Ted Cruz’s challenger, Beto O’Rourke, is doing his best to unseat the sitting senator. Here’s the current situation, via Real Clear Politics:
Last month, Cruz officially challenged Cruz O’Rourke to five debates. It might sound a bit excessive, but I’d be down for a few. The first debate Cruz proposed was set for August 31st in Dallas. The topic was going to be “Jobs/Taxes/Federal Regulations/National Economy.” O’Rourke basically accepted the challenge but made some tweaks, “including having a sixth debate in O’Rourke’s hometown of El Paso.” And because O’Rourke is a toddler, his campaign also asked that two of the debates would be in Spanish, because clearly he can’t pander enough?
Well, guess what. O’Rourke basically canceled their first debate.
“Friday in Dallas is not going to happen, but I’m convinced we will debate,” O’Rourke said. “I’m convinced there will be a number of debates.”
He claims it’s because Cruz’s campaign “attempted to dictate” too many aspects of the debate.
“We’re working through those differences, and we’re trying to introduce more of a collaborative style to the negotiations than he may be used to,” he said. “And so we’re confident that out of that, we’re going to come to something good.”
Cruz’s campaign called O’Rourke for being a giant weenie.
“[O’Rourke] begged for debates, but when Sen. Cruz invited him to five debates all across Texas, suddenly O’Rourke seemed to get scared,” spokesperson Emily Miller said, adding that “except for when he has to be in DC for his work in the Senate, Cruz is ready and excited to debate O’Rourke, including this Friday.”
So O’Rourke doesn’t have time to debate Cruz on Friday, but wanna know what he DOES have time for? An appearance on Ellen.
See you September 5th, @BetoORourke. #ellen16 https://t.co/b5ZUIALRvF
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) August 28, 2018
Beto O'Rourke to appear on Ellen after viral response to NFL kneeling https://t.co/TN7wbVNVpt pic.twitter.com/56o3gxVPmc
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) August 28, 2018
Apparently he won’t debate @tedcruz because he’s more focused on his Ellen appearance: https://t.co/Z5esfzti6t https://t.co/LBWwfpvdzS
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 28, 2018
What a freaking weenie.
h/t Texas Tribune