Beto O’Rourke’s Call for Change
As the 2020 presidential election nears, Democratic hopefuls are doing whatever they can to keep their name in the mix come November of 2020. SInce the election of current president Donald Trump, citizens are hoping for an answer regarding gun control. Not to discredit other pressing issues like immigration/tax reform, and climate change, but with the recent trend of mass shootings and at the multitude it has occured in the United States, people are ready for significant change.
Beto O’Rourke has hung around in terms of presidential relevance. The Texas native made his mark when nearly beating Republican Ted Cruz for senator in the state of Texas. O’Rourke’s Democratic stance typically remains unpopular in Texas, but his energy and inspiration brought him close to an extreme upset. The national coverage this race attracted soon led to O’Rourke’s presidential run.
Daily Beasts, Call For Action article covers O’Rourke’s, “This is F*cked Up,” campaign, emphasizing the state of the country and the culture in which mass shootings have almost become a norm. Following the El Paso, Texas shooting, leaving 22 dead and dozens injured, O’Rourke came to speak out on his home town. “Don’t know what the motivation is, do not yet know the firearms that were used, or how they acquired them. But we do know that this is fucked up.” Why the profanity? Some felt it provided no purpose to a public statement and maybe came off unstable for a presidential candidate to state. This was no mistake and quickly gained the attention of many media consumers, just as O’Rourke wanted.
When reflecting on the Critical Media Studies text, analyzing the intended media audience is vital. In O’Rourke’s case, he and his team knew profanity would spark the interest of many. The irony was too good to get lost in the shuffle. A presidential candidate, representing the ideal citizen, no room for error, comes out and drops the F-bomb. Consumers love this, especially the younger demographic. It is almost rebellious in a sense and people can respect the honest truth he is providing. It is f*cked up and many do not want to admit the harsh reality. The quote initiates a fear factor, wanting consumers to feel alarmed. “This is f*cked up,” soon appeared on shirts, instagram posts, and tweets of all sorts. The heart of his quote was concise, direct, and applicable on all platforms. O’Rourke’s voice was heard in hopes of changing a f*cked up reality.
O’Rourke admits, “There is no reason that we have to accept this as our fortune. And yet functionally, right now, we have.” Gun control is a global issue the United States has seemed to struggle resolving. With a Democratic nominee soon to face Donald Trump in 2020, people want answers to the instability of gun control. The social media rise of, “This is fucked up campaign,” reached a level of mobility, something discussed in chapter one of the Critical Media Studies text. Although O’Rourke simply stated a claim mixed with profanity, the word choice was mobile in the sense that it was fluctuating between all platforms of media. In this case of mobility, the audience received the message on a variety of applications and devices with the same emotional interpretation. They were able to find this slogan within print media, broadcast media, and social media while still having the same opinion, regardless of the platform. All coming from the verbal state of one man, his name and his beliefs can be found in all forms of media for all demographics. That is the beauty of media. It is adaptable and convenient. To reach the heart of voters, one must reach them in their state of comfortability. For some it’s social media, television, or even the weekly newspaper. O’Rourke knew exactly what he was doing when making a call for action. Will it carry him to November 2020? I guess we will all see in some form or another.
