Early voting in Texas starts today. I just wanted an all-purpose thread for whatever folks want to talk about in the primaries. I'm still trying to decide whether I want to be a moderating voice in the Republican primary or participate in the more uplifting but ultimately impotent Democratic primaries. On the Dem side, I've got Al Green vs. Menefee and as much as I love Green, he needs to retire. But, it looks like Menefee will take it anyway. Talarico vs. Crockett is interesting too and I'm trying to decide which one I want to see gored by Paxton. Governor's race is even more hopeless and then I stop even recognizing names down ballot from there. Or, I can go Republican. Can vote for some non-Paxton for Senator and some non-Abbott for Governor, not that it will matter. The race for AG will actually matter with Paxton vacating, so I'd give it my genuine consideration. And given my industry I have opinions about the Railroad Commission.
The Republican TV ads are excruciating. "maga Mayes Middleton"... really? What a boob. I hope Chip Roy mops the floor with him, since he doesn't seem to be quite as much of a Trump boot-licker as Middleton. Like you said, the Democratic primaries don't even matter in Texas, so who cares.
I assume trying to out-MAGA opponents still works in the primaries. I'll be interested to see if they try the same in the general. Those "who's more MAGA" ads definately backfire on me, but I'm not the intended audience.
The ads this year are so unhinged. I get this one like every other commercial (literally.. not even being hyperbolic) where the lady running is just running a strictly anti vax message and blaming vaccines for her child suffering a disability. There’s also the one that is a fat dude whose entire ad is about him being big… like literally… and because he’s the biggest Trump supporter that is his qualifications. What’ll be funny is after the primaries see these candidates just try to mind erase everyone and present themselves as a “reasonable conservative”.
I am gonna vote for Crocket and probably Green but the reality is who ever comes out will get my vote in the general elections Rocket River
I'm trying to find that one candidate, Texas office, can't remember the name or office, but I always make fun of him when his commercials come on. He's fat (I mean, like, bags of Oreos for breakfast fat) and he has a lithp....er, lisp. "The socialitht takeover of the Democrat Party is now complete." (closes laptop showing Mamdani) "I'm a conthervative, and I'm not afraid to thay it." He has this one commercial where two Texas cops (Montgomery County?) wearing their cowboy hats, channeling Woodrow and Augustus, stalk tough-looking around the same truck the candidate himself is leaning across because he's such a fat dithgusthting thlob. Can't remember his name! Can't find him on Google! WTF? But he's so make-fun-of-able.
If Crockett is the candidate, I'll vote for her, but black sassy women don't tend to play statewide in Texas. Old white people will show up in droves just to make sure she doesn't win ("she called Abbott 'Hot Wheels'!"), and the city vote won't match that.
Holy crap. Looking at my sample ballot now... we have NINE people running in the primary for Governor to challenge Abbott?? Good lord people. Gina Hinojosa it is. For my House rep seat in district 24, its between Jon Buckwald, TJ Ware, and Kevin Burger. TJ Ware is the only one up here who has been running ads. The winner there will be trying to win vs Beth Van Duyne who doesn't do a whole lot for north Texas except for gaslighting us all about how great Trump has made Texas. District 24 is one of these districts up here in the DFW area where a Steve Bannon/Trump PAC has with precision tried to take down our public schools by electing these nutcases on school boards who now have successfully closed down public schools left and right to put in play private christian schools to indoctrinate this area to ensure that it never flips blue. Its a pretty pivotal portion of Texas according to Bannon who sees Tarrant county as the key to Texas, and he sees Texas as the key to ensuring that MAGA stays in power for generations. So yeah... pretty important election, and one where hopefully that backlash carries into this race, and the bigger races for Senate and Gov. It'll be interesting to see what kind of election platform Beth Van Duyne runs on though knowing how the recent election went where the Patriot Mobile lady got clobbered.
Al Green has my respect. But the dude is 78. Democrats are paying the price for the gerontocracy of yesteryear and I want to learn that lesson and give it to the next generation. Any candidate over 70, you need to think about the term length and how his age impacts things. Over 75, just forget it. My mother is far wiser than any of these mofos, but she wouldn't get my vote because of her age. Crocket vs. Talarico is probably the most interesting race for me, but it does seem to be an exercise in rearranging deck chairs. I like that Talarico challenges people's presumptions about Christians in politics. But it really bothers me that he took money from the gambling lobby while swearing off other corporate interests. I'm anti-gambling, so that really sours me. I might go Crockett.
I can agree with the over 70 thing. You are probably right because I really don't want to be voting for anyone over 65 really Why should someone be making decisions about things 20 yrs from now when they won't live to see it much less be affected by it. To an extent I think our draconian slavery to the decisions of the past Limit our future. . . .Most of these people are not very forward thinkers. I adore Crockett because I really like her fire Democrats needs LOUD VOICES as much as anything else I think JT will be fine too . . .. . as i said which ever one come out the primaries gets my vote but I am so tired of the mumble mouth voices of Schumer and Jeffries and trying to get along with Republicans more than helping people I don't want a return to status quo Rocket River
Brilliant logic likely endorsed by the “uncommitted” fools who played a big role in where we are now.
I laugh in disgust at that dude (cant think of his name) because that's what Texas GOP old farts want.......and that dude MAGA Mayes, while the rest of the US would not associate tramp this closely he leans into it, but as I said that's who Texas wants for some stupid reason.........then there is the larger lady who apparently walks around with a long gun like its any other day telling me she`s gonna keep the boys out of the girls bathroom and she would not succumb to Shierra law, I have no clue what that even means but it must be a maga talking point that doesn't really mean Jack S*** but it sounds good to all the blue hairs in the rural areas
Talarico is too genuine and honest to ever win the Senate seat, unless I've missed something. IMO it's a vote wasted even though I believe he is a good person and Christian.
Little worried about Paxton -- he's easily the best candidate, but it's going to be expensive to protect him from attacks in the general election. Nobody will vote for democrats based on policies, but they have endless amounts to throw at attacking the opponent on faux moral grounds. Defending him will deplete the Republican war chest for a state that should be a sure thing. Talarico, the false prophet with his own fictional version of the bible is kind of comedic... if Crockett can't defeat him with liberal voters, she's probably best served moving to Georgia. Talarico is genuinely awful from a policy perspective --- I see it alot with teachers. The convince themselves society is the same as their elementary classroom and have circles run around them in the real world. His immigration policy is open borders for "asylum seekers with good intentions, while keeping the criminals out". I guess Jesus will tell him who plans to commit crime and who doesn't. If not, they'll just check the box on the application.
Political ads are the worst. The texts are nonstop, even though I keep reporting them as junk. My YouTube is constantly full of Ted Cruz ads endorsing someone.
Because Talarico genuinely lives out a kind of Christianity that doesn’t match the “Christian = Republican culture warrior” stereotype, he can reach voters most Texas Democrats can’t. That’s why he might be different from the usual Democrat who has almost no chance statewide. Maybe. But if I’m betting, I’d choose different over the same old strategy and expecting a different result.
