Beto Rallies Maskless Democrats Inside a Cramped Building

 

SAN ANGELO, TX – Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke made a stop in San Angelo on Tuesday and promised transparency. Unfortunately, that promise was unfulfilled.

As previously reported, on Nov. 16, the day after he announced he was running for Texas Governor, Beto's press team posted the full schedule of Beto first tour across Texas. San Angelo was left off of that list

After the article was posted, Beto's team, with the help of local attorney Guy Choate, set up an event at a venue in the 200 block of N. Chadbourne. The entirety of the local media was invited to the event except for San Angelo LIVE!

We went anyway.

Originally planned to be an outside event in the adjoining parking lot, campaign organizers decided at the last minute to cram all of the fawning Democrats into the small downtown storefront building. Of the 60-70 people who walked inside, maybe 10 were wearing a mask. Beto campaign organizers were efficient to ask everyone for their mobile number and email address. No one was asked about their vaccination status. In fact, so few precautions for Covid-19 were taken that the event could have been confused with a right wing Tea Party confab.

Once inside, the lighting was perfect and the maskless crowd, as crammed in as tight as possible, appeared much larger. This is a typical campaign trick to enhance optics.

Beto gave a speech peppered with typical Democrat talking points about how he plans on winning the governor's race. He led with old news, condemning the Republicans for not accepting the Medicaid expansion during the Obamacare rollout 10 years ago. He claimed the refusal has cost Texas billions in unfunded (by the feds) Medicaid expenses. He praised teachers and claimed they were underpaid. Beto shot at two of the most expensive state expenses, Medicaid and K-12 education, and said if opponent Governor Greg Abbott had spent more money on these items, Republicans could have lowered everyone's property taxes. He didn't recognize the major Republican property tax reform in 2019 that drastically lowered school district property taxes. Then, Beto emphasized on how divided the state is and how voices on both sides need to learn how to come together. 

"I want to make sure that we recognized that it is okay and absolutely necessary in a democracy to have a difference of opinion," said Beto. "To be able to share them respectfully, I hope, and with the dignity owed to this great democracy." San Angelo LIVE! did not get the quote on video because Beto's press team refused to let San Angelo LIVE! record. 

Outside, only a handful of protestors were present. There were three, in fact. Two with a small bullhorn and a woman unaffiliated with the others who promised to honk her car horn when Beto began speaking.

After the completion of the event, San Angelo LIVE!'s Matt Trammell stopped O'Rourke on his way to to a meet and greet to ask a question about gun control. During O'Rourke's failed presidential run, he promised to confiscate assault-style guns. "Hell, yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47," O'Rourke promised in Oct. 2019. Many believe this is a violation of the Second Amendment.

Trammell: "Excuse me Mr. O'Rourke, has anything changed with your stance on the Second Amendment?"

O'Rourke: "No. I think that we need to protect the second amendment. I think we need to honor the traditions that we have in Texas in responsible gun ownership. I think we need to be smart on gun policies so we protect the rights of our citizens."

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Comments

 This story finally did it for me. I've been a reader of San Angelo Live since it started. But over the past couple of years the coverage of political stories are so unbalanced it's now insulting. Complaining about Beto's maskless rally, plus all the insults thrown at democrats made me feel embarrassed for you. You do realize maybe you had democrats that read your news? Sorry to loose a news source but currently America is so divided I do not want another news source so full of hypocrisy. Find your decency again. 

Consider this place to be a source of amusement and provide valid reason for you to feel much more in touch with reality than a host of other folks.  I have oft said that some of the best people God put on His good green Earth live in the Concho Valley, but that does not mean I think they reason terribly well in these increasingly complicated times. 

Speaking seriously, this place does lean right, and I confess while I once leaned that way I now lean left.  However, I opine that it benefits us all if we take a look at opposing points of view, since nobody has ALL the answers.  We are growing increasingly polarized and that is not healthy for us as a nation.  Parking ourselves in space isolated from those who do not view things the way we do is not healthy and doesn't help fix a damn thing.

I politely suggest you stay here, read, accept what you want and reject what you want, but don't turn yourself off.  Hell, I sometimes watch Fox, even though much of what I see there is pure crap, and people like Tucker infuriate me most of the time.  I guess it's like the old saw about the Devil's knowing the Bible, and when asked about it said, "Hey, I need to know about the other side."

In closing... peace to you, and everybody else here.  May all here have a great Thanksgiving.

Hmmmm, Tue, 11/23/2021 - 19:40

That’s a really nice way of calling people here stupid.

“I have oft said that some of the best people God put on His good green Earth live in the Concho Valley, but that does not mean I think they reason terribly well in these increasingly complicated times.”

But yes I do hope you have a happy thanksgiving also

He is just like the rest! Will say whatever you want to hear and lie straight to your face for a vote! Pathetic! 

Would this fair media source criticize a Greg Abbot rally inside with no masks?  Of course not.  Your theory is actually that Covid is not a danger and that vaccines are either harmful or useless.  So why should you care if a group of democrats gather with only a few masks?  Chances are at an Abbott rally, a large percentage of attendees would be unvaccinated.  You mention that there was no proof of vaccination required for the Beto event.  In my left-leaning circle of friends, we all understand that the vaccine is safe and effective. Everyone is vaccinated and it isn’t even a question.  It would have been assumed that if you are a die-hard supporter of Beto that you would be vaccinated.  Vaccination is a debatable question among Republicans, but for democrats it is not debatable.  You just get the vaccine.  I myself attended the rally yesterday.  I’ve had 3 Covid shots including the booster and I wore two masks on top of each other and carried alcohol wipes to disinfect my hands frequently.  I wasn’t the only one doing that.  Likely the people who weren’t wearing masks had been vaccinated and were not at special risk for severe Covid like I am. My attraction to Beto’s candidacy is that he really cares for the people of Texas and he has many practical policies he would implement on our behalf.  No need to mention that Beto was sitting in El Paso manning phone banks to make sure elderly Texans were safe instead of jetting off to Cancun during the freeze in February.  Cruz is not Beto’s opponent this time, but as incumbent governor did Abbot do anything to make sure Texas was prepared for such a disaster?  Don’t tell me no one could have predicted it when climate change has accelerated in these past years?  Oh yeah, I forgot.  You don’t think climate change is real. Still believe that after the freeze we had this winter?  One more thing:  to those hateful hecklers that forced our gathering indoors?  We don’t hate you back.  We would much rather have peaceful discussions.  Yelling never solved anything.

I like to confine my opinions to what I’ve experienced first hand. This is what I’ve noticed. 
gas prices are up quite a bit from last year… so is the price of food.  The people supporting vaccine mandates for US citizens don’t seem to say much about the flow of unknown/unchecked people coming through our southern border.  I haven’t noticed religious views being forced on anyone. Please send me information on anyone you know personally whose 1st amendment rights or any other constitutional right is being denied. I’ll be there to stand by them.  News outlets have to support their agendas. People should support other people.

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