Texas Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who was once touted by the mainstream media and Democrats as the next JFK, tried and failed to beat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, and dropped out of the 2020 Democratic presidential race in November 2019 well before the first primary votes were even cast.

Apparently unafraid to make an embarrassing showing again in statewide Texas elections, O’Rourke is trying to become a thing again by running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to (presumably) take on current Gov. Greg Abbott in the 2022 general election.

To get there, of course, Beto has to win the Democrat primary. And while he’s the only major Democrat to declare his candidacy so far, the names of other high-profile Texans are being floated, including Texas native and actor Matthew McConaughey.

While it’s not known whether McConaughey is a Republican, Democrat, or independent, my guess is that he’s most likely a Democrat, although probably a middle-of-the-road one, judging by his views against cancel culture but in favor of gun control and against the Texas fetal heartbeat law. McConaughey himself has not even ruled out a possible run, saying earlier this year that it was a “true consideration.”

Naturally, when a celebrity is causing heads to turn and tongues to wag over a potential run for higher office, the pollsters want to know where voters stand on that celebrity’s chances. And just this week the results of a Dallas Morning News/University of Texas – Tyler poll were released, which showed O’Rourke trailing Abbott by six percent in a two-way race and by 11 percent in a three-way race, with McConaughey being 10 percent down against Abbott in such a match-up.

But in a two-way matchup between O’Rourke and McConaughey, the actor absolutely trounces him by 22 percent, and even leads Abbott by eight percent:

Matthew McConaughey ahead of Abbott, Beto in Texas governor race poll https://t.co/ByESjOEiKe pic.twitter.com/9fXcMrO60R

— New York Post (@nypost) November 23, 2021

According to Texas law, the deadline to file to put yourself in contention is roughly three weeks from now (December 13th), so obviously McConaughey doesn’t have much more time to think about whether or not he wants to throw his hat into the ring.

Still, it’s terrible news for Beto’s campaign that a known quantity like him is polling so badly against a popular actor who has never held public office, and whose most famous movie line is “alright, alright, alright.”

But perhaps it’s precisely because Beto O’Rourke is such a known quantity in Texas politics that he’s polling so poorly, especially considering his radical position on gun control or – rather – gun confiscation, a position he unapologetically maintains to this day:

On #CNNSOTU this morning @BetoORourke said he not only still supports a government confiscation of legally obtained firearms from private citizens, but also confirms that’s what he would do if elected governor of Texas. pic.twitter.com/EOWSWnDs80

— Joanna Rodriguez (@joannamrod) November 21, 2021

Poor Beto. Can’t win for losin’. You hate to see it. You really do.

Related: Dems Enter ‘Flashing Red Lights’ Territory After Poll on Voters’ Opinions of Biden’s Mental Fitness