# Does Beto O'Rourke have a chance to oust Ted Cruz? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 2, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987 "2018-02-02T00:12:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 31
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/601 "2018-09-25T17:19:57Z")
A _crucial_ distinction! Good catch, there, **Carny**! ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/602 "2018-09-25T17:44:58Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > A _crucial_ distinction! Good catch, there, **Carny**! It wasn’t meant as a crucial distinction., elucidaty. It was merely me interpreting the police report that described talking with “the reporter and driver” of the ambulance and the reporter mentioning his partner. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/603 "2018-09-25T18:25:47Z")
Wait, so Beto got drunk and had an accident, in the Great State of HoldMyBeerAndWatchThis. That is going to hurt him bigly with the voters. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/604 "2018-09-25T20:18:55Z")
I read that article, and I’m genuinely confused: what did “leaving the scene” look like? Is he supposed to have driven away? Gotten out of his car and walked away? How far was he from his vehicle, and from the accident, when the cops showed up? On rereading, it sounds like the witness claims O’Rourke drove some distance after the accident and before stopping. I’m not seeing a record of how far that distance is, and whether it could be that he was trying to get off the road so he could get out, or what happened. There’s a note at the bottom: > [@](#): > > Readers noted that O’Rourke was not charged with leaving the scene, other possible witness were not interviewed and the police officer did not personally observe O’Rourke trying to flee. Some readers suggested that O’Rourke was simply trying to move his car. It is worth noting, however, that the O’Rourke campaign refused to respond to repeated queries and O’Rourke did not directly answer a question about the information contained in the police reports. I’m not sure I agree that this is a four-Pinocchio claim. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/605 "2018-09-25T20:48:32Z")
One story says > [@"\[Houston Chronicle](#): > > ([https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Police-reports-detail-Beto-O-Rourke-s-1998-13195088.php](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Police-reports-detail-Beto-O-Rourke-s-1998-13195088.php))"]State and local police reports obtained by the Chronicle and Express-News show that O’Rourke was driving drunk at what a witness called “a high rate of speed” in a 75 mph zone on Interstate 10 about a mile from the New Mexico border. He lost control and hit a truck, sending his car careening across the center median into oncoming lanes. The witness, who stopped at the scene, later told police that O’Rourke had tried to drive away from the scene. Note the “_careening across the center median **into oncoming lanes** _”. If I found myself facing oncoming traffic on the Interstate, I think I would be trying to get to where traffic would not likely to be hitting me – it is entirely understandable that witnesses might see the effort to get to safety as an attempt to flee the scene. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/606 "2018-09-26T15:45:36Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Wait, so Beto got drunk and had an accident, in the Great State of HoldMyBeerAndWatchThis. That is going to hurt him bigly with the voters. Isn’t this the same state that elected a governor that had a DUI on his record along with allegations of pot and cocaine use? I think that guy might’ve gone on to bigger things as well. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/607 "2018-09-26T15:57:05Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Wait, so Beto got drunk and had an accident, in the Great State of HoldMyBeerAndWatchThis. That is going to hurt him bigly with the voters. In my perfect world, a DUI would be an absolute disqualification to holding public office (and to driving, come to that) but given the world we live in, especially those of us who live in Texas, it isn’t and Beto remains the best choice. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/608 "2018-09-26T15:57:14Z")
Legend has it that Ms Anne Richards was consulting with her good friend, Molly Ivins. A recovering alcoholic, she was wondering how to respond to Republican’s demanding the she answer questions about possibly smoking weed. “Tell them you were too drunk to remember.” ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/609 "2018-09-26T16:29:57Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > In my perfect world, a DUI would be an absolute disqualification to holding public office (and to driving, come to that) but given the world we live in, especially those of us who live in Texas, it isn’t and Beto remains the best choice. There were apparently no serious injuries, and most of the damage appears to have been to the car Beto was driving. The charge was dismissed conditionally, so there was no actual conviction. The situation could be spun into a matter of affluenza by an accomplished spin-ster, but I am not entirely sure the Republicans could manage that. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/610 "2018-09-26T16:34:56Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Isn’t this the same state that elected a governor that had a DUI on his record along with allegations of pot and cocaine use? I think that guy might’ve gone on to bigger things as well. Bush’s DUI came out as an October surprise when running for President in 2000. It wasn’t public knowledge when he was running for Governor. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/611 "2018-09-26T16:38:23Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > There were apparently no serious injuries, and most of the damage appears to have been to the car Beto was driving. The charge was dismissed conditionally, so there was no actual conviction. The situation could be spun into a matter of affluenza by an accomplished spin-ster, but I am not entirely sure the Republicans could manage that. It’s like shooting wildly into a crowd: Even if you didn’t hit anyone, it still bespeaks a certain mentality. Of course, we as a culture are only slowly waking up to that idea, and some regions wake up more slowly than others. Trying to hold people to modern standards would be counter-productive were it to lead us to disqualify the best candidate currently likely to run in a given race, especially a race as relatively important as this one. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/612 "2018-09-26T18:26:32Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Bush’s DUI came out as an October surprise when running for President in 2000. It wasn’t public knowledge when he was running for Governor. I didn’t know that. It does show that it didn’t stop the nation from saying it was OK for a President to have this on their record…at least the Republican side. Is it another case of IOKWARDI? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/613 "2018-09-26T18:32:43Z")
W was around 2.1 percentage points short of being able to legitimately claim that the nation was OK with his foibles. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/614 "2018-09-26T19:54:07Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > W was around 2.1 percentage points short of being able to legitimately claim that the nation was OK with his foibles. Not the second time round. :smack::mad: ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/615 "2018-09-26T21:48:10Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Not the second time round. :smack::mad: As an incumbent, with a recovering economy, against a weak candidate - and still only won by 2.5%. And that’s been the best that any GOP Presidential candidate has done in the popular vote since 1988. Actually 2004 came surprisingly close to winding up in the House of Representatives - where the GOP would still have won it, but it would have added an extra twist to things. (NM, NV, and IA went for Bush by a combined 37,547 votes, and if they’d gone for Kerry, Bush would have only had 269 EVs.) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/616 "2018-10-01T04:30:39Z")
[Beto’s rally Saturday night in Austin drew between 50,000 and 55,000.](https://www.newsweek.com/beto-orourke-rally-willie-nelson-attendance-austin-texas-ted-cruz-trump-rally-1145429) For context: Obama was pulling 100,000+ a few times back in '08. But in recent years, Saturday’s rally’s numbers seem to be pretty amazing. Hillary’s largest rally in '16 was the night before election day in Philadelphia, where she had about 40,000 and shared the stage with the Obamas, Bruce and Bon Jovi. Trump broke 20,000 a few times, mostly in the primaries when he was visiting red meat states. Bernie maybe broke 27,000 once in California. And those numbers were all for presidential candidates. Now I know rallies don’t win elections, hell, half of those people on Saturday could’ve been from out-of-state just to see Willie Nelson. But still, these kind of numbers a month out from Election Day have to give ol’ Teddie Boy a little pucker in his pants. And give donors a little more excitement to reach into their pockets. And give Texas Dems a little more hope and motivation to get out to the polls. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/617 "2018-10-01T10:18:59Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > As an incumbent, with a recovering economy, against a weak candidate - and still only won by 2.5%. And that’s been the best that any GOP Presidential candidate has done in the popular vote since 1988. > > Actually 2004 came surprisingly close to winding up in the House of Representatives - where the GOP would still have won it, but it would have added an extra twist to things. (NM, NV, and IA went for Bush by a combined 37,547 votes, and if they’d gone for Kerry, Bush would have only had 269 EVs.) The shitty economy in Ohio (there was basically no recovery between 2001 and 2007; thanks, steel tariffs!) also came somewhat close to dragging him down. He won the state by about 2%, but that was the first time in 40+ years that Ohio was less Republican than the country. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/618 "2018-10-01T13:19:22Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > [Beto’s rally Saturday night in Austin drew between 50,000 and 55,000.](https://www.newsweek.com/beto-orourke-rally-willie-nelson-attendance-austin-texas-ted-cruz-trump-rally-1145429). Catchy campaign song debuted by Willie Nelson. You know they will play that at every rally until election day. Still no announcement for Trump’s “biggest rally ever” he promised to hold for Ted Cruz. 50,000 is a pretty high water mark to beat. I’m betting it never happens now. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/619 "2018-10-01T19:52:01Z")
TX Governor Greg Abbott calls O’Rourke a “cult-like figure”. > **[Texas governor calls Beto O’Rourke ‘cult-like’ figure](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/409224-texas-governor-describes-beto-orourke-as-cult-like-figure/)** > > Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Monday described Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) as “cult-like” in the way that he’s garnered attention in his bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texa… ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987/620 "2018-10-01T19:57:42Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > TX Governor Greg Abbott calls O’Rourke a “cult-like figure”. > [https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/409224-texas-governor-describes-beto-orourke-as-cult-like-figure](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/409224-texas-governor-describes-beto-orourke-as-cult-like-figure) I heard part of that on the radio. So… if someone is popular and inspires big, enthusiastic crowds to turn out… hmmm… who does that sound like? 😕 Greg is just jealous. Plus he knows Cruz is a loser. Hint: “Trumpism” _isn’t_ a cult?? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987.md?page=30) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-beto-orourke-have-a-chance-to-oust-ted-cruz/807987.md?page=32)