The Dallas NBC station hosted a debate between US Senator Ted Cruz (R) and
Representative Beto O'Rourke (D) in September.
I learned a lot in that debate.
I’ve come to feel that I can identify more closely with more of Rep. O’Rourke‘s
positions then I can with Senator Cruz’ positions. I think they’re both relatively
extreme for my tastes, but I think it would be easier for O’Rourke to come toward
the center on some of his issues than it would for Senator Cruz to do the same.
The point which seemed to resonate the most with me was about illegal immigration --
the "dreamers." Cruz echoed conservatives' zero-tolerance stance and the president's
call for a wall; O'Rourke's position is softer, because he supports giving "dreamers"
a path to citizenship. O'Rourke told Stephen Colbert: "We don’t need walls, we can
have smart security solutions, and we can free DREAMers from the fear of deportation
by making them U.S. citizens today so they can contribute to their maximum capacity,
to their full potential, and we can move forward in that manner, making sure we’re
secure, and making sure that we live up to our values and ideals."
1 Advantage: Beto.
The New Yorker described the debate this way: "The competition between O’Rourke,
a congressman from El Paso, and Cruz, the junior senator from Texas, pits progressive
idealism and a nearly Tom Hanksian earnestness against unctuousness and the kind of
fearful Tea Party recriminations that paved Cruz’s path to the Senate, in 2012."
2.
In the same article, another observation: "[One] sees a path to victory in
broadening the sense of possibility among the public and expanding the electorate;
the other is attempting to win even if it means pandering to the base concerns of
the one he already has."
If you missed it, you can watch it here.
NBC News did some fact-checking during the debate;
you can read that here.
The Dallas News's fact check article is right here. PolitiFact
also did some fact-checking; you can find that published in The Statesman
here.
Also, I am appalled by some of the tactics Sen. Cruz has employed to solicit
donations. I find them underhanded and dishonest, designed to confuse people into
pledging funds3.