Senator Ted Cruz and Congressman Beto O’Rourke met for their final debate before election day and both came out swinging. Polls are showing O’Rourke has an uphill battle over the next few weeks to win the Senate seat Cruz currently holds. His strategy last night was to say that Trump gave Cruz the nickname “Lyin’ Ted” for a reason saying “he’s dishonest” and “Senator Cruz is never going to be honest with you.” And Cruz tried to tie O’Rourke to socialism.
As they sparred over Medicare for All, the GOP tax cuts, and border security, both candidates continued to try to appeal to their bases in a race that has captured national attention and money and built up long-held Democratic hopes of turning Texas blue.
Cruz argued that O’Rourke is dangerously liberal, while O’Rourke called Cruz out-of-step and beholden to Republican donors.
Cruz emphasized that O’Rourke is too “radical” for Texas — trying to paint him as more to the left than progressive Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
In a bitter debate from start to finish, both candidates laid out distinct visions for why they should be elected in their closing statements. Those respective visions essentially boiled down to “hope and change” versus continued progress.
O’Rourke said the country and Texans need “inspiration” and hope when Americans and government are more divided than ever.
“Whether we remain the inspiration of the world is an open question right now,” O’Rourke said, saying he’s been inspired to “transcend the obstacles” and fight for so-called Dreamers and universal health care.
Meanwhile, Cruz made the case for familiarity, arguing that electing O’Rourke would disrupt the economic growth in Texas that’s been made over his past six years in office.
Watch some of the highlights above.
