U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Some people in politics just can’t take the message from voters. Failed U.S. Senate candidate and failed Democratic presidential candidate Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke is sitting at 0-2 down in the count and announced a 2022 gubernatorial campaign.
O’Rourke doubled down on his infamous “Hell Yeah!” call for gun confiscation of the most popular semiautomatic rifle in America. Reaction was swift and that’s not a recipe for success in Texas.
Losing Playbook
Former Democratic U.S. Rep. O’Rourke lost a Senate campaign in Texas in 2018 to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Following that debacle, he failed up and launched a presidential campaign in 2019 only to drop out after seven months. His major platform pillar was promising to ban and confiscate Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs), or so-called “assault weapons” as O’Rourke and gun control advocates label them. In a 2019 presidential debate, O’Rourke was asked about his gun confiscation plans and answered, “Hell yes, we’re taking your AR-15, your AK-47!” His campaign flamed out a short time later.
As a consolation prize, President Joe Biden threw him a bone. During a Texas rally where O’Rourke endorsed President Biden, he assured the crowd, “I’m going to guarantee you this is not the last you’ve seen of him. You’re going to take care of the gun problem with me. You’re going to be the one who leads this effort…I’m counting on you.”
Turns out O’Rourke’s phone never rang. The Biden administration didn’t recruit him for any White House role. That includes during the high-profile failure of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) director nominee David Chipman, who couldn’t even earn confirmation support of all Democratic senators, partly due to his support for a ban on AR-15-style rifles (MSRs).
Failure to Launch
Losing twice hasn’t deterred him. O’Rourke launched a campaign for Texas governor to challenge two-term incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Firearms and the Second Amendment will play a large role in the campaign and Gov. Abbott is just coming off a Texas state legislative session where lawmakers overwhelmingly passed and Gov. Abbott signed several pro-firearm laws, including firearm industry nondiscrimination (FIND Act) and “constitutional carry,” allowing Texans to carry handguns without needing a permit.
O’Rourke was asked about the relevance of the gun rights debate, the strong beliefs of Texans in the Second Amendment, and his past and current support for a ban and confiscation on popular MSRs. The two-time election loser doubled down on his gun ban – and confiscation – plan. Texas Tribune political correspondent Patrick Svitek reported, “‘O’Rourke says he won’t back away from mandatory assault weapons buyback in gov race. ‘I think most Texans can agree…that we should not see our friends, our family…our neighbors, shot up w/ weapons that were originally designed for use on a battlefield.’”
Most Texans don’t agree, they’ve said so already and reactions to O’Rourke’s comments were swift.
Fox News contributor and Second Amendment stalwart Katie Pavlich deadpanned of the comment, “Well this is fantastic.” Other commenters reacted, saying, “Well that candidacy didn’t last long,” and also, “What losing a race the moment you announce looks like.”
Even Vox Media, a bastion of antigun, anti-Second Amendment reporting, observed the lunacy of O’Rourke’s remark. “This is the fastest anyone has ever lost a gubernatorial election, right?”
‘Battlefield’ Firearm Myth
O’Rourke’s antigun platform is out of touch with how Americans, and more importantly Texans, feel about firearms. He bitterly clings to lies about the MSR, labeling them firearms that were “originally designed for the battlefield.” That’s just false.
MSRs include AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles that are the most popular selling semiautomatic rifle today. There are more than 20 million of them in circulation and they operate on the same one-trigger-pull, one-fire technology that has been around for a century. The original Armalite Rifle was developed in the 1950s and Colt began making MSRs commercially available in the early 1960s. This was before the U.S. military adopted the use of the fully automatic rifle, the M-16. Fully automatic firearms have been heavily regulated and restricted from civilian ownership since 1934 and new models have been banned from commercial sale since 1986.
O’Rourke and his gun control allies ignore these facts to perpetuate a gun control agenda. MSRs are commonly owned, popular among hunters and target shooters, and easy to use for self-defense. Texan Stephen Willeford proved this when ran from his home to a nearby church and used his AR-15 to stop a murderer from inflicting even more carnage in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2017. His quick thinking with his lawfully-owned rifle likely saved countless innocent lives.
Texans will have an opportunity to once again tell O’Rourke what they think of his extreme gun control policies – Don’t Mess with Texas gun rights.
About The National Shooting Sports Foundation
NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations, and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org
Beto O’Rourke is of the ilk that permeates the Dems. People like him and the anti gun groups and politicians disregard that what they propose is unconstitutional to ban or confiscate private owned property. His famous remark in 2019 Hell yeah we’re going to take your AR 15’as and AK 47’s
What is needed is the house UnAmerican Activities Committee to investigate these people. He and others that think like him, should be barred form politics due to their beliefs or progressive ideology. Not what our country was founded upon. O’rourke is an idiot .
So, I am wondering. Is Buttmouth so out of touch with Texans that he believes his own stuff, or is there really enough city folk in Texas now to make his nonsense catching, OR is he just trying to make himself relevant to the Brandon administration in a pathetic attempt to get on board with them? If it is number one he is just plain stupid (the most likely I think) if number 2 he is ahead of the curve and we need to watch out and if number three, well we are back to stupid so I guess it’s… Read more »
I kept a picture of Francis in his famous dress, just for his occasional runs for office.
That’s Awesome! Can’t wait to see it everywhere!
Lmao, true though.
Strike you blind.
More like 30 or 40 million AR15s out there now.
Beto is just another inept democrat candidate the democrats are trying to push as a “savior”. Texans need to tell him to F off when the election happens.
Beta is going to lose, again and everyone knows that. Beta might do well in the urban areas where their only experience with firearms is through murder and other crimes.
I wonder if the Democrat party is solely funding this clown in order to keep gun banning in people’s minds. Either way, the only benefit to Beta’s campaign is that suppliers and printers and local restaurants might get some economic benefit from the Democrat party’s wasteful spending. Apparently he can’t even get a make work job from his family.
JQ
True but don’t be fooled by Vichy ‘R’ lockdown artist Abbott: Only pretends conservative under heavy pressure from real Rs, 3 of whom are challenging him in the primary, all solid & true.
Dan Huffines
Lt Col Alan West
Chad Prather
Browse http://www.TexasScorecard.com to see the real cuck Abbott & his sidecuck Dade Phelan.
Absolutely agree, it takes a major fire under Abbott’s ass to get him moving. But here comes all the moderates, supporting the incumbent fence-sitter. I just hope they do not divide the conservative vote, costing us the governor’s seat.
Won’t divide the vote. Tx has runoffs. Highest R challenger faces Abbott in a runoff, swats MasterBeto in the gen like the flaming goofy gadfly he is.
6+ downvotes by WillTEX & his Abbott-toady ex(?)-enforcer sock pups
Beto tries to pass for a Mexican in El Paso to get the Hispanic vote, but the locals know where he comes from and where and how his family got their money. However, as seen in the last Senate election, there are still enough liberal, ignorant and stupid voters in Texas to actually vote for this POS.
Yes, that election was too close for comfort. And since then, probably close to 1.5 million Californians have moved to Texas. They won’t all vote democrat, but I bet the majority will.
Never heard of her…LET’S GO BRANDON!
This guy is an idiot, and IF he thinks he stands a chance, then he’s a masochistic idiot…
Yes, even cheating could not save his campaign last time.
Minor quibble- if he thinks he stands a chance he’s an even bigger idiot. If he recognizes his odds – then he’s a masochist – and still an idiot.
Personally I consider almost a suicidal endeavor. May need to go out and stock up on popcorn while it’s available.
suicidal endeavor? I sure … hope that you are right!
Ah, the sweet thought of Beto’s toe print on the trigger of a 6720.
Excellent and funny, too!
You’ve got to hand it to him…. he sure thinks highly of himself. He’s like the jock itch you think you got rid of but a year later there it is again.
Hell Yeah,Let’s Go Beto
That idiot is too stupid to be in any office, there are enough of his mis guided types screwing up our country as it is, all Texans should just give him the one finger salute, the only types who would vote for him are all those Damn Commiefornia’s that have to invaded Texas in the last few years and have screwed up the San Antonio area.
We have several gun ranges here where I live. But the most popular is out in the desert where more people can go and shoot to their hearts desire. I went out a couple weeks ago to sight in my rifle for hunting, I observed multiple families out with their kids enjoying the shooting sports in various ways and noticed how many parents were teaching their kids, little kids, how to be safe when using firearms. Many were using AR 15’s and I don’t have to tell any of you here how much fun these families were having, safely. Those… Read more »
AR-15 is best choice for teaching little kids to shoot. Well – ok AR-pistol may be better for those of smaller stature, but it’s still an AR. For the very smallest, chamber it (or use an adapter) for 22LR
There were several families taking turns with AR-15’s, even kids aged 6 possibly younger shooting them. Politicians have no clue the fun that can be had shooting, they are to busy thinking they can spread their absolutely boring lifestyles among themselves and they don’t need family, except for photo ops. They believe they can give people better lives by forcing people to kneel down to them and do what the politicians want, and that’s all anybody needs. The greedy wealthy pols and their equally greedy lust for power has robbed them of real living and they think if everybody was… Read more »
There are kids aged 6, possible younger, shooting families? Are their parents aware of this?
Kids aged 6 possibly younger shooting AR 15’s, hope that helps you understand better. They were having fun learning something that will help them know more about a fire arm that most politicians will never know about, but will always claim they know most about. Imagine that, 6 year olds knowing more about a fire arm than most politicians.
Sorry to have made a joke at your comment’s expense. I could not help myself. Sorry.
I agree that every kid in America should get to have some fun learning about the shooting sports.
Robert Francis can F off!
I agree with orourke that Texans don’t want their friends, family or neighbors “shot up” with guns “meant for the battle field.” However ARs and AKs are not military arms – and rifles including actual military arms are NOT used to gun down anyone.
Leave my plinking, competition, home defense AND hunting arms alone.
Please do not force Texans from removing a tyrant the old fashioned way.
We have a Right to own weapons meant for the battle field, and can. The not shooting up neighbors, is the responsibility of the individual.
Are you in Texas because you may enjoy renting crew served weaps, ammo, and range time.
I am. I have not done so – so guess I ought to. My statements were meant to condemn the irish man for the plethora of falsehoods in his statements. He claims we are shot down in large numbers (false), he claims ARs an AKs are military weapons (false) – and of course we SHOULD possess actual military equipment. How else would we remove francis if he somehow gained office and proceeded with his tyrannical plans? Well actually – it’s the indian, not the arrow. We have many in Texas who are capable when it comes to violence. They are… Read more »
Well … I must have misunderstood.
If you go to one of the full auto ranges, you will have a blast.
Happened to me, too. Not an adjective in the entire post, and it took twelve hours to get approval. They must not like my jokes!
What is the scoop on the “supply chain” and trucking in general?
Geez, the feds regulate truckers so much, now, that truckers are in really high demand. Yeah, I think that you guys can negotiate from a power position.
Hey, it looks like I missed your comment above. Sorry about that. Merry Christmas, brother!
That is scary! MC
Make hay while the sun shines.
Cash! Yeah, baby! Very Merry Christmas!