this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2026
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[–] tidderuuf@lemmy.world 89 points 2 weeks ago (9 children)

"X to turn Texas State Blue" has to be the most reused political headline of all time.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

It translates to "Texas has a massive media markets and consultants get 20% on when they sell an ad-buy on behalf of a candidate, so lets throw money at Texas because it makes us more money" when you translate it to DNC consultant.

[–] AngryRedHerring@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

It's not turning anything until we get rid of Abbott, Patrick, and Paxton. Best Talarico can do is one of those three. This state is so fucked up. Our elections are fucked.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 13 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I moved from Austin to Jackson Hole, Wyoming after 23 years there. Wyoming is still red, but at least they leave me the fuck alone. Texas is always all up in your shit.

[–] AngryRedHerring@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Especially for a state that's supposed to be all about rugged individualism, they can't stay out of your pants

[–] Know_not_Scotty_does@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

There is next to 0 public land in Texas too, people like to compare it to the western states and its just wrong. The state of small government (for corporations and civil protections)

[–] AngryRedHerring@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

And we're supposed to be fervent conservationists with respect for our parks and wildlife, but you can't eat a fish you catch here without getting poisoned by 20 kinds of chemicals

[–] 24_at_the_withers@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

you can't eat a fish you catch here without getting poisoned by 20 kinds of chemicals

Username checks out.

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[–] Know_not_Scotty_does@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

There is a great line in the book "The Right Stuff" that says basically that. Houston was a hellhole in the 50s and all that which made ot that way has gotten worse or not gone away since then. All the mercury and dioxins are still in the silt in the San Jascinto river or Galveston Bay, or in your fresh gulf shrimp (sponsored by BP and TransOcean)

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[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

Near 0 federal public land. Texas has a lot of state land, and the Land Commissioner is a powerful statewide elected office.

This situation is a result of the terms of the 1845 accession when the Republic of Texas entered the Union.

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[–] phdepressed@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Talarico is running against Paxton for which is going to replace Cornyn.

Gina Hinojosa is running against Abbott, the limited polling so far has her losing by 3-8%. Which is within striking distance depending on what else goes on. I would assume that if Hinojosa wins, Vikki Goodwin will beat Patrick.

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[–] Astronut@lemmy.zip 12 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

The problem with fucking idiots is that they’re always fucking other fucking idiots and creating more fucken fucking idiots!

[–] PancakesCantKillMe@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

For a visual version, this process is graphically explained in the first few minutes of the documentary Idiocracy.

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I hear it about as much as I hear about the year of the Linux desktop.

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[–] BonkTheAnnoyed@piefed.blahaj.zone 30 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)

All the people in here commenting, like "oh no, there's a hope! Step on it!"

Wouldn't want people to actually get fired up and vote, now would we?

[–] Spooge@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

This is Lemmy. It's terminally online doomers and pompous Linux dweebs.

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[–] CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 28 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Doubt it, I'm not convinced Texas has three brain cells to share amongst themselves. They've had stronger candidates than Talarico in the past and still re-elected Cancun Cruz.

[–] AngryRedHerring@lemmy.world 26 points 2 weeks ago (12 children)
[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

As a Californian who's only ever used paper ballots this confuses and disgusts me. I wish to do a march to the sea.

[–] AngryRedHerring@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I first started complaining about this back in 2000, when it was said that all you needed to shift an election was 5 minutes alone with one of these machines and a USB drive. Of course everybody was calling me paranoid. You don't even need a USB drive now.

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[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Beto had a decent chance until he said he was coming for the AR-15s. I mean at least let your opponents say that, don't feed them the sound byte.

[–] CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

"I'd rather vote for a guy who skips a tenth of his votes, hikes the electric bill, and tried to overthrow a presidential election before I'd give up weapons used (repeatedly) to slaughter school children"

Mhmm yep. Very normal society.

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[–] phdepressed@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Timing also matters. When things are shitty people want change.

[–] CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Things being shitty is not a new phenomenon. This state is a petri dish example of 30+ years of gop policies and mistakes. All that time, and the state literally re-elected the pos that went for vacation while their neighbors froze to death. I hope to see change but texas is entirely "wish I knew how to quit you" with them.

Texas is like ground zero for voter disenfranchisement though. They do it better than anyone.

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[–] protist@retrofed.com 20 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

A lot of shitting on the possibility here. People have a right to be skeptical, but it's also hard to overstate how many moderate Republicans Ken Paxton has already alienated in Texas. Paxton has impeached by the Republican-led Texas House for his criminal activity. There are large swathes of suburban voters who may typically vote Republican but who would skip right over Paxton on that ballot.

At the same time, Talarico's ability to speak confidently and comfortably about religion and in churches is giving him a huge leg-up in making inroads with those same disaffected suburbanites.

[–] ClownStatue@piefed.social 9 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I always felt like O’Rourke was mostly propped up by the party. I never really thought he had a serious shot at winning a statewide election.

Talarico is a genuine Christian. Try as they might, the Christian-ist Christians of Christian-By-God-Texas can’t make a dent in his actual real Christian love, and members of their flocks are noticing that. I see countless posts saying Jesus was a progressive, but precious few politicians that embody that. I hope he does well. That said, this is Texas. They may hate Paxton, but to they hate him enough to vote for gulp A DEMOCRAT!?

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmings.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Beto was doing great, right up until he went on a big Texas radio show and announced intended to take away their guns. You could almost hear the air hissing out of the balloon.

He lost by a tiny margin. I strongly believe that dumb statement cost him the seat. If he had taken Cruz's seat, and Talarico took Cornyn's seat, we'd have two Dem senators from Texas.

But Beto couldn't keep his mouth shut about guns in Texas.

[–] Blumpkinhead@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

In true democrat fashion, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

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[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 15 points 2 weeks ago

I’ll believe it when I see it. You can serve filet mignon and Texans will still vote for feces on a platter. Example: Ted Cruz.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

fuck off with this maybe could be shit.

I'm convinced this kind of coverage is engineered for no purpose than to make people go "Well, it looks like a shoe in, so I dont have to go deal with the crowds" and next thing you know republican has won by 30%

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[–] daannii@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

I have friends that have or currently do live in Austin.

They have told me the cities are very left leaning.

In Illinois, it's mostly Chicago that keeps this state blue and keeps the red plague from taking over.

It's surprising how much of a foothold the reds have over Texas with Houston , Dallas, and Austin.

3 big cities.

City people are generally more democratic and left leaning. How are these 3 cities not having more of an impact on political seats in Texas?

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago

the gerrymandering is bad in Texas

[–] AugustWest@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

The population of the Chicago metro area (excluding the 2 WI and 2 IN counties that get lumped in) accounts for 66% of the population of the state.

The combined population of the Houston, Dallas, and Austin metro areas only account for 58% of the population of the state.

Not only that, most of Chicagoland is blue, but you cannot say the same for Texas cities where most of the outlying suburbs of the metro area are red.

The population of Houston proper, Dallas proper, and Austin proper combined only make up 15% of the population of Texas. But Chicago proper alone makes up over 21% of the population of Illinois. Throw in Aurora and Naperville to make the 3 city comparison a little more fair, and you get almost 26% of the population of IL.

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[–] Catma@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

I want to believe eapecially since Paxton may be the worst fucking candidate ever.

However i think even assuming Talarico wins Hot Wheels will find a way to claim the election is rife with fraud and appoint Paxton anyway.

[–] Smaile@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

all the doubting here makes me think that if james wins that cons party will have a meltdown

That’s why I want him to win, I want him to win to own the chudservatives

[–] KC_Royalz@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Ive been hearing this since Bush and it hasn't once been close. So much like my football team, I'll believe when I actually see some results

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[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

I'm at least semi-optimistic because they've known he was the nominee for over a month yet their best insults are calling him "Talifreako" and a "Vaygun". 🤔

[–] switcheroo@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

Don't give me hope... Just, don't. 😕

[–] ryper@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Wouldn't it be purple, at best? Flipping one Senate seat in a red state isn't going to make the whole place blue.

[–] platypode@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 weeks ago

For sure, but even making Texas remotely competitive would be a huge blow—it’s a large state that takes a lot of money to reach with political advertising, and if republicans have to start campaigning hard to keep their bedrock state then that time and money drain can start dragging other races.

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

That is a nice thought/expectation/wishful thinking... but seeing L.A. on track to chose a deeply shitty reality tv scumbag as Mayor, I am doubting Texans will do anything to help themselves

🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🎉🎊🎊

[–] Astronut@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 weeks ago

Fuck’en A!

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