Democrats smell blood in the water—and are gunning for deep-red Texas.
Given President Trump’s lackluster approval rating, Democrats see an opportunity to win a statewide election in the Lone Star State for the first time since 1994. So who’s going to be the Democrats’ Ishmael and take on the giant whale that is the Texas Republican machine? Some gringo named Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, said he’s the man for the job.
Never heard of him? You’re probably not alone.
Looking back at Wendy Davis’s pathetic attempt at winning the governorship in 2014, anyone has to be an improvement over the last time liberals got their hopes up, right?
Well, maybe not. The Texas congressman has an unimpressive legislative background and seems to spend more time on social media than actually standing for anything other than “I’m not a Republican.”
Take a look at his official campaign website. His plan for improving the country can be best summarized in four bullet points, with two of them being “term limits” and “accountability.” Inspiring.
Sure, O’Rourke has the cool factor. He once played guitar in a punk band with someone who later cofounded the influential post-hardcore band At the Drive-In. To be clear, O’Rourke wasn’t in At the Drive-In—he decided to sell out and enroll at Columbia University and get an English degree instead.
In the 1990s, O’Rourke was arrested for burglary after he said he tripped an alarm jumping a fence at University of Texas-El Paso. A few years later, he got arrested for drunk driving, but received deferred adjudication at the mercy of prosecutors.
Crazy thought: Maybe Democrats should run a candidate who doesn’t have so many run-ins with the police, especially in a state known for its love of law and order. Sure, George W. Bush got a DUI when he was younger, but he benefited from Texas realigning to a Republican stronghold.
It’s not like O’Rourke is somehow a man of the people either. After graduating from college, he founded an Internet company called Stanton Street Technology and now has a net worth in the millions.
Listen, I get that Cruz is a total goblin. It’s not like I get any pleasure from seeing him in the Senate. But at least the guy has some meaty credentials and principals. I’d rather have the evil genius in the Senate than the pseudo-cool guy who really just turned into a lame yuppie. I suspect Texas voters will agree.
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