Size Matters: Beto Greeted by Really Small Crowd on His First Visit to Charlotte, NC

Beto O’Rourke’s crowd numbers were bad during his most recent visit to Iowa a week ago. Unfortunately for him it wasn’t a one-off, as the numbers from his rally today in Charlotte, NC weren’t much better.

The Charlotte Observer reports that around 250 people showed up at the Central Piedmont Community College campus as O’Rourke made a scheduled early morning visit:

O’Rourke, 46, told the Observer he believes his experience as a businessman, a congressman from the border town of El Paso and a Democrat who almost won in a red state, can distinguish him in a crowded field.

In Charlotte, O’Rourke waded into statewide and even local issues.

Wearing a white CPCC baseball cap, he applauded the media for pushing for release of the video of the fatal police shooting of 27-year-old Danquirs Franklin on March 25.

“I am grateful to members of the press who insisted on transparency,” he told around 250 people on the lawn of CPCC. Decrying what he described as the disproportionate number of minorities behind bars, he said he would try to ensure “equal justice for every single one of us.”

He also criticized House Bill 2, the 2016 legislation that overturned a Charlotte anti-discrimination ordinance that would have allowed transgender people to use the bathroom or locker room of the gender with which they identified. A similar bill was introduced in Texas, but failed to pass.

He also doubled down on his recent criticisms of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu:

He blamed “failed leadership” on both sides, but criticized newly re-elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what he called “racist (actions) that seek to stoke anxiety and fear.”

Here are some images from the rally:

Good morning! From sunny Charlotte, NC. Presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke is scheduled to hold a meet and greet at Central Piedmont Community College here in just a few minutes, and there is nary a cloud in the sky. It’s a beautiful morning for some politics, y’all. pic.twitter.com/REZKNoQaBB

— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) April 15, 2019

Images O’Rourke posted to his Twitter account made the rally look bigger than it actually was:

Beautiful day in Charlotte for our first town hall in NC. Thanks to all of the students and everyone in the community who spent their morning with us as we took questions about justice reform, health care, LGBTQ equality, DACA, higher education, and reducing gun violence. pic.twitter.com/V6ilpH3dRt

— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) April 15, 2019

Here’s a short video taken at the rally, which gives a better idea of the size:

Beto O’Rourke kicks off his Monday swing through Charlotte, Greensboro & Chapel Hill in North Carolina — addresses pending release of tape showing the shooting by CMPD of 27-year-old Danquirs Franklin. He says he is grateful for calls for “transparency.” pic.twitter.com/uGki0xUUnJ

— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) April 15, 2019

Per WCCB, O’Rourke has two other stops planned during his visit to North Carolina, which has become an important battleground state come election time:

O’Rourke’s other events will be held at Natty Greene’s Pub & Brewing in Greensboro and at the Frank Porter Graham Student Union at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

You can watch the full video of his Charlotte event below:

HAPPENING NOW: 2020 Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke campaigns in Charlotte, North Carolina. https://t.co/AI24cgxUJ6

— ABC News (@ABC) April 15, 2019

Betomania has not made it to North Carolina just yet, it would seem.

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—Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter.–

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