Unless Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, kicks a puppy, burns the flag, or kneels for the national anthem, it seems more than likely that Rep. Beto O’Rourke will be out of a job after Election Day. The Democrat probably can’t win a U.S. Senate seat. He could win an office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

When polls in the Lone Star State close, O’Rourke becomes the most eligible vice presidential candidate.

Propelled by a thousand glossy magazine profiles and probably, once all is said, more than $70 million in campaign contributions, O’Rourke has made Cruz uncomfortable and has made himself into a national figure. Some want him to take his charisma and bilingual talking points on the road in 2020. Of course, this is ridiculous. O’Rourke is extraordinarily talented. O’Rourke is not, however, James A. Garfield — the only politician to move directly from the House to the White House.

The progressive poster boy will need something to do though. Elder statesmen with presidential ambitions should begin courting him immediately.

An O’Rourke ticket is a rich ticket. He is nothing if not a prolific fundraiser as demonstrated by his latest whopping, three-month $38 million haul. It is the kind of money that Democrats will need to beat President Trump, who has already filled his war chest with an unprecedented $100 million. If the left wants to catch up, they will need to find the right candidate for vice president.

Democrats will also need someone cool, because right now all the early frontrunners are really, really old. Former Vice President Joe Biden can’t rock an epic air drum solo safely, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., certainly can’t ride a skateboard without risking his life. O’Rourke can do both, because at 46 years-old, he is authentically young. Paired with one of the older progressive bulls, he could run circles around Vice President Mike Pence on college campuses.

It will be easy to forget about the youth and the money of O’Rourke if he loses badly. But if the Democrat keeps it close, party brass should go all out to recruit him. He probably can’t beat Cruz. He could possibly help make Texas a presidential swing state or at very least force Republicans to play defense in their own backyard come 2020. If that sounds crazy, remember that Trump won deep-red Texas by nine points while carrying purple Ohio by eight points.

All of this overlooks all of O’Rourke’s negative qualities, of course. He would have to explain his drunk driving crash for real if he appeared on a national ticket. He would also have to gain some more meaningful experience other than Congress and the El Paso City Council. A return to his business might do his record some good. Otherwise political options are limited.

O’Rourke can’t run for Senate again for some time, and the governor’s mansion is out of the question. Even after a defeat though, writing him off like another Jon Ossoff would be a mistake for Republicans and a waste for Democrats. For all their fawning, the magazine profiles managed to document a candidate with real Obama-type charisma. The Left should try to make O’Rourke their No 2. They should do it in a hurry.