As Britain and the rest of the world watch the Trump presidency unfold in horror, one American politician is emerging as a possible light at the end of the tunnel. So who is Beto O'Rourke, and is the Democrats great next hope the real deal or just a case of wishful thinking?

The speech that made Barack Obama president came in 2004, when the senator of eight years stood at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. As he described himself as a “skinny kid with a funny name, who believes that America has a place for him too”, that name quickly spread around the America and the rest of the world.

Nearly two years into the presidency of Donald Trump and Democrats are searching for a candidate who can ignite that same passion in voters and present a path away from the poisonous rhetoric which has engulfed America and aided the spread of dangerous populism around the globe. This week, it seemed like they may have found him.

Beto O'Rourke is a member of the house of representatives for Texas who is currently running against Ted Cruz in the senate race. The 44-year-old is a few steps behind where Obama was on that night in 2004, but a speech he made this week might be one of those career defining moments people look back on as the beginning of something important.



Cruz is a close ally of Trump's and has held the seat, which has been historically tough for Democrats, since 2013. Over the last month polls have begun to tighten as O'Rourke's popularity has surged, with a poll from yesterday putting him just four points behind Cruz.

During a town hall in Houston on 10 August, O'Rourke was asked by a man who comes from a "family of veterans" whether NFL players kneeling during the national anthem was disrespectful.

His response to the question has been turned into a viral video clip and shared by celebrities such as Ellen and Zach Braff as well as the player to originally take a knee, Colin Kaepernick.

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‘I can think of nothing more American.’ — Beto O'Rourke — the man taking on Ted Cruz — brilliantly explains why NFL players kneeling during the anthem is not disrespectful pic.twitter.com/bEqOAYpxEL — NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 21, 2018

"The freedoms we have were purchased not just by those in uniform – and they definitely were – but also by those who took their lives into their hands," he said. Touching on the historic injustices that black people have suffered in America from Rosa Parks to the children killed in the 1963 Birmingham Church Bombing, O'Rourke showed he is a white man who can discuss racism while without appearing insincere or just out to captialise on identity politics. There's more than a shade of a young Bill Clinton in his delivery.

"Reasonable people can disagree on this issue," he said. "It makes them no less American to come down on a different conclusion on this issue." These words make it clear it he is keen to lean across the aisle and come to a divisive issue while accepting differences in opinion. The sort of reasonable discourse, in other words, which has gone missing during the Trump administration and the digital age at large.

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His stance on other issues should similarly excite those itching for an end to Trumpian politics. O'Rourke called for Trump's impeachment after his controversial appearance in Helsinki alongside Putin saying that "at this point there is certainly enough there for the case to proceed."



He has also put himself in direct opposition to Trump on the matter of immigration in discussing his district of El Paso, Texas. He explains the city is regularly ranked one of the top three safest cities in the United States, "because of and not in spite of the fact that a quarter of the people I represent were born in another country."

He has termed Trump's wall racist and stands against the demeaning language used against refugees and migrants by the right wing of America and many countries around the world.

"Healthcare is a moral question that transcends politics – it is a basic human right," he argues. This impassioned belief in universal healthcare was a strong factor why democrat socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez triumphed at the democratic primary in New York in June 2018. It is a brave position for a Democrat to take in a state like Texas but the sort of move the party needs to galvanise fresh support.

O'Rourke looks to be a candidate who could inspire the left fringes without unsettling traditional democrat voters. The left side of politics in the UK is arguably crying out for a similarly fresh voice to bridge the gap between those drawn to Momentum and traditional Labour voters. Though running in another country with a different set of issues to consider, O'Rourke's campaign might offer some insight on how to bring together a divided party without compromising on beliefs.

Beyond policy, he appeals to the cult of personality currently playing a huge role in politics. The internet results on searching him show a relatable and relaxed man, skateboarding in the car park of a burger chain, playing baseball or on stage with Willie Nelson. It's almost as if we're seeing the later work of the photographer who captured the carefree and cool shots of Barack shooting hoops.

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He speaks with that same unflappable eloquence as No Drama Obama, an orator who measures every word. His now-viral speech touched upon the crimes against, "black men, unarmed, black teenagers, unarmed, and black children, unarmed" in the same way Obama used to repeat a word with significance and until it hung heavy in the room.

But O'Rourke is not just Barack 2.0. He has denounced super PAC funding and even hiring the sort of pollsters credited with helping Obama win.



A BuzzFeed profile of O'Rourke detailed that, "The campaign proudly employs no pollsters or traditional consultants; until very recently, they’ve rejected the traditional wisdom of focusing money on television advertising. They reject PAC money, even from Democratic funding sources. Instead, they lean heavily on small donations, first-time donations, and Facebook, where livestreams from the campaign trail regularly attract between 20,000 and 80,000 viewers."



Tom Williams

"In June, he completed a tour of all 254 counties in Texas before heading right back out on the road to do it again," they report. His marketing - or lack thereof - as a man of the people rings true, with low production quality selfie videos of his tour posted on Twitter and his campaign advert proudly shot on an iPhone.

Democrats haven't won a senate race in Texas since 1988. Even with the growing Hispanic population in the state, this demographic is less likely to vote and in 2015, more than 40 per cent of them voted for conservative Greg Abbott.



However, as a New York Times piece from April points out, "2018 is shaping up as a year in which old rules are out the window and everything is up for grabs. Ryan’s planned retirement and the increasing disarray of the Republican Party illustrate that. So does Texas’ emergence as a credible wellspring of Democratic hope."

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Just launched our first ad. Entitled "Showing Up," it's filmed using an iPhone and was created entirely with live stream footage from our travels to all 254 counties of Texas. Watch and RT to share. pic.twitter.com/INmmjlXX4Y — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) July 26, 2018

If O'Rourke does pull off what seems impossible it should ring warning bells for the Republicans, as the Times say, "The state tells the tale of the November midterms as well as anywhere else."

Should he succeed in November, his path to the presidency in 2020 becomes a whole lot less far-fetched. As Massachusetts representative Joe Kennedy III said in March this year, "Look, for a Democrat, at the moment, to be able win statewide in Texas, I actually think is more difficult than to run for president." Democrats and liberals the world over will be hoping that yes, he can.

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