TX-Sen: Beto O’Rourke

Bluedroplet
Sep 4, 2018 · 2 min read

I’ve promised this post for a long time, but I knew it was time to write it when I spent an hour “researching” by playing clips of Beto on his last road trip through Texas. It wasn’t so much because I wanted to know what Beto O’Rourke had to say — I already had a pretty good idea. It was because, on yet another day of appalling behavior in the headlines, I was soothed and uplifted by Beto’s relentless positivity. For over 6000 miles in 34 days, going to large cities and tiny towns all over the state, he said the same things over and over: “We’re not campaigning against another party,” he said, rarely if ever mentioning his opponent by name, “we’re campaigning FOR the future and the future of Texas.”

Another theme that comes up is what Texas has to offer. Because it is so diverse, because it is a border state, because guns are part of Texas culture, because both the carbon based energy infrastructure and the new green energy are important in the Texas economy, “Texas should be leading the national conversation” on immigration, on gun safety, on energy. This is a message of pride and encouragement, not of being morally harangued to improve.

It’s all wrapped in a package of servant leadership. A word Beto uses daily is “grateful” — “I’m grateful to meet you. I’m grateful that you let me listen to what matters here. I’m grateful that you’re trusting me to lead you to this shared future that we have, together.” Together, that’s another big word in Beto’s vocabulary. It’s exhilarating to listen to.

For all that Beto has raised $23 million in the last few months, none of it through corporate PACs, his campaign is still run as if it is a folksy, shoestring operation. “No PACs, just people,” is another Beto refrain. The videos of the road trip, which look like they’re filmed from a cell phone, show him driving, talking, using his car for a headquarters as he navigates to every one of Texas’s counties. And there aren’t pollsters or political consultants telling him what to say — fortunately, he says.

Beto, your campaign is all about Texas but the rest of us need you too — your vision, your positive spirit, your inclusiveness, your genuineness, and your vote in the Senate. I’m excited to support you.

And today is primary voting day in Massachusetts. I’m guessing that most of my readers are local (though they need not be), so if you are, please go and vote!

Bluedroplet

Written by

Where I am writing about the candidates I'm supporting, the mid term elections, and my hope for a sea change aka the "blue wave".

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade