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‘RIP Beto’: Andrew Yang Skateboards His Way Into Democrat Voters’ Hearts

Last Updated March 4, 2021 2:41 PM
W. E. Messamore
Last Updated March 4, 2021 2:41 PM

2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang just skateboarded his way into Democratic voters’ hearts. At a Yang 2020 rally in Las Vegas Wednesday, the New York businessman stoked the crowd with some gnarly moves on a supporter’s skateboard.

The best part is supporters caught Yang thrashing wood on video. But that might be bad news for Democratic primary rival and fellow skater boy  Beto O’Rourke.

The rad video footage prompted Iowa Hawk Blog to tweet, “RIP Beto.”

In the 1990s, Baby Boomers thought it was all that and a bag of chips to have a young, saxophone-playing president like Bill Clinton in the Oval Office. Well, Millennials are losing it at the possibility of electing a skateboarding president who supports bitcoin and cryptocurrency.

Your Move, Beto

Why RIP Beto?

The Yang vs. Beto “cool guy” rivalry began earlier this year.

A member of Generation X, three-term Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke told Reuters  in March that he used to be a hacker, played in a punk rock band, and still skateboards.

Not to be outdone, Andrew Yang identified as  “ex-Goth” in a Jezebel interview. He named off his favorite bands, listing The Cure, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, and REM. And Yang added:

“When they arrived with Joshua Tree, U2 somehow was there.”

Back in 2016, when Hillary Clinton told a popular hip-hop radio show with a young, urban fan base that she carries hot sauce in her purse, people didn’t believe  it was genuine. They could tell she was probably just pandering for votes.

But Andrew Yang’s got the yearbook photo to prove it. Therefore, he would really be the first ex-Goth president in U.S. history if elected.

Andrew Yang Is No Poseur

Oh yeah–and Yang challenged Beto to a skateboarding contest:

“I will say one thing I’d be interested in doing: Some kind of skate-off with Beto because I also skated. If Beto is open to it, I’m open to it.”

And this week he proved he’s got the skills to back it up.

But the same day that Yang proved his ride is ill, Beto was just trying not to get ill.

Here’s the video of Beto getting his flu shot the same day.

Exciting, right?

Now Beto’s going to have to show us he still skateboards. Otherwise, people are going to think he’s all pander and no substance like typical career politicians.

Andrew Yang currently has Beto O’Rourke outmatched in the polls. The Real Clear Politics average  of available polling data for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary shows Yang leading O’Rourke at 3.5% to 2.2%.

Neither candidate is in the Biden-Warren-Sanders league. But that could easily change if Bernie Sanders drops out of the race after being hospitalized  with a blocked artery.

Sanders’ 16.8% of supporters would be up for grabs. Yang is precisely the candidate whose platform they would find appealing. Combine that genuine possibility with Yang’s impressive $10 million  third-quarter fundraising haul, and you’ve got a surprisingly viable path to a skateboarding, ex-Goth president.