TX06 Special Election Followup

 

Today is May 1st and municipal election day in Texas.  I wanted to follow up on the results of the TX06 special election that was held also.  I thought there might be interest since there were 4 previous posts on the election with over 200 replies.  I guess it is technically 3 posts (one, two, three) and a podcast in the last month.

The big contention was whether this “anti-Trump” upstart, Michael Wood, would be the future of the GOP.   One of the candidates in the race was the widow of the individual who previously occupied the office.  Mrs. Wright is the leading vote-getter and will be in the run-off.   With 94% of the votes in, second place is barely held by Jake Ellzey, who I thought was the most likely winner (I didn’t know about the widow component).  If these results hold, it will be two GOP candidates in the runoff.  Third place is some Democrat that would certainly lose in the runoff.  And that anti-Trump upstart? He is currently in 9th position with about 3% of the vote.  It looks like that bold strategy didn’t pay off in MAGA country.  Paging Liz Cheney…

Candidate Votes Percent
Susan Wright GOP 15,020 19.21%
Jake Ellzey GOP 10,842 13.86%
Jana Sanchez DEM 10,476 13.40%
Brian Harrison GOP 8,474 10.84%
Shawn Lassiter DEM 6,941 8.88%
John Castro GOP 4,308 5.51%
Tammy Allison DEM 4,222 5.40%
Lydia Bean DEM 2,913 3.72%
Michael Wood GOP 2,497 3.19%
Michael Ballantine GOP 2,212 2.83%

The important thing is that the Camping Ban looks like it is passing in Austin.  Yeah!

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  1. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Headedwest (View Comment):

    Caltory (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Caltory (View Comment):
    Time will tell if Trump’s sway on the Republican Party prevails. It will be interesting to see next year how much energy Trump devotes to defeating Republicans who slighted him instead of rallying voters to defeat Democrats. So far, Trump has been more inclined to defame Mitch McConnell than to critique Joe Biden. If history is predictive, Trump’s preference to seek petty retributions does not bode well. For those of you who prefer to remain a loud minority in the USA instead of a ruling majority, stick with Donald Trump.

    Everyone in his position is tactical about who they endorse. It’s different when you are in office. That is how you have to analyze this. This isn’t my opinion, either.

    Fair enough. I suspect Mr. Trump will devote more energy to defeating Republicans in the off year than he will to defeating Democrats. His history and recent behavior suggest it. If I’m wrong, I’ll be happy to admit it—even to people here who consider calling someone “Never-Trump” to be the epitome of wit, but recoil at any notion of “Ever-Trump.”

    “Never-Trump” is merely an accurate description of some people.

    And also adopted by themselves, not imposed by anyone else.

    • #91
  2. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    I love Austrian economics. I think it’s the best system. I think it’s the best way to view things.

    Having said that, I wish somebody would tell me what the hell is wrong with MAGA ***policy***

    The institutions suck. 

    Everything moves left all of the time.

    China.

    We have done every single thing wrong in the face of automation and globalized labor. So now we are getting populism and Socialism shoved down our throats.

    My big beef mostly was that Trump didn’t know anything about civics and government and he wasn’t really into it. Being a government executive is completely different from what he did before. Having said that, he did pretty well and he highlighted a ton of garbage that needed sunlight as a disinfectant.

    I dislike everybody that Gary likes, basically.

     

    • #92
  3. namlliT noD Member
    namlliT noD
    @DonTillman

    namlliT noD (View Comment):

    And we’ve seen “The Big Lie” propaganda mechanism used a lot in this country; those numerous major news stories that were repeated identically, with the same words, over and over, and turned out to be completely untrue. Those are working examples of The Big Lie.

    George Orwell’s version of The Big Lie is “2 + 2 = 5”.

    Which our esteemed original poster even includes in his Ricochet nickname.

    The 2 + 2 = 5 Wikipedia entry is very interesting.  Check it out.

     

     

    • #93
  4. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    namlliT noD (View Comment):

    namlliT noD (View Comment):

    And we’ve seen “The Big Lie” propaganda mechanism used a lot in this country; those numerous major news stories that were repeated identically, with the same words, over and over, and turned out to be completely untrue. Those are working examples of The Big Lie.

    George Orwell’s version of The Big Lie is “2 + 2 = 5”.

    Which our esteemed original poster even includes in his Ricochet nickname.

    The 2 + 2 = 5 Wikipedia entry is very interesting. Check it out.

    It’s interesting to see details of how far back the expression goes, but the “contemporary usage” section doesn’t get into the aspect of it becoming “we will tell you what to believe, and you will believe what we tell you, rather than reality.”  But if it did, I expect wiki would redact it. 

    • #94
  5. Caltory Coolidge
    Caltory
    @Caltory

    Headedwest (View Comment):

    “Never-Trump” is merely an accurate description of some people.

    I won’t quibble with that, nor have I (except to complain it is a lazy assertion often used to avoid presenting an argument.) I can’t claim the NT title as I voted for the guy twice, but admit to being Never Again Trump. I don’t mind the moniker NAT & expect many Trump supporters here to call me that and sit back with self-righteous satisfaction.

    On one point I am amused however. Considering the NT term is commonly thrown around here as a pejorative, why are those who use it so prickly at the notion of “Ever-Trump?” Could it be that both terms are obnoxious? It appears to be a dilemma for some Trump acolytes. Never-Trump bad, Ever-Trump … bad … too? Methinks they protest too much.

    • #95
  6. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Caltory (View Comment):
    On one point I am amused however. Considering the NT term is commonly thrown around here as a pejorative, why are those who use it so prickly at the notion of “Ever-Trump.

    I’m Ever-Trump until a better replacement comes along. I hope there is one, but until that happens I want to keep him in the running.  DeSantis might turn out to be the better replacement, but it’s too early to toss Trump out. We might need him in case DeSantis doesn’t pan out.  

    • #96
  7. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Caltory (View Comment):
    On one point I am amused however. Considering the NT term is commonly thrown around here as a pejorative, why are those who use it so prickly at the notion of “Ever-Trump.” Could it be that both terms are obnoxious? It appears to be a dilemma for some Trump acolytes. Never-Trump bad, Ever-Trump … bad … too? Methinks they protest too much.

    I don’t care about insults at all. I mean zero. Gary can call me anything he wants. He can call anybody else whatever he wants.

    ***Shoot holes in the MAGA policy instead***. I get that Trump had some weaknesses, but he also had a lot of strengths and he highlighted the right things.

    I can tell you the Minnesota anti-trump, Principles First crowd are idiots in this sense. I mean terrible. Everybody around PF has gotten dumber and dumber overtime and I’m not exaggerating.

    • #97
  8. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Caltory (View Comment):
    On one point I am amused however. Considering the NT term is commonly thrown around here as a pejorative, why are those who use it so prickly at the notion of “Ever-Trump.” Could it be that both terms are obnoxious? It appears to be a dilemma for some Trump acolytes. Never-Trump bad, Ever-Trump … bad … too? Methinks they protest too much.

    I don’t care about insults at all. I mean zero. Gary can call me anything he wants. He can call anybody else whatever he wants.

    ***Shoot holes in the MAGA policy instead***. I get that Trump had some weaknesses, but he also had a lot of strengths and he highlighted the right things.

    I can tell you the Minnesota anti-trump, Principles First crowd are idiots in this sense. I mean terrible. Everybody around PF has gotten dumber and dumber overtime and I’m not exaggerating.

    Their only solid principle seems to be calling themselves Principles First, and the rest can go hang.

    • #98
  9. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    Caltory (View Comment):
    My explanation for the TX-06 result is simple: Donald Trump remains the most powerful voice in the Republican Party. His endorsement still carries weight among most Republicans.

    The bulk of Republicans are far more discerning than you give them credit for. I would simply point you to the replacement of Mark Meadows in the House. Meadows’ family friend was running and Trump gave his endorsement, but another candidate – younger, more articulate won. Your cartoon character is exactly what you accuse others of.

    Caltory (View Comment):
    Much of the source of my discontent with Trump is illustrated in the comments here. Ever-Trumpers are eager to emulate the style of the man they revere. They claim lapses of logic without citing a fallacy or forming an opposing argument. They are quick to shout “Troll” (or some other snarky buzzword) and smugly assume predominance. They brand as enemies those who criticize any Trump shortcoming. They degrade the word liar by using it to express disagreement. And they condescend, introducing novel claims and then imputing ignorance to interlocutors. These match the verbal tactics of Donald Trump and diminish debate to merely shouting louder.

    Gary uses lies from the press that have been shown to be a lie and continues to do so. You may believe the lies in the NYT, WaPo, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS. That is your right. But then to say those who accuse Gary of lying for citing the same pile of dribble Gary does is rather circular.

    As for criticism, I have lots of criticisms of Trump. He’s an amateur in politics for one. He has never been able to figure out who his friends and enemies are. He evidently is easily flattered. He is weak. But he is far better than the alternatives. Whether Republican or Democrat opponents. So it really depends on the nature of the criticism.

    That he did not shut down the riots and burning was his largest failing. That he didn’t sack the Secretary of Defense within 24 hours of his opposing calling out the National Guard shows how weak he is. That he didn’t sack the people in the FBI, the CIA, up and down the chain of command in the national security apparatus while releasing all the documents, shows he was weak. When he called for removing troops from the never-ending wars and the generals obstructing him, he should have sacked them. He is weak.

    It depends on the criticism. Gary;’s criticisms are trash.

    Caltory (View Comment):
    Purge Liz Cheney? Why?

    Nepotism. Trump promoting his children is a perfectly valid criticism. Why shouldn’t it also apply to Liz Cheney? Plus she is a neocon who has learned nothing and is probably incapable as neocons are.

    • #99
  10. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Hang On (View Comment):
    Gary uses lies from the press that has been shown to be a lie and continues to do so. You may believe the lies in the NYT, WaPo, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS. That is your right. But then to say those who accuse Gary of lying for citing the same pile of dribble Gary does is rather circular.

    Gary endorses Nicole Wallace. 

    • #100
  11. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Hang On (View Comment):
    Gary uses lies from the press that has been shown to be a lie and continues to do so. You may believe the lies in the NYT, WaPo, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS. That is your right. But then to say those who accuse Gary of lying for citing the same pile of dribble Gary does is rather circular.

    Gary endorses Nicole Wallace.

    I look forward to her also getting 3% of the vote.

    • #101
  12. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    kedavis (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Hang On (View Comment):
    Gary uses lies from the press that has been shown to be a lie and continues to do so. You may believe the lies in the NYT, WaPo, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS. That is your right. But then to say those who accuse Gary of lying for citing the same pile of dribble Gary does is rather circular.

    Gary endorses Nicole Wallace.

    I look forward to her also getting 3% of the vote.

    She starts out as a California RINO political operator. She’s obviously just like former libertarian Joe Scarborough who has completely changed her views for the money. Gary actually listens to this [redacted]. She is a [remunerated for physical activity]. All of these Never Trumper’s are extremely stupid about the media and the bureaucracy. 

    • #102
  13. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Caltory (View Comment):

    Headedwest (View Comment):

    “Never-Trump” is merely an accurate description of some people.

    I won’t quibble with that, nor have I (except to complain it is a lazy assertion often used to avoid presenting an argument.) I can’t claim the NT title as I voted for the guy twice, but admit to being Never Again Trump. I don’t mind the moniker NAT & expect many Trump supporters here to call me that and sit back with self-righteous satisfaction.

    On one point I am amused however. Considering the NT term is commonly thrown around here as a pejorative, why are those who use it so prickly at the notion of “Ever-Trump?” Could it be that both terms are obnoxious? It appears to be a dilemma for some Trump acolytes. Never-Trump bad, Ever-Trump … bad … too? Methinks they protest too much.

    Unlike “evil” which is how a particular NTer here refers to Trump and his supporters.

    • #103
  14. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Caltory (View Comment):

    Headedwest (View Comment):

    “Never-Trump” is merely an accurate description of some people.

    I won’t quibble with that, nor have I (except to complain it is a lazy assertion often used to avoid presenting an argument.) I can’t claim the NT title as I voted for the guy twice, but admit to being Never Again Trump. I don’t mind the moniker NAT & expect many Trump supporters here to call me that and sit back with self-righteous satisfaction.

    On one point I am amused however. Considering the NT term is commonly thrown around here as a pejorative, why are those who use it so prickly at the notion of “Ever-Trump?” Could it be that both terms are obnoxious? It appears to be a dilemma for some Trump acolytes. Never-Trump bad, Ever-Trump … bad … too? Methinks they protest too much.

    Unlike “evil” which is how a particular NTer here refers to Trump and his supporters.

    Right, because Trump is an existential threat to the country, not like that Biden guy who… oh, never mind.

    • #104
  15. E. Kent Golding Moderator
    E. Kent Golding
    @EKentGolding

    I look forward to the day when we think of the powers and principalities behind the democrats and the progressives as the enemy.   I voted for Trump over Biden,  rightly believing Trump to be the lesser danger to America and the lesser evil.    However,  Trump’s time is past,  love Trump or hate Trump, now is the time is to move onto new leaders.    I personally recommend evaluating them on their proposed policies,  their histories,  and their ability to get elected and implement policy.    Judge Trump by Trump — judge other politicians by what they are going to do, not by their relationship to Trump.   Those who stand for conservatism and freedom  need to stand together against the progressive, statist onslaught.  Divided we fall.

    • #105
  16. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    E. Kent Golding (View Comment):
    Divided we fall.

    But if we do fall, I suggest going into a sort of tuck so you can roll with it.  Don’t leave any limbs splayed out where they will get broken.

    • #106
  17. DJ EJ Member
    DJ EJ
    @DJEJ

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    E. Kent Golding (View Comment):
    Divided we fall.

    But if we do fall, I suggest going into a sort of tuck so you can roll with it. Don’t leave any limbs splayed out where they will get broken.

    Haha, yes. One of the most important things I learned in Aikido training was how to fall properly to disperse the impact over a large area.

    • #107
  18. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    E. Kent Golding (View Comment):

    I look forward to the day when we think of the powers and principalities behind the democrats and the progressives as the enemy. I voted for Trump over Biden, rightly believing Trump to be the lesser danger to America and the lesser evil. However, Trump’s time is past, love Trump or hate Trump, now is the time is to move onto new leaders. I personally recommend evaluating them on their proposed policies, their histories, and their ability to get elected and implement policy. Judge Trump by Trump — judge other politicians by what they are going to do, not by their relationship to Trump. Those who stand for conservatism and freedom need to stand together against the progressive, statist onslaught. Divided we fall.

    There might at least still be a difference between non-Trump and Anti-Trump candidates.

    • #108
  19. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

     

     

     

     

     

    • #109
  20. namlliT noD Member
    namlliT noD
    @DonTillman

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    Trump has just labeled the fact that he lost in 2020 as “The Big Lie.” Hence is Trump arguing that those who disagree with him to be associated with Goebbels, et. al.?

     

    • #110
  21. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

     

     

     

    If Ted Cruz is the candidate I’ll gladly support him. Enthusiastically, even. 

     

     

    • #111
  22. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    If Ted Cruz is the candidate I’ll gladly support him. Enthusiastically, even.

    I don’t get why a guy like that would talk like that.

    • #112
  23. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

     

     

     

     

     

    What?  Veruca Salt was GREAT!

     

    • #113
  24. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    I check these threads occasionally and am amused that the answer the (self-proclaimed) NTs and NATs have is to go back to the GOPe fools such as the Bushes and Mittens who gave us the policies that let to Trump in the first place. Lather; rinse; repeat. 

    I think I’ll let my voter registration lapse, ignore it all, and just enjoy life in general. You know, since I told the RNC caller to go fornicate himself and put me on the “do-not-call” list, I haven’t been bothered at all. 

    • #114
  25. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

     

     

     

     

     

    Is anyone a fan of Bret Stephens?

    • #115
  26. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Django (View Comment):
    I check these threads occasionally and am amused that the answer the (self-proclaimed) NTs and NATs have is to go back to the GOPe fools such as the Bushes and Mittens who gave us the policies that let to Trump in the first place. Lather; rinse; repeat. 

    They do seem to give new meaning to the word “clueless.”

    • #116
  27. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Django (View Comment):
    I check these threads occasionally and am amused that the answer the (self-proclaimed) NTs and NATs have is to go back to the GOPe fools such as the Bushes and Mittens who gave us the policies that let to Trump in the first place. Lather; rinse; repeat.

    Discussing policy > amateur analysis of the electorate 

    • #117
  28. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    They always talk about suburban mothers, yada yada yada. 

    If the GOP figures out what they are doing they can pick up a multi racial working class along with whoever else is going to stay in the GOP. Social conservatives and business owners or whatever. In my opinion that actually represents actual real world problems. This is basically the American Greatness / Claremont view point.

    • #118
  29. Bishop Wash Member
    Bishop Wash
    @BishopWash

    kedavis (View Comment):

    namlliT noD (View Comment):

    namlliT noD (View Comment):

    And we’ve seen “The Big Lie” propaganda mechanism used a lot in this country; those numerous major news stories that were repeated identically, with the same words, over and over, and turned out to be completely untrue. Those are working examples of The Big Lie.

    George Orwell’s version of The Big Lie is “2 + 2 = 5”.

    Which our esteemed original poster even includes in his Ricochet nickname.

    The 2 + 2 = 5 Wikipedia entry is very interesting. Check it out.

    It’s interesting to see details of how far back the expression goes, but the “contemporary usage” section doesn’t get into the aspect of it becoming “we will tell you what to believe, and you will believe what we tell you, rather than reality.” But if it did, I expect wiki would redact it.

    When Andrew Klavan was discussing 1984 he pointed out that that was the big crime of the government in the book. Not that they were making people agree to a lie, but that they were making people believe what ever they said was truth. They could say go back to saying 2 + 2 = 4 and that wouldn’t make it right. It’s based on power, not truth, and they could return to saying 2 + 2 = 5.

    • #119
  30. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    namlliT noD (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    Trump has just labeled the fact that he lost in 2020 as “The Big Lie.” Hence is Trump arguing that those who disagree with him to be associated with Goebbels, et. al.?

     

    Trump may be completely lacking in ethics but he is one hell of a brander.  

    There are four questions I ask when someone signs a will to determine if they are of sound mind.  Unlike the old saw, there are correct and wrong answers to these questions:

    1.  What is your name?
    2. What is today’s date?  (Or what year is this?  What month is this?)
    3. Where are you?
    4. What is the purpose of today’s meeting?

    I can think of a few other questions to determine mental soundness:

    1. Is the earth flat?
    2. Is the Holocaust fake?
    3. Did Bush know about the 9/11 attacks before they occurred?
    4. Was Hillary elected in 2016?
    5. Was Trump elected in 2020?

    If someone answers “yes” to any of these five questions, their mental soundness must be questioned.  

    • #120
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