Michelle, Thank you for your comprehensive analysis. You laid it all out there so well--there is a lot that I still need to learn about these two candidates and the politics that surround this race.
My biggest thing is letting the primary play out in an unmanipulated way. Let the voters decide instead of Democratic Party powers that be or Republican operatives or people from out of state who are heavily invested in the personalities of these two and see it as an online drama whereas for us, the outcome has real impact on our actual lives. May the best candidate win. I have a theory of the case for winning in the general election, but I could be wrong. It's just my opinion. Let the candidates make their cases. I'll be watching.
I thought the debate was good and I wasn't bored. It gave me some insights into the candidates' thinking and styles. I pretty much agree with Michelle and noticed the same things she did. This is a choice which seems to come down to a personal preference as the candidates are pretty much on the same page policy-wise. Many primary voters like myself will decide their preference based on what they think will work against the Republican in the general. As far as my decision point, I am focused on the Republican playbook of using Democrats as foils for their negative partisanship. Republicans don't try to govern well. They simply define their voters identity for them and drive them to the polls based on identity signalling and negative partisanship.
This is pretty much all they have right now because their base is wavering as Republicans continue to actively hurt their base with stuff like vouchers. Therefore, it is coming and we better have a plan to dodge Republicans' trap and not be the foil for their negative partisanship narratives. Crockett is most likely their preferred foil. She could defeat that with some good political skills, but I'm not convinced being reflexively antagonistic is the way to do that. It's one thing to "fight". It's another thing to dismiss substantive and constructive criticism out of hand and attribute it to either racism or bad character on the part of voters.
The thing I am weighing is how each candidate will thread the needle of a statewide race when Republicans have undermined and tarnished the Democratic brand to the point that Democrats have to prove the negative that they aren't wild-eyed radical extremists. My question is how effective in the general will combativeness and online likes from people who don't vote here be in defeating the Republican? Talarico has that "kill them with kindness" vibe of teachers and preachers who are seeking to persuade a hostile audience. I sense he is reading the situation with independents and Republicans fairly well with this kill them with kindness tactic. The first step should be to not make the discussion about oneself by performing outrage and scolding as people do online.
I'd be interested in any insight there might be as to whether these influencers, trolls and Republican operatives are discouraging voters, both Independent and Republican, who might contemplate voting for a Democrat. Both these candidates are very digitally savvy. They should be better at meeting the challenge of winning in an environment of Republican baiting and online trolling than an older candidate might. But, I don't have any frame of reference to gauge who's better at managing an information war from the right while trying to win a primary in the Democratic party.
Finally, FWIW, I was annoyed by Crockett consistently overshooting her time, just as I am by all debates when the candidates do this and the moderators don't enforce the time rules.
Astute analysis and commentary as always Michelle. I really hope people on either side of this race don't get too emotionally attached to their preferred candidate and then pout and not vote in the general election. That's an unfortunate and well-known tendency among liberals and progressives. I see enough whiffs of this aspect to undermine the Democratic primary winner in the November election top make me worry.
Yeah, I've never understood this mindset of falling in love with a politician. To me, they have a job to do and it's their responsibility to convince me that they are capable of doing the work and that's it.
I once told a friend of mine that my connection to someone running for public office is equivalent to a commercial airline pilot. I don't need to know anything on a personal level about that person. All I care about is whether she or he is qualified and if they can get me to my destination on time and in one piece. Beyond that, no emotional attachments are required.
Some may call me cynical, but I've learned from long observation and experience that politicians, like entertainment and sports celebrities, are not your friend and have their own goals and motivations. Be smart and hard headed about your personal political and governmental needs and be clear-eyed about who will do the best job for you and other people as well.
I like how you put it. Thanks, I may actually steal some of that later. Based on the sheer negativity that's being dumped into this race, I'm backing off from it for a while. And ultimately, I may not endorse it at all.
Feel free to use any statements I make for future commentary. This is a collective effort with you in the lead.
I understand about possibly not endorsing either one. The recommendation I have for you to attack aggressively any ugly vitriol or personal attacks by either candidate or their campaigns. If you want to see a historical example of just how destructive this situation could be, look at the many wars the Byzantine and Sassanid empires fought with each other. After more than a century of conflict, the Sassanids were so exhausted that the first big wave of the Muslim armies emerging from the Arabian peninsula were able to easily and quickly overwhelm them. That's why modern day Iran is mostly Muslim even though (from my understanding) that the Iranian polity then and now consider Arabs to culturally inferior to them.
The same dynamic good and bad applies in the current Texas Democratic Senate primary and Democrat primaries nationally. The potential destructive outcome is letting the gop win unnecessarily because Democrats get so focused on personalizing elections and slamming each other that they lose sight of the prize of winning the general election.
Given the history of remarkable, effective black women politicians from Texas, it's despicable that Crockett's candidacy would be used by the far right to further polarize voters along gender, race, and religious lines to win the election. But Americans still have a choice now; either we can defend the democratic republic the easy way, by defending and winning elections, or the hard way, with our blood and treasure. We must win back Congress from Republicans, at all costs. The need to win transcends consideration of any other political agenda.
Yes the question is if not now, then WHEN? I liken the current situation to dealing with an aggressive form of cancer or an infectious disease. Is it better to stop the cancer at Stage 1 or at Stage 4? That people still don't get this just amazes me.
Once again, let the Texas voters decide, and DC consultants can just leave. Yes we need money but not for this race. We need it for all the down ballot candidates and the grassroots to get out the vote. We will it win state wide without raising margins in all 254 counties and huge margins in all the urban and collar counties. It really doesn’t matter who it is. They are both way way better than any of the Republicans.
I felt it was ordinary as debates go, and maybe that is how it should have been. Someone who was unable to see it on time asked what I thought and I said I did not think it would change anyone's mind nor help them choose. I like all that has been said and thank you for making valid points.
The reality in America right now is that we have polarization between men and women. Every poll shows that majorities of women do not support the Trump regime, including white, Republican women. Who knew that the Project 2025 proposal to strip women of their civil rights, turn reproduction back into a life-threatening endeavor for all women, and make women the underclass again would backfire? (sarcasm) Democrats have to stop nominating candidates that women love, and whom men will not vote for. In the current political climate, a black woman as a Senate candidate in Texas will ensure another five years under the fascist bootheel for Texans.
White men will not vote for a black woman, even if they agree with her. Why not? Because they see how angry women are, and they're afraid they're going to have their reproductive organs surgically removed and handed to them if women get the majority in power. I'm sure that many households are like mine, where my native Okie, moderately conservative spouse is finding it diffficult to live with my everyday incendiary anger, not to mention the entrenched progressivism of our Gen Z offspring.
Democrats, please do not sabotage yourselves, for once. Jasmine Crockett is a force of nature, and a hardcore fighter. Personally, I admire her prosecutorial toughness, and would vote for her anytime, anyplace. But Talarico is the perfect instrument to defend democracy in this moment, due to his appeal to conservative Christians, and obviously, because he's a white man. He can infiltrate Christian evangelical thought silos, and create that necessary cognitive dissonance, in a way that Crockett could never do. I'm also willing to bet that there's a lot of support behind Crockett from regime beneficiaries, hoping that she will be a tool to divide and conquer Democrats. MAGA must see Talarico as a greater threat, because he is.
Oops! I shared this hours ago (if not yesterday) & forgot to let you know. I really appreciate your analysis-- as I listened to the debate had many of the same thoughts. Shared to Bsky. I think the answer to your overriding question about us is "YES! We ARE the radicals, & proud of it!" Perhaps once we nudge this red dinosaur somewhat to the left our candidates views & pronouncements will be more likely to reflect that.
I keep telling people; their vote is more important in NOV! Just vote blue for whichever wins! Because a non vote for Senate gives them a better chance to win Senate. 🙏🏼 ✌🏼 💙
Michelle, Thank you for your comprehensive analysis. You laid it all out there so well--there is a lot that I still need to learn about these two candidates and the politics that surround this race.
My biggest thing is letting the primary play out in an unmanipulated way. Let the voters decide instead of Democratic Party powers that be or Republican operatives or people from out of state who are heavily invested in the personalities of these two and see it as an online drama whereas for us, the outcome has real impact on our actual lives. May the best candidate win. I have a theory of the case for winning in the general election, but I could be wrong. It's just my opinion. Let the candidates make their cases. I'll be watching.
I thought the debate was good and I wasn't bored. It gave me some insights into the candidates' thinking and styles. I pretty much agree with Michelle and noticed the same things she did. This is a choice which seems to come down to a personal preference as the candidates are pretty much on the same page policy-wise. Many primary voters like myself will decide their preference based on what they think will work against the Republican in the general. As far as my decision point, I am focused on the Republican playbook of using Democrats as foils for their negative partisanship. Republicans don't try to govern well. They simply define their voters identity for them and drive them to the polls based on identity signalling and negative partisanship.
This is pretty much all they have right now because their base is wavering as Republicans continue to actively hurt their base with stuff like vouchers. Therefore, it is coming and we better have a plan to dodge Republicans' trap and not be the foil for their negative partisanship narratives. Crockett is most likely their preferred foil. She could defeat that with some good political skills, but I'm not convinced being reflexively antagonistic is the way to do that. It's one thing to "fight". It's another thing to dismiss substantive and constructive criticism out of hand and attribute it to either racism or bad character on the part of voters.
The thing I am weighing is how each candidate will thread the needle of a statewide race when Republicans have undermined and tarnished the Democratic brand to the point that Democrats have to prove the negative that they aren't wild-eyed radical extremists. My question is how effective in the general will combativeness and online likes from people who don't vote here be in defeating the Republican? Talarico has that "kill them with kindness" vibe of teachers and preachers who are seeking to persuade a hostile audience. I sense he is reading the situation with independents and Republicans fairly well with this kill them with kindness tactic. The first step should be to not make the discussion about oneself by performing outrage and scolding as people do online.
I'd be interested in any insight there might be as to whether these influencers, trolls and Republican operatives are discouraging voters, both Independent and Republican, who might contemplate voting for a Democrat. Both these candidates are very digitally savvy. They should be better at meeting the challenge of winning in an environment of Republican baiting and online trolling than an older candidate might. But, I don't have any frame of reference to gauge who's better at managing an information war from the right while trying to win a primary in the Democratic party.
Finally, FWIW, I was annoyed by Crockett consistently overshooting her time, just as I am by all debates when the candidates do this and the moderators don't enforce the time rules.
Astute analysis and commentary as always Michelle. I really hope people on either side of this race don't get too emotionally attached to their preferred candidate and then pout and not vote in the general election. That's an unfortunate and well-known tendency among liberals and progressives. I see enough whiffs of this aspect to undermine the Democratic primary winner in the November election top make me worry.
My fear as well.
Yeah, I've never understood this mindset of falling in love with a politician. To me, they have a job to do and it's their responsibility to convince me that they are capable of doing the work and that's it.
I once told a friend of mine that my connection to someone running for public office is equivalent to a commercial airline pilot. I don't need to know anything on a personal level about that person. All I care about is whether she or he is qualified and if they can get me to my destination on time and in one piece. Beyond that, no emotional attachments are required.
Some may call me cynical, but I've learned from long observation and experience that politicians, like entertainment and sports celebrities, are not your friend and have their own goals and motivations. Be smart and hard headed about your personal political and governmental needs and be clear-eyed about who will do the best job for you and other people as well.
I like how you put it. Thanks, I may actually steal some of that later. Based on the sheer negativity that's being dumped into this race, I'm backing off from it for a while. And ultimately, I may not endorse it at all.
Feel free to use any statements I make for future commentary. This is a collective effort with you in the lead.
I understand about possibly not endorsing either one. The recommendation I have for you to attack aggressively any ugly vitriol or personal attacks by either candidate or their campaigns. If you want to see a historical example of just how destructive this situation could be, look at the many wars the Byzantine and Sassanid empires fought with each other. After more than a century of conflict, the Sassanids were so exhausted that the first big wave of the Muslim armies emerging from the Arabian peninsula were able to easily and quickly overwhelm them. That's why modern day Iran is mostly Muslim even though (from my understanding) that the Iranian polity then and now consider Arabs to culturally inferior to them.
The same dynamic good and bad applies in the current Texas Democratic Senate primary and Democrat primaries nationally. The potential destructive outcome is letting the gop win unnecessarily because Democrats get so focused on personalizing elections and slamming each other that they lose sight of the prize of winning the general election.
Given the history of remarkable, effective black women politicians from Texas, it's despicable that Crockett's candidacy would be used by the far right to further polarize voters along gender, race, and religious lines to win the election. But Americans still have a choice now; either we can defend the democratic republic the easy way, by defending and winning elections, or the hard way, with our blood and treasure. We must win back Congress from Republicans, at all costs. The need to win transcends consideration of any other political agenda.
Yes the question is if not now, then WHEN? I liken the current situation to dealing with an aggressive form of cancer or an infectious disease. Is it better to stop the cancer at Stage 1 or at Stage 4? That people still don't get this just amazes me.
Once again, let the Texas voters decide, and DC consultants can just leave. Yes we need money but not for this race. We need it for all the down ballot candidates and the grassroots to get out the vote. We will it win state wide without raising margins in all 254 counties and huge margins in all the urban and collar counties. It really doesn’t matter who it is. They are both way way better than any of the Republicans.
I felt it was ordinary as debates go, and maybe that is how it should have been. Someone who was unable to see it on time asked what I thought and I said I did not think it would change anyone's mind nor help them choose. I like all that has been said and thank you for making valid points.
The reality in America right now is that we have polarization between men and women. Every poll shows that majorities of women do not support the Trump regime, including white, Republican women. Who knew that the Project 2025 proposal to strip women of their civil rights, turn reproduction back into a life-threatening endeavor for all women, and make women the underclass again would backfire? (sarcasm) Democrats have to stop nominating candidates that women love, and whom men will not vote for. In the current political climate, a black woman as a Senate candidate in Texas will ensure another five years under the fascist bootheel for Texans.
White men will not vote for a black woman, even if they agree with her. Why not? Because they see how angry women are, and they're afraid they're going to have their reproductive organs surgically removed and handed to them if women get the majority in power. I'm sure that many households are like mine, where my native Okie, moderately conservative spouse is finding it diffficult to live with my everyday incendiary anger, not to mention the entrenched progressivism of our Gen Z offspring.
Democrats, please do not sabotage yourselves, for once. Jasmine Crockett is a force of nature, and a hardcore fighter. Personally, I admire her prosecutorial toughness, and would vote for her anytime, anyplace. But Talarico is the perfect instrument to defend democracy in this moment, due to his appeal to conservative Christians, and obviously, because he's a white man. He can infiltrate Christian evangelical thought silos, and create that necessary cognitive dissonance, in a way that Crockett could never do. I'm also willing to bet that there's a lot of support behind Crockett from regime beneficiaries, hoping that she will be a tool to divide and conquer Democrats. MAGA must see Talarico as a greater threat, because he is.
Oops! I shared this hours ago (if not yesterday) & forgot to let you know. I really appreciate your analysis-- as I listened to the debate had many of the same thoughts. Shared to Bsky. I think the answer to your overriding question about us is "YES! We ARE the radicals, & proud of it!" Perhaps once we nudge this red dinosaur somewhat to the left our candidates views & pronouncements will be more likely to reflect that.
I keep telling people; their vote is more important in NOV! Just vote blue for whichever wins! Because a non vote for Senate gives them a better chance to win Senate. 🙏🏼 ✌🏼 💙