this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2026
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“If you look at that Fox News poll, he’s ahead by seven points in the state of Texas,” Fox anchor Ainsley Earhardt lamented on Friday, adding: “How is that possible?” The “he” is Democrat James Talarico, who leads Republican Ken Paxton in Fox’s striking new poll of Texas. This shocker prompted Earhardt’s guest to warn: “Texans have to wake up!”

In truth, both Fox figures are slightly overstating matters. The poll does show Talarico up by seven points among registered voters, 53–46. But it shows his lead is much tighter among likely voters, 51–49. The latter might matter more.

Still, Talarico’s lead among both groups is remarkable in a state where no Democrat has won statewide in decades. What’s more, the poll’s internals help shed light on Trump’s role in bringing about Talarico’s lead. Here the news for Trump is very bad, and it captures something essential about the winding-down Trump era.

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[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 105 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

But it shows [Talarico's] lead is much tighter among likely voters, 51–49.

It's time to face the facts: Republicans want child rapists and criminals running the country.

[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 37 points 3 days ago (3 children)

We need to make it shameful to be seen being a Republican.

There is a reason they are "centrists" or "not really political" on dating sites.

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 days ago (2 children)

If shaming doesn't work, then upgrade to shunning.

[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 day ago

What they've done to us is an excusable, maybe we could possibly forgive them for Trump round one but Trump round two? Fuck no absolutely not. Look what they've done

[–] Linktank@lemmy.today 2 points 3 days ago

What are the next three upgrades after that?

How do you shame the shameless?!

[–] SupraMario@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Want? They already have pedophiles, traitors and criminals running the country.

They do, but they want more.

[–] dmtalon@lemmy.world -1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

I think it's simpler, and dare I say worse, than that. US voters on an American "team" have a hard time voting for the other American "team". Both sides will pinch their nose and vote "blue no matter who" or whatever the red version of that is.

THAT is a larger problem.

And I'm not implying actively voting for a criminal is not terrible, just that there's a larger problem that leads to that. Both sides can be blinded by their loyalty.

I'm also not saying both sides are equally bad, just making a statement about what this hard-line team stuff has done to our politics

[–] disorderly@lemmy.world 28 points 3 days ago (1 children)

You said "both sides" three whole times in that comment.

[–] dmtalon@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

That happened because I edited it a couple times and ended up going a bit overboard there :/

[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 20 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I think you're dead wrong for one reason: Primaries.

In most places Republicans are the only ones who can vote in GOP Primaries. They are regularly choosing and protecting pedophiles, child rapists and criminals.

And the "BoTh SiDeS Do It!" you're pushing is bullshit.

[–] dmtalon@lemmy.world 0 points 3 days ago

Primaries are a different issue, that falls back to apathy by voters and money spent by politicians l (name recognition) good or bad unfortunately.

[–] Triumph@fedia.io 4 points 3 days ago

With two parties and FPTP, in the general election, you vote against the worst candidate, and for a candidate who has a chance of winning. That's what "blue no matter who" is. It's also how conservatives have been voting for decades.

[–] ButtermilkBiscuit@feddit.nl 60 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Replace the name talarico with o'rorke and we could be back in 2016 all over again. I won't hold my breath for anything good to come out of texas.

[–] SupraMario@lemmy.world 20 points 3 days ago

Beta stuck his foot in his mouth by leaning on gun control. Something even the left has realized that's not a good thing considering the tyrants that are in power now.

[–] scops@reddthat.com 14 points 3 days ago

As long as he doesn't tell Texans he's coming for their guns he'll hopefully maintain his edge.

I think Democrats have cooled their 2a rhetoric in general since Beto's campaign. They realize it alienates a lot of the independent voters they need.

[–] KC_Royalz@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago

Yep. I've seen Texas is going blue to many times. I'll celebrate when it actually happens

[–] Cyclist@lemmy.world 51 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I refuse to put any faith in polls.

[–] Malica@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Nobody should, they've been wrong for at least the past 4 elections.

[–] inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

The only poll that matters is the vote itself. Everything else is vibes, cope and PR.

[–] Janx@piefed.social 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Faith? No. But they're a critical guideline for where to focus efforts if you want Republicans to lose Senate and Congressional seats.

[–] Octavio@piefed.social 2 points 3 days ago

Yes. This is what polls are useful for. Not so much for predicting the outcome.

[–] Burn_The_Right@lemmy.today 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The only reason conservatives are pouting is because of gas prices. They support absolutely every other thing Trump has done. Every. Single. Thing.

Yep, even the stuff in the TRUMP-EPSTEIN FILES (TM).

[–] Akasazh@lemmy.world 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I know very little about American politics, but I know fucking with gas prices is almost like the unforgivable sin

[–] HasturInYellow@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

There is a reason we are called selfish, stupid bastards.

[–] FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Most of us in the civilised world know that there are good people among you

But you have a lot of stupid, hateful arseholes...

[–] TrackenDaKracken@lemmy.world 26 points 3 days ago

the winding-down Trump era

This is good, we need to push this idea more. That the "Trump era" is winding down.

[–] Blibly@lemmy.world 21 points 3 days ago (1 children)

"Texans have to wake up"

They are waking up, dumbass. They're woke now ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )

[–] DokPsy@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Texas has been purple for a long while at worst if not actually blue. There has been decades of making it harder for the left leaning voices to gain traction in positions of substance

[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Not sure if this is true anymore. DFW is fairly red now. East Tx has always been red. Latinos along the border have been voting red in spite of themselves (such as Uvalde and Laredo).

I have no idea how West Texas votes these days.

Houston and Austin areas are consistently blue.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago

I hope Republicans spend so much fucking money in Texas and then lose.

[–] blastosist@lemmy.zip 11 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Judging by the comment section of Fox News there are still faithful fox brained anger riddled loyalist

[–] Asafum@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

And without a single neuron firing, they watch fox news because of the BiAsEd MeDiA, while fox talks about Republicans in terms of "we."

[–] hal_baleigh@piefed.social 5 points 3 days ago

Probably Russian trolls.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 days ago

In truth, both Fox figures are slightly overstating matters. The poll does show Talarico up by seven points among registered voters, 53–46. But it shows his lead is much tighter among likely voters, 51–49. The latter might matter more.

Bold words are doing a lot of heavy lifting. TNR might be trying to make sure republicans vote.