Not long ago, Representative O'Rourke pulled off a great showing in his race against Senator Ted Cruz.  It was the first competitive statewide race in years.

Beto benefited from several factors:

1) It was a midterm election with a super energized Democrat Party nationwide.

2) He raised $70 million to defeat Senator Cruz.  He used much of it to sign up and get people out to vote on a straight ticket basis.  I remember getting a super glossy Beto brochure in my mailbox for two weeks before election day.

3) He had the entire Democratic Party cheering his effort to unseat party enemy #2 -- Ted Cruz.   The left hates Senator Cruz only a bit less than President Trump.

4) Last, but not least, the media fell in love with Beto.  He was charming, cute, and just too much for the more serious Senator Cruz.

That was then and this is now, as someone said.

Beto is barely hanging on in his run for president.  The latest RCP average has him at 3.2%.  It's hard to see how that number gets him on the ticket, especially with a white man leading it.

So what happened to Beto?  

I'm never going to say that it's over, because Senator McCain was not exactly setting the world on fire at this point in 2007.  

Beto faces two difficult hurdles:

First, there is nothing new about his message.  It would have been more sensible if he had run as a centrist and navigated away from the leftist harbor.

Second, he is weird.  Did we really need to see him at the dentist?   His recent statements reflect a man desperately seeking a headline rather than a serious candidate for president.

I'm not saying goodbye to Beto.  He will be back somehow.  Nevertheless, I do think his presidential ambitions are over for now.  

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.