Besco @ Burges

From Burges Candidate Forum

As I watched the debate between two of the congressional candidates and the press secretary for Congressman Reyes at Burges High School last Saturday, I kept going back to something I constantly find myself thinking about in forums, which candidate looks like the office they are pursuing?

The Congressman is the congressman. Tim Collins looked like a congressman. Hell Vince Perez (the congressman's press secretary) even looks like a congressman. But Besco just doesn't strike me as congressional material.

I don't know if its shallow grasp of the issues, his constant desire to agree with his opponents, his perpetual awkwardness, or his constant head nodding and repetitive “ya know”, but there is just something about Besco that says he's not ready for a congressional seat.

Not that he has the remotest chance in hell of winning.

But I guess it was around the time that Besco's attempt at humor went down in an embarrassing silence that something funny occurred to me. The candidates had a chance to provide some wisdom to the students in the audience.

That's when something interesting hit me.

Some of the students have been attending Burges High School longer than Besco has been in El Paso!

If you've seen some of the video of Besco in forums then you have also noticed the awkwardness that sort of reminds you of a newborn deer struggling to get their legs underneath is body. That's pretty normal for people that are not used to public speaking.

Not so normal for a congressional candidate. Unless you are talking about Jorge Artalejo, in which case its par for the course.

I think I figured out why he's still so awkward and unsure of himself. I don't think he feels passionate about what he says. I don't think he's convinced himself that he believes what he believes and that's why I think he hasn't been able to stand in front of a crowd with confidence in his presentation.