Ken Paxton just put on a 30-second comedy routine for his audience, as he debuted his favorite nicknames for his radical Democrat opponent, James Talarico.
— Overton (@overton_news) May 27, 2026
The crowd was loving every second of this!
PAXTON: “My opponent is the most extreme radical the Democrats have ever… pic.twitter.com/kvEtsoyKmY
I know some people seem to think that's hilarious. I don't see the value of kicking someone around for being a vegan. You'll say but Althouse is not a Texan. I sort of am though.
AND: Paxton's satirizing of Talarico doesn't work on me, but Talarico just being Talarico strikes me as hilarious:
James Talarico: "I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign. We are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses." #TXsenpic.twitter.com/SkZZ05IXMj
— Lone Star Liberty PAC (@LoneStar_PAC) May 27, 2026
Posts
229 comments:
1 – 200 of 229 Newer› Newest»He’s clearly rendering unto Trump that which is Trump‘s. The question is whether he’s rendering unto God, that which is God’s.
Talerico is a nut. Paxton was gentle on him. There is SO much more you can say about him.
Yes, a creepy nut at that! Some of his most cringe making statements sound a lot like Pedo Pete, Sleepy Joe Biden’s familial alter ego as described by Hunter.
He’s not kicking him around because he’s vegan he’s kicking him around because his campaign is vegan, or so he claims. His opponent used a stupid word play to make himself appear virtuous and Paxton is capitalizing on it. It will succeed…
Meade on t yet?
Be all u can be...
Woof
Being a vegan is the least of Talerico's issues.
The biggest news is the curb stomp delivered by the voters.
And to Cornyn's credit, he said he'll support the Republican ticket. We'll see if that holds true.
The funny part is Colin Allred, the man sandwiched between Beto and Talarico as the guy that would turn a Texas US Senate seat blue, barely wins a runoff for his Texas House seat.
Geez, Cornyn didn’t just lose, he was destroyed.
I appreciate people who hate the taste of sour grapes just have to find something this morning but when the hill you choose to die on is voter ID not only did you throw it all away it makes you look more corrupt than you are…or at least I hope more corrupt than you are. Maybe you are that corrupt…
You'll say but Althouse is not a Texan. I sort of am though.
You sort of ain’t. You live in Madison; it’s debatable whether you are even a true Wisconsinite.
…Y’all are going to have to help me keeping track of which South Carolina Clyburn lovin’ ‘Republicans’ I have to try and get rid of. They make it hard to hunt them down to identify them…
Most politicians trying to be funny fail miserably.
Cross Beto with a dime store Joel Osteen mix in a little AOC and voila behold the new Texan Democrat!
All ex’s are from Texas. You'll say but there is no x in Althouse. There is an X in Althouse; it marks the spot where Althousiana meets.
Vegan Las Vegas.
A: Ridicule is man’s most important weapon.
2: It is nearly impossible for the opposition to counterattack.
B: Make them live by their own set of rules.
Aside from the entertainment value of the petty insults, I assume also somewhere in that speech Ken Paxton set out some boob bait for the Bubbas.
Cornyn was an old establishment, weak knee, go along to get along, happy with permanent minority status, rhino republican, who didn’t interpret the Trump victories as long lasting sea change. Too busy taking the Democrats temperature, to see that the country was ready for real change.
It’s going to be an interesting exercise in critical journalism over the next five months to watch how strongly the NYT pulls for Talarico, and uses every opportunity to dump on Paxton.
"You'll say but Althouse is not a Texan. I sort of am though. "
Are you? How so?
Won't there be many a one voting for Richie Cunningham Talarico for fond memories?
Texas may have to go vegan due to high meat prices shutting down BBQ pits!!??
"You sort of ain’t. You live in Madison; it’s debatable whether you are even a true Wisconsinite."
I don't claim to be a Wisconsinite and you don't understand or even show curiosity about my claim to be Texan. The answer's in the archive, if you cared, which you don't.
Curious George said "Are you? How so?"
See? Curious George is curious.
Cornyn’s loss was big, but fellow Texan Rep Al Green also was sent packing. He was the cane carrying loudmouth who antagonized Trump regularly. Sweet.
Talarico looks like a televangelist the day before he gets caught sucking off a trucker at a rest stop.
Some of my proudest moments have been when my scouser mates call me a Bad Texan. (I am not, in fact, a Texan) After all, what will happen to the cattle if we don't eat them?
Perhaps we can see a theatrical production of I Am A Curious Texan (Yellow). Don't bring the kids.
Paxton makes even Kamala look charismatic.
From a September 20, 2004 post titled "A bar, a word about pronunciation, and the whole subject of me and Texas (including the second reason I owe my life to coffee)"
"Me and Texas: Dallas is probably the largest American city that I'll never set foot in. It's hard to think of a reason for me to go there. In fact, the only place in Texas I've been is Austin, to attend a conferece at the University of Texas Law School. I should say the only place in Texas I've ever been ex utero is Austin, because I spent a good portion of my in utero existence in Texas City, where my parents and sister lived before I was born. Back in the 1950s when I was growing up in Delaware, I always felt sad about missing out on Texas. Delaware seemed so insignificant--no one outside of Delaware seemed to care that we were the first state. And Texas was so magnificent and important--the largest state in those days. Older readers may say, so your parents lived in Texas City right after World War II and before your birth in 1951, then they must have been there when the great Texas City Disaster occurred (in 1947). Yes, indeed they were, and they always taught me not to yield to the temptation to become a spectator at the scene of a disaster. (Read the story at the link if you don't know what happened to people in Texas City who went to watch a spectacular fire that was consuming a ship full of ammonium nitrate.) I have written before that I owe my existence to coffee. (Here's the story of how the smell of coffee caused my parents to meet.) But I owe my existence to coffee a second time. On the day of the Texas City Disaster, my father was working at a desk near a window. He got up to get a cup of coffee, and, while he was away from his desk, the burning ship exploded, sending a shockwave through the city, that drove a huge triangular spear of glass deep into the chair where he would have been impaled had he not gone for that coffee."
The answer's in the archive
…I was going to snark on what a shit platform this is for searching old posts but an explanation shows up in the first search for Texas. You all try it…
…on Ann’s explanation of what makes her Texan I’d expect Texans would say Ann’s all hat and no cattle…
The big loser here is Thune with his hissy fit when Trump endorsed Oaxton.
according to Althouse's logic.. i sorta am a Californian..
see, my dad rode a train through on his way to fight in Korea.
I hadn't realized that we could/SHOULD! claim residency in states that we've never lived in because our parents were there (for a little while)
*sigh* Paxton
Technical point: No one ever tastes the grapes. (They assume the grapes are sour. If this makes me a fable Nazi, so be it.)
"See? Curious George is curious."
It's important to live up to the hype. And thanks for the story. Many of us have a "...if not for..." like Seth McFarland, who was hung over and missed his flight on 9/11, which was the first plane to hit the WTC. If not for getting drunk, there would be no Family Guy.
The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge
Paxton's greatest political handicap is that his face resembles a cross between a burglar with pantyhose over his face, a guy who slept with his face in a pillow, and an Art Deco smooth-faced mannequin.
Technical point: No one ever tastes the grapes. (They assume the grapes are sour. If this makes me a fable Nazi, so be it.)
…not the fable but if you want to quibble with my Jeremiah, technically the scenario isn’t a sins of the father situation…but forget it I’m rolling…
Paxton has his issues, but he's better than Cornyn. Low bar, to be sure, but one worth clearing.
…think of Paxton and some of the others as the Andropovs that let us get to the Gorbachevs…only the wall goes up instead of comes down…
@Alhouss, dn’t get huffy. I have done a great deal of time on business travel to Texas, and I’ve been to Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Austin, and elsewhere. I have not been to Laredo or Texarkana, which are probably the largest Texas cities I have not been to.
These were multi-day trips, not just fly in and fly out. I ingratiated myself with the people with whom I was working, and they were proud to show off their cities.
IMHO the only place in Texas where you fit in politically is the People’s Republic of Austin I was there before the great migration from Silicon Valley to Austin, which I can only imagine has moved it further left politically and made it even more costly to live there. Austin could well be as far to your left as Dallas is to your right these days.
My impression is that Texas — outside of Austin — is a state of mind more than just a place. I’ve been reading your blog for 17 years; I don’t see you fitting in.
Those jokes are hugely successful. He’s attacking his opponent on cultural grounds; not political grounds.
One on my sisters lives in TX. She said that the unofficial motto is, “everything is bigger in Texas.” So true!
Texas has a very different culture from Nebraska; even rural Nebraska.
We stopped at a convenience store and a guy walked in with a six-shooter on his hip. That would never ever happen in
NE; even in North Platte.
Nominating this vegan guy just shows how out of touch the Dems are.
Paxton wins in a landslide. And not an LBJ-vote-stealing landslide.
Talarico has started out by describing his problems with the American flag, which he characterizes as “complicated.” That won’t help his campaign.
Ann’s ex does live in Texas and she and Meade - and her kids - visited him there. It’s in the archives.
OK, it's Texas and he is wearing a f'ing mask and running against meat. I wouldn't bet on him with 100-1 odds.
Vegans who think eating vegetables is a health food choice are stupid. It is obviously bad for humans to eat a plant based diet.
If you have moral objections best be consistent with it but that is just covering up for your own insecurity
I am not a Texan, but lived there for many years. I used to go to a restaurant outside of San Antonio that had steaks - small, medium, large, extra large. The small was 16 oz and the extra large was 28 oz.
Trump can expect nothing from the Senate until Thune is removed.
Thune is a traitor and always has been.
Yeah, that clip with that loser talking through his mask explaining that his campaign is non-meat because of CAGW is funny. But not funny, ha ha. Funny as in doesn’t this idiot know that the livestock industry is big in Texas? Stupid.
I don't see the value of kicking someone around for being a vegan.
"Mr. Talarico loves cows. But he doesn't love unborn children. Isn't that right?"
"Mr. Talarico is a pig man. But he hates your unborn son. Isn't that right?"
"Mr. Talarico will not kill a chicken. But he might want to terminate his unborn daughter. Isn't that right?"
Mr. Talarico will not kill a killer. But if you're an unborn baby, it's stab, stab, stab, and hide the body. Isn't that right?"
"I say to you, Mr. Talarico, that the Bible does speak on this. We are to love our children. Not deny them. Not terminate them. Love your babies. And do not trust any government official who does not know what a person is. A person is a live human being. And watch out for snakes who want to deceive you on this."
If Ken Paxton were asked if Ann Althouse is a Texan, on the basis of her formative status as an unborn child of Texas, he would have to say yes.
Why is Talarico mimicking playing the accordion as he talks?
I am not a Texan, but lived there for many years.
Thus exceeding Althouse qualifications.
"Big Mike said...
@Alhouss, dn’t get huffy. I have done a great deal of time on business travel to Texas, and I’ve been to Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Austin, and elsewhere."
OMG you're like Johnny Cash! You've been everywhere man.
By the way, Ken Paxton is not a child of Texas, born or unborn.
…everything I know about Texans I learned from my next door neighbors from when I was a kid. Mom was from Kilgore and in the morning she would start prepping chicken in the pressure cooker right after she set her hair for a beehive, they had a PK grill from the 1950s in the 1970s and when their uncle would visit he would first remove his cowboy hat, then his toupee right before a nap in the la-z-boy…and even back then Austin wasn’t really Texas…
Ann’s ex does live in Texas
…when your Texas ex calls…
…Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, El Dorado…
David bowie could pass for human not this soy thing
Eva Marie said...
The big loser here is Thune with his hissy fit when Trump endorsed Oaxton.
5/27/26, 6:25 AM
——————————————-
It depends on how important things like the ballroom and the slush fund are to Trump.
There is no way he is getting 50 votes to fund them.
My experiences of Texas are mostly through movies. Altman's Dr. T and the Women, which is far, far, far better than it sounds, seems like quintessential modern suburban Texas. Lyle Lovett does the music.
Spencer Pratt fans have shoethe way with viral Ai videos.
No cost, other than an Ai account (maybe) and thate$20
No cost for distro.
Not part of the campaign so no reporting
I wonder if we will see similar for Paxton or against talleywhacker?
Or maybe someone wit take a page from. Heinlein "revolt in 2100c and do allegedly pro talleywhacker ads that are so over the top they turn people oof,
John Henry
Achilles said...
Trump can expect nothing from the Senate until Thune is removed.
Thune is a traitor and always has been.
5/27/26, 7:01 AM
——————————————
The problem is not Thune, it is that there are not 50 votes to reform the filibuster.
Per Gateway Pundit, pdjt endorsed 118 primary candidate and all 118 won.
Not bad for a man who is washed up
John Henry
We are in the crazy years
The possums picked thune over scott for a reason
Paxton has to go after Talirico for his weirdness.
If the election is about Paxton’s character then he will lose.
If the election is about Talirico’s idiocy then Paxton wins.
If meat and fossil fuel hating wins Texas perhaps it will bring an end to the nomination of people of poor character to elective office.
Republicans are rarely funny. And it's often cringey when they try to be. Trump being the obvious exception.
Democrats, on the other hand, are often hilarious, but not intentionally. Talarico is a living, walking stereotype of a progressive 'leader'. Running a vegan campaign? Hell...what do you even say to that? Whose vote is he vying for? Just how many vegans are there in the Great State of Texas, home of Beef?
And if the answer is that he's showing us he's committed to what he believes in, even if it doesn't gather (garner?) votes for himself, the reality is that it shows a progressive mind, where his virtue being signaled is preeminent to anything else. It truly is the performative party.
The Democrat strategy seems to be hang on, hope the rinos hang on, then when Trump is out of office there’s enough of us left to crank up the fraud and the replacement strategy. It might just work…
The most important thing about Paxson is he defeated Cornyn, one of the biggest RINOs in the Senate. Another pompous arrogant fool with a $100 million war-chest. He could have gotten Trump's endorsement and maybe won if he'd pushed the SAVE act but like all RINOs when given the choice between his R voters and the uniparty - he chose the uniparty.
Talarico has the weenie vote nailed down.
If you look up with opponent, Jimmy Low-T, he's a weirdo and an extremist. Paxson will win.
Wacky birds whack Cornyn - Don Surber https://share.google/Iwli0i0KEaIhF6MvK
There are very few USA Big Cities worth visiting. Americans don't do cities very well. There's DC -- because its the capital. Maybe Miami, NYC, SF, NOLA, Chicago. And that's about it.
Chip roys loss was a little surprising
John henry said...
Per Gateway Pundit, pdjt endorsed 118 primary candidate and all 118 won.
Not bad for a man who is washed up
John Henry
5/27/26, 7:42 AM
——————————————-
The true measurement of the effectiveness of a Trump endorsement will be the general election. If Trump endorsed candidates lose winnable seats then it the endorsements will have been a disaster.
It is obvious that Trump’s ego has a huge investment in the ballroom and the arch. The unnecessary endorsement of Paxton (it is obvious that he was going to win) makes it that much more difficult for them to be funded in any way that adheres to Trump’s vision.
Do not forget that the most unpopular politician in the country is Trump. A vote against Trump’s ego is not going to hurt anybody.
If any R can lose, it is this bum Paxton.
I can call him a bum here, as I will be voting for that R bum.
The better man lost.
“And if the answer is that he's showing us he's committed to what he believes in, even if it doesn't gather (garner?) votes for himself, the reality is that it shows a progressive mind, where his virtue being signaled is preeminent to anything else. It truly is the performative party.“
So much for their push for “authenticity” from their candidates, and for their drive to win back the male vote.
Why would Texans, or the Republican voters in any state, who supported Trump in record numbers in 2024, want to send representatives to DC who block him at every turn?
The Republican Party wasted $100 million dollars trying to keep Cornyn in the Senate. Why? One reason is because he's a phenomenal fund-raiser. He could bring in $400 million. But what good is that if the party keeps losing ground to the Dems year after year after year.
It's like spending more money on the military every year, but losing every war and getting weaker in relation to China.
It's like spending more on education every year while the number of illiterate grads keeps increasing.
People like Cornyn have lost the plot. They're serving the institution of the party, not the nation and their voters.
Now we're going to London, Liverpool, Italy, Paris, Egypt, Dublin, Frisco, Waco, Athens, Gouldbusk, Troy, and Miami, Moody, Beaumont, Edinburgh, Lubbock, Pecos, Deadwood, Fife, del Rio,Houston, Austin, all around Dallas.
Texas is a world all of its own.
Two of my kids were born in Texas. But all three spent an important and formative twelve years outside Philadelphia, and all three root for the Phillies and Eagles. The younger two do consider themselves Texan, though, having moved back there in 2016. The oldest, 7yo when we moved from Texas to Philadelphia area, was heartbroken at the time that his younger siblings could claim Texan-ness and he couldn't. He has since gotten over it.
In a few days, we will enter the wilds of Canada (actually the, uh, tames of Toronto, which is worse for these purposes) with Texan plates on our Ford SUV. Pray for us!
Popularity with the party and with the country are two completely different things -- as the MAGA cult will find out soon enough.
What has cornyn stood for (crickets) taking a risk on
By the way, Ken Paxton is not a child of Texas, born or unborn.
Left Bank of the Charles comes down hard on state-to-state migration.
"This Yankee comes down here from North Dakota. Send him packing, back up to snow country."
I believe that might be a stronger campaign than Tofu For You.
"Conceived in Texas, Ran to Canada, Stopped in Wisconsin"
Talarico reminds me of that weasel jamie from yellowstone
Vegans are vitamin deficient.
@ Political Junkie
I'm not in TX so you know way more than I do about the candidates. Serious question, what are the things you like about Cornyn? You said he's the better man. I never hear those things from my media sources and since I can't vote for him anyway, I never bothered to look for them. I'd be interested to know.
He serves vegan food at his events. That'll draw the crowds.
Even in austin thats too soy (i think)
RCOCEAN II said...
There are very few USA Big Cities worth visiting. Americans don't do cities very well. There's DC -- because its the capital. Maybe Miami, NYC, SF, NOLA, Chicago. And that's about it.
5/27/26, 7:57 AM
——————————————-
Boston, Pittsburgh, and maybe Nashville should be on that list.
I have been in Atlanta for 40 years and there has been one plan after another to make Atlanta a great city but none of them has worked.
I made a little joke at 8:07, because liberals are always fleeing to Canada, and I did a little googling, and I discovered the story of Joshua Glover.
Cornyn represented everything wrong with the Republican Senate. They've joined with the D's to sabotage Trump, deny him the ability to appoint his own people, and have blocked the SAVE act.
This is no different than 2018, when they shut down the government rather than build a border wall.
Paxton was funny. Jim T was a self parody. The mask, bro? Really, in 2026. In Texas.
He didn't say HE was a vegan, and I think there is footage of him behaving carnivorously, but that his "CAMPAIGN is vegan," which makes even less sense. He's a pander bear.
This ad sums up Talarico. He's insane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhQ6ReF1bGM
Cornyn is 74 and should have retired. IRC, he wanted to serve 1 more term so he could pass amnesty, his life-long dream.
What is it about liberals obsession with beta males?
Cornyn is 74 and should have retired.
I would like to see a mandatory 75 year old retirement age. No more Joe Bidens. No more Donald Trumps.
This ad sums up Talarico. He's insane.
So was Fetterman, but do you remember Dr. Oz? How about Hershel Walker? Trump has a history of fucking over the GOP endorsing clowns that can't win the general.
Jamie, if I might ask, where outside of Philly? I had the happiest four years of my life (62-65) in the post office area of Norristown, but really "Center Square Green" - a Wonder Years area of now Post Office Blue Bell. I loved learning the history of Pennsylvania. I wrote an essay in school with a drawing that was entitled "Pennsylvania - The Keystone State". It was many years before I knew what a keystone was.
Moved to TX from WI 2 years ago. Voted Cornyn. Paxton is corrupt as they come. Tallarico will be able to capitalize on Paxton’s complete lack of character. Independent voters will vote Tallarico.
Still stuck in 2017 thinking, eh triple d?
D.D. Driver said...I would like to see a mandatory 75 year old retirement age. No more Joe Bidens. No more Donald Trumps.
Agreed. But it's still funny that your reason for wanting no more Joe Bidens is completely different from your reason for wanting no more Donald Trumps (which has nothing at all to do with Trump's age--he is a walking talking refutation of the need for age limits).
$90 million. That’s what Cornyn burned on ads spelling out exactly who Ken Paxton is: a man indicted for securities fraud, impeached by his own Republican legislature for bribery and abuse of office, and caught having an affair while lecturing Texas families about virtue.
None of it landed.
We’ve now learned the truth about this movement: it doesn’t care. Tell a MAGA voter their candidate is a crook, and they hear a character reference. Trump posted once, and $90 million worth of documented scandals vanished overnight.
And the loudest cheers are coming from the religious right — the same people who spent decades claiming character mattered above all else. They read Paxton’s file. They knew exactly what he was. They sang on Sunday and voted for the crook on Tuesday.
Let see about the general election. Internal GOP estimates are circulating $250 million just for Republicans to have a strong chance of pushing Paxton over the line and holding the seat. This reflects deep concern that his baggage (indictment, impeachment, scandals) will require heavy ad spending to defend and to drive Republican turnout in November.
Paxton is corrupt as they come.
What'd he do?
Paxon is terrible [insert DNC talking points].
If you want to know why Cornyn lost look at what the R Senate is up to now. Over 25 R senators - led by mitch the bitch - are denouncing Trump's $1.6 billion "Anti-weaponization fund". According to McConnell its "Stupid and immoral".
Thats all they're good for - attacking Trump and helping the D's.
Mark said...
Paxton makes even Kamala look charismatic.
5/27/26, 6:17 AM
NOTHING makes Kamala look charismatic. She is the joke that keeps on giving....
The Senate campaigns in Maine and Texas, among other things, will continue to demonstrate how low the Democrats have fallen.
Paxton has faced more serious legal and ethical scandals than almost any other major Texas politician in modern times — including felony indictment, House impeachment by his own party, and very public personal failings. He has survived all of them politically, often emerging stronger with the GOP base.
Democrats, whether rightly or wrongly view this history as massive general-election vulnerability.
“What is it about liberals obsession with beta males?”
They must find their heroes where they can. Those who they, themselves, admire… who they look up to. The mooks filled with heroic fantasies, wild obsessions, and crazy ideas, but low on testosterone.
This is who they look to to lead them in their Race to teh Bottom.
"Paxton's greatest political handicap is that his face resembles a cross between a burglar with pantyhose over his face, a guy who slept with his face in a pillow, and an Art Deco smooth-faced mannequin."
Haha perfect description!
I was born and raised in Houston for 15 years, then I moved to Michigan. While Texas culture and family has formed my beliefs and personality, you couldn't pay me to move back there. Too hot. I greatly prefer the Midwest.
It worries me though that Texas has drifted blue, but then I remember when it's legislature and governor was dominated by Democrats.
Isydt
The dumbest thing Talarico said, I think, is that "God is nonbinary."
Of course, God is not human. God created the universe. What Jesus did was humanize the Lord. He constantly referred to God as "Dad." Many Jews thought this was a big sin.
Today, what this says to us is that we can know God and love God. Christ humanizes God and makes him approachable.
So when Talarico says that God is nonbinary, he's rejecting the way Jesus spoke about God. In effect, he's rejecting the pronouns Jesus used.
I remember when a feminist came into my Sunday school class one time, and she kept referring to God as "she" and "her." I heard a little voice, "do not fight about pronouns". So I didn't say anything negative or critical. I was just glad she was in there. (She never came back).
But if you want to follow Christ? I would not refer to God as "she" or "it" or "them" or "they" or whatever is the cool pronoun now. We've got 100 pronouns for people, and new ones every day. I would add, that denying human biology does not make you more like God. I think that's a dangerous road.
I know liberals are often opposed to the binary. But sex and reproduction is binary. (Except in the case of Jesus, of course, and he was unique).
Voting these days:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-aPp7Kiiyg
It shows he follows the Old Gods (ht jonathan cahn)
Conservatives have been booing Cornyn since Tea Party days. Republicans didn’t offer an acceptable alternative until now. What is there about a McConnell, Thune, Cornyn Senate that is making America great again? Nothing.
What is there about a McConnell, Thune, Cornyn Senate that is making America great again? Nothing.
Cocaine Mitch kept Merrick Garland off the Supreme Court.
And his Senate confirmed Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, while their was fierce opposition. Kavanaugh, in particular, was falsely maligned as a sexual predator.
The Republicans held the line and smacked down the slander. And Roe v Wade, after 49 years, fell into the trashcan of history.
Grammar signals intent
I personally like the filibuster, the original filibuster where they had to stand up talking and could take no breaks. That brought drama to the U.S. Senate. If these guys had brains, they would have reverted to the old filibuster, and saved it. But this new filibuster has made the Senate, and the Congress, a place where nothing is accomplished.
Yes work for as in mr smith,
Any kentuckian worth his salt would have done so
Grammar signals intent
It signals party politics over reality. The pronoun "they" is no longer a plural, it is now a singular. We must capitalize "Black" and we never capitalize "white," who are now sent to the back of the grammar bus. It's identity politics, 100%.
I'm convinced all this crazy stuff comes out of the French revolution. It actually pre-dates Karl Marx. It has nothing to do with class, after all. It's identifying people the state will hurt.
Speaking of 'extreme radical' — it looks like Maureen Galindo came up short.
I want to thank Senator John Cornyn for his years representing our state.
We don’t agree on everything, but we both still believe in public service.
To Senator Cornyn’s supporters: you have a place in our campaign.
https://x.com/jamestalarico/status/2059440382400774481?s=20
But this new filibuster has made the Senate, and the Congress, a place where nothing is accomplished.
They’re still really really god at wasting money they’ve been entrusted to spend. Also they’re good at enriching themselves…
Agreed. But it's still funny that your reason for wanting no more Joe Bidens is completely different from your reason for wanting no more Donald Trumps (which has nothing at all to do with Trump's age--he is a walking talking refutation of the need for age limits).
Are you fucking kidding me? Trump is Gramp Simpson., His brain is fucking cooked. He's as bad as Biden. Just different. But his noodle is long gone. You wouldn't hire that old fucker to manage a Wendy's as he sure as shit should not be in charge of the country.
The Trump age-denialists and just as pathetic as the Biden-age denialist. It's obvious to most of us that neither man is "there."
Texas has 254 counties, more than any other state. Cornyn won in 2 counties, one of them with a total of 8 votes (Cornyn 75%), and Travis County (Austin), where he won with 52.7% of the vote. He lost in 252 counties, or 99.2% of counties voted for Paxton.
You'll notice that all of the attacks on Paxton are smears against his character, the number of times he's been in legal trouble, etc etc., but apparently his detractors have nothing to say about his effectiveness-in-role as AG. Having followed many of these attacks as they unfolded over the years, it's ironic when I recall how partisan these attacks were, and how much energy was poured into them, similar to the nakedly partisan attacks on Trump, including those by RINOs. They were an effort to make him stop being so effective. Paxton has had his own inter-party problems with RINOs, they're a pestilence in Texas, too.
I'm not saying that Paxton is an altar boy, far from it. He's effective, and so smears like these, that emphasize a list of past attacks on him, are careful not to draw attention to their highly partisan backstory, as if they were legitimate in the first place. I think most of them weren't. And attacking Paxton's divorce on a moral basis is very high comedy indeed, when we have Senate interns enjoying anal sex in a Senate chamber, and trannies showing their tits on the White House lawn, and posting it for all to see. Guess which one normal people are more offended by.
As for Thom Tillis vowing to block Trump at every turn in his remaining time, isn't it interesting how RINOs are always good losers when it comes to having Democrats win by fighting dirty, but bile-spewing sorehead obstructionists when it comes to abiding with the party leader, for the good of the party? Why, it's almost as if they're not really conservatives.
The voters are sick of seeing the value and authority of their votes being liquidated by fraud, dilution by those hell-bent on awarding voting privileges illegally or quasi-legally to non-citizens. Cornyn's rout is not just a case of conservatives being sick of RINOs. In a lot of ways this is not a Republican vs. Democrat election, coming in mid-terms. In a lot of ways, I think this is Voters vs. the Political Class, with the voters insisting that they are the ones who are ultimately in charge, and they are against seeing more flaws introduced in an already-flawed political system, flaws designed to reduce the power of their vote.
Like michgan j frog
Yes, Michigan J. Frog is a RINO: Performs beautifully in front of another Republican, but can only croak when it comes to legislating.
"I know some people seem to think that's hilarious."
*Raises hand*
Aggie at 10:40
+1
Talarico is running a meat free campaign, he says firmly. I have heard they still raise beef in Texas.
Talarico is what you might get from a test-tube baby created with spermatazoa from Alfred E Neuman.
I can hear Elvis, belting it out: " Viva, lost vegans..."
There is also a potential Rogan problem with Talarico. I will remind you that Rogan is one of Texas's most famous residents with a massive following. It will be harder to cast Talarico as a "freak" if Rogan ends up endorsing him.
And attacking Paxton's divorce on a moral basis is very high comedy indeed, when we have Senate interns enjoying anal sex in a Senate chamber, and trannies showing their tits on the White House lawn, and posting it for all to see. Guess which one normal people are more offended by.
This is summary preview of the Talarico campaign. It will emphasize his involvement in his church as if he is of higher moral character. Then all Talarico’s support for the trans community including in its sexual deviant extremes will be exposed. Voters will then have to decide between a divorcee or someone that has no problems with a swinging dick in a girl’s changing room because Vegan!
My first girlfriend was a vegetarian. She was awesome. We would go to a steakhouse. I'd get the steak and she'd eat my salad. Perfect woman!
It didn't work out. My bad.
She was okay with fish and chicken. I guess she was a VINO.
"The man has no principles. He's not even a vegetarian. He's a VINO. He's a ghost of a man who desperately needs a protein bar. Get him something before he faints."
Here's Talarico on the Joe Rogan podcast.
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...
He didn't say HE was a vegan, and I think there is footage of him behaving carnivorously, but that his "CAMPAIGN is vegan," which makes even less sense. He's a pander bear.
Since cattle ranching is estimated to generate $15.5 billion in agricultural revenue in Texas annually it doesn’t make “less” sense — it makes no sense whatsoever.
As to asking a person if they are from Texas - it is just not a polite thing to do. If they are from Texas, they will let you know soon enough.
If they are not - well, there is no need to embarrass them.
- Zavier Onasses; born a Yankee, but lived in Texas since 1965 except two out of country military tours - Viet Nam, and Illinois.
He's worried about the 10 Commandments intimidating little Jewish kids (which is ridiculous) or Muslim kids (also ridiculous). It's Hindus or Buddhists or atheists who might be offended, not the Abrahamic religions.
Aside from that, though, liberals are blatantly indoctrinating little white kids into self-hatred (the 1619 project) and also terrifying children into thinking the world is about to end (Man Bear Pig) and also subjecting kids to trans ideology before they've seen puberty.
Marcus Bressler, we lived in a subdivision built in the late '60s-early '70s, acre lots and no fences, in East Goshen Township. It wasn't exactly heaven but it was darn close, for a family with young kids. We caught a real estate turn, and the percentage of that subdivision with kids our kids' ages probably topped 40%. They all ran in packs; in the summer you just fed lunch to everyone who showed up in your yard. The neighborhood was active and involved; lots of gatherings, formal and informal, including impromptu guy meetings at the frozen pond in the winter, where the men (and any women who wanted to join - they weren't exclusive) drank beer around the old, half-ruined fireplace on the shore while their kids skated and played hockey.
We loved it there! And Philadelphia is a great city, for all its issues.
I await the comment at 10:40
The reason we're seeing Republicans trying to run the public schools from Austin is that the Democrat party has a monopoly on public school education and they are using it to indoctrinate kids into a Democrat worldview.
@AMDG
I am a native Atlantan and lived there the first 64 years of my life. I used to say it's a great place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit here.
LOL Aggie at 10:07.
Talarico should be worried about the Ten Commandments for how often he mentions Jesus Christ to further his campaign ambitions.
I am a native Atlantan and lived there the first 64 years of my life. I used to say it's a great place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit here.
oh my God, the traffic
nice bars, though
I was drinking in a tree one time.
You know Althouse was a cute unborn Texan. With a big head.
@St. Croix re: traffic
In Atlanta one has about a half hour built in excuse for being late for any meeting. Just mutter,"traffic," and everyone understands. If it's going to be much longer than that, a call to reschedule, referencing something like "wreck on the connector," or "construction on south I-75," will take care of things for you. Even court appearances.
At least they no longer hold Freak-nic there. Reference Tom Wolfe's "A man in full" for a vivid description to that phenomenon.
He only quoted other people's humor, and we must remove all humor from politics. It's serious business you know.
Just think of how a character styled after Talarico would be portrayed on "Landman."
Atlanta is a nice town. Went there on business. Had to go to someplace called "Buckhead" IRC. It was north of Atlanta and the train ride from Airport to there was quite interesting. The change from the South - to the city - to the North. Was like night and day.
Didnt see any reason to stay the weekend. Not much for tourists.
Dallas seems to fit someone's description of LA - 40 suburbs in search of a city.
“the Democrat party has a monopoly on public school education”
Not so much on education. More so on indoctrination and taxpayer funded money laundering.
How do Paxton's transgressions compare to some of the leading lights of the Dem party.....say Bill Clinton, John Edwards and Newsom? Did he set up a spy apparatus inside of the government to spy on an incoming POTUS as Obama did? It's true, though, that Rs are a fickle bunch. Dems are only fickle about their pronouns.
https://thefederalist.com/videos/hemingway-senate-republicans-support-of-omnibus-makes-a-mockery-of-their-voters/
Texas' Castration Karen lost her primary too.
and now:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democrats-break-scandal-plagued-graham-platner-warn-civil-war-party
what are Democrats going to do? if they can't have pro nazi pro concentration camp candidates?
I voted for cornyn, I am kind of shocked by his shellacking. I’m not a Paxton fan, but you’d better believe I will vote for him over talarico. What I’m saying is I don’t really see how this matchup changes voting patterns. Libs gonna lib, and no conservative could live with a talarico vote. I. Having a hard time seeing the vaunted Black Vote getting out of bed for Talarico.
Keep on telling us that Paxton was "indicted on serious charges!", lefties. Every time you write that, someone like me thinks "If he'd been convicted on those serious charges, they would have said so. If he were awaiting trial, they would have said so. Must have been acquitted. Sounds like they were B.S. lawfare charges of the kind that are so popular on the left these days."
Maynard said...
"..What is it about liberals obsession with beta males?
have you seen the "guy" that the Democrats are running for Iowa Governor? He looks like he's 12.
https://deepnewz.com/us-elections/iowa-state-auditor-rob-sand-only-democrat-statewide-announces-2026-governor-bid-d4117506
I don't want to put goat mout' on anything, but geez. Polls seriously inaccurate, 118 out of 118 endorsements winning their primaries, RINOs retiring voluntarily, $800+ million war chest. It's almost as if somebody had a plan to ensure that the mid-term tradition of losing parties-in-power was something that could be overcome, and was executing it without the enemies in the camp leaking it all over the place. Nah, probably just one of those coincidences, after all, nobody is talking about it as if it was a viable news story worth covering, so....
" I don't see the value of kicking someone around for being a vegan."
I think you may be missing the purpose of jokes and insults?
Sometimes they are just for shits and giggles.
Left Bank of the Charles said...
“If Ken Paxton were asked if Ann Althouse is a Texan, on the basis of her formative status as an unborn child of Texas, he would have to say yes.”
So you’re saying she’s a Texas Anchor Baby.
Considering what most people are attracted to or find off-putting, I don't know how Democrats select some of these people, and is there really nobody better available?
Beta males are less threatening to all the resistance Karens in the Democrat party.
There's a clip from a 2023 podcast interview of Talarico showing up on X.com today. The host asks him what he loves that's not family or friends. He starts talking about some trans kids who came out to some event the previous day.
Not God. Not Texas. Not dogs. Not even chocolate chip cookies!
Now I'm waiting for a video of Julie Tsirkin looking back at Talarico and asking, "What's that?".
Cornyn had a Liberty Score of "F". Besides that, he looks, acts and votes just like a corrupt character in a movie about political corruption. He worked hard for and earned this beating.
Why is the stupid little freak wearing a mask?
I think Paxton has good odds in Texas against a man who says the American Flag is a complicated symbol.
The campaign should be interesting. Obviously, he’ll be confronted with all the crazy stuff he’s spouted the last few years. The test will be whether he pulls a Kamala and runs away from it or doubles down. IMO, doubling down would be his best move. There’s nothing worse than telling voters you think they’re too stupid to notice the positions you’ve publicly supported in the past. At least they might give you points for honesty. That said, my money would be on him pulling a Kamala.
Band new Paxton add on this very subject:
https://x.com/i/status/2059660775552061754
"That said, my money would be on him pulling a Kamala."
I don't think Willie Brown plays that way.
Jupiter wants to know why Talarico (the stupid little freak) is wearing a mask? The only stupid freaks around are those who failed to open the displayed X posting to discover that he was speaking to a crowd in 2022, dead in the middle of Covid.
Talarico… “dead in the middle of Covid”
and later reanimated and groomed for a future losing campaign.
“What is it about liberals obsession with beta males?”
Beta males are easier to control by the alpha males running the show.
He's already running for the middle.
Paxton Is Clipping My Cringey Comments To Distract From His Career of Corruption.
The ol' CCCCC
Pressed on a comment he made that God is nonbinary, Talarico said he was being "intentionally provocative," but added that "what it means is that God can't be defined by human categories." On his comments about gender, Talarico said "I know there are two sexes, men and women. I also know there's a very small percentage of people who have these chromosomal abnormalities, and I believe they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect."
Watch out for jiu-jitsu man.
Obama was a beta male. Beta men are non-threatening, boring, and safe.
He's completely shifted from culture war to economics.
"We can't afford the basics, we can't afford groceries or gas or insurance or housing or childcare or prescription drugs, and Ken Paxton clearly has no solutions to offer us," he said. "So, while he divides us with these same tired culture war fights, I'm going to keep bringing Texans together to take on his corruption and lower our costs."
He's not running on abortion and trans rights. He's running away from those issues.
To drive down costs in Texas, Talarico proposes ending tariffs, suspending the federal gas and diesel taxes and capping prescription drug prices. He said along with the cost of housing, childcare and insurance, "all of these things are conspiring to hold Texans back."
It's like he's running for mayor of L.A.
Talarico echoed a message he's shared since the beginning of the campaign — that the fight isn't left versus right, it's "top versus bottom."
"We're all getting screwed. None of us can afford anything. None of us can get ahead, no matter how hard we work, and that's because the system, this political system and economic system, are rigged against us," he said. "It's been rigged for 50 years by billionaire megadonors and their puppet politicians — like Ken Paxton."
I think Joe Rogan is going to vote for him.
so paxton is "corrupt" because he got a divorce? mmm ok.
Talarico looks exactly like a ventriloquist’s dummy. Does no one else see this?
gadfly said...
Jupiter wants to know why Talarico (the stupid little freak) is wearing a mask? The only stupid freaks around are those who failed to open the displayed X posting to discover that he was speaking to a crowd in 2022, dead in the middle of Covid.
5/27/26, 1:18 PM
I guess I'm a stupid freak (Stupid freaky, yow!) too because I also wondered why he was wearing a mask. I didn't watch the clip because I don't want to listen to him at work and when I click through to X, I'm not logged in, so I can't see comments on the post. Nothing in the text of the post says it's not recent.
It's not like there aren't still people masking up as if it were the early days of COVID. Taylor Lorenz, for example.
What's the Dem fraud machine like in TX? Do the big cities have Dem mayors who the R's are afraid to look hard at, thus freeing them to crank up their printing presses to carry a statewide election? Those are the real questions. CC, JSM
The only stupid freaks around are those who failed to open the displayed X posting to discover that he was speaking to a crowd in 2022, dead in the middle of Covid.
Ah. Sooooo…remind me again why was everyone wearing masks dead in the middle of Covid?
The true measurement of the effectiveness of a Trump endorsement will be the general election.
Agree 100% AMDG
But remember what happened in the general of 22.former prez Trump, embattled on all fronts, twice impeached, literally fighting for his freedom. Not the kind of person whose endorsement might help.
He endorsed 254 candidates and 210 (83%) won their house/senate races.
I suspect his endorsement carries even more weight this year..
John Henry
“Texas may have to go vegan due to high meat prices shutting down BBQ pits!!??”
As Begely pointed out, it’s cultural. That was what Paxton was pointing out and emphasizing. I don’t know if there are any other states where the culture matters as much. Maybe Hawaii? Everything is bigger, brasher, etc in Texas. And they are proud of it. Imagine if Trump were Texan. Texans aren’t going to vote for someone running a vegan campaign. Just won’t. Nor for someone so stuck on transgendered that they don’t know the gender of our Lord.
I spent 5 years officially living in Texas (it was Austin). And I was surprised that I, with my CO biases, kinda enjoyed it. For me, with their Good-Old-Boy attitude was more Southern, than Western. Loved the Barbecue. Loved the friendliness - despite that being the most uncomfortable thing (they lack the western reserve).
What was funny to me was that my GF there was from W TX. She dressed impeccably for work (as an environmental atty), but you knew, when she traveled, where she was from by her dress. Liberal as they come, and sill upset that Anne Richard’s lost to “Shrub” Bush. Despite her dress though, she came closer to passing as a Westerner than most Texans can.
"The only stupid freaks around are those who failed to open the displayed X posting to discover that he was speaking to a crowd in 2022, dead in the middle of Covid."
I wouldn't call 2022 "dead in the middle of Covid".
talirico is going for the victim vote. those hurt by biden.
tariffs? lol
fake beef is more expensive than real beef.
“Talarico looks exactly like a ventriloquist’s dummy. Does no one else see this?”
Now that you mentioned it, Talarico does look like Pete Butiegege mated with Howdy Doody.
Thinking 2022 is the middle of Covid explains why you also believe that mask actually protects you from Covid and why you probably think children needed to be vaccinated.
The only stupid freaks around are those who failed to open the displayed X posting to discover that he was speaking to a crowd in 2022, dead in the middle of Covid.
2022 wasn't "dead in the middle of COVID." COVID was a dangerous illness was way over by then. The vaccine, such as it was, became available in about January 2021 or so, and we were assured by All The Best People that at that point all vaccinated people were safe. Schools in Texas, or at any rate in the Houston suburbs where we were, reopened for voluntary in-person instruction (students could opt to keep doing the worse-than-useless zoom thing) in fall 2020, some four months before that, and by the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, even UT Austin was in person without mandatory masks (my daughter was there), innocuous Omicron was the dominant COVID strain, and the crisis was long ended.
Anyone in Texas who was masking in 2022 is still masking today, and is advertising her Deep Concern For Others - in her own mind. To everyone else, she's advertising her complete ignorance of The Science, which long ago concluded that masks didn't do diddly to protect the wearer or the surrounding people from COVID. And while speaking in front of a crowd? For God's sake. Pure posturing.
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