All qualities that don't MATTER at all to the GOP and Trump's band of sycophants. In fact they ridicule such qualities. Congratulations to you and your candidate for running a campaign on dignity, poise and the REAL issues at hand.
Thank you so much. He really did run on the real issue, and almost won. Just a month ago, ppl would laugh if you or I suggested he could have gotten anywhere close to Cruz. I would've been mighty skeptical at that time, too. Managed to meet and shake hands with him - he was in the middle of a live interview, but he didn't mind and nor did the TV crew - tbh, he's even more impressive "in the flesh" than on TV!
Before Beto, for me the only really great politician I saw was when I was a small kid: we flew out to Chicago and went to Grant Park on Election Night in 2008 for President-Elect Obama's wonderful, mesmerizing speech. It made a lifelong impression on me. I loved his presidency, and still strongly support him. And before my time, Al Gore is someone I deeply admire, too. I'm relieved I was way too young to experience the shock of Bush 2 taking the Presidency, and Gore's graceful concession that I first watched many years later (2009).
You're right: Beto's qualities don't matter to the GOP or Trump's numerous sycophants. But what we noticed in Texas was that while many Republican voters still support Cruz, many are not at all keen on Trump or his acolytes. In some ways that's hardly surprising, given the depth of hostility between Cruz and Trump in 2016. As a result, many Texas Republicans can't stand Trump - specially the way he trashed Cruz and Cruz's dad that year.
But the issue for many Cruz supporters now is that the "new Cruz" is now very much pro-Trump - and many can't simply stomach it. Many Republicans we spoke to were genuinely seething about that, are more than happy to speak out - we were amazed at their openness toward us, as we're obviously Ddemocrat volunteers - and told us their former hero has "sold out" to Trump. They didn't vote Beto, and they were honest to tell us (very) bluntly they wouldn't be supporting him either - and quite a few gritted their teeth to vote Cruz to keep Beto out! But many simply can't support Cruz in his reincarnation as a Trump sycophant. Instead, they registered their own type of protest by refusing to turn up to vote at all.
When we first turned up outside people's front doors to ask them if they'd consider voting Beto, it's like they discussed this with neighbors and friends beforehand, cos the reaction and wording of their response was much the same: Cruz has "betrayed our trust, so if we vote him at all", it would only be to keep out "your candidate", Beto, who they feel is "way too extreme/socialistic for Texas". And many warned that even if Cruz held on this time, he's very likely to lose next time - even if "extreme" Beto is our candidate - and they specially won't be casting their vote for Trump in the 2020 Presidentials, either....