This Texas Senate race is getting more dramatic by the day, folks. I almost spilled my coffee reading about the latest developments. The Republican party is still reeling from the aftermath of the primary, where Attorney General Ken Paxton won with President Trump’s backing, but now they’re struggling to move forward. It’s like they’re playing a game of chicken, with pride winning out over common purpose. The party is engaging in a high-stakes internal game of chicken, with Senate Republicans leaving Texas out of their ad spending reservations, apparently to force Trump’s operation to bankroll Paxton.
The big standoff is over who is going to help Paxton compete financially with Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who is raising significantly more money than the GOP nominee. Senate Republicans have left Texas out of their ad spending reservations in an apparent ploy to force Trump’s political operation to bankroll Paxton. And the message to the president seems increasingly unsubtle: You defeated an incumbent with a less-electable, scandal-ridden alternative, now you get to make sure he holds this red state.
But Trump’s operation has yet to comply. That’s left Paxton outgunned for weeks, with potentially major implications. With two months left, polls show Talarico benefiting from a significant image advantage and the state looking more competitive than it has been in decades. And if Democrats win Texas, they’ve moved themselves significantly close to a Senate majority. Bless their hearts, it seems like the Republicans are in a bit of a pickle.
The GOP’s striking public pleas to Trump are getting more desperate by the day. Congressional Republicans have stepped forward to more overtly tell Trump’s operation that it needs to pony up. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana told Fox News, “We need help from the president… The president says he has $850 million in his campaign accounts. That’s a lot of jack. I’m hoping that the president’s going to spend $100 or $200 million in Texas, but he hasn’t committed to it yet.” Paxton on the same show responded to two different questions about the race by pointing to his financial deficit.
But it’s not just the money that’s the problem, it’s the infighting. Rep. Troy Nehls accused Sen. John Cornyn of rooting for the other side, so he could prove a point. Cornyn has assured he supports the ticket, but he’s also continued to undercut Paxton. The senator told CNN last week that he won’t campaign for Paxton, and in comments to the Tribune, he labeled Paxton “a poor campaigner” who is “lazy and doesn’t raise money.” You can’t make this stuff up, folks.
There’s good reason for the panic setting in among the GOP. Recent polls show the race within the margin of error, but generally with Talarico ahead by a few points. And it’s clear that voters just don’t like Paxton. Recent polls show him taking very few independents, and his image was between 6 and 18 points underwater in those polls. The fear among some Republicans is that these perceptions are being cemented, while Talarico remains unscathed.
But there is also a school of thought that even a modest outside investment could change things pretty quickly — especially by focusing on rather “woke” things Talarico has said. CNN’s KFile reported this week that Talarico in 2020 said Texas oil was “not gonna last” and called capitalism “oppressive.” Some on the right still think turning Texas blue is simply too tall a task at this point. (Democrats haven’t won a statewide race there in more than 30 years.)
In conclusion, the Texas Senate race is a mess, folks. The Republicans are in disarray, and it’s unclear if Trump will come to the rescue. One thing’s for sure, though: this race is going to be a wild ride. And who knows, maybe Trump will surprise us all and spend some of that $850 million on Paxton’s campaign. But until then, I’ll just be over here, sipping my coffee and enjoying the show. After all, as they say, “all’s fair in love and politics” — and this race has plenty of both.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
