I feel that those that are having trouble talking about Medicaid for all; don’t really know how it works. I’m not sure how it can works. But it’s working in the blue states so they just need to get educated and go for it. The wealthy don’t want to pay taxes. So it is a matter of convincing them it’s worth keeping their workforce healthy. I’m sure there is a ripple effect. However; let’s convince them to pay their employees a living wage! Our minimum wage is ridiculous.
I recommend The Healing of America by T. R. Reid for insight into the complexities of trying to create and implement a better health care delivery system. It is easy to offer sound bite solutions but no system developed to date is fully satisfactory to its participants.
Thanks for an informative article and for reaching out to the Talarico campaign. Any idea why they have not clearly specified their policy positions on his priorities in their campaign website like AOC has done and Beto did when he was running for governor? Perhaps you can nudge his campaign to do so.
I have responded to messages from his campaign with the following response but they just ignore it:
“I have made modest contributions to your campaign in the past and wish you the best.
“Will you please let me know your thoughts on the article below by former Labor Secretary Robert Reich and if you will take the pledge to commit to those ten goals to make America more affordable besides implementing comprehensive gun safety reforms to curb gun violence, which is a threat to everyone? It will help you attract a lot of voters and supporters, who are concerned about affordability and gun violence, if you can clearly articulate such priorities on your website just as Representative AOC has done. Thoughts?
I like that, but I'm not sure the buy-in option goes far enough. I do think it's a good first step. Reich has the right idea, and I agree with all of his other points on this list and would love to see candidates get on board with it.
I think there is a collective reluctance for Democrats in Texas and nationwide to loudly support major policy changes from fear that many Americans can't handle significant change of any sort. It's easy for the GOP to slap the words "radical", "dangerous", etc. on important policy reform. That's especially true with healthcare and what happened when the ACA was rolled out and deployed.
That said, I believe the direct impacts of the healthcare system's failures are now too large to ignore. I also think that many voters are hungry for politicians to lead the fight to change things. As the old adage says "Fortune favors the bold", I feel as if boldness by the Democrats in Texas and elsewhere is perfectly positioned to rack up significant election victories next year and beyond.
Enjoyed the article. I would like to expand the topic just a little, which I intend in no way as disparagement. This is merely a thought experiment. Thought experiments are necessary to test ideas and plans. We are on the same team here.
There are different facets to any job. Sometimes these facets appear at odds with each other. It is the job of the leader to reconcile these conflicts. Activists play a vital role in advocating for policies that truly help people. The candidate has the task of getting elected, both in a primary and in a general election. The candidate has to consider how the activists' preferred policies are going to play in Paris, Texas.
So, in the Talarico example, I think he is thinking about the general election. I think he is authentically the kind of guy who wants to be true to himself and his constituents. What I see him doing is reconciling the need of primary activists to hold a candidate's feet to the fire on policy with how he will thread the needle in messaging to the mass of voters in the general. Voters, who Republicans are going to completely lie to about Talarico's policies.
Somewhat in contrast to the activist's role of policy formation, it is the candidate's job to get elected. Candidates consider where the population actually is, rather than where we want them to be. The reality is exactly as Michelle laid out. Texans have never seen functioning health care, so they don't really grasp how much better life could be. Rather, they think in terms of managing daily crises. Their thinking is extremely short-term. They cannot imagine that there could be a better world. I read that during Covid when the checks went out to people to get them over the unemployment, people began to experience for the first time what it is like to have enough money to get through the month without making unacceptable trade-offs. Of course, they didn't credit Biden and the Democrats, but that's a different discussion.
Talarico is kind of amazing in a way. It is obvious to me he is a natural teacher. Not just because he trained as a teacher but also because the best preachers operate as teachers. He knows that to persuade people, you have to meet them where they are and then walk them through the steps to the goal. If a public option (I don't actually know what that is) is a step toward persuading a resistant population, then he is a really smart and talented candidate.*
I am extremely impressed that he took a more complicated approach and then explained it well. He didn't take the easy way out of talking out of both sides of his mouth. He met the leader's role of reconciling competing interests. He synthesized the idea and the implementation beautifully. Unlike some more showy candidates, he seems to know that it isn't just about saying the right things, it is about delivering the goods. If he can't get elected, he can't get the people what they need.
*Or he's just making shit up. Time will tell. That's why it is good to have a competitive primary. Let's test drive messages before the Republicans start working us over.
I appreciate this framing a lot, and I agree with most of it. You’re right that activists and candidates have different jobs, and that leadership is often about reconciling tensions. I think you’re right that many Texans believe in short-term crisis management rather than in sweeping systems change. It’s the product of decades of managed scarcity, disinvestment, and intentional narrowing of political imagination.
I also agree with you that primaries are the right place to test this. Let’s test-drive messages. But let’s also stay honest about the difference between strategy and permanent concession.
Thanks for bringing lack of Medicaid expansion to our attention. I’ve asked several candidates to explain Medicaid expansion, and I don’t recall anyone explaining it well.
On a related topic, I think it was a mistake for TDP to turn down financial and organizing help from the George Soris organization. Texas Democrats need more funding. Why turn down more money? I am greatly disappointed in TDP. That is why I donate to my county Democratic Party organization as well as to candidate's campaigns directly. We need more funding so we can better compete and get out our message and turnout the vote.
I will look for an article about it. I think TDP needs all of the help it can get. National Dems had better help our democratic candidates after the March primary. Thanks for your reporting & wishing you A Blue TX New Year.
I think that Because George Soros has been painted as a major boogeyman by the RW that the TDP doesn't want to chance any hints of his support. Yes, it would be great for the Democrats to accept the funding but the messaging risk is probably too high, at least for now.
So informative, Michelle! All our Texas candidates and their teams should use the tools you referenced (and the book Patricia Gray mentioned) to strengthen the messaging, but most importantly to focus on the work for the future of this Lone Star state.
I feel that those that are having trouble talking about Medicaid for all; don’t really know how it works. I’m not sure how it can works. But it’s working in the blue states so they just need to get educated and go for it. The wealthy don’t want to pay taxes. So it is a matter of convincing them it’s worth keeping their workforce healthy. I’m sure there is a ripple effect. However; let’s convince them to pay their employees a living wage! Our minimum wage is ridiculous.
Super ridiculous.
So they know and understand how it works? 🤔
No idea.
I recommend The Healing of America by T. R. Reid for insight into the complexities of trying to create and implement a better health care delivery system. It is easy to offer sound bite solutions but no system developed to date is fully satisfactory to its participants.
Bobby Pulido talks about how it's not right that he and others have to go to Mexico to get health care.
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/TK59pxF4Hcw
Lord. Don't even get me started on this one. Actually, I would love an hour with Bobby Pulido to radicalize him. I think I can do it.
Thanks for an informative article and for reaching out to the Talarico campaign. Any idea why they have not clearly specified their policy positions on his priorities in their campaign website like AOC has done and Beto did when he was running for governor? Perhaps you can nudge his campaign to do so.
I have responded to messages from his campaign with the following response but they just ignore it:
“I have made modest contributions to your campaign in the past and wish you the best.
“Will you please let me know your thoughts on the article below by former Labor Secretary Robert Reich and if you will take the pledge to commit to those ten goals to make America more affordable besides implementing comprehensive gun safety reforms to curb gun violence, which is a threat to everyone? It will help you attract a lot of voters and supporters, who are concerned about affordability and gun violence, if you can clearly articulate such priorities on your website just as Representative AOC has done. Thoughts?
https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/what-democrats-must-pledge-to-america
“
I like that, but I'm not sure the buy-in option goes far enough. I do think it's a good first step. Reich has the right idea, and I agree with all of his other points on this list and would love to see candidates get on board with it.
I think there is a collective reluctance for Democrats in Texas and nationwide to loudly support major policy changes from fear that many Americans can't handle significant change of any sort. It's easy for the GOP to slap the words "radical", "dangerous", etc. on important policy reform. That's especially true with healthcare and what happened when the ACA was rolled out and deployed.
That said, I believe the direct impacts of the healthcare system's failures are now too large to ignore. I also think that many voters are hungry for politicians to lead the fight to change things. As the old adage says "Fortune favors the bold", I feel as if boldness by the Democrats in Texas and elsewhere is perfectly positioned to rack up significant election victories next year and beyond.
Enjoyed the article. I would like to expand the topic just a little, which I intend in no way as disparagement. This is merely a thought experiment. Thought experiments are necessary to test ideas and plans. We are on the same team here.
There are different facets to any job. Sometimes these facets appear at odds with each other. It is the job of the leader to reconcile these conflicts. Activists play a vital role in advocating for policies that truly help people. The candidate has the task of getting elected, both in a primary and in a general election. The candidate has to consider how the activists' preferred policies are going to play in Paris, Texas.
So, in the Talarico example, I think he is thinking about the general election. I think he is authentically the kind of guy who wants to be true to himself and his constituents. What I see him doing is reconciling the need of primary activists to hold a candidate's feet to the fire on policy with how he will thread the needle in messaging to the mass of voters in the general. Voters, who Republicans are going to completely lie to about Talarico's policies.
Somewhat in contrast to the activist's role of policy formation, it is the candidate's job to get elected. Candidates consider where the population actually is, rather than where we want them to be. The reality is exactly as Michelle laid out. Texans have never seen functioning health care, so they don't really grasp how much better life could be. Rather, they think in terms of managing daily crises. Their thinking is extremely short-term. They cannot imagine that there could be a better world. I read that during Covid when the checks went out to people to get them over the unemployment, people began to experience for the first time what it is like to have enough money to get through the month without making unacceptable trade-offs. Of course, they didn't credit Biden and the Democrats, but that's a different discussion.
Talarico is kind of amazing in a way. It is obvious to me he is a natural teacher. Not just because he trained as a teacher but also because the best preachers operate as teachers. He knows that to persuade people, you have to meet them where they are and then walk them through the steps to the goal. If a public option (I don't actually know what that is) is a step toward persuading a resistant population, then he is a really smart and talented candidate.*
I am extremely impressed that he took a more complicated approach and then explained it well. He didn't take the easy way out of talking out of both sides of his mouth. He met the leader's role of reconciling competing interests. He synthesized the idea and the implementation beautifully. Unlike some more showy candidates, he seems to know that it isn't just about saying the right things, it is about delivering the goods. If he can't get elected, he can't get the people what they need.
*Or he's just making shit up. Time will tell. That's why it is good to have a competitive primary. Let's test drive messages before the Republicans start working us over.
I appreciate this framing a lot, and I agree with most of it. You’re right that activists and candidates have different jobs, and that leadership is often about reconciling tensions. I think you’re right that many Texans believe in short-term crisis management rather than in sweeping systems change. It’s the product of decades of managed scarcity, disinvestment, and intentional narrowing of political imagination.
I also agree with you that primaries are the right place to test this. Let’s test-drive messages. But let’s also stay honest about the difference between strategy and permanent concession.
💯
"Medicaid Expansion failure"
More like refusal. That's easier to talk about, and then segue to universal healthcare.
Thanks for bringing lack of Medicaid expansion to our attention. I’ve asked several candidates to explain Medicaid expansion, and I don’t recall anyone explaining it well.
Absolutely right on.
On a related topic, I think it was a mistake for TDP to turn down financial and organizing help from the George Soris organization. Texas Democrats need more funding. Why turn down more money? I am greatly disappointed in TDP. That is why I donate to my county Democratic Party organization as well as to candidate's campaigns directly. We need more funding so we can better compete and get out our message and turnout the vote.
I hadn't heard that. What I heard is that one of the groups Soros heavily funded was working closely with the TDP.
I sent an email to this 2024 PAC, but don’t think it is still active:
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/12/texas-majority-pac-george-soros-democrats-fundraising/
I will look for an article about it. I think TDP needs all of the help it can get. National Dems had better help our democratic candidates after the March primary. Thanks for your reporting & wishing you A Blue TX New Year.
I think that Because George Soros has been painted as a major boogeyman by the RW that the TDP doesn't want to chance any hints of his support. Yes, it would be great for the Democrats to accept the funding but the messaging risk is probably too high, at least for now.
This was a terrific piece, Michelle! I waited to share it until this morning on Bsky. Thank you!
So informative, Michelle! All our Texas candidates and their teams should use the tools you referenced (and the book Patricia Gray mentioned) to strengthen the messaging, but most importantly to focus on the work for the future of this Lone Star state.