The Name Game

There are a few of my social media friends that are total Beto haters.

They are progressive liberals, but they are major Beto haters and man...do they look freakin' stupid. They look stupid because they kick and stomp and hold their breath about Beto, but the alternative is Ted Cruz, who's policies they don't support, but they still hate on Beto for what looks like one, and only one, very stupid reason.

His name.

Disgraced former State Rep Norma Chavez used to be famous for making fun of his name. But the Beto haters seriously look really stupid about this name thing.

Normally I would be saying who the hell cares what his name is or what he goes by. But when you have people hating on Beto because he's a rich white guy using a Latino nickname, but you don't say anything about Latino who uses a white nickname, well then you're just a massive hypocrite.

Seriously that is some next-level dumbfuckery.

Beto isn't trying to fool anyone into thinking he's raza. He's a 6'7 white guy, its pretty much ethnically impossible.

But he's from a border town. One of the first things I noticed about El Paso when I moved here many years ago was the fact that it wasn't a misdemeanor to speak Spanish. Back home, people gave you a hard time if you spoke Spanish and non-Latinos almost never spoke Spanish.

Here, its common to find non-Latinos that are bilingual or at least have a decent understanding of the language. Hell, I got two words for you - Nolan Richardson. Hell I got three words for you - John John Chatman.

I could go on and on.

No one says they are trying to "fool" anyone. They are just people that grew up in a border community that speak the language.

The idea that some people even think Beto is trying to fool people into thinking he's raza in order to get their vote is essentially saying that you think your own people are so stupid that they'd be "tricked" into voting for someone.

Beto isn't pulling a Dori Fenenbock. He's not trying to be someone he's not. He's not pretending to be someone he's not.

However, if there is anyone who is trying to fool someone, using their name, its Ted Cruz. And yes, it DOES bother me. What is really sad about Ted Cruz and his name is that I don't think he's trying to fool white folks into thinking he's one of them. He's Canadian, he doesn't really have to convince them much.

The reality is that the Beto haters are basically just haters. They don't have a real issue to jump on him about. They don't have real beef with him - at least policy wise. Again, its my liberal friends hating on him that I am talking about the most, so its not like they ideologically think Cruz is the better option.

Their beef is essentially that Beto is white and using a brown name. They can try to hide their hood under some other bullshit argument, but no matter what they say, this is about that he's a gringo using a brown name.

It doesn't bother me that he's a white guy from the border using a brown name, it bothers me more to see someone brown try to be someone they are not.

I saw someone on Facebook make a point - and I wish I could remember exactly who it was so I could give them props (Everett Saucedo maybe?) - that made a lot of sense about Beto. They said Beto is as much an El Pasoan as Marty Robbins or Khalid.

I'd go further. Beto is MORE of an El Pasoan. His roots are here for generations. Do I agree with Beto 100% on issues? No. I don't agree with anyone 100% on issues. Do you understand the amount of arrogance it takes for a person to think a candidate has to agree with their positions 100%? It means you, and only you, think you know what is best for everyone else and that no one else has any good ideas.

Don't we already have enough of that lately?

Beto has been Beto as long as I've known him. Turns out, he's been Beto since he was a kid. Conspiracy theorists think he changed his name to run for office. He didn't, unless he planned to run for office since kindergarten.

Want proof? Here he is.

He's the kid with the name "Beto" on his sweatshirt.

This was clearly before he learned to tie his shoes.

I think Ted Cruz's effort to fool someone with his name is the saddest of all.

Ted is trying to fool himself into believing he's someone he's not.

White.