Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who has become something of a perennial candidate for offices ranging from U.S. President to his current campaign for Texas governor, is running hard on two issues he “hopes Texas voters will prioritize” this fall: gun control and abortion rights, Fox News is reporting.
He certainly can’t run on the economy, education, inflation or crime, according to a recent ABC/Washington Post poll, which puts those four subjects ahead of abortion on a scale of voter issues.
O’Rourke also can’t run on Joe Biden’s coattails because the ABC/WaPo poll shows the president is nce again tanking in the polls.
“The president’s standing customarily is critical to his party’s fortunes in midterms – and Biden is well under water,” the poll report from Lange Research noted. “Thirty-nine percent of Americans approve of his job performance while 53 percent disapprove, about where he’s been steadily the past year. Specifically, on the economy, with inflation near a 40-year high, he’s at 36-57 percent, a 21-point deficit.”
As noted by Fox News, “President Biden’s former press secretary, Jen Psaki, admitted on Sunday that Democrats will lose if the midterms become a referendum on Biden.”
Add to that the price of gas is rising again at the pump, a daily reminder to motorists about a president and a party defending his every decision. Democrats cannot run on these issues, and O’Rourke is trailing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the polls, so he’s reportedly hoping to stir up anger over the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling on abortion.
A story in the Dallas Morning News on O’Rourke’s gubernatorial campaign, the newspaper notes, “O’Rourke has changed the way he campaigns, becoming a more disciplined candidate who learned lessons from the Senate race and his ill-fated presidential bid, political observers say. Not only does he avoid talking about issues that would hurt his crossover appeal, he sticks to a script to make his case to voters.”
Translation: O’Rourke has repackaged himself, but does this mean he has changed his views? Probably not.
Texans still remember his infamous presidential campaign-killing blurt during a debate in Houston: “Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR15, your AK47.” They will undoubtedly be reminded of it many times between now and Nov. 8.
The ABC/WaPo poll also asked voters which political party they trust more to deal with crime. Fifty-two percent said they trust Republicans, while only 38 percent trust the Democrats. With daily headlines reminding voters about violence in Houston, Dallas and other Texas cities, O’Rourke may wake up Nov. 9, already planning which office he will next run for.
