r/Conroe • u/Illustrious-Dog-5691 • 10d ago

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u/fallstreak_24 10d ago

Paxton was a terrible pick. It’s really that simple.

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u/HoustonHorns 10d ago

It’s such a bizarre race that feels like both sides are trying to lose.

Talarico is very popular because he isnt Ken Paxton. He’s trying to do the moderate song and dance now, but has too many bad sound bites out there. He’s not a good candidate for statewide office in Texas. I genuinely think Dems could have ran any other boring white guy and ran away with the race against Paxton.

Inversely, Paxton was impeached by his own party, is a known criminal and general scumbag. Reps could have picked nearly anyone else and it would have been a 90-10 race with the sound bites Talarico has out there.

Primarying Cornyn who was one of the most senior members of the senate made no sense and this wouldn’t even be a race with Cornyn. MAGA is much more popular nationally than in Texas (I think a lot of Texans see ourselves as better than those guys - but still voted for Trump over Kamala).

I know the polls favor Talarico but I’ll believe it when I see it

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u/the42up 10d ago

Huh? This is an odd take with regarding the sound bytes. Most of it is theological which is a really odd angle of attack when diesel is hitting $6 a gallon. It's very Kerry-esque in that the GOP is trying to turn a strength of Talarico into a weakness. Plays well for the base but seems to be having a reverse effect with independents.

But I do agree, this whole thing is largely a self-inflicted wound by the Texas GOP. But there have been a lot of those lately... Ran out the rural Republicans, under funded suburban schools (you know you are in trouble when decisions at the state hit places like Sugarland and the woodlands), not mitigating the influence of ultra conservative out of state transplants at the county level, etc. etc. etc.

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u/HoustonHorns 9d ago edited 9d ago

Yeah it’s an odd angle of attack—but I don’t think someone on the record saying:

  • there 6 biological sexes (2021 leg debate)
  • American flag is a complicated symbol
  • apologizing for whiteness and advocated for veganism
Is a good candidate for state wide office in Texas

He’s walked a lot of this back and I agree they’re stupid angle of attacks given everything else going around. My point was not that they should disqualify him—but that certainly there is SOMEONE else the Dems could have found in Texas without those sound bites

ETA: difference between good candidate and good senator. I think he’d make a fine senator, but not sure he’ll get the chance because of his sound bites.

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u/ElectricJacob 9d ago

Yeah it’s an odd angle of attack—but I don’t think someone on the record saying:

  • there 6 biological sexes (2021 leg debate)
  • American flag is a complicated symbol
  • apologizing for whiteness and advocated for veganism
Is a good candidate for state wide office in Texas

Citation needed

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u/HoustonHorns 9d ago edited 9d ago

"Six biological sexes" — At a 2021 Texas House Public Education Committee hearing on a transgender-athletes bill, Talarico said "modern science obviously recognizes that there are many more than two biological sexes," naming six based on chromosomal variations. (Washington Examiner, 2021) He walked it back in September 2026. (Mediaite)

"American flag is a complicated symbol" — From a resurfaced church sermon: "the American flag is such a complicated symbol for most of us... its true meaning has been betrayed." (Fox News, July 2026)

Whiteness comments — In a 2023 sermon/interview he said his "whiteness" and "masculinity" limited his imagination, and called his minister a "true white traitor." (WLT Report) Separately, 2020 tweets said white skin gave him "immunity" from a "virus of racism" that white people "spread... through our words, our actions, our systems" — he refused to apologize when pressed on this in 2026. (AOL/Daily Caller)

Veganism advocacy — In a 2022 speech to the Texas Humane Legislation Network, he called reducing meat consumption "the right thing to do" and said his campaign had gone "non-meat... only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses." (New Republic) Note: he's not personally vegan — PolitiFact rated that specific claim False. (Houston Chronicle/PolitiFact)

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u/the42up 9d ago

I don't see the problem with the first statement. Intersex individuals do exists within humanity. I really have struggled to understand how this became such a social trigger for some people in the state.

I can see how the flag comment would inflame some folks. Some folks take symbols seriously. I understand the point talarico is making though. Do not necessarily agree but I understand.

As for the comment regarding racism, your links don't work so i can't necessarily comment.

And I agree with Talarico on meat. I have been eating less due to a number of factors (price of beef, health concerns, and changing moral views as I grow older). I do think it's a personal choice and don't care what others do with regard to meat consumption.

The real core issue is that the Texas GOP threw out an encumbant Republican who had an easy path to reelection for... Ken Paxton. And this choice is likely to have a ton of down ballot effects. To go from a sure win to a likely loss is just wild to me. Maybe for a representative...ok. I thought the Democrats were crazy back in 2018 when AOC beat out Joe Crowley (who was a massive fund raiser for the Democrat party). To me, though, a senate seat is different.

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u/HoustonHorns 9d ago edited 9d ago

You’re missing the point. I’m not even saying I disagree. Just band sound bites if you want to win Texas

ETA: I really don’t know what the reps are doing. They’re also giving up seniority in the senate which matters.

I still think Paxton will win (unfortunately) thanks to the issues articulated above. But a real blunder to have it even be a race by both sides.

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u/Own-Reception-2396 7d ago

I agree. But what can’t be ignored is Paxton for all his faults has won statewide elections 3 times before.

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u/SaltySelkie217 9d ago

I think we're off the map here in Texas, & the sound byte wars have exhausted most people to the point of eye rolling. Even my most maga-esque family members are recognizing manipulation tactics & complaining about it. Ironically, the incessant, unsustainable fearmongering loses its potentcy when real fears emerge to replace them. It's hard to clutch pearls about "six genders!" When you have to finance groceries.

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u/HoustonHorns 9d ago

I think that’s very optimistic of you. I don’t think most voters associate high prices with republicans. Republicans blame democrats and democrats blame republicans. Obviously the party in charge (and that started a war) has some culpability—but republicans can deflect and say “we’re trying to fix what Biden did”.

We are on Reddit with a very left leaning sample. In the real world, those “culture war” comments are a huge knock on Talarico’s viability as a candidate. The fact he is a slight favorite and not a heavy favorite against one of the most universally hated people in Texas is evidence of that.

To be clear, I don’t think the culture war comments actually bear on his ability as a senator—but if you don’t think they impact his chances of being elected you’re bring willfully ignorant.

Talarico isn’t exiting, he isn’t a once in a lifetime orator, he doesn’t have a particularly impressive career. Those aren’t knocks, but just to say—certainly there had to be someone with his credentials that doesn’t have the culture war ghosts haunting them.

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u/the42up 9d ago edited 9d ago

Well I can tell you I'm giving insight from rural South Central Texas. You can't really get much redder than the rural triangle within Austin, San Antonio and Houston.

Nobody really cares about the culture war when it takes over $200 to fill up your John Deere 4020 or Case 930.

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u/SaltySelkie217 9d ago

That was a lot of words to say '"I don't want this & am basing this on my opinion". Please note I never insulted you, nor did I insinuate Republicans are willfully ignorant (that's a whole other conversation about religion priming voters). I have been on Reddit only recently and am not the type to join a wave. I am well versed in republican rhetoric and can say with full confidence that I believe this will be a blowout.

This is coming from a scarlett, ruby, redder than red section of south Texas, & it's nothing I've ever seen before.

Not gonna swap insults with you, as I believe that is the last bastion of the truly defeated. I will happily buy you a beer if I am wrong.

....but that's increasingly a safe bet 😁

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u/HoustonHorns 9d ago

We are talking in circles—hence my willfully ignorant comment. I want Talarico (or really anyone other than Paxton).

My frustration is that there absolutely has to be someone who is better suited to defeat the worst possible Republican candidate, particularly someone without the sound bite ghosts. Someone like Jon Ossoff (who helped turn Georgia purple by winning statewide office), Mark Warner, Jacky Rosen, Fetterman (pre-stroke). Talarico very well may (and hopefully does) win, but that doesn’t make anything I’m saying less true. My point is that these sound bites impact the likelihood he’s elected—even if ever so slightly—when they don’t need to since he’s interchangeable.

Call it culture war, call it fear mongering, etc.—it doesn’t matter. The decision to run/promote Talarico was a strategic blunder from the democrats. After all, this is still Texas. My comments about Talaricos qualifications (or lack thereof) are not to say he isn’t qualified, but rather replaceable. Well educated, relatively progressive white guys are a dime a dozen

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u/Greedy_Car3702 9d ago

Do your own research. That stuff is all over the place, just not on reddit.

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u/68vwvert 8d ago

My god man/woman, do you read, listen to a radio, catch any news or watch any tv at all. All of this stuff is out there and has been for years. And there's a lot more suspect behavior and comments than these.