No doubt anyone reading the above headline will assume that the summer heat of Israel has finally flipped me.
Not so. I have however been following the O’Rourke bandwagon for the last few weeks and like what I am seeing and hearing.
I’m neither a resident of Texas nor a US citizen, nevertheless, O'Rourke’s approach, and his outreach to all Texans is a lesson that the wannabes here in Israel can learn from, although I doubt that will happen.
Beto O’Rourke’s background, his formal name is Robert Francis O'Rourke, makes interesting reading - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beto_O%27Rourke
The nickname “Beto” comes from the Spanish for Robert in and around the El Paso area of Texas where O’Rourke was born and raised - https://www.metro.us/how-did-beto-orourke-get-his-name/
Ted Cruz, whose full name is Rafael Edward Cruz and was born in Calgary, Canada, and until 2014 retained his Canadian citizenship, ran a campaign ad suggesting that O’Rourke was guilty of cultural appropriation by use of his nickname “Beto”.
It’s interesting to note that Cruz's father, Rafael, was born and raised in Cuba, the son of a Canary Islander (autonomous community of Spain near the coast of northwest Africa, and descended from a mixture of Spanish settlers and aboriginal Guanche peoples) who immigrated to Cuba as a child. As a teenager in the 1950s, Rafael Cruz was beaten by agents of Fulgencio Batista for opposing the Batista regime. He left Cuba in 1957 to attend the University of Texas at Austin and obtained political asylum in the United States after his four-year student visa expired. He earned Canadian citizenship in 1973and became a naturalized US citizen in 2005.
Back to Beto.
Although to some it may have a Trump MAGA connotation, O’Rourke’s call-to-action INVEST IN A BIGGER, BOLDER TEXAS, is an appeal to all Texans regardless of political leanings.
Another slogan often used - It’s Gonna Take All of Us – is Beto's promise as governor to serve all of the people of Texas and to support the work it will take to make it happen here.
And here, in a nutshell, is the lesson that many if not the majority of wannabes here in Israel can learn from, although many are so dim that the notion will no doubt fly over their heads.
It’s not about Democrats or Republicans, it’s about Common Sense. It’s about ALL the citizens of Texas coming together for the greater good, and the future of Texas. Simple when you think about it.
Now the challenge is how this can be translated into the cesspool of Israeli politics. While Israeli political leaders and their supporters mouth platitudes to encourage the public to vote for them and their party plank, the truth is that the majority are self-centered bigots with zero feelings for Israel and its people. The majority of these bigots are focused solely on their pathetic agendas.
Sadly, due to their blinkered (or maybe zero) vision they can’t or will not see the big picture, they will not use what little (if any) common sense they have and draw the citizens of Israel to a common goal.
If you don’t believe me, look no further than the Likud under the great dictator Benjamin Netanyahu. As reported this morning, the Likud is now officially “Bibistan”. https://www.timesofisrael.com/rivals-blast-likud-as-misogynist-bibistan-after-primary-rewards-male-loyalists/
Shas and United Torah Judaism are no better having their party slate picked by aged rabbis who are out of touch with the real world and focus inwards on their little islands of support.
And yes I know, Yesy Atid, Blue & White, and others have their party slated picked by a committee dominated by the party leader. The only consolation is that at least these people have an inkling of what is happening in the real world.
From time to time I wonder if I was living in the US and had voting rights, which way would I jump, Republican or Democratic, or just possibly a third way.
Above I have shown support for Beko O’Rourke, a Democratic that is resolute in his drive to unite all Texans for a better future for the citizens of the state.
Previously, I wrote a piece entitled “Who Am I, Where Do I Stand?”. My aim at the time was to try and paint a picture of who I am and my beliefs. With the advantage of hindsight, I don’t feel that I achieved my aim, although I will of course allow others to judge me. I wrote at the time:
“I often find myself under attack, not physically thank goodness, because I am unable or unwilling to label myself left, center or right, and by default identify with a particular camp or creed.
Like many, maybe more than we know or people care to admit to, I have different stances on a range of issues. I don’t want to be identified by a single, all-encompassing label.
I consider myself a conservative/nationalist. Indeed, to borrow a line from the musical Evita, on some issues I stand “Slightly to the right of Attila the Hun”.
I am proud of my center-right conservative outlook. I am equally proud of being called a liberal hawk. And I am proud of being labeled inconsistent, inconsequential, and irrelevant. I encompass a rainbow of views, feelings, dreams, and aspirations for Israel.
It’s no secret that I rage at the disappointment of those that we elect to govern us. Of course, no one is to blame but us. “
Here, in closing, this rant, I would like to give a mighty shout-out to Liz Cheney, the Republican crusading daughter of former US VP Dick Cheney.
Cheney, who looks set to lose her Wyoming House of Represtivie seat, because she had the balls to speak out against Donald J. Trump has shown the face of a true American.
“Cheney predicts a lengthy fight for American democracy in her campaign's closing message”
https://news.yahoo.com/cheney-foreshadows-a-lengthy-fight-for-american-democracy-in-her-campaigns-closing-message-163617367.html
There is talk of her throwing her hat into the ring for 2024. That would be a WOW.
Should she lose her seat, let's hope for the shake of America that Liz Cheney continues to have the courage and determination to speak out against those who would undermine democracy.
In Beto O’Rourke and Liz Cheney, we have two glowing examples of what a politician can and should be.
Israel wannabes take note!
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