Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke’s promising start on the campaign trail is now a distant memory. After enjoying a vaunted Vanity Fair cover and plenty of media fawning, he now sits at almost the very bottom of the pack with polling in the low single digits. Any real momentum that once propelled him has all but disappeared. Still, he remains as passionate as ever, if only to draw the fleeting spotlight unto himself while it still lasts.
At last week’s messy Democratic debate, Beto came out swinging. In a still-crowded field of candidates containing more experienced and likable politicians, he stands out for one reason: his radical approach to everything. As he grows more desperate, his campaign proposals and promises seem more outlandish. A prime example is his support for a mandatory gun buyback program targeting AR-15s and AK-47s. The crowd cheered and now his campaign website sells t-shirts emblazoned with “Hell yes we’re going to take your AR-15.”
