Are Republicans starting to panic in Texas?
Texas Democratic senatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke has become a national figure over the past few months for running a shockingly successful campaign against sitting senator Ted Cruz.
Texas hasn’t had a Democratic senator in 25 years, and O’Rourke has more than a fighting chance at bucking the trend. A recent Emmerson College e-poll has Cruz with 38% of the vote, O’Rourke with 37%, and 21% of respondents undecided.
An NBC News/Marist poll found O’Rourke within four points of Cruz, at 45% to 49%.
O’Rourke caught national attention earlier in August after giving a thoughtful and heartfelt answer to a question about NFL players kneeling for the national anthem.
\n‘I can think of nothing more American.’ — Beto O'Rourke — the man taking on Ted Cruz — brilliantly explains why NFL players kneeling during the anthem is not disrespectful pic.twitter.com/xUGOuCFCSi
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 22, 2018\n
On August 29, the Texas Republican Party tweeted what they thought was a dig at O’Rourke by sharing a band photo he took in the ‘90s. The GOP captioned it with “Sorry, can’t debate. We have a gig.”
Cruz and O’Rourke are currently in negotiations over having televised debates.
\nMaybe Beto can’t debate Ted Cruz because he already had plans... pic.twitter.com/LdqKTh3yK4
— Texas GOP (@TexasGOP) August 28, 2018\n
In the mid ‘90s, O’Rourke played bass in the band Foss, which included Cedric Bixler-Zavala from the seminal bands At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta.
While the Texas GOP may not think playing in a band is cool, the tweet backfired because everyone else thinks it’s awesome.
For contrast, Ted Cruz was a Biblical mime.
\nWho would you rather have be in the U.S. Senate?
— Leah McElrath (@leahmcelrath) August 30, 2018\n
A candidate who used to be a punk rock band guitarist and whose bicep you can imagine licking sweat off of...
or
A candidate who used to be a creepy mime and whose storage unit you can imagine containing heads in formaldehyde? pic.twitter.com/xakl2YbMSu
\n@tedcruz was a biblical mime...a biblical mime. pic.twitter.com/DaoZrcrBNT
— Brenda Steinmetz (@brendajoanneWY) August 30, 2018\n
\nHe was in a band with Cedric Bixler of The Mars Volta and At The Drive In fame, to boot.
— Sean Strife (@strife_sean) August 30, 2018\n
\nYeah...the “cool factor” that musicians often have REALLY hurt this guy during an election, too.
— #BeBust(ed) (@KoolaidUSA) August 30, 2018\n
Oh, wait.... pic.twitter.com/PFUfDjWtj7
\nNext: <photo of Beto landing a sick Ollie while making killer BBQ and high-fiving Prince, all while rescuing a cute dog.> Texas GOP: is this who you want representing you, or THIS <picture of Ted Cruz pulling a wedgie out of his pants and falling>
— Mike Anderson (@Mikestweeting) August 30, 2018\n
\nThe president has sexually assaulted women, mocked persons w/disabilities, and stated that Mexicans were rapists. It’s also becoming increasingly likely that he ran a corrupt business and colluded to steal an election. But do tell me more about how @BetoORourke was into grunge.
— Sarah Martin (@sarahfor5) August 30, 2018\n
\nProof definitive of who of the two candidates got laid in college and who didn’t.
— I'm with Her (@ScubaDiveD1va) August 30, 2018\n
\nHoly shit 90s Beto is sexy in a dirty Jesus kinda way. 10/10 would bang
— eeeeeeeeee (@fabulouseileen) August 30, 2018\n
\nLmao! Who thought that was a burn? pic.twitter.com/xFsbV71VaY
— Jennifer Sutton (@JenSutt6971) August 30, 2018\n
\nWho is running this account?
— Vituperator (@triplezmom) August 30, 2018\n
Is it a bullying 7th grader from a 1980s after school special?
The tweet was also a great excuse for people to rip on Ted Cruz.
\nYou know who else was from Texas and looked like that... pic.twitter.com/Ry6t5sp5Bl
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) August 30, 2018\n
\nIf only Mr. Cruz had devoted his life to the sacred discipline of Mime. The world would be a saner, quieter place
— Commander of Cheese (@chirpychinch) August 30, 2018\n
\nWow, the @TexasGOP _truly_ understands the people of Texas. Here's another humiliating picture of @BetoORourke playing with... Wait. No! Not _that_ band photo. Who put that one in here? Dammit, you guys... pic.twitter.com/fVZuWk1TRZ
— Just This Guy (@justthisguy) August 30, 2018\n
— Loy593 (@loy593) August 30, 2018\n\n
— mobilematt (@mobilematt) August 30, 2018\n\n
\nIs it a sin to be part of a band now? I’m so confused. You can be a GOP pedophile, a sexual predator, allow folks get abused in the locker room and do nothing about it, but you draw the line on “being part of a band?”
— Thatiana Viana-Stine (@thatianaviana) August 30, 2018\n
\nWanna talk about integrity? pic.twitter.com/nRKF8Pwybd
— Thomas Seltzer (@ThomasSeltzer) August 30, 2018\n
\nYoung @tedcruz is just jealous.#Vote @BetoORourke #TXSen pic.twitter.com/gqPUOBEOXy
— LisaMarie(@indianaoldsoul) August 30, 2018\n
\nMaybe Cruz can’t debate Beto because he had to “go down to the lab” pic.twitter.com/70B37LaPhi
— Matt Bauman (@mattbaumanNYC) August 30, 2018\n
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