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O’Rourke is a disgrace to humanity

O’Rourke is a disgrace to humanity

Over more than fifty years of political activism, I thought I had seen every vulgar attempt to grab the cameras – some clever, some obvious and some shameful.  But I have never seen campaign stunt-ery to descend to such a despicable low level as that of former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke.

O’Rourke is the Democrat candidate for governor who will be facing off with incumbent Texas Governor Greg Abbott in the November midterm election.

In the wake of the horrific killing of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, Abbott was holding a formal press briefing – along with other officials.  This was not a campaign event – but a sad and solemn report of the latest details of the grim event.  It was an opportunity for members of the news media to ask relevant questions.  As would be expected, there were a lot of reporters and cameras in the room.

O’Rourke was drawn to those cameras like a moth to a bright light on a dark night.

After strategizing his actions with aides, O’Rourke walked to the front of the room – between the panel of presenters and the cameras – and exploded in mock rage at his political opponent.  It was a typical O’Rourke performance.  Yelling at Abbot.  Accusing him of complicity in the deaths of those children.

Some say that O’Rourke was speaking truth to power.  That interpretation comes only from those too politically biased to have any interest in truth – or human decency.  No … he was spewing campaign rhetoric at a very sad non-political event.  He was prancing and pandering before the news media to insert himself into the story – and he succeeded. 

O’Rourke was not there to offer ideas or solutions to America’s dreadful mass shooter problem – or to provide any relevant information.  No.  No.  No.  He was there to grandstand – body shaking and hands and arms flying in erratic gestures.  In many ways, it was typical O’Rourke exaggeration of words and gestures – but this time on steroids.

The unhinged former congressman continued his ranting for the benefit of the press outside the hall. In a pathetic show of self-aggrandizement, he claimed to be moved by the highest moral principles – even using his own children as verbal props.  If you recall O’Rourke’s previous claim – during an ego-driven run for President – when he announced to the world that he was born to be President, then you will understand the level of his self-importance.

In witnessing his performance, I was shocked that even O’Rourke – with his messianic ego – would descend to such human depravity as to march his political parade over the bodies of young children.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin did not let O’Rourke’s crass gambit pass without comment.  He could be clearly heard saying, “I can’t believe you’re a sick son of a bitch who would come to a deal like this to make a political issue.” 

There was a time when O’Rourke could have made his criticisms of Abbott – but maybe not a time that would have had so much of the national and international press in attendance.  And after all, drawing attention to himself and his campaign was his primary purpose.  The subject of the meeting was incidental, and the deaths of those children was just a public relations hook.

What next for O’Rourke – political speeches interrupting the funerals?  A photo op at the impromptu memorial in front of the school?  Maybe a speech from inside the blood stained fourth grade room where most of the victims died? 

Outrageous?  Of course, such campaign stunts would be outrageous to most folks.  But after watching O’Rourke’s stunt at the Abbott press conference, I do not know the limits of O’Rourke’s sense of outrage.  But I can say for certain that they are very low, indeed.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

40 Comments

  1. Ken

    Beatoff O’roark is a worthless piece of shit

    • Frank

      Today Biden will lay the wreath at the unknown soldier tomb. Then he will look around and say “ come on man. What killed this guy?”

  2. Angelika

    Well, when a Teacher of all people PROPS a door open, leaves it open, there could have been 10 shooters walking right in to kill EVERYBODY….but…yeah….BLAME the Guns, never look at what really happened here, the shooter had the upper hand from the get go while the kids had NO chance to even TRY and escape……

  3. Ron

    Beto spoke the truth he’s a great politician

    • larry Horist

      Ron. Whether what Beto said is your “truth” and not someone else’s is a fair debated. But it was the time and place of his grandstanding political stunt that reveal O’Rourke to be a disgusting human being. Do you really see that as appropriate?

      • Ben

        Fair’s fair “is a fair debated” So there’tis fair’s fare and seemingly fair enough fare for all. To be fair or not to be fair? There’tis the question. Whether there’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slams and brands of outrageous Trumplicant posts, or to take verbal retorts against a sea of assholes, and, by opposing, upend them?

    • Ron

      Not

  4. Bubba Love

    Beto is scum.

  5. James

    O’Rourke is a Liberal lunitic he’s a Publicity hound who is irrelevant to the People of Texas and America.

  6. Trebor Retsbew

    The fact is that Beto actually said what over 70% of the American Population agree with. Texas has the most lax gun laws in the USA and also has the highest firearms murder rate in the USA. Yet the Governor stands that has nothing to do with each of those facts. I partly agree with that statement it is the gun attitude of those who think guns make them safer when history itself proves that completely wrong. Countries where the population are not allowed to keep their guns in their personal possession, but in Government armories, farmers are allowed to keep shot guns for vermin control. Those countries have no higher crime rate, and in some cases a much lower rate than the USA than the USA in Sweden where everyone is required to keep a military style weapon in their house have practically no firearm deaths, that could be because if you kill or hurt someone with a firearm you are going to prison for some time, self defense, in not a defense in any court. The Us has this proven dangerous gun culture, where they seem to be afraid of everything and everyone and think guns make them superior, a very good example is Representative Green.

    • larry Horist

      Trebor Retsbew …You will not that in my commentary, I said that O’Rourke would have made his points on a more appropriate time and place. He could have even confronted Abbott at a campaign event. O’Rourke’ is a disgusting human being because of the time and place he did his crass political grandstanding. To me that is a man without sympathy, empathy or a soul. He wanted to score political points on the bodies of dead children. He is not the only one doing that, but his stunt was by fare the most outrageous and egregious. Watching it make me sick — thinking of that man’s complete disregard for parents and a community in horrible mourning — and for an official hearing seeking to learn who it all went down. The man is despicable.

    • Dean

      Trebor I’m not storing my guns in any government armory. And I’m glad that we have the right to defend ourselves. And there’s millions of us ready to defend our rights. The fucking government can’t do it. And just who the hell are these anti gun idiots going to call when they or their families get victimized?

  7. Reallytickedoff

    Beto does not look at all well. Resembles someone with aids. Or maybe he is just rabid.

    • Ken

      Not aides. Food poisoning. He ate a bad weiner

  8. frank stetson

    Not a good performance by Beto even if one agrees with whatever he was mumbling. I mean if you’re gonna stage something, look into the camera and speak into the mic……

    Can’t win with that performance and Abbot is a pretty easy shot given Texas has recently has some of the worst mass murders over the past few years. Guy can’t even keep the lights on, people died in that clusterfuck. Texas is a poster-child for a luke-warm covid response, his stunts on the border costing Texans $240M in spoiled goods, the US about $9B in GDP, Texans $1B at one bridge alone as trucks couldn’t get through, couldn’t pay the toll. No illegals were found. And his abortion bounty law continues to wreck havoc across America as even Democrats eye bounties as a new manner of citizen control. DeSanctimonious for example has a bagful of bounty laws ready to be baked. Texas Dems are floating bounties for sexual abuse, and my favorite — those responsible for unwanted pregnancies — oh yeah, poetic justice on that one. IMO, Beta just didn’t have to get in the gutter to get this guy. Abbot has plenty of rope, you just need to pull.

    I mean even Abbot’s Uvalde visit where he dropped the NRA convention to serve his constituents in their time of tragedy is an Oz-job as the man behind the screen turned up simultaneously to support the gun lobby, guns, etc. at the NRA convention, on tape while he prayed for Uvalde…. Sure, he blamed the shooting on mental health and who doesn’t think the shoot was bat shit crazy and should never have been able to buy a gun. But it was Texas, he was crazy, and he did buy a gun. Then, in Texas, the teach left the door open, the school resource person was off campus, and the police opted not to confront the shooter multiple times until the FED team, on site, overruled Texas police and went in. No, not good times for Texas, it should be bad times for Abbot too.

    Beto didn’t need an ambush to make those points.

    • larry Horist

      Frank stetson. IIs this the real Frank Stetson?. We seem to be largely in agreement. I am suspicious..

      • Frank stetson

        And happy memorial day to you too Larry.

        Yeah, it’s the real frank stetson even without the ugly map. My email logo had to disappear because I needed a new account due to threats. Heck, Joe’s even printing threats now in the site. It never ends.

        I think it might be more amazing not that I agree with you on Beto, but that you might agree with me on Abbet. Personally, this guy better learn to take care of Texas. I don’t think he’s got a national chance in hell. Your guy, desanctimonious, is a different case. He knows what he’s doing, that’s already worse than Trump, and he’s a lot better at knowing what to do. I.e. he’s a much more dangerous politician to me than Trump ever was and frankly, we have very little history on the guy to be even able to take a poke at him. Oh well, give us something to do in 2024. Have a good memorial day Larry. Take care of the kids. And I meant that in the right way 😜

        • larry Horist

          Making this a Democrat v. Republican issue — with all the ugly stuff being thrown mostly at Republicans and heartless, etc. — is not helping the situation and not fair to Republicans on the subject. You may recall that it was Majority leader Schumer who blocked a couple of GOP gun restriction proposals because he said they did not go far enough. Also in the VERY Republican state of Florida, the legislature and DeSantis passed a red flag law and an age limit without repercussions from the NRA. There are gun restrictions that Senate Republicans could pass if the Dems would give up there all-or-thing-at-all. I think they are less interested in a solution and keep the Republicans-as-bad-guys political narrative going.

          • Mike

            Larry, You say above that Schumer blocked some gun control measures in the Senate-could you please refresh my memory (and your reader’s) as to what those were? And yes, you are right, Florida did pass some meaningful gun control measures after the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, during the tenure of RIck Scott as governor. However, when asked this week whether some of those same measures should be passed at the federal level, he said “absolutely not”. So, I think the democrats will have a tough road to get any meaningful legislation through the Senate, despite your commentary above….

          • Mike

            It should come as no surprise to the readers that Larry is unable to document the “gun restriction proposals” made by Republicans, that were subsequently rejected. Any proposals made would have to pass scrutiny by the NRA before they could be aired. Since the NRA is actually in the business of selling guns, if any of those proposals reduced the customer base at all, they would be off the table. Hence, no “meaningful” proposals were ever made….

          • larry Horist

            Mike Foley …. the fact that you need your memory refreshed may be a sign of a short-term memory problem. Schumer blocked the bill on May 27 — and it received a considerable among of negative publicity.

            https://www.newsweek.com/chuck-schumer-blocks-school-safety-bill-named-after-parkland-victims-1710469

            https://nypost.com/2022/05/27/parkland-vics-dad-blasts-schumer-for-heartbreaking-school-safety-bill-block/

            https://freebeacon.com/democrats/schumer-blocks-senate-vote-on-school-safety-bill/

            https://www.foxnews.com/politics/parkland-dad-schumer-blocks-gop-school-safety-bill

            So, skip the petty arguments and agonizing rationalizations and admit you were wrong.

          • Mike

            Larry, I don’t know if it is your age or what, but that bill was not a gun restriction proposal, had nothing to do with gun control (DId you even read the articles that you attached below????). So, my comments still stand, the Senate GOP is still blocking gun policy debate. To educate yourself on the current state of gun control issues, I urge you to read an article published by PBS on May 26, titled “Senate GOP blocks domestic terrorism bill, gun policy debate after 2 recent mass shootings”. I believe that will educate you on the current sad state of affairs in the Senate…

          • ben

            Larry, when you say: “Mike Foley …. the fact that you need your memory refreshed may be a sign of a short-term memory problem,” are you just tossing in the towel for your dialog with Mike. Cuz this ad hominem calling it a fact that Mike needs a memory reboot due to his “problem” sure seems like a discussion show stopper.

            Just saying.

            And yes, I am worse, I did it first, I am Mr. Guilty, Mr. Guilty is my name.

            So yes, I am a jerk, you can feel better now about being one too.

          • Mike

            Larry, I didn’t think you had read any of the articles that you posted, and your lack of response basically proves my contention. The bill referenced in your articles deals with turning schools into fortresses, rather than addressing the underlying issue that we have too many guns in the wrong people’s hands. Despite your argument that O’Rourke should have chosen a better time to make his point, I believe that he is the patriot in the room, calling out Abbott for the role that he has played in continuing the gun frenzy that has infected our nation, and specifically Texass. The time for “thoughts and prayers” (which is all Republicans advocate) is over, and it is time to get real with solving this problem

          • larry Horist

            Mike. I knew you would come up with some petty response to save your lack of knowledge. It was a school safety bill that was designed to address the mass shootings at schools. I can only assume that you are among those who only see THE GUN as the end all and be all issue. The larger point is that Schumer did block a GOP bill designed to address the problem. You were obviously uninformed … wrong … and unwilling to admit it. I expected as much.

          • Mike

            Larry, All I can say is I responded to what you wrote “You may recall that it was Majority leader Schumer who blocked a couple of GOP gun restriction proposals because he said they did not go far enough”. You said there were gun restriction proposals, there were none in that bill. My memory is quite good-it is yours that we need to worry about. The problem is not isolated to schools, the mass shootings take place all over, and this bill does nothing to alleviate the basic problem. Try again….

          • larry Horist

            Mike … I will concede that I could have been more clear in the terminology. My article was about the fact that Republicans did offer up legislation to address the school shootings that Schumer blocked. In that regard, I hope you can agree that Schumer did block GOP efforts to address the issue.

          • Mike

            Larry, In addressing the bill that was blocked by Schumer, what he blocked was the unanimous consent passing of this legislation. He realized that it was probable that the Republicans would filibuster the anti-terrorism bill that he wanted to discuss that was coming up later in the week. He told the Republicans that he would be glad to discuss their bill (which basically amounts to codifying what are “best practices” for schools in this era of gun violence on their property), if they would allow the anti-terrorism bill to proceed for discussion. I would take this as a common practice in our very dysfunctional congress. Per the article that I referenced above, the Republicans would not allow the anti-terrorism bill to make it to floor discussion, so the school best practices bill was not discussed for now. Your painting Schumer as the “bad guy” for not jumping on this bill, when it basically does nothing that the schools cannot already do, when the Republicans didn’t live up to the other portion of the potential agreement, is simply another example of you not looking objectively at the facts when it comes to Democrats vs Republicans…

          • Mike

            Larry, Didn’t think you would have any other wise comments after the facts of the Senate bills were pointed out to you….

  9. Kendall

    Abbot showed true leadership by remaining calm while Beto looked and sounded liked a rabid, slobbering DOG…there is a time and place for a political stunt, but the press conference WASN’T the place. The Democrats had PLENTY of time to “take care” of the gun issue in the past and several other MAJOR school shootings happened under their leadership. That should have given them the “push” to do something. They talk about it, but when it all boils down to it, that’s all they do….TALK AND DO NOTHING. Unless they (Democrats) can PROFIT ($$$$) from a bill, they just talk and talk about it. Have a longer wait time and have a multilevel background check along with a MANDATORY mental health evaluation. But the sad thing is, ANYTHING can be used to kill someone or a group of people. Even an electric or gas powered car can do it…

    • Ben

      If anything can be used to kill, then why do you need the guns?

      FYI — Kendall is a great name. Do you know what it means? So cool.

      • Dwayne

        Just so you know. We aren’t going to give up our guns because of the actions of a damned nut. Or blm or idiots like you. We will “stand our ground “.

      • beven nation

        “If looks could kill, they probably will
        In games without frontiers
        War without tears
        If looks could kill, they probably will
        In games without frontiers
        War without tears
        Games without frontiers
        War without tears……

        Andre has a red flag, Chiang Ching’s is blue
        They all have hills to fly them on except for Lin Tai Yu
        Dressing up in costumes, playing silly games
        Hiding out in treetops, shouting out rude names

        Whistling tunes
        We hide in the dunes by the seaside

        Whistling tunes
        We piss on the goons in the jungle

        It’s a knockout”

        peter gabriel

    • Frank stetson

      Mike it’s plain to us readers that you’re an ignorant prick

      • frank stetson

        This is not the real Frank Stetson but someone Jg allows to spoof Frank’s name. He’s an ignorant price that way. Jg could fix this, easily, but he chooses not too because he makes more money the more divisiveness he can muster up. I mean it’s a different email address for example and there are many other ways to stop this too.

  10. Mike Foley

    Larry, While Beto may have been inarticulate, the disgrace to humanity was up on stage. spouting his thoughts and prayers to the relatives and friends of the victims, while offering absolutely nothing to attempt to alleviate the gun violence situation in his state. Beto was right, Abbott does have blood on his hands by making it significantly easier to purchase a gun in Texass and declaring Texass to be a “sanctuary gun state”….

    • Nick

      If a person is pro gun don’t be ashamed of it. I’m not going to be shouted down by Marxist commie assholes. I’m proud of my guns and would gladly die than surrender them to our piece of shit government. And I’m helping build a National group and we will stand together. We aren’t pussies We are patriots. Want my guns? Come and take them.

    • Ken

      Don’t mess with Texas you commie

  11. Ben

    Ken,
    Why mess with Texas? They are so fun to watch. Abbott turning off the lights and killing people softly with his governance. The Abbott parade at the border ruining billions in lettuce, reducing gdp by billions, not catching any illegals. Rape and incest babies galore. Mass exodus to pro choice states, mostly by rich Republicans. Mass murders. Road rage. Fort Hood shootings, both of them. Dallas police shooting. Sutherland Springs church shooting. Santa Fe High School shooting. El Paso Walmart shooting. Midland-Odessa shooting and now, Uvalde school shooting. Over 100 dead in a little over a decade, all mass murders, all Texas, all the time.

    Any yet, commies are your biggest threat? Why mess with Texas; they are already in a mess.

    • Buck

      No. Texas is doing well.