Republicans’ ‘Powerful Memes’ Hurt Democrats In Texas, Beto O’Rourke Says

Former Democratic Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke wrote Republicans’ “powerful memes” harmed Democrats during the 2020 Election, according to screenshots.

Primary political correspondent for the Texas Tribune Patrick Svitek tweeted screenshots of an email from O’Rourke to supporters showing O’Rourke describing why he thinks President Donald Trump and Republicans were successful in Texas over Democrats during the election.

“We have to be far more effective on digital and social media,” O’Rourke said, according to the screenshots. “The anecdotal takeaway from those I’ve listened to, especially in border communities, is that Trump/GOP had a ferocious game (lies and powerful memes, effective targeting of new and young voters) and we had none.”

Latest @BetoORourke email to supporters goes long on Dem lessons from last week in Texas: pic.twitter.com/BJJOSXaKon

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) November 12, 2020

The former Texas congressman said Democrats should “talk to voters year-round” and target “those whose votes have been taken for granted in the past” in “the places that are hard to get to.” O’Rourke noted Democrats “can’t write anyone off” and urged them to interact with voters in-person while taking COVID-19 into account, according to the screenshots.

“Nothing beats meeting with your voters, eyeball to eyeball. We should always find a way to canvass directly at the voter’s door. There is a safe way to do this, even in a pandemic,” he said.

“The central messaging that many Democratic candidates felt obligated to adopt (because they believed that funding and other support from Democratic organizations was contingent on it) doesn’t work.”

O’Rourke’s staff directed the Daily Caller News Foundation to Powered by People, a grassroots activist group in Texas, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CDN Editor’s Note: While we can’t confirm that this is what caused the ruckus, it should be: