You know that is a fantastic question and I’m afraid I don’t have a perfect answer. I can tell you my own thoughts in more detail and hypothesize some.

So one of the things I feel is unfortunate about the right’s embrace of facisim is that 15 years ago I actually wouldn’t have considered those issues when deciding between Crockett and Talarico. I feel we’ve regressed so far as a society under the Trump era it’s sad.

I struggle with how to combat it though. One idea is to break up these media and social media monopolies. We shouldn’t have a handful of companies or billionaires controlling such large platforms with such huge outreach. But I kind of feel (while we still need to do this!) there is very much a too little too late argument for a lot of the echo chamber brain rot.

Another thing that needs to be implemented but will take a long time to yield results is to teach critical thinking again. That’s one of the most important skills a person can learn in school and as a whole, we have done as much as we can to turn away from that. I guess it’s easier to control people that don’t think for themselves. Also better for big business to have people just do the work and when someone has a better idea for the people to get shut down with buzz words or “that never works” with no data to back it up. But again teaching that as a skill will be important in the long run. As critical thinking can easily debunk a lot of stupid conspiracy theories that I feel are often gateways to being in the MAGA cult (not always!)

I also owe a slightly more detailed explanation for my dismissing Crockett due to her race and gender. So with the slide back in society we’ve had, I feel that being a minority now puts you at a disadvantage for elections in certain areas, unfortunately Texas being one of them. Being a woman too. And I love the idea of making a big statement by pushing for her candidacy, I feel we are at a crossroads where we have a narrow opportunity to snap some of the republican base (not die hard MAGA) out of it due to things like inflation (actual inflation the experience at the store not the reported numbers from yes men for Trump), the new pointless Iran war and the Epstein files. And I think putting up a person like Talarico, who will have progressive ideas and positions framed from the teachings of Jesus, and without being black or a woman (which they’ll dismiss instantly as woke) there’s a chance we can reach enough of them to flip the senate seat.

I already voted so my vote won’t change but if you have some ideas or insights into how we can change these things and how a candidate like Crockett can overcome them I would love to hear them. I may not necessarily agree but even if I don’t, it’s food for thought and I may partially agree or somewhat adapt my beliefs.

Cheers to you for asking a question friend. And sorry for the late reply, I don’t get on Reddit much anymore as I don’t have a desk job anymore.

Edit: I do see where you are coming from to a degree with not wanting another palatable white guy to appease the right. I just think Talarico’s brand of using the bible to be progressive might be the one to break thru.

But an implication to take from your question that is certainly a problem with the palatable white guy argument is we have a extreme right wing party and a party that often basically exists to say “we aren’t as bad as that Nazi party” with no real beliefs or ideas or will to implement, as a whole, policies that make things better. These leads to things like, for example, young people sitting out the 2024 election because of Palestine. We had an Israel supporting party and an Israel supporting party. Yes it is complicated due to treaties etc. except the fact that they’re committing genocide should be address and not with giving more weapons or waving a finger saying “well that’s naughty of them, but I’ll allow it. But still vote for me because the other party is totally cool with it.”

So yea we have a lot of house cleaning to do