On Wednesday, we reported about Beto O’Rourke hijacking a Texas press conference given to people by officials. This included parents and children of the shooting victims.
Even reports suggested that Beto used seat holders to keep a spot upfront, so he could confront the officials.
.@JanetShamlian reports on Beto O’Rourke confronting Gov. Abbott during presser: “There were two people across the aisle from me and a moment before the press conference started, they got up from their seats when Beto walked in … This seems something very clearly staged.” pic.twitter.com/eaAxrZP6Gt
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 25, 2022
Most people would know that this is not the right time or place to do such a stunt in order to promote oneself. Beto was not so lucky. One of the spectators even called Beto out for interrupting the event.
Some left-leaning people praised Beto for his actions. This included Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who tweeted that he was like the man who stood up against the tanks in the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989. He called the comparison “Speaking truth and power” and later deleted the tweet.
CNN’s view of the confrontation from Chris Cillizza gave a clear window into their thoughts. Abbott was referring to the families.
Abbott stated, “There are family members that are crying as we speak, and there are family members whose heart is broken. There are no words that anyone shouting can use to bring those broken hearts back to health.” Every Texan and every American share the responsibility. We must not be focused on our agendas and ourselves.
This is the most common response to these types of events. Politicians, usually Republicans, insist that this is not the right time to talk about gun-related policies after a mass shooting. Doing so would be a disservice to the memory of those who have died.
It is time to forget about that way of thinking.
But my point is more important than that. Don’t allow politicians to tell you there’s no room for politics in such moments. This is the perfect moment to discuss politics.
Politics is all about momentum. Politicians are a reactive species. Politicians are cautious about going too far on a limb, only to be out of tune with those whose votes they need. A politician loves to be in the middle and listens to his or her constituents.
Republicans believe this because they put the family first and not politics. This is a bad way to think about politics. If you think that killing people is about politics, then you are putting your political agenda above the people.
It is all about momentum. They view the shooting as giving them “momentum” to control their guns. “Never let any crisis go to waste.” In this case, a terrible tragedy. They aren’t willing to spend the time with the victims or their families because they want the “momentum of anger” now. It’s difficult to get worse than this.
