How Robert O’Rourke Became ‘Beto’

National Review ^ | 08/12/2019 | Victor Davis Hanson

[SeekAndFind]

It seems that being thought Hispanic is an advantage, not a disadvantage.

A great deal of controversy has continued the past few days over Robert Francis O

[Steely Tom]

They don’t have a very high opinion of their voters.

[vpintheak]

He’s a poser and it’s “cool” to be down with the homeys.

[rlmorel]

I love the “Irish Bob” moniker!!!!

Makes me think of “English Bob” from “Unforgiven” every time I see it...:)

[Vaquero]

Beta Male

[irishjuggler]

Such was the Texas Senate race with Robert O’Rourke who hispanicized himself to Beto versus Rafael Cruz who de-hispanicized himself to Ted.

[3boysdad]

Irish I was Hispanic!

[Menehune56]

The nickname “Beta” has the virtue of accurately describing this strange person.

[rktman]

Uh nuzzlin’ joe took him behind the gym and betod the crap out of him?

[Phlap]

The same way Barry became Barak. It was political.

[Old Yeller]

Beta male

[x]

Add in the fact that Beto is also a child of both inherited and maritally acquired wealth and what he would call “white privilege” that likely kept him as a sometimes reckless youth out of jail on one occasion for a serious crime. Thus, in a bizarre way, the misleading nickname offers some concrete authenticity to his chronic resentment of the very privilege he has for so long enjoyed.

That is actually insightful in a depth psychology kind of way. "Beto bandido" is like one of those move stars who is always idealizing some exotic tribe or group. It's a way of making up for one's privileges, of getting back at the society that gave one privileges that one suspects are undeserved, and yet also of making use of and displaying those privileges. Latching on to things outside the mainstream culture means rejecting its hierarchies, but also putting oneself at the top of the hierarchy by feeling oneself to be somebody who can tower over the majority culture's limits.

Given that all politicians entertain a degree of cynicism and opportunism, if we truly lived in a culture of white supremacy, we would more likely see candidates fabricating European dog-whistle names and identities than the sad efforts of a Churchill, Dolezal, O’Rourke, or Warren. And in fact, in a far different America of the past, many minority celebrities and politicians did assume Anglicized names on their unfortunately all-too-accurate assumption that too many white racists would ostracize them for their minority status.

So it was in mid-20th century America. Today the models are those newscasters who turn their name into something Hispanic (often hyphenated). Shout out to Julie Banderas (born Bidwell).

[_Jim]

Is that the name the Hispanic nursemaid or house-cleaning lady used for him?

[_Jim]

re: “The nickname “Beta” has the virtue of accurately describing this strange person.
“

Whereas “Puto” (may have to look that one up!) describes his political aspiration ... as in, “Beto runs a puto campaign.”

[Tench_Coxe]

Perhaps a more fitting nickname for Irish Bob would be pend*jo......

[BigEdLB]

O

[dfwgator]

I call him “Puto”, like the Mexican soccer fans like to shout out all the time at their games.

[CaptainKip]

Bobby O’Rourke needs to call it a campaign. He’s just wasting everyone’s time and energy at this point.

[Kickass Conservative]

He was Beto before he was Puto.

[albie]

Cause he’s a d-bag retard? I didn’t read the article. Just an guess.