first Democratic debates later this month.