Beto O'Rourke explains why he thinks Democrats failed to flip Texas


Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) has been talking to a lot of Texans over the last week, and on Thursday he shared with supporters the lessons Democrats have learned in the wake of Election Day.
Prior to Nov. 3, O'Rourke was optimistic about Texas flipping blue, and urged President-elect Joe Biden's campaign to spend money on ads. President Trump ended up capturing 52.1 percent of the vote in Texas, and received more support from Hispanic voters in the southern part of the state this year than he did in 2016.
In an email, O'Rourke wrote that Trump and Republicans had an "asymmetrical advantage" this cycle that was "far more powerful than many of us understood." They ran campaigns that were "free of the truth," using social media and text messaging to spread falsehoods and scare tactics. They also ignored pandemic safety precautions, knocking on doors and holding in-person events, he said, and when they shared their economic message, it was "not an honest one or better in terms of policy, but simpler, more emotional, and more compelling."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Because Republicans also hold every statewide office in Texas, they were able to "maximize voter suppression and raise and deploy massive campaign donations across the state," O'Rourke said. The Biden campaign did not "make a meaningful investment in Texas," he added, and it "hurt us badly" that the stretch from the "Rio Grande Valley to El Paso has been ignored by the national party, and even many statewide Democratic candidates."
Going forward, Democrats must canvass year-round "so that voters don't just hear from us during an election," O'Rourke said, and he emphasized the importance of meeting voters face-to-face, saying there "is a safe way to do this, even in a pandemic." Democrats also have to be "far more effective on digital and social media," O'Rourke advised, explaining that in the border communities especially, Trump and the GOP had a "ferocious game — lies and powerful memes, effective targeting of new and young voters — and we had none."
It's imperative that Democrats don't take voters for granted, O'Rourke added, and he stressed that while it won't be easy to flip Texas blue, "it's doable if we decide that we're willing to put in the work, if we're willing to believe in ourselves and act our faith."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
India strikes Pakistan as tensions mount in Kashmir
speed read Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called it an 'act of war'
-
Israel approves plan to take over Gaza indefinitely
speed read Benjamin Netanyahu says the country is 'on the eve of a forceful entry'
-
Putin talks nukes as Kyiv slated for US air defenses
speed read 'I hope they will not be required,' Putin said of nuclear weapons on Russian state TV
-
US, Ukraine sign joint minerals deal
speed read The Trump administration signed a deal with Ukraine giving the US access to its mineral wealth
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Israel launches air strike on Beirut suburbs
Speed Read The attack targeting Hezbollah was Israel's third on the Lebanese capital since November's ceasefire
-
Dozens dead in Kashmir as terrorists target tourists
Speed Read Visitors were taking pictures and riding ponies in a popular mountain town when assailants open fired, killing at least 26
-
Israel blames 'failures' for killing of medics
speed read 14 Gaza medics and 1 U.N. employee were killed by IDF special forces