Yesterday, there was a diary posted that was spot-on about how Beto campaigns and his approach to “town halls”. His style is to give an opening speech with what some would call lofty platitudes and general statements about his beliefs. You will often hear him say things like “every single one of us” or “coming together in this defining moment in our history” — and his lines about “all 254 counties” in Texas has become “all 50 states and territories” in his bid for president. Following this, he will move to Q&A by randomly calling on folks in the audience.
Beto’s popularity in Texas grew because of his dogged approach to this format. He would visit unlikely places, where audiences were not necessarily friendly, and answer any question posed to him. His viral statement about NFL players taking a knee during the National Anthem was one such example. No matter the question, he attempts to answer. Many of his replies are long-winded, and sometimes leave you wishing he would just “get to the point”; but I think it’s because he genuinely wants to give a thoughtful response and not a canned position that has been poll-tested and consultant approved. Mostly it works.
This video from Beto’s visit to Penn State yesterday, is a pretty standard example of the way he campaigns. The video captures the whole event, which starts with him entering the venue, greeting people and moving to the larger area where crowds are waiting. Like his town halls in Texas, some people are there just to see what the hoopla is all about, and some are there to challenge him. At around the 1:23.15 mark, he’s asked a series of questions about his lack of a platform and failure to share his first day fundraising details. Shortly after, he answers a question about his voting record. His replies are pretty standard of the way he answers tough questions. Sometimes they are brilliant as in the NFL reply, other times they are rambling and insufficient. But they are always respectful and that is the foundation of his appeal—he is the antithesis of Trump. Many believed that Beto came close to winning the senate because Cruz is so unpopular. While true, he hardly mentioned Cruz when campaigning, but rather ran mostly against Trump. Beto is everything Trump is not—young, polite, athletic, articulate, family oriented, bilingual in English and Spanish, from a border town, fiercely supportive of immigrants, etc.
Whether you agree with Beto’s positions, or think he’s full of BS is certainly up to you. But I will say, having watched his popularity grow across Texas, that his style, while many may argue lacks substance, has an appeal. He has an “it” factor, and I’m saying this as a black woman who witnessed people from all walks of life “fall in love” with him during his run for senate. I wholeheartedly supported his bid for senate, and while I support Kamala Harris, I would support Beto if he were the nominee because I’ve met him, studied his campaign and know that he can be easily underestimated.