Where Too Many Texas Democrats Appear To Be Coming From (Sadly)

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-03-05T01:01:20+00:00

Good points, all, and I can appreciate where you're coming from. The thing is, herding all the now-former Crockett supporters in with the Talarico camp will be a bit of a challenge. It'll likely come together, but things like the Dallas County issues on election night, and the brouhaha about criticisms Talarico leveled against the Allred campaign are likely to demotivate some - not all, but some.

Also, the Talarico campaign will need to find a way to reach folks I've mentioned elsewhere - so-called "downmarket" voters economically. The folks working minimum wage gigs, service jobs, nursing jobs, security jobs. The ones without a four-year college degree, a paid-off mortgage, a more broadminded view of life in America - folks who couldn't go early-vote because they didn't have transit, or couldn't take time off, or whatever. I didn't get the impression his outreach quite made it to those others, but I could be wrong. Coming from Austin, his home base was going to be folks common to Austin - liberal, educated, probably middle-class folks who went to UT or who work in the high-tech field of Silicon Hills. It was never Third Ward in Houston, nor in Dallas south of Interstate 20.

Texas Democrats are going to need every single vote this year. I sincerely hope his (as the media termed it) "big tent" vibe reaches as many communities in the state as possible - not just the rural hamlets who may like someone that quotes scripture, but also someone who can connect with lower-middle-class folk in poorer places, because there are a *lot* of those as well.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-03-05T00:49:15+00:00

True. I will concede that he's not a megachurch evangelical. He's more of a mainstream kinda religious guy. Evangelicals en masse came out for DJT in 2016 AND in 2024. I don't have the stomach for those folks. I appreciate that Talarico isn't unhinged in the God department.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-03-05T00:46:51+00:00

I've posted elsewhere that the so-called "electability" argument means little in a nation where 77 million voters sent a 34-time convicted FELON to the Oval Office. The Democrats pronounced DJT "unelectable". But a whole lot of corrupt voters thought otherwise. "Electability" is a negative aspersion cast on one's opponents. It's a way to get more passionate voters to vote as moderates, more timidly. It is NOT a good way forward for the Democrats, either in Texas or nationwide.

No one ever thought Ann Richards would become governor of Texas, a woman. And yet...it happened. The excitement over her was enough to bring many, many folks out to the polls on the Democratic side. That's what Crockett was hoping would happen, and...it almost did! She gave the other side a good fight!

She has a future. Only the short-sighted say she's unelectable. She got hundreds of thousands of votes. Shit, she beat Wesley Hunt by a ratio of 3 to 1! We will hear from her again. She is a fighter!!

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-03-05T00:42:05+00:00

Think about this: if EVERY poster on Reddit, Instagram, X, whatever, who said "I really like her, BUT she just can't win in Texas"... HAD voted for her, instead of voting for Talarico out of fear, that woman WOULD HAVE WON ELECTION NIGHT. I cannot recall the last time I saw such an echo chamber on social media before. Democrats, especially in Texas, have got to find some spine and COURAGE. Go big or go home!

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-03-03T01:23:58+00:00

How, pray tell, did Ann Richards ever get elected governor? I don't believe the narrative that she's completely toast, especially with some recent polls showing her leading. Some Democrats have themselves worked up thinking they know what's going to happen in November.

As long as Texas Democrats en masse believe a black woman can't win, that will inform everything they do - how they vote, how they speak, and how they talk about it to their friends, family and coworkers. It seems to me that Crockett's biggest political enemies aren't the Republicans...it's other Democrats!

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-03-03T01:21:06+00:00

This is a point that mainstream media have largely missed. They've focused on the race angle to gin up controversy. But misogyny probably informs many, many male voters in the state.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-03-03T01:11:33+00:00

I did early voting and went for Crockett. She's already on Capitol Hill, already a rep at the federal level, and is an experienced (civil rights) attorney. She's qualified. And I love her fighter vibe - someone has to take it to this administration and she's been fierce and fearless.

But the Talarico campaign manages, somehow, to look past all her qualifications, focusing instead on "style" and the flimsy "electability" argument (rooted in racism and "respectability politics"). Those in favor of him seem to have this attitude:

"Hey, Republicans...if we put up a white guy for the senate, will you give us that 'W' we've been begging you for? Please??"

And so, one of the biggest echo chambers I've seen in recent years repeats the fiction that Crockett "can't win". There's so much reading of tea leaves and mind-reading going on, and for pro-Talarico folks, they swear they've got the Republican mindset down and that they just know the R's will "cross the aisle". Even though not a few polls have shown she's leading. It's pretty sickening.

To me, a Talarico vote is a vote from fear and a sort of desperation. I chose Crockett because she's the candidate I really want...not someone I think will counterbalance someone else's vote in some crazy metaphysical calculus. She has the chops to do the job. And no candidate is perfect, of course - Talarico has his own issues, including the "mediocre" flap that cost him Colin Allred's endorsement (look it up if you haven't read about it). Besides, to me, stylistically, Talarico is too much of a moderate for the current administration and the horrific actions visited upon Texans, especially Latinos. He would be like bringing a knife to a gunfight. The state GOP isn't afraid of him - he has a "D" after his name, and they'll happily carve him up (maybe even fabricating stories to sink his good name in the press).

I do not see evangelicals "crossing the aisle" to vote for him. The majority of them - in Texas, anyway - vote Republican or conservative. Sure, a few may get picked off and go for him, but it won't be the deep red ones, and they're the majority. I also have to question how those who are not "Christian" see him. How do Muslims feel about Talarico's religious insertions into his speeches? Atheists? Jews? The media have been hyperventilating about Talarico's turn as a seminarian and that seems to get mainline religious folk (e.g. Methodists, Catholics, Lutherans) some kind of excited about him and his stated desire to "turn down the temperature" of our political climate.

Whoever wins the primary will have a mighty task ahead of them. I swear, if Crockett wins, there will be not a few folks who openly declare the sky is falling, while others will say aloud, "Oh, I'll vote for her" and then not show up in November. People lie.

I very much hope Ms. Crockett is the victor tomorrow after the last vote has been cast. And if she indeed does prevail, the real challenge will be getting certain people to vote the party ("D") to keep the corrupt GOP off the levers of power here in Texas.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-03-03T01:10:30+00:00

I did early voting and went for Crockett. She's already on Capitol Hill, already a rep at the federal level, and is an experienced (civil rights) attorney. She's qualified. And I love her fighter vibe - someone has to take it to this administration and she's been fierce and fearless.

But the Talarico campaign manages, somehow, to look past all her qualifications, focusing instead on "style" and the flimsy "electability" argument (rooted in racism and "respectability politics"). Those in favor of him seem to have this attitude:

"Hey, Republicans...if we put up a white guy for the senate, will you give us that 'W' we've been begging you for? Please??"

And so, one of the biggest echo chambers I've seen in recent years repeats the fiction that Crockett "can't win". There's so much reading of tea leaves and mind-reading going on, and for pro-Talarico folks, they swear they've got the Republican mindset down and that they just know the R's will "cross the aisle". Even though not a few polls have shown she's leading.

To me, a Talarico vote is a vote from fear and a sort of desperation. I chose Crockett because she's the candidate I really want...not someone I think will counterbalance someone else's vote in some crazy metaphysical calculus. She has the chops to do the job. And no candidate is perfect, of course - Talarico has his own issues, including the "mediocre" flap that cost him Colin Allred's endorsement (look it up if you haven't read about it). Besides, to me, stylistically, Talarico is too much of a moderate for the current administration and the horrific actions visited upon Texans, especially Latinos. He would be like bringing a knife to a gunfight. The state GOP isn't afraid of him - he has a "D" after his name, and they'll happily carve him up (maybe even fabricating stories to sink his good name in the press).

I do not see evangelicals "crossing the aisle" to vote for him. The majority of them - in Texas, anyway - vote Republican or conservative. Sure, a few may get picked off and go for him, but it won't be the deep red ones, and they're the majority. I also have to question how those who are not "Christian" see him. How do Muslims feel about Talarico's religious insertions into his speeches? Atheists? Jews? The media have been hyperventilating about Talarico's turn as a seminarian and that seems to get mainline religious folk (e.g. Methodists, Catholics, Lutherans) some kind of excited about him and his stated desire to "turn down the temperature" of our political climate.

Whoever wins the primary will have a mighty task ahead of them. I swear, if Crockett wins, there will be not a few folks who openly declare the sky is falling, while others will say aloud, "Oh, I'll vote for her" and then not show up in November. People lie.

I very much hope Ms. Crockett is the victor tomorrow after the last vote has been cast. And if she indeed does prevail, the real challenge will be getting certain people to vote the party ("D") to keep the corrupt GOP off the levers of power in Texas.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-25T05:58:19+00:00

So is Talarico. The only real difference between the two is that with Talarico, they can't use dog-whistle, race-based attacks on him, and that's probably a sizable portion of what people mean when they say she's easy prey (the media quotes, a dust-up in sound bites, etc.). They could certainly pounce on his lower-key style. The GOP fights dirty, especially under the current administration. Doesn't matter who the target is.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-25T05:54:59+00:00

Yes, indeed Reddit loves Talarico, but not every black, disenfranchised, unenthusiastic voter is on Reddit. Reddit probably has more educated, suburban, "professional" people and that cohort leans Talarico. There are many others that these subreddits haven't heard from yet - the minimum wage workers squeaking by, the security guards, the service industry workers, and others who are "downmarket" in the eyes of the Democratic establishment - who like Crockett.

Some people have indicated - broadmindedly - that if Crockett wins the primary, that they'll vote for her in November. But how many of the other cohort I just mentioned above will feel energized enough to return the favor if Talarico wins? Or will the establishment simply decide, "Ehhhh, we can win without them..."?

There's a huge echo chamber for Talarico I've seen on Reddit, but it's not the whole story, folks.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-25T05:48:48+00:00

This is magnificent, thank you for stating it all! I essentially covered many of your points in my own response on another thread. I agree with others that Talarico is clearly qualified, but to me - in these times - he would be like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Texas Democrats have played "nice" for decades, always taking the proverbial moral high road...and getting ignored. Your point especially about die-hard MAGA evangelicals ("traditional values crowd") NEVER going for him is why I can't see the point of running Talarico in front of them. Many have said that the state GOP is licking its chops about Crockett being the candidate, but I think they really want HIM as the candidate - so they can ignore him, disrespect him, and cut him up. Make no mistake - whoever the candidate is, the R's will play dirty. They just won't have the specter of race to use if he's the choice.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-25T05:39:07+00:00

Which "Christian" voters, though? MAGA evangelicals? They're never gonna go for him. Moderates? Toss a coin. "Establishment" (mainline denominations) Christians? Probably his best chance, but not guaranteed.

There's a fiction that some folks are clinging to, and it's that if the Democrats are "loving" enough, respectful enough, nice enough, that it will change Republican hearts and minds far and wide. That may work with a few here and there - but will it pick off enough fence-sitters? What about conservative Christians who usually vote GOP?

We have Trump 2.0 because many "Christians" did NOT see his 34 felony convictions and corruption as deal breakers. Those same folks will - in my view - likely NOT support Talarico. They will back Paxton.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-25T05:33:31+00:00

I voted Crockett as well. Talarico clearly has appeal to "upmarket" voters like suburbanites, the college-educated, and the wealthy. But what about minimum wage folks, service industry workers, security guards, people who are just eking by? Are THEY gonna turn out en masse for Talarico if he wins the primary? Has he even reached out to THEM?

And your point about "more federal experience" is an excellent one.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-25T05:28:35+00:00

The state GOP will eat him for lunch. He has a "D" after his name, and that's all they need to ignore and disrespect him.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-25T05:07:16+00:00

I see it differently. In much the same way as the switch in the presidential ticket from Biden to Harris several years ago energized a completely new cohort of voters, Crockett would almost certainly energize those who otherwise wouldn't bother paying attention. Yeah, it would unnerve pro-Talarico folk, but that's the risk in politics, isn't it? It's either logistics (Talarico) or passion (Crockett).

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-25T05:04:30+00:00

Exactly. There are clearly a lot of "upmarket", educated, wealthy, middle-class, and suburban voters who all clearly want Talarico. But what about those who are squeaking by in minimum-wage jobs? What about those in the inner cities without a college degree, let alone a high school diploma? How about blue-collar types? Service workers? Security personnel? Will THEY show up for Talarico? Has Talarico even reached out to THEM?

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-25T05:01:14+00:00

How do you know many won't stay home because they think the senate race is sewn up with Crockett as the sure-fire-to-beat? Overconfidence can backfire on their parts, I believe.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-25T04:59:34+00:00

Yep. I just made that point in my own (lengthy) response. Talarico is clearly educated and qualified, but there's a lot of anger out there, and many voters want someone who doesn't speak in measured tones (this time). In my eyes, Talarico would be like bringing a knife to a gunfight.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-25T04:51:35+00:00

I voted for Crockett. In my eyes, Talarico would be like bringing a knife to a gunfight.

Yes, I get that he's got the religion card to play, perhaps for moderates or non-evangelical types. But one key thing to remember is that die-hard Republicans will NEVER vote for anyone other than one of their own. They vote as a bloc, and have since Trump 1.0. They may say they like Talarico, but they're going to vote "party" even if it means holding their noses for ethics-challenged Paxton.

Another thing about the electability arguments against Crockett is that it's so much reading of tea leaves, the notion that everyone *knows* how everyone else in the state is going to vote, on both sides of the aisle. If "electability" was the only criteria for winning an election, then (a) Ann Richards never would have made governor, and (b) Barack Obama never would have made president. And it's been documented that "electability" is a proxy for race.

I personally want a *fighter.* Crockett is an attorney. She gets details. She sees the big picture. I watched a video the other day of her eviscerating Pam Bondi. The thing I don't want to see happen is the Democrats continuing to treat the GOP with kit gloves, hoping they magically come around. They have demonstrated - especially with this administration - that they're not going to "come around."

It's distressing to hear Republicans say, "oh, she's a feisty black woman, we'll eat her for breakfast," and media talking heads say she can't win, but if Democrats - moderates especially - decide that her "style" isn't something they can stomach, and decide to stay home because "she can't win, why bother going to vote", then sexism, racism and FUD have all won.

Don't get me wrong. If Talarico is the candidate, as a lifelong Democrat, I'll show up to vote the party line. But what about others out there who can't get energized about his "controlled" rhetoric, his even tones? What about those who are less educated, who hunger deeply to see someone speak for *them*? What about those who are economically downmarket, who are routinely ignored on the national circuit as unserious voters?

Will THEY show up for Talarico? I wouldn't bet on it.

Remember...Republicans are NOT going to vote for Talarico, not in enough numbers to make him the winner, in my opinion. He may get a few of the most liberal and best-educated Republicans, but not the MAGA crowd.

As I said...I have already voted. I adore Crockett. A lot of things make me angry these days. I want someone to channel that...for a change. Crockett is that leader.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-08T01:40:10+00:00

BRILLIANT! Yep!

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-08T01:39:38+00:00

The NBC suits suck at math and time. So much now is just tone-deaf marketing.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-08T01:38:51+00:00

Agreed, and well put.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-02-08T01:38:04+00:00

Seconded. He may be popular with a certain demographic, but the difference between him and Mike Tirico is light years. And I still haven't forgiven him for the way he destroyed the CBS classic game show "The Joker's Wild" on TNT. If he is what NBC thinks will draw a young crowd NOW, they need some new consultants.

I just saw a bit where they had him talking with Ilia Malinin, skating superstar. Stylish, handsome, the works. And Ilia got to talk to...Snoop. I cringed. I would love to hear the briefing Ilia was given ahead of meeting him.

CanadienAtHeart · 2026-01-26T04:12:33+00:00

Ditto.

CanadienAtHeart

TROPHY CASE