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Beto likes to stand on counters—and there are memes to prove it

It's his thing.

 

Nahila Bonfiglio

Internet Culture

Posted on Mar 19, 2019   Updated on May 20, 2021, 4:46 pm CDT

Last week saw former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke join the crowded field of Democrats contending for president in 2020.

The news of O’Rourke’s candidacy was met with overall enthusiasm. Supporters from his close Senate loss followed him into the presidential race. Within the first 24 hours, O’Rourke had raised more than $6 million. But photos and videos of numerous speeches and fundraisers in the days leading up to and following his announcement revealed something: He likes to stand on top of things.

Dozens of photos began emerging of the candidate perched on tables, counters, chairs—really anything that could support his weight. Rarely is there a photo of the 46-year-old standing on solid ground. Within no time, the lovely and industrious people of the internet took to memeing O’Rourke’s love for high places—in particular, a photo of him reportedly in Detroit. On a counter.

One user compared O’Rourke’s counter-standing to “the ‘cool’ teacher who sits backwards in chairs.”

“What does Beto stand for,” another user wrote. “I have no idea. What does Beto stand on? Tabletops, counters, bars, pretty much any surface intended for eating.”

Twitter user Addy Baird thought to ask the hard questions. “Does anyone have video of how Beto gets ON the counters in the first place,” she tweeted. “Is it, like, a colton-level fence jump? Or like an awkward butt-first, leg, leg thing?”

Even The Daily Show got in on it late Monday, tweeting numerous photoshops of O’Rouke perched on high with the accompanying text, “Damn has this guy been on EVERY counter?”

O’Rourke’s strange obsession with raised surfaces even started not one, but two Twitter accounts—”Beto on elevated surfaces” and “Beto Standing On Counters.”

The discussion may have nothing to do with policy, but O’Rourke certainly has people talking. Now to get them talking about something other than countertops…

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*First Published: Mar 19, 2019, 10:47 am CDT