Pete Ricketts has always had a hard time reading the room.

I remember when he was first running for governor. I heard him give a speech at Big Mama’s Kitchen in North Omaha. The room was filled with North Omaha residents concerned about urban issues like jobs, education and crime.

But instead of talking about those issues, Senator Ricketts gave his stump speech about his ag proposals. I’m sure the farmers in rural Nebraska could appreciate a speech like that, but it fell on deaf ears. By not reading the room, Pete Ricketts wasted his time and that of those in the crowd.

Fast forward to now.

I heard the senator speak again last Friday morning at the emPower Breakfast. That’s a business networking group that is sponsored in part by the Daily Record. The crowd was mostly older and white. A completely different group from the audience at Big Mama’s.

The speech was billed as “Legislation being passed or proposed that helps small business owners.” But instead of speaking on what that group came to hear, the Senator spoke for twenty minutes about his father’s success and how they came to own the Cubs.

When it came time for the question-and-answer portion of the morning, nobody in the audience asked him about any of that. And neither did I when the Senator called on me.

I mentioned that I was a former Republican, but since the party has given up on fiscal responsibility, family values, and respect for the rule of law, why should someone be proud to be a Republican?

I was wondering if he would challenge my premise. He didn’t.

Instead, he talked about limiting the size of government. He spoke of how cutting back things like snap programs helps motivate recipients to get to work and better themselves. He did, however, acknowledge that the deficit is still way too high.

When it was over, people came up to me and thanked me for asking that question. Some asked if I felt that he answered it. I said I didn’t think he did, and when I asked them how they felt about his answer, they agreed he avoided giving me a straightforward response.

Then, Friday night, while I was doomscrolling, I saw a feed from Congressman Mike Flood’s news channel of the rally Pete Ricketts had with Senator Ted Cruz. The event was moved to the Lincoln Country Club after the original venue, Zipline Brewery, shut down under questionable circumstances.

It was a friendly crowd, and the senator knew how to read that small room. But when it comes to reading the room for the general election, I believe he’s misreading the room once again.

The country club audience was made up of strong Republican supporters. So when he brought up the old culture war standbys of what bathroom someone should use, how Dan Osborn wants to have the government pay for sex change operations in prisons, and how Democrats give taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal immigrants, the folks in that room were receptive. But the mood has changed outside of that Republican room since those attacks worked in previous elections.

Voters don’t have time to worry about bathrooms. They’re too busy worrying about groceries, gas, and war.

I chuckled when I heard Mr. Cruz blame Joe Biden for how high inflation was when the Democrats were in charge, ignoring the 4.2% increase in the cost-of-living last month alone. Both senators warned about how bad things would be if Democrats got control of both houses, ignoring how bad things are now with Republicans in charge of the House, Senate, and the White House.

I don’t know if Dan Osborn can defeat Pete Ricketts. Ricketts has the power of incumbency, and there’s a certain percentage of voters who will pick the Republican no matter who it is. And I’m sure there’s still a minority of voters who are afraid that if they go into a public restroom, they’ll be invaded by a horde of transvestites singing show tunes.

Things might be good for people like Pete Ricketts, but there are a lot of the everyday workers who are having a tough time, and they want our leaders to make them better. They want solutions, not fear.

Senator Ricketts would know that, if he knew how to read the room.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.