Beto O'Rourke

[[File:Beto O'Rourke by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Beto O'Rourke]]
{{uspolitics}}{{cquote|Everyone should deserve that next chance to improve their lives, to contribute to their communities, to do better, and if my own personal experience serves as some form of motivation… then there will be some good that has come out of it.|||Beto O'Rourke<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/betoorourke/videos/1424903200892719/ One-on-One with Evan Smith of Texas Tribune #TribFest17] (September 23, 2017) ''Facebook''.</ref>}}
'''Robert Francis “Beto” O'Rourke''' {{lived|1972}} is a Democrat who ran against incumbent [[Texas]] Senator [[Ted Cruz]] in the [[2018 midterm elections]]. Cruz won, though it was closer than usual for statewide races in Texas (as well as closer than most polls had suggested it would be);<ref>[https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Ted-Cruz-s-margin-of-victory-over-Beto-13448497.php Ted Cruz’s margin of victory over Beto O’Rourke was even slimmer than we thought], ''Houston Chronicle'', Jeremy Wallace, December 6, 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/06/ted-cruz-vs-beto-orourke-texas-senate-race-results-2018-963527 Ted Cruz wins reelection over Beto O’Rourke], Politico, Darius Dixon, November 6, 2018</ref> he had won more votes than any other Democrat had in that state in its entire history for any office. O'Rourke had previously represented Texas's 16<sup>th</sup> Congressional District in the [[House of Representatives]] for six years.<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/beto_orourke/412575 Rep. Beto O’Rourke], Govtrack</ref> He ran a (very) unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic nomination for President in 2020<ref>[https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-does-beto-orourke-believe/ What Does Beto O’Rourke Believe?], FiveThirtyEight, Perry Bacon Jr., March 19, 2019</ref> and ran for governor of Texas in 2022.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/2022-election/results/texas/statewide-offices/ Texas Governor election results], ''Politico''</ref>

==Presidential candidacy==
{{cquote|I want to be in it. Man, I’m just born to be in it, and want to do everything I humanly can for this country at this moment.|||O'Rourke announcing his Presidential run in an interview with ''Vanity Fair''.<ref>[https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/03/beto-orourke-cover-story?verso=true Beto O’Rourke, as He Comes to Terms with a Presidential Run: “I’m Just Born to Do This”] ''Vanity Fair''. 13 March 2019.</ref>}}

{{blockquote|[[Joe Biden|Biden]] and O’Rourke are very different candidates, but man the one-month O'Rourke media journey — from New [[Robert F. Kennedy|Bobby Kennedy]] to Apologizing Guy Who Stands on Tables — should give the Bidenverse some shivers. — Dave Weigel<ref>[https://archive.is/jTScS David Weigel], archived from Twitter, 23 April 2019.</ref>}}
He entered the race for the [[2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination]] on March 14, 2019. Almost immediately, he was criticized for his lack of a clear legislative track record or distinctive policy platform.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/14/us/politics/beto-o-rourke-president.html Beto O’Rourke Enters the 2020 Presidential Campaign], ''The New York Times'', Matt Flegenheimer and Jonathan Martin, March 14, 2019</ref> His candidacy largely attracted media attention for his habit of standing on tables all the time<ref>[https://www.vox.com/2019/3/22/18274294/beto-orourke-standing-on-countertops-tables Beto O’Rourke standing on countertops, explained], Vox, Matthew Yglesias, March 22, 2019</ref> and apologizing for myriad past statements (including an awkward joke about his wife raising their kids "sometimes with my help").<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/15/politics/beto-orourke-wife-white-privilege/index.html Beto O'Rourke apologizes for jokes about wife, says he has benefited from 'white privilege'], CNN, Eric Bradner, March 17, 2019</ref> His initial campaign rollout was rather bumpy, failing to give clear answers to many questions and often being light on policy specifics. In May, he tried to re-launch his campaign to offset its initial disappointing launch which had led to his poll numbers and media attention dwindling.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/us/politics/beto-privilege.html Beto O’Rourke Tries to Hone His Delivery: ‘I Have My Work Cut Out for Me’], ''The New York Times'', Lisa Lerer, May 14, 2019</ref>

==RFK Conspiracy==
Several kooks from the [[clogosphere]] have noticed the coincidental similarities between O’Rourke and [[Robert F. Kennedy]]. For one, both are Democrats of Irish descent named “Robert Francis” with respective presidential campaigns and objectively-similar looks.<ref>Richard North Patterson, [https://www.thebulwark.com/p/beto-and-the-ghost-of-rfk Beto and the Ghost of RFK]. ''The Bulwark'', 8 April 2019.</ref> Obviously, all the insinuation that all that holds a secret meaning is [[bullshit]], so seriously don’t get any ideas... about Foss being on par with the [[Jello Biafra|Dead Kennedys]].

==Punk Lifestyle==
Beto has a [[punk]] band called Foss.<ref>Colin Joyce, [https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/59nm98/watch-beto-orourke-talk-about-his-band-foss Watch Beto O’Rourke Talk About That Time He Was In a Punk Band…Again]. ''Vice'', 2 August 2019.</ref>

==References==
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