Late-stage Betomania in Reno
The once-darling candidate makes his case in purple Nevada
On April 25, 2019, at 10:29 AM, Beto O’Rourke arrived at a café just a block from the University of Nevada-Reno. On this particularly brilliant spring Nevada day, he parked a rental car, a Ford Fusion with Eco-Boost. A crowd of about a hundred had gathered within and around the tiny café to hear from the 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful.
Immediately upon exiting the vehicle, O’Rourke donned a UNR Wolfpack cap and greeted the café manager.
“Bibo, right?” O’Rourke asked, shaking the man’s hand. “Beto.”
Known for his proclivity for shouting and standing on tables, O’Rourke proceeded to do just that. In fact, the café his campaign had chosen for this first stop in Northern Nevada was eminently suited for his purposes.
Bibo Coffee Company’s Records Street location is an edgy joint known for distressed furniture, zero WiFi availability, and the frequent broadcasting of punk rock. Its proximity to the Union Pacific railroad also allows for some curious scenes. A half-hour before O’Rourke arrived, a train stopped on the tracks, an engineer climbed out, heading for the café. A few minutes later, the engineer climbed back aboard, iced coffee in hand, and continued eastward.
