Mike Riggs on Sheriff Mack, the Oath Keeper Running Against Lamar Smith

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), authored by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) at the behest of Hollywood and the recording industry, inspired one of the largest and most organic opposition campaigns in recent memory. Twitter users put "STOP SOPA" banners on their user avatars; numerous sites—including Wikipedia, Google, and Reddit—"blacked out" in protest; and Congress eventually tabled the bill. While Smith bore the brunt of the backlash, writes Associate Editor Mike Riggs, his primary opponent, Oath Keeper Richard Mack, has ridden the outrage like a wave.