Beto’s events usually have a lot of Q&A, and it is no surprise that Republicans sometimes show up to try to ask “gotcha” questions. During his Senate campaign, Beto’s response to the NFL kneeling controversy that went viral was an earlier example where a Cruz plant asked the question thinking it would trip Beto up. One thing that impresses me about Beto is he is able to handle these types of questions in stride, staying calm and sticking to his values.
Here is an example from this week where a climate denier asks what he thinks are “gotcha” questions to Beto.
Even though I can see how it would be tempting to respond with anger, I think it is better to respond as the adult in the room. I assume the question asker already has his mind made up, but I think this approach makes any on-the-fence voters more receptive to the Democratic message.
And I’m not saying Beto is alone in this. Another recent example that comes to mind is Mayor Pete response to hecklers in which he stayed calm and professional and mentioned something to the effect of his combat experience protecting their free speech. All of our candidates will provide a good contrast to Trump in this regard.