PLANO — Beto O'Rourke on Sunday said Democrats should be bolder in their approach to issues related to gun control, immigration, criminal justice and climate change.

"I'm a lifelong Democrat," O'Rourke told about 300 people outside of Artcentre of Plano. "For too long Democrats have played defense ... but just like Lucy with the football, every single time that we put our best foot forward and move forward in the spirit of consensus and compromise and start in that middle position, we lose it."

O'Rourke called for a different, less compromising approach, noting that attempts at consensus building have led Democrats to vote on hundreds of miles of border fencing, mass deportations that break up families and a mass incarceration of minorities.

He invoked former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower in saying being in the middle doesn't always work.

"He said 'the only thing that you're going to find in the middle of the road are yellow lines and dead armadillos,'" O'Rourke said. "We will commit to having the courage of our convictions, laying out what we believe, and we're going to fight for it."

"What if we decide that we will no longer start halfway?" O'Rourke asked. "We're going to be bold on everything we talk about."

1 / 3John Swicegood holds up a sign that reads "Hell no you will not take my AR15," at a campaign event for Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke at Haggard Park in Plano, Texas, on Sunday, September 15, 2019.(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer) 2 / 3Matthew Blevins (left) and John Swicegood (right) who was wearing an AR-15, discuss their differences of opinion during a campaign event for Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke at Haggard Park in Plano, Texas, on Sunday, September 15, 2019. (Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer) 3 / 3John Swicegood holds up a sign that reads "Hell no you will not take my AR-15," as Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks at a campaign event at Haggard Park in Plano, Texas, on Sunday, September 15, 2019. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

O'Rourke returned to North Texas after a strong debate performance, where he ruffled critics and friends alike by calling for the confiscation of popular weapons like the AR-15.

On Sunday he didn't back away.

"If we agree that those have been used as instruments of terror against our fellow human beings, against our kids who are hunted in their classrooms and chased down in the hallways of their schools, we're going to buy back every single one of those weapons," he said as the crowd chanted "Hell yes."

Later he called on fellow Democrats to stand firm.

"If we start in a timid, fearful, apologetic way, we're going to get the same result that we got in the last 30 years, which is literally, absolutely nothing," he told reporters after the event. "I understand that there are some who are worried about what the NRA is going to do, what the Republican Party is going to have to say. I'm more concerned about those families who survived these horrific shootings."

At the rally O'Rourke placed the blame for recent shootings, including the one in El Paso, on President Donald Trump and his rhetoric about illegal immigrants and immigrants.

"What the president of the United States is doing cannot be more dangerous," O'Rourke said. "He has the blood of those 22 people in El Paso on his hands."

A spokesperson for Trump's Victory campaign said O'Rourke was bad for Texas and the nation.

"Whether it's wanting to confiscate guns, eliminating fossil fuels or supporting open borders, Beto O'Rourke continues to show that he is out-of-touch with Texas," said Samantha Cotten. "Meanwhile Texans are thriving from President Trump's policies and will not be interested in O'Rourke's socialist, regressive agenda."

On Sunday O'Rourke also discussed the mechanics of his presidential bid, which he said involves his ability to win Texas in the March primary and the general election against Trump.

Recent polls show him trailing in Texas, and he's far off the pace in national surveys.

"Texas has 38 electoral college votes," he said. "Imagine a Texan at the top of the ticket, who can talk about the genius of this state, the genius that is people comprised of people from all over the world who found a home here in the most diverse state in the union."

1 / 3Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks at a campaign event at Haggard Park in Plano, Texas, on Sunday, September 15, 2019. (Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer) 2 / 3Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke takes photos with fans before speaking at a campaign event at Haggard Park in Plano, Texas, on Sunday, September 15, 2019. (Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer) 3 / 3A fan holds up a sign from when Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke previously ran for Senate and lost, during O'Rourke's campaign event at Haggard Park in Plano, Texas, on Sunday, September 15, 2019.(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

The crowd was much smaller than what O'Rourke drew in Collin County during last year's Senate bid against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz.

But those who braved the heat and missed the Dallas Cowboys defeat the Washington Redskins said they were still behind Texas' favorite son.

"I thought he did a great job at the Thursday debate," said Sarah Walker, a 38-year-old mother from Richardson.

Walker said she liked O'Rourke's position on curbing gun violence, including buying back weapons like the AR-15 rifle.

"At some point, if we are going to decrease gun violence, we're going to have to decrease the amount of guns," she said.

Kelli Hughes, a 52-year-old heating and cooling systems technician from Wylie, said O'Rourke would rise to the top tier of Democratic Party presidential contenders.

"I like his honesty," Hughes said. "He will tell you what he thinks. I've always loved Beto."

CORRECTION, 11:54 a.m., Sept. 16, 2019: An earlier version of this story contained a typo; the word "comprise" should have been "compromise."