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
— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 18, 2022
Twitter users were quick to notice an odd detail with O’Rourke’s video — he wasn’t exactly dressed to be running, despite doing so in the video.
This led many to question whether or not the video was authentic at all.
Running in a dress shirt is as authentic and relatable as a white guy using a phony hispanic nickname.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) September 18, 2022
Hold on, Beto, let me get my silk blouse and penny loafers, and I’ll join you.
— Princess Not So Bright (@ohfiddledeedee) September 18, 2022
A morning run in a dress shirt?
Hang on. Gotta get my tux. I’ve got a triathlon coming up.
You were more authentic with the skateboard, “Beto.”
— Ultra Trafficker Calvin ???? ? (@shoveitjack) September 18, 2022
You need to hire some new social media peeps….no one runs in a newly pressed dress shirt, especially in Texas.
— Betsy Brantner Smith (@sgtbetsysmith) September 18, 2022
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.
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.
Beto proved as much with his stunt on Saturday.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
