The Texas GOP is trying to humiliate Beto O’Rourke by reminding people that he was in a band and has used a skateboard, among other embarrassing skeletons in the Democrat’s closet.The brutal dragging began after O’Rourke, a Democrat who is closing in on Ted Cruz’s slight polling lead in the 2018 Senate race, declined to debate Cruz. In retaliation, the GOP Twitter account on Tuesday posted a picture of a much-younger O’Rourke with his 1990s post-hardcore band.
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But that’s not all. The account also posted a picture of O’Rourke holding a skateboard, and a mugshot from when he was arrested in the 1990s for a DWI, with the caption: “Sorry, Can’t debate. Had a little too much to drink.”
Incredibly, the GOP’s attempt to discredit O’Rourke as a generally cool dude with a slight hint of danger appeared to backfire, prompting Twitter users to respond with mugshots of several Texas GOP politicians, including the now–Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, who turned himself in on felony abuse of power charges in 2014. One user also posted the mugshot of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was indicted on felony securities fraud charges in 2015.In what turned out to be a devastating burn against Cruz, the back-and-forth resulting in the dredging up of documentation that Cruz once appeared on stage not as a cool rock guy but as a mime. Others posted images that some might say rather unfairly juxtaposed a young O’Rourke with a young Cruz.
The Texas GOP appeared to take it in stride, however, tweeting: “Based on the reaction to our tweets we can confirm that Beto is in fact going to receive 100% of the vote from BuzzFeed contributors, out of state liberals, and people who use the word "rad." We feel very owned :'(“Cruz — who lost the 2016 GOP nomination for president to Donald Trump and then supported him in the general, even though he said Cruz’s wife was ugly and his father was a murderer — will face off against O’Rourke in a November general election.Cover image: HORSESHOE BAY, TX - AUGUST 16: U.S. Rep Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) of El Paso speaks during a town hall meeting at the Quail Point Lodge on August 16, 2018 in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. ORourke will be challenging incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for the senate seat in the November elections. Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images.