Former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke is unlikely to win the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. But Guy Benson argues in a TownHall.com column that O’Rourke will leave a legacy to American political discourse.
Beto O’Rourke, who is still running for president, has been in ‘say anything’ mode for months. Desperate to gain traction in a race in which he’s been an overhyped bit player, the former Texas Congressman continues to pander to the hard Left on various social issues, telling them what they want to hear, and framing his radicalism as ‘bravery’ that rival candidates don’t possess. The more potent effect he’s having, it seems, is on the Right. He’s steadily confirming the worst fears of conservatives by publicly and enthusiastically sliding to the bottom of several slippery slopes — and he’s attracting loud applause from progressive audiences, further entrenching center-right Americans’ fears. …
… O’Rourke has also signaled openness to a court-packing scheme, the purpose of which would be to dilute and undo ‘unhelpful’ precedents and dynamics. On guns, Democrats for years have claimed that of course they’re not interested in coming and taking away anyone’s guns — they simply want some modest new ‘common sense’ regulations and restrictions that have broad public support. Not so fast, Beto has recently admitted, hell yes, we’re taking away some of your guns, earning sustained ovations.
