This. As a native Texan, it's really insulting having our politicians assume that we're all dumb enough to believe anyone is going to institute sharia law or that we think boys going to the girls bathroom should be the most important issue of the day. But this strategy works for them because all the rednecks and blue hairs in Texas actually believe this nonsense.
You speak as if the voting bloc is single-minded. In practice, in TX, I don’t remember any statewide race that actually had the opposition successfully picking their opponent for the general.
Ballot propositions, for those who don’t know, are basically a "poll" during early voting. 2026 ballot propositions - some of these are cringe-worthy GOP: Proposition 1: Texas property taxes should be assessed at the purchase price and phased out entirely over the next six years through spending reductions. Proposition 2: Texas should require any local government budget that raises property taxes to be approved by voters at a November general election. Proposition 3: Texas should prohibit denial of healthcare or any medical service based solely on the patient's vaccination status. Proposition 4: Texas should require its public schools to teach that life begins at fertilization. Proposition 5: Texas should ban gender, sexuality, and reproductive clinics and services in K-12 schools. Proposition 6: Texas should enact term limits on all elected officials. Proposition 7: Texas should ban the large-scale export or sale of our groundwater and surface water to any single private or public entity. Proposition 8: The Texas Legislature should reduce the burden of illegal immigration on taxpayers by ending public services for illegal aliens. Proposition 9: The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature should stop awarding leadership positions, including committee and subcommittee chairmanships and vice chairmanships, to Democrats. Proposition 10: Texas should prohibit Sharia Law. DEM: Proposition 1: Texas should expand Medicaid and ensure access to affordable healthcare for all. Proposition 2: Texans should support humane and dignified immigration policies and pathways to citizenship. Proposition 3: Texans should have the right to make their own healthcare decisions, including reproductive rights. Proposition 4: Texas should address the state’s housing crisis in affordability and access in both urban and rural communities. Proposition 5: Texas should fund all public schools at the same per-pupil rate as the national average. Proposition 6: Secure online voter registration should be accessible to all eligible Texas residents. Proposition 7: Texas should have a clean and healthy environment that includes water, air, and biodiversity. Texas must preserve the state's natural, cultural, scenic, and recreational resources. Proposition 8: Texas should legalize cannabis for adults and automatically expunge criminal records for past low-level cannabis offenses. Proposition 9: Texas should raise salaries to at least the national average and should provide a cost-of-living increase based on the national Consumer Price Index every two years to current/retired school and state employees. Proposition 10: Texas should ban racially motivated redistricting, ban mid-decade redistricting, and create a non-partisan redistricting board to redraw lines every 10 years. Proposition 11: The Working Class should be eligible for greater federal income tax relief and have their tax burden fairly shifted onto the wealthiest. Proposition 12: Texas should expand accessible public transportation opportunities in rural and urban communities so residents can get to their workplaces, schools, and healthcare. Proposition 13: Texas should prevent individuals with a history of domestic abuse from purchasing firearms by implementing “red flag” laws.
The problem is that their stomachs have not touched their backs. . . . yet As soon as them hunger pains kick in .. . . .Abortion/TransFolx/Sharia Law . . become secondary and not that important . Staving bigot will eat "black food" The question is . . .how starving are they now? I think the two things that serves the republicans well is 1. GOD over people. Their base feel like "pleasing God" is more important than doing what is best for society and that they are mutually exclusive 2. Pain and Suffering is noble . . .. . They can be starving and in the most pain but they will take it because of #1 You can rake them over the coals. . .as long as they think God needs them on those coals for salvation [esp if it aligns with their already preconceived notions] Rocket River
Crocket vs. Talarico Talarico has a chance, Crocket does not. Why waste a golden opportunity on a non-viable candidate.
I don't know about that. The christianity I'm most familiar with is Calvinist and he's definitely not that. He said in the Colbert interview that you are saved by how you treat the least among us (as opposed to going to church and voting Republican he says, not mentioning anything about Jesus paying for your sins on the cross), which is scandalous to a calvinist. But, it is a liberation theology and pretty mainstream. I think you'd see this kind of teaching in many mainline churches like PCUSA, UCC, some Episcopalian and Methodists too. But Texas is mostly baptist. So I expect if he was the candidate in the general we would hear a lot about him not being a "real christian," which will be partly motivated by political animus and partly from the genuine foreignness of his theology to people accustomed to hearing baptist doctrine. We saw that with Obama too when they wanted to paint the doctrine of his church in a sinister light. I think Talarico might be better served by leaning in more on Jesus and adopt more baptist vocabulary to express his beliefs. Ken Paxton natively talks like a baptist though and no matter how much signaling Talarico does, voters probably will be more apt to recognize Paxton's christianity as more credible even though I don't think he is a regular church attender anywhere. Yeah, but most people generally don't do it for some reason. I think the potential for 'picking your opponent' is greater for the dominant party, the republicans in the case of Texas, because you can cross over to vote for the most extreme candidate to try to give yourself an easier opponent. Much riskier to do that for the weaker party because the extreme opponent you helped pick might win in the general anyway and then you're really screwed. See Trump, 2016. But, sure go ahead Texas Republicans and close your primary. Parties keep it open because they understand that it ultimately helps them in the general. But I won't interrupt while they are making a mistake.
My best friend now says he’s a Republican because of “religion” (he means Christianity of course). At least he finally dropped the “small government” line. Paxton vs. Talarico will be an interesting test for that reasoning. One went to seminary. The other was indicted on three felony fraud charges and divorced after an adultery scandal.
My guess would be that it's his pretty flimsy Biblical justification for abortion rights. And it does seem weak to me. But, where Talarico smartly focuses is on Jesus' words in Mark 12: The Religious Right has downplayed the two greatest commandments for a very long time. A leftism that appeals to the two greatest commandments (or only the second one when it comes to living in a secular, diverse country) is an appealing counter to forty years of fire and brimstone nationalism.
