海角大神

It took less than 48 hours last week for Beto O鈥橰ourke to express regret over attacking Ted Cruz, the United States senator he hopes to unseat this year.

Grassroots energy, record fundraising hauls, and a Democrat actually being competitive statewide in ruby-red Texas have combined to make this one of the most closely-watched contests in the country. But Representative O鈥橰ourke, a three-term congressman from El Paso, has also attracted supporters 鈥� and Internet celebrity 鈥� by running a largely positive campaign. In the months he has campaigned across the state he has rarely criticized Senator Cruz, saying he instead wants to focus on issues, inclusion, and optimism.

Perhaps in a sign of the tenor of the times, he has departed from that approach in recent weeks, criticizing Cruz at events, in campaign ads, and during a statewide televised debate.

With O鈥橰ourke trailing in the polls less than two weeks from election day, experts say the recent burst of negativity is a sign that a hitherto unconventional campaign is reverting to tried-and-tested methods. For his part, O鈥橰ourke has vowed not to personally attack his opponent again. While a national ramp-up in negative political rhetoric is to be expected at this late point in a campaign cycle that has been nationalized in many corners as a referendum on President Trump, around the country it is reaching new levels of demonization and vitriol.

Two years after Michelle Obama told the Democratic National Convention 鈥渨hen they go low, we go high,鈥� some prominent Democrats have said the party needs to, essentially, do and say whatever it takes to defeat Republicans this year. Republicans, meanwhile, have accused Democrats of treason and inciting 鈥渕obs.鈥� This week, prominent Democratic leaders and critics of the president became the targets of pipe bombs. On Friday, law enforcement announced they had arrested a suspect in connection with the bombs.

O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 rise has been fueled by positivity, however, and while he has begun to criticize Cruz more, the attacks have rarely been personal. He聽has said they are necessary to push back against misleading criticisms of his record, but he has so far avoided going to extremes. For this moment in time it is an unorthodox approach.

鈥淚n this midterm, we鈥檒l see if that strategy of not going low works,鈥� says Mark Rodriguez, an O鈥橰ourke supporter. 鈥淚 hope we don鈥檛 get to that point, that reasonable people can鈥檛 win. But you never really know.鈥�

Whether the balance O鈥橰ourke is trying to strike will be enough for a Democrat to be elected to statewide office in Texas for the first time since 1994 is another question, but for a positive campaign to bring a Democrat even this close, the statement may have already been made.

Out of character

It also stands in contrast with races elsewhere in the country. In a Florida gubernatorial debate, Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum said that, while he wouldn鈥檛 call his Republican opponent Ron DeSantis a racist, 鈥淚鈥檓 simply saying the racists believe he鈥檚 a racist.鈥� In a heated聽Arizona Senate debate, Republican candidate Martha McSally accused her Democratic opponent Kyrsten Sinema of saying 鈥渋t鈥檚 OK to commit to treason.鈥� In New Jersey, Republican challenger Bob Hugin revived an unproven allegation that Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez had hired underage prostitutes, an attack ad The New York Times described as 鈥渕isleading.鈥�

Civility and an emphasis on the personal have been features of O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 political brand. He has refused to take money from political action committees, but raised more than $61 million 鈥� double his opponent 鈥� through regular appeals for small donations. (Outside groups have funded ads supporting both candidates.) He held town halls in all 254 counties in Texas, crisscrossing the vast state in a fashion reminiscent of Lyndon Johnson鈥檚 helicopter-powered Senate campaign in 1948, only with more selfies and Facebook livestreams.

One of O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 earliest forays into national news came in a road trip with GOP Rep. Will Hurd last year showing that politicians 鈥渃an disagree without being disagreeable.鈥� In a tweet, he criticized protesters who shouted Cruz and his wife out of a Washington restaurant. His Senate campaign gained national attention after a video of his defense of kneeling NFL players, in response to a question at a town hall in Houston, went viral.

鈥淩easonable people can disagree on this issue 鈥� and it makes them no less American,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can think of nothing more American than to peacefully stand up or take a knee for your rights.鈥�

Both reflect that while O鈥橰ourke is undeniably liberal 鈥� his policy positions include universal health care and abortion rights 鈥� civil disagreement is at the core of his political brand.

His supporters say they gravitate to that sense of fair play.

鈥淗e鈥檚 running on just good values. It鈥檚 so different,鈥� said Denise Avila, a grandmother and high school English teacher, who attended a rally last week. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 seen that in Texas in a long time.鈥�

O鈥橰ourke edged away from that brand in recent weeks, culminating in attacks in a televised debate last week, including one rare reference to Trump.

鈥淗e鈥檚 dishonest. That鈥檚 why the president called him 鈥楲yin鈥� Ted,鈥� 鈥� O鈥橰ourke said, referencing Trump鈥檚 nickname for Cruz during the GOP primary in 2016.

The line got a big cheer from a packed room of Democratic voters watching in a San Antonio bar, but O鈥橰ourke didn鈥檛 look especially comfortable delivering it. Two days later, at a town hall hosted by CNN, he said, 鈥淧erhaps, in the heat of the moment, I took a step too far.鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that that鈥檚 the way I want to be taking this campaign,鈥� he added.

He has begun to release ads attacking Cruz鈥檚 positions, however, on issues like immigration and education. They are not your traditional attack ads 鈥� no black-and-white images or ominous music, just O鈥橰ourke speaking into a camera. (Outside groups have been financing anti-Cruz ads, including some directed by 鈥淏oyhood鈥� director Richard Linklater.)

Cruz has been attacking him for longer. In a battle of the nicknames, Rafael 鈥淭ed鈥� Cruz鈥檚 first ad, released in March, mocked O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 鈥淏eto鈥� nickname (a Latino truncation of Roberto). Cruz has consistently characterized his opponent as being too liberal for Texas. Earlier this week, at an event in Georgetown, Texas, he joked that O鈥橰ourke should share a jail cell with Hillary Clinton.

Experts say these are all indications that, as the race enters its home stretch 鈥� and with the latest polls showing Cruz ahead by single digits 鈥� it is becoming more conventional.

It has helped O鈥橰ourke 鈥渢hat he has not limited himself to just complaining about Republicans in general, or running against Cruz, or running against Trump,鈥� says Harold Cook, a Democratic strategist and former executive director of the Texas Democratic Party.

鈥淏ut that alone doesn鈥檛 put you in the lead,鈥� he adds. 鈥淵ou cannot win without presenting a compelling reason for the incumbent to be fired.鈥�

At Cowboys Dancehall

Both Republicans and Democrats in Texas have been buoyed by record numbers of midterm ballots being cast in counties around the state for early voting, which began on Monday. After polls closed on Tuesday in San Antonio, hundreds of O鈥橰ourke supporters flocked to the Cowboys Dancehall here for a rally. As the nine-piece band Shinyribs played on the stage, they milled around the venue, lining up to buy O鈥橰ourke T-shirts and stickers, take selfies with a neon 鈥淏eto for Texas鈥� sign, and chatting near a vacant mechanical bull.

Charging her phone near the mechanical bull, Norma Leza says she鈥檚 never been as invested in a candidate as she is in O鈥橰ourke.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I鈥檝e kept following him,鈥� she says, referring to his positive campaigning.

And the attacks of recent weeks?

鈥淔or the most part it was necessary,鈥� Ms. Leza says. She doesn鈥檛 agree with the broader notion that Democrats should do whatever it takes to win, but 鈥渋f you鈥檙e trying to prove a point, or disprove another point [about your policies], I like it.鈥�

Mr. Rodriguez,聽who has been following the campaign for nearly a year, says it has been exciting to see the crowds grow from a few dozen last year to the hundreds in the Cowboys Dancehall. He echoed many other supporters in saying 鈥渋t was refreshing to see him so positive.鈥�

鈥淚 just hope it鈥檚 not down to one candidate,鈥澛爃e adds. 鈥淚 hope this could be a playbook for other candidates, to generate excitement and good will.鈥�

As he finished speaking, someone on the stage called out to the crowd on the dance floor. 鈥淚f they go low,鈥� he called, 鈥渨e go?鈥�

The crowd answered in unison: 鈥淗igh!鈥�