Beto O’Rourke pens epic, rambling blog from road trip: ‘In and out of a funk’
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Media darling and former Texas Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke is blogging his way through a classic American road trip, with a rambling essay telling readers he has “been stuck lately” as he hits the road to meet people and break the funk (and maybe decide on a 2020 run).
“Have been stuck lately. In and out of a funk. My last day of work was January 2nd. It’s been more than twenty years since I was last not working,” he wrote in the Medium post.
BETO O'ROUKE MOCKED AFTER OFFERING FEW ANSWERS IN WIDE-RANGING POLICY INTERVIEW
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
O’Rourke is considering a 2020 presidential run, after he lost to Sen. Ted Cruz in November amid a slew of glowing media profiles and an unprecedented amount of campaign funding.
In his Medium post, he didn't directly mention a 2020 bid, but indicated he’s wrestling with something as he journeys through locales in Kansas, Texas and New Mexico.
“Maybe if I get moving, on the road, meet people, learn about what’s going on where they live, have some adventure, go where I don’t know and I’m not known, it’ll clear my head, reset, I’ll think new thoughts, break out of the loops I’ve been stuck in,” he wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Those new thoughts are in ample supply. The former congressman went into minute detail about his journey through restaurants (“Ate at Del’s and as I was finishing my blackberry cobbler asked the waitress what I should see in Tucumcari”) as well as his experiences talking to people he meets on the road.
“A young woman asked, how do I make a difference in any of this? I said run for office. Hold town hall meetings. Bring people together, over coffee, over beer, ask your elected reps to show up and be part of the conversation. If they don’t, organize to get their attention,” he wrote. "But whatever we do, let’s do it together.”
He mentioned a number of times not only what he's eating, but also how he is recognized in various places.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“Drove to Dalhart. Ate at the Grill. Was last there in August of 2017. Green chile cheeseburger. The table over asked if I was Beto,” he recalled.
Other passages saw O'Rourke casting off the shackles of the political grind to commune with nature.
"Drove out to the lake the waitress had told me about. Had it all to myself and some ducks. Found some crab claws. Maybe left by a bird. Walked out on a pier. Looked out, took some pictures. Leaned over, scooped up water and washed my face. Picked up beer cans that someone had left and were blown into the bushes. Later learned that it’s called Ute Lake. Formed by damming the Canadian River," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
BETO O'ROURKE POSTS BIZARRE VIDEO OF DENTIST VISIT TO HIGHLIGHT LIFE ON THE BORDER
O'Rourke took hits earlier this week after an unflattering article and interview in The Washington Post. The Medium post, too, led to immediate ribbing online. National Review’s Rich Lowry asked “Is Beto Doing OK?” Meanwhile, a spoof @BetosBlog emerged on Twitter.
“Driving outside of town I nodded to the cows. Thank you. We all have our role to play,” one satirical post reads.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The post comes a week after Beto bizarrely posted parts of his visit to a dentist on Instagram.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
With dental tools jammed into either side of his mouth, O’Rourke introduced his dental hygienist as part of his Instagram story “series” on “people of the border.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“Um, so I’m here at the dentist and we’re going to continue our series on the people of the border. I’m here with Diana, my dental hygienist,” O’Rourke slurred. “Um, Diana is going to tell us a little bit about growing up in El Paso.”
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.