The good news is that in a new Politico poll of registered Democrats, Beto O’Rourke is suddenly ahead of of Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Corey Booker. The Texas Democrat is at 8% compared to Warren’s 5%, Harris’s 4% and Booker’s 3%. That’s significant for Beto, who wasn’t even in the national conversation a few weeks ago.

The not-so-good news is that 55% of polled Democrats would like to see Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders — a pair of well-respected, highly principled good guys — run against Donald Trump in 2020.

The problem with this scenario (and don’t imagine it’s not a big one as far as the under-40 voters are concerned) is that Bernie will be 79 in November 2020, and Joe will be 77. Are you going to tell me that doesn’t give you a moment of slight pause?

I despise ageist thinking and even I’m thinking “hmmmm.” Bernie is definitely too far along. If Biden was seven or eight years younger, maybe, but my gut is telling me “no, someone younger…Joe has been too wishy-washy.”

“Beto O’Rourke is emerging to be an outside contender for the 2020 Democratic nomination, outpacing other potential nominees,” said Tyler Sinclair, Morning Consult’s vice president.