Tickets for last Tuesday’s Democratic debate at Otterbein University were incredibly hard to come by.
Capital student J.J. Price wasn’t able to score seats, and instead ended up watching the debate from the Ohio Democratic Party’s watch party. But his girlfriend, Joseline Martinez-Cortez, attends Otterbein and helped to set up the stage; as a result, she had the choice of the best seats in the venue, and ended up sitting near the families of the candidates.
After the debate, most of the presidential hopefuls came down to meet attendees, and Martinez-Cortez was able to snap photos with several of them. Beto O’Rourke, though, her favorite candidate, left the venue without pausing for photographs. She was disappointed, but she spotted his wife Amy nearby, and so Martinez-Cortez went over to introduce herself.
Amy O’Rourke was thrilled to meet one of her husband’s supporters, and she invited Martinez-Cortez to an after-party at the Draft Room, a nearby restaurant.
Price picked Martinez-Cortez up after the debate, and she told him about the invitation. They drove to the Draft Room, only to find the doors locked and the windows dark. It was closed.
Martinez-Cortez was devastated. Price says, “What I was thinking was that someone was pretending to be Beto O’Rourke’s wife.” In an attempt to cheer her up, he suggested that they head to the Steak ‘n Shake at Polaris Mall.
When they arrived at the fast food joint, they noticed some people at a table in the corner sporting Beto T-Shirts. Martinez-Cortez mentioned to them that she had been hoping to purchase some merchandise of her own after the debate, but individual candidates had nothing for sale. The O’Rourke supporters, who introduced themselves as Ohio-based campaign workers, gave her a sticker and a pen, and said, “Actually, if you want to stick around, he’s on his way to Steak ‘n Shake now.”
Martinez-Cortez was ecstatic, but Price was more cautious; “Don’t get your hopes up,” he remembers telling his girlfriend. “We’ve already done this once tonight.”
About five or ten minutes later, a black SUV pulls up outside of the restaurant, and Beto O’Rourke walks in.
Price’s first impression of Beto O’Rourke? “I did not realize this man was that tall…I’m standing next to him, and I’m just like staring up at him as he’s towering over top of me.
O’Rourke shook hands and talked to the diners, thanking his Ohio supporters. His campaigns—for city council, for U.S. House of Representatives, for U.S. Senate—have always been focused around connecting with people. In an everyday place like Steak ‘n Shake, he can do just that.
