O’Rourke has had these moments before. Last year, he was asked if he supported Colin Kaepernick, the NFL quarterback whose protests by kneeling during the national anthem sparked a nationwide conversation. Instead of giving a safe, wishy-washy answer, he gave a heartfelt yes: “I can think of nothing more American than to peacefully stand up or take a knee for your rights, any time, anywhere, in any place.”

It went viral, the way his answer last Sunday did. We aren’t used to seeing candidates act like real people.

Frankly, it’s made us wish O’Rourke would shift gears, and rather than unpause his presidential campaign, we’d like to see him take a new direction.

So Beto, if you’re listening: Come home. Drop out of the race for president and come back to Texas to run for senator. The chances of winning the race you’re in now are vanishingly small. And Texas needs you.