Democrats and media outlets alike have long applauded Beto O’Rourke for his brazen “authenticity.”
Beto prides himself on shooting from the hip and seeming less like a polished political operative and more like a man of the people.
Well, that charade took a bit of a hit on Saturday when the Texas politician filmed a video of himself inviting his supporters to join him for a morning run on Sunday.
Corpus Christi!
Join me for a morning run along the water at 7:30. We’re meeting at the Selena Statue. Hope to see you there. pic.twitter.com/9qKPTbLLOu
Whether or not this “run” was a stunt or not, one fact about Beto remains true.
Beto isn’t actually authentic. Rather, every move he makes is a calculated decision to make him seem more authentic.
A 2019 article from The Bulwark, a center-right political news outlet, explained this quite elegantly.
Does Beto O’Rourke stand a chance in his race for Texas governor?
Yes: 3% (1 Votes)
No: 97% (34 Votes)
Pointing out how O’Rourke failed to take any concrete policy positions, relied on stream-of-consciousness speech making and was accused of co-opting Barack Obama’s message, writer Christian Schneider summed up O’Rourke’s game: “[N]ot having an act is O’Rourke’s act.”
Indeed, O’Rourke’s supposed “authenticity” is actually painfully inauthentic.