Beto O'Rourke Uses Some Swears to Make an Excellent Point About Mass Shootings and Trump
The debate underperformer and El Paso resident Beto O’Rourke returned to his off-the-cuff roots to make his first good point since O’Rourke announced that he’s “just born to be in it” on the cover of Vanity Fair. On Sunday, in response to an asinine question about President Donald Trump and improving gun violence, O’Rourke used some swear words to plainly synthesize what we’ve witnessed in the last four years.
The unnamed reporter, according to CNN’s Eric Bradner’s transcript on Twitter, asked O’Rourke this dumb question: “Is there anything in your mind that the president can do now to make this any better?”
If your eyes didn’t roll out of your head after reading that question, you’ll be able to read O’Rourke’s excellent reply here: “What do you think? You know the shit he’s been saying. He’s been calling Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals. I don’t know, like, members of the press, what the fuck?”
I agree. What the actual fuck?
Don’t worry, O’Rourke has more: “Hold on a second. You know, I— it’s these questions that you know the answers to. I mean, connect the dots about what he’s been doing in this country. He’s not tolerating racism, he’s promoting racism. He’s not tolerating violence, he’s inciting racism and violence in this country. So, um, you know, I just— I don’t know what kind of question that is.”
It sucks that, largely, political candidates don’t speak in plain language that call out such lazy work by reporters. It sucks that, largely, political candidates don’t call out racism. It sucks that some news organizations still refuse to do it!
Be fucking honest about what’s happening in this country. Stop peeing on us and telling us that it’s rain. Start acting like the politicians offering us thoughts and prayers aren’t the most powerful people in this country with the opportunity to solve mass-scale gun violence. Admit that gun control would be worth losing your congressional seat and the Senate gym — just like the ACA was worth it. Be honest about how little you actually hold power to account.
O’Rourke’s is a great answer that calls out news media for wringing their goddamn hands about calling racism and xenophobia racism and xenophobia while also accurately reminding people what Trump has been saying since he announced his campaign in 2015. In fact, this reminds me of O’Rourke’s answer about defending Colin Kaepernick’s right to kneel in protest of police brutality.
This entire exchange is also a great reminder as to why O’Rourke should drop out of the presidential mud wrestling pit and run for Senate.