“It’s déjà vu all over again,” in the words of the great baseball philosopher Yogi Berra. Texas voters rejected Democrat Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke’s bid for higher office for the third time. This time Texans re-elected Republican Gov. Greg Abbott who handily brushed off a challenge from the perennial office seeker. Texans roundly rejected O’Rourke in an election that national gun control groups had their eyes set on, believing the third time would be the charm.
Gun control was a major plank of O’Rourke’s gubernatorial campaign, even though he gave voters whiplash on his changing position on guns. Once the dust settled on election night, Gov. Abbott was victorious by a margin of nearly 1 million votes, 52 percent to 43 percent.
Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke in 2018 failed as a U.S. Senate candidate losing to Sen. Ted Cruz. In 2019 he failed to garner the Democrat presidential nomination before the 2020 election. Despite going 0 for 3, O’Rourke left the door open for yet another gun control run for office after his latest failure. “I don’t know what my role or yours will be going forward, but I’m in this fight for life,” he told supporters.
Gun Control Pretzel
O’Rourke has always been the darling of national gun control groups and has never met a gun control policy he didn’t love. His cause celebre was cemented by his “Hell yes – we’re taking your AR-15, your AK-47!” declaration from the debate stage during the Democratic presidential primary. His campaign flamed out, but in announcing his gubernatorial challenge to Gov. Abbott he told Texas media he’d had a change of heart.
“I’m not interested in taking anything from anyone. What I want to make sure that we do is defend the Second Amendment,” O’Rourke said. It was a clear attempt to play politics to make for a more competitive campaign but went over like a lead balloon with Texas voters.
That comment angered O’Rourke’s key gun control constituency and his tone changed again as he voiced support for several gun control measures, including criticizing Gov. Abbott for signing Constitutional Carry into law after it passed the Texas state legislature. He also made sure to score cheap political points by interrupting a press conference in the immediate aftermath of the Uvalde school shooting at the hands of a deranged murderer.
The mayor of Uvalde called O’Rourke a “sick son of a b*tch” for the stunt. While national gun control groups continued to pour money into Texas, similar to their failed tactics in Florida, the Texas governor race wasn’t ever that close.
Read the Room
O’Rourke’s continued thirst for higher political office is so great he’s blinded from the most important aspect of running for office – the voters. Since 2020, Texans have submitted more than 4.4 million FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) verifications to purchase a firearm, according to NSSF data.
That also means there are more than 1 million first-time gun buyers in the Lone Star state during the same time as national firearm sales have reached historic levels. That includes among women (40 percent of purchases) and minorities such as Hispanics, African American and Asian Americans. Texas voters simply don’t buy the gun control Beto is selling.
A quick analysis of O’Rourke’s gubernatorial election returns highlights his failures to convince Texas voters he’s authentic and has their interests at heart. According to Texas vote data, O’Rourke’s gubernatorial campaign fared nearly 5 percent worse statewide than his 2018 senate run. He only improved his vote share in two Texas counties, one by less than 2 percent and the other by one-tenth of a percent. That’s with all the in migration to Texas from other blue states like California that has happened recently.
O’Rourke’s vote share declined by 10 percent or more in 18 counties compared to 2018, including in seven blue counties he previously won like El Paso, Brooks, Duval and Starr County where he banked 18 percent lower support than he did just four years ago.
Crime and the ability of Americans to protect themselves and their families was a resounding concern heading into the midterm elections. In Texas, voters support their Second Amendment rights and demand their elected officials do so as well.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s support for the rights of law-abiding Texans is unquestionable. As Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke found out for the third time in less than five years, they won’t stand for anything less.
Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Wish he’d lost by more than ‘just’ a million votes. We’ve had more than a million cross the border ‘just’ last year. I believe over double that number…according to DHS.
*found the article…2.76 M for FY22.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/migrant-border-crossings-fiscal-year-2022-topped-276-million-breaking-rcna53517
He knows he’s going to lose, but that’s how this goof makes a living. Runs for office, raise a lot of money, lose, then live off the proceeds. He should be jailed for running a scam.
Yes, he likely pays himself pretty well. And don’t forget speaking fees. He probably draws a larger audience than Biden, even if you add in the clown horn carriers.
In 2018, Stacey Abrams had a net worth of about $100,000 along with nearly $200,000 owed in back taxes, credit card and student loan debt. How long has she been out of school? Now she’s probably a multimillionaire (and debt free) thanks to running again and losing.
Exactly what I was going to post. He is a scam artist. He wouldn’t know what to do if he won. He gets donations from antigunners and then uses the money for “campaign” expenses. I would like to see his campaign spending statement that some states require. Don’t now if Texas does.
try opensecrets.org
they probably have the information
Another generation and there will be more Mexicans in the USA than in Mexico.
Mexicans or Central and South Americans?
Having a lot of them living and working here might not be a bad thing. The majority are ambitious, work hard and want to assimilate. Their values are close to those of conservative, native born Americans. The problem is the small percentage who are criminals. Our immigration system is so inadequate that it takes years to identify and get rid of them.
“Their values are close to those of conservative”
Never in the history of this country has a majority of Hispanics voted for anything other than Democrats on a national basis. They’re the only racial group here to hold that status. That includes 2022. Now do you understand the strategy behind flooding this country with illegals?? They want to overwhelm us with them so it’s impossible to deport them faster than they’re coming in. Then they say we have to give them amnesty. Do you get it (or care) now? Of course you don’t. You vote for the Democrats too. You encourage the illegal immigration that’s happening faster than our resources can handle. Why do you think Democrats complain when they’re sent to their district? Or do you even think about it? Apparently not.
“The problem is the small percentage who are criminals.”
No, the problem is illegal immigration. Come here legally if you want to come here. We have a process for that. We want people that respect our laws. They’re all criminals if they come in illegally. Every illegal should be permanently banned from ever attaining legal status.
The point is they are family people with family values. They do not like abortion, they are generally up to listening about firearm rights, but don’t usually spend money on firearms, they have other things, like keeping family together to do than to collect guns.
Most just work, they do not care about politics, they only care about their personal economy. Most do not vote.
Yes, many live in run down areas and the kids join gangs, many do for protection of the 3rd-10th generation Mex-American kids that have lived in that barrio. Normally when a girl gets pregnant(they do NOT use birth control – or they would be putas), the families get the kids hitched – if not, the family is there to raise that child.
Those may not be your values, but they are values. If you watch the gardeners working on Saturday, you will see the young teens working with fathers and grandfathers to help keep money coming into the family.
Their values are beside the point. Anyone who goes along with the Democrats plan to change the demographics of this country in order to increase their power is an absolute fool. The Dems have been desperately ushering in millions per year since the Puppet assumed office so they can try to pass mass amnesty for all illegals. Discussing whether or not the illegals generally have good values is completely beside the point. This is a fine example of why our country is a disaster right now. People don’t have a grasp on the issues. They just repeat the propaganda being fed to them.
In case you missed it, Chuck Schumer called for mass amnesty for all illegals today.
“The majority are ambitious, work hard and want to assimilate. Their values are close to those of conservative, native born Americans.”
Preach it.
Even better, the more they hear about what the Leftist Scum ™ *really* want, the less they like them. They have no interest in being a hyphenated-American, they just want to be an American.
And the election showed that trend is *accelerating*… 🙂
“We need to flood the country with illegals because some day maybe their children will vote for what I want” is not a winning strategy. I said this before the election. Hispanic legal citizens in Florida and Texas will not amount to a hill of beans in a national election. We already have Florida and Texas. We need to convert purple states before we’re able to win nationally.
And “they can do the hard work we don’t want to do” is a lie and demeaning. They do that work because they do it cheaper. It’s a proven drag on wages. Citizens would do it if the pay was high enough.
Kendahl! Dude, I’ve worked with “immigrants” from Mexico. Some of them have lived in this country for over 10 years and haven’t learned to speak American. And they send most of their money back to family in Mexico. If you want to come to America great! But do it legally and then become a real american. Unfortunately, they don’t do that and they’re not real Americans like Democrats aren’t real americans.
Eh, I’ve been hearing that since at least the early 90s. I’m sure it was said before that. Same as the whole “this next generation is going to be the great liberal hope we’ve been waiting for and finally turn the entire country blue.” They say that now about Gen Z, but millennials, gen X, and boomers were all supposed to be that great liberal hope too, and it never materialized.
It’s almost as if people tend to get more conservative as they get older.
The old saying goes: “If you are not a liberal when you are young you have no heart, if you are not a conservative when you are older you have no brain.
Beto is like a child, can’t take “no” for an answer then has a temper tantrum.
Did he seriously think Texas with 4 million gun purchases since his last election try was going to forget that his main goal now is the same as it was with his “Hell Yes, were gonna take…” declaration of ‘war’ on the American people?
What an idiot.
He thinks the voters are as smart as he thinks he is.
Those who voted for him are every bit as smart as he is or less.
They had a chit ton of new gun owner’s in ILLANNOY. Pretty certain they didn’t suddenly vote R the other week…so there’s THAT.
He is a legend in his own mind. Abbott won by this margin because he is a retired in place professional politician and is as much a conservitive as George Bush is. Couldn’t beleive he made it thru the primary.
Of course he’s in it for life… he’s raking in a fortune without having to earn anything.
Keeping 5% of all donations can get pretty lucrative when you start talking a hundred million or so, plus kickbacks for overpaying staffers and buying ten-dollar ink pens…
I hope he enjoys being the cartels puta for a long time. They will want a return on their investment one way or another.
Scary that 43% of a “red” state voted (D).
On the surface yes, but in comparison look at NY state politics by county. Most of it is red. NYC just casts a huge shadow over the rest of it.
How then should Texans reclaim the metro areas then?
Uhhhhhmmmm…
By making them feel very unwelcome in the metro centers?
(“Dear, we gotta go back to California, they *hate* us here!)
It’s just a thought… 🙂
Send the people back the New Orleans
@Geoff: That does seem to be happening at some small scale, or so I read.
Source: https://waynedupree.com/2022/11/austin-texas-liberals-flee/
Not sure if it can be relied on alone, though. I wonder just what it is the D’s offer urban people that somehow makes them so besotted by the D Party? We’re seeing in real time the destruction that Woke urban culture brings in NYC, San Francisco, etc.
@rt66paul: I hadn’t heard that before; has it in fact been New Orleans people that were bluing the place? I had always imagined that they were being invaded by CA.
True. 62 counties in the state and the 10 or 12 that vote blue are enough to control the rest of the state.
California only has 58, but it is the same way. All of the population lives in Sacramento, the Bay Area and Los Angeles, plus San Diego, and they are true blue. Even Orange, a former Republican stronghold, is purple at best, but with blues in control. Almost everything else is red.
Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio are all Deep Blue Shitpile Cities.
Fortunately, rural and many suburban voters are Deep Red.
So he’s good at losing elections. Beto for democrat nominee in ‘24 I say.
Poor Beto…poor poor Beto. My heart just pumps purple peanut butter for the guy.
I think there are some very smart people in Texas. And I think there are some very stupid people in the state of Pennsylvania.
Many high school and college age Texans in the D/FW area saw right through Beta’s BS.
Seems nearly everyone who had a ‘Beta’ sticker on their car removed it months before the election. Same with yard signs, they all vanished.
“…Gov. Abbott was victorious by a margin of nearly 1 million votes, 52 percent to 43 percent.”
According to Texas Sec of State, as of Jan2022, there were 17,119,632 registered voters in Texas. The best I can acertain is that Republicrats and Dims are pretty much even in registered voters. A “nearly 1 million” advantage in the 2022 mid-term elections is not a comforting margin.
O’Rourke can comfortably sit in his administration position until 2024 primary time. He can run for Senate again (more locusts from blue states may be a deciding factor by then), or go for the Dim nominee for president. Campaigning costs O’Rourke nothing.
In 2024, the house and senate ‘maps’ are far more hostile to the Leftist Scum ™ than us. We did good last week by treading water, we got the house, and the senate is a little less hostile, but Manchin and Sienna are still on board with us.
The next 2 years are going to be very unpleasant for them as we start racking up some serious victories, 2A-wise…
Why don’t the progressive wealth hating lefties get upset about a grifter offering nothing to society raking in millions? At least a lottery winner paid $5 into some nebulous state education fund.
Being born privileged and earning millions doing nothing is okay when they do it I suppose.
He looks pretty, that’s why. He’s the ‘Golden Child’, and they love their pretty things to look at…
It’s gotta be that he says the right things, Stacy Abrams was a “favored” child as well and she is anything and everything BUT “pretty to look at”.
Realistically, Pretty Boy Newsom has a better sot at the nomination than Beto, notwithstanding his promise that he will complete his term as Governor (2026). Not that we believe him. He is one of the privileged few.
Not that we believe him. He is one of the privileged few.
Nancy Pelosi’s nephew…
The Beta Boy does best with parts of the border and the deep urban like Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio. Everywhere else he fails.
If he had seemed like a “voice of reason” starting in 2018 instead of the wild eyed “liberal” he probably could have been elected governor given the influx from Kommiefornia, think Katie Hobbs in Arizona. The “Hell yes – we’re taking your AR-15, your AK-47!” didn’t help either.
Did he learn the lesson that voters have longer memories than he does?
Probably not.
Republican Rep. Mike Garcia win in California’s 27 District, race called. Republicans have majority control of the house.
218 Republicans
210 Democrats
“Republicans have majority control of the house.”
Even if the remaining seven races elect Republicrats, the result will mirror what we decried about the narrow margin of control the Dims had. Even then, Repubs voted their real values, and joined the Dims in some of the worst legislation in the last two years. If Repubs get to 225 seats, the margin will be disappointingly thin, and defections will make it impossible to rein in the Dims.
Dims have power because their reps will vote party, every time. Repubs cannot do that because they “vote their conscience”. Party has a better “win” average than “principle”. If Repubs don’t start using the same tactics as the Dims, the Republicrat Party will become as important as the Whig Party.
‘Narrow’ doesn’t matter, we will control the committees where the real work happens (or dies).
Yeah, it’s ‘a big fvcking deal’ to be the one holding the reigns…
“Yeah, it’s ‘a big fvcking deal’ to be the one holding the reigns…”
Not if you can’t control defectors. The Dims rarely have defectors (because leadership rules with an iron fist). How many times did Repubs defect to the Dems in the last two years.
https://www.newsweek.com/every-republican-endorsing-democrats-over-trump-candidates-midterms-1747782
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/the-republicans-who-voted-same-sex-marriage-bill-through-senate
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/11/just-senate-votes-62-37-advance-bill-protect-sex-marriage-republicans-voted-democrats/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/republicans-climate-change_n_592f1825e4b09ec37c314856
And so on.
Yeah, it’s ‘a big fvcking deal’ to be the one holding the reigns…
MmmmmHmmmmm…. It WOULD be a big fucking deal IF a fucking RINO collaborator wasn’t making the decisions on what gets a vote on the floor…
The thin margin makes it very hard to get anything passed. Since it won’t get past a Dem Senate and Presidential vetos, it won’t really matter. The real power is that the leadership decides what gets voted on, so defections don’t matter if a bill sits in a drawer for the entire session. They can’t implement their agenda, but they can stop the stupid stuff from happening.
“…but they can stop the stupid stuff from happening.”
One wonders. Dims will not stop presenting legislation, and defectors can be dangerous. Overall, however, one must contemplate how much of Dim disaster the Repubs ever turn back. How many unnecessary agencies have been eliminated by Repubs? How much federal spending has been eliminated by Repubs? (spending less than planned is not a cut) When have Repubs pushed a movement to reduce the size and scope of government?
Remember, the establishment (“go along to get along”) is again in charge, worried over retaining power, rather than altering the arc of history.
A Repub “victory” that the leadership refuses to take advantage of is not a victory at all.
Sam,
The “small government” Republican is the greatest lie ever told. Not only do they not exist (except for maybe Rand Paul), they expand the government every chance they get.
but they can stop the stupid stuff from happening.
???… THEY were a PART of some of the “stupid stuff” that came out of the House over the past 22 1/2 months (but who’s counting)… Braindead and Chuckie will kill anything that comes out of there with a Republican stamp on it for the next session and then we get to do it all over again. Most Red states had results in this election next day (FL was over by midnight with the exception of a few “blue” districts) while all those “critical” races in blue and purple states were “adjusted” with those ever so secure mail in ballots and early voting up to 60 days prior to the election.
I’m glad the Republicans took the house. That is a win. And that’s good enough of a red wave for me. Now, Long Live gridlock for the next two years.
“Now, Long Live gridlock for the next two years.”
A “win” that the Repub leadership refuses to exploit (can’t exploit?) is not much of a wave, or win.
I remain skeptical that the Repub leadership will logjam the House over very much (look at their history).
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. Dems know how to fight. Republicans know how to “cross party lines” and “work together.” Go listen to the dems after they took Congress in 2018. I didn’t hear any talk about working with the GOP. I only heard resist and fight. Now go listen to what McConnell said to today.
So who is propping up McConnell?
The 37 Republican Senators that voted for him to be minority leader and Chuckie…
“So who is propping up McConnell?”
Indeed.
And do the Republicrats have a plan of any sort for after Mitch stops breathing?
They’ve been studying “Weekend at Bernies”…
beto, keep sucking gun control dick & swallowing, like your pres.
Bloomberg lost again.
I guess what I don’t understand, is why doesn’t “Beto” (or whatever the hell he calls himself) move to anti-gun, Commie California where he would be more comfortable, and leave Texas (and their guns) alone? I surmise Democrats just don’t get the hint, even the third time around.
What good would that do for the agenda. Cali already has the gunm infringements rolling.
@rt66paul
“The point is they are family people with family values.”
Don’t underestimate the culture of “the patrón”. The Dems are fully providing that.
Like I said above, we already know who they support. They’re literally the only racial group that hasn’t ever supported Republicans on a national basis. Guess what? Democrats know that. They know they aren’t importing future Republican voters. They aren’t stupid. The people that vote for them and support them are the idiots in the literal, historical sense.
Dude…All sorts of stupid people vote for democRats. I mean if the party that owns the legacy of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, the kkk, lynching, Eugenics, Gun Control and other race based atrocities can dupe Black Americans into voting democRat then they can dupe others who stand for nothing and fall for anything to vote democRat. Problem is…The Party of Lincoln does a pisspoor job telling America’s politically inept the truth about the Rat Party.
Rep. Mayra Flores explained that they’re taught when they come here that Republicans hate them. That’s difficult to overcome which is why evil people teach them that.
@Dude
“The “small government” Republican is the greatest lie ever told.”
Two sides of the same coin: Dems want absolute power; Repubs want to be invited to all the cool parties. Just a matter of how fast the US is transformed into something the founders could not recognize.
So, you think the repubs want something other than absolute power? Ok. You go with that.
“So, you think the repubs want something other than absolute power?”
Yes. They fumble power consistently. Power within the party is one thing (as in McConnell/McCarthy would rather be king, than get Repubs they can’t control elected), power over the nation/public quite another.
Repub congress critters do not want a clear majority. If they are unequivocally in charge, they would have to actually deliver on campaign lies…er, ah…promises. Their agenda is the same as the rest…grab as much of our $$ pouring through their hands as they can, while in office.
@Dave
“I wonder just what it is the D’s offer urban people that somehow makes them so besotted by the D Party?”
Hedonism; no personal accountability for anything.
That’s where the whole “Welfare State” (“I’ll have them n—–s voting Democrat for the next two hundred years”) LBJ “Great Society” agenda started…
This fool should either move to California or New York, where he’ll be much more at home. Or run off to clown college and then join the circus. He won’t even have to change his name.
Libtard moron hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha gfy!
Hahahahahahaha
30 years later: An aged, pants pooping Bobby Franny O’Rourke runs for President for the umpteenth time, and astonishingly, finds himself holding the DNC nomination. He stumbles through a lackluster campaign with incredibly few attendees at campaign stops.
And wins election with the Most Votes Ever…
I’ve read this story three times. Just to see it said he lost three times.
Too bad politics isn’t like felonies in some states. The third “strike” you’re out for life.
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