Washington (CNN) Beto's (almost) in.

On Wednesday night, Beto O'Rourke got thisclose to saying he was running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. "Amy and I have made a decision about how we can best serve our country," said O'Rourke in a statement . "We are excited to share it with everyone soon."

That statement came along with leaks from sources close to O'Rourke that he would not be challenging Republican Sen. John Cornyn for Texas Senate in 2020. Which pretty much leaves only the presidential race still hanging out there as an option for Beto.

As I wrote a while back, O'Rourke would be crazy not to run for president in 2020 . He's the buzziest candidate in what could be a GIANT Democratic field and, if he passed on the 2020 race, it's not clear whether the energy and excitement he engenders among many party activists right now would continue for the next four or eight years.

So, what specifically does O'Rourke's now absolutely-certain-but-you-can-never-say-absolutely-until-he-actually-announces-it candidacy mean for the Democratic field? Here are my initial thoughts:

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