I grew up in Texas and First Baptist Dallas w Robert Jeffress who was in youth group w me. It's been heart-breaking for me to watch the self-righteous, ignorance of Texans prevails since the days of LBJ. For the most part, I feel ashamed of Texans at this post, but nonetheless, I hope. My Republican, for fundamentalist brother is now just a Christian who is also a Democrat. My niece who was homes-schooled (so she wdn't be exposed to the "evils of the world" wore a pink pussy hat in a march for women when Trump was elected. Tonight's PBSNewshour gave me little reason to believe Texans have any intelligence.Just look at how they punish women. https://www.pbs.org/video/how-the-supreme-court-could-change-birth-contr... So I hope, but don't believe the state will change, and quite frankly I hope they reap from their sowing.
159
Judging from what I’ve seen of Ted Cruz lately, he’s got that “rictus” grin that politicians get when they’re seriously rattled. It’s the one that says if the only message I’ve got in Texas against Beto O’Rourke is “Remember the Whataburger!” maybe visiting the Houston space center with Ivanka won’t be enough.
C’mon Texas, don’t let a slimy world class hypocrite like Ted Cruz be a “Beto-blocker.”
264
This one is so darned easy. The intelligent witty handsome skinny tall guy from El Paso vs. the jerk. Please register and vote Texans!!
405
Bill Clinton has famously said "Its the economy, stupid."
To that we can add "Its the candidate, stupid."
As long as the DEMS put up candidates such as Beto who can connect with people and speak down to them, they should win.
138
Reality check folks. This is Texas we're talking about. Not to disparage a whole state, but they are nuts down there. Just look at who there senators are now, and whose, who is, and have been there governors. George W, Rick Perry. I'm sorry, but I just don't see them voting for the sane, reasonable person in this race. How they could support the cuckold Cruz who groveled on bended knee to Trump after Trump viciously insulted his wife and family is beyond me given the macho cowboy culture there. Really? What Texas man, or woman for that matter, would have any respect for a person like that. But this is Texas we are talking about. It's all about God and guns and the heck to the rest. Like I said, they are nuts down there.
123
Reister. And. VOTE!
125
The bonus in a Beto victory...Ted is so unliked that the lobbyist channel is closed to him! He’s virtually unemployable!
180
When it comes to narcism and hubris the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree. Yes I mean you 'First Daughter'. Poor Melania our never to be seen 'First Lady'. Does the evil one lock you in the attic?
Anyway on to Ted/Raphael and Beto. He has skate boarded into my heart (Beto I mean) and may he skate into the hearts of the majority of Texas voters. If anything he cheers me up.
171
Beto 2020
177
Why is O'Rourke misappropriating the common Mexican nickname "Beto" when he is zero percent Hispanic?
16
Gail is in her A game with this one !! Attila the Hun !!!!
77
For all his educational pedigree Rafael fights like a guttersnipe , must be in the blood . Love that Beto ate a Whataburger , way better than McDonalds but salty , very appropriate . Guess Ted likes to tell dad's tidy whitey story of coming to America . Ted doesn't exactly endear himself to anyone , not because he's not good looking but because he's so hungry , he'll do and say anything to get ahead . Too bad his brilliance is lost in his mundane ambition and hypocrisy .
79
Ted Cruze is dangerous for Texas and America.
100
To Beto: Get the vote out, my friend, especially new voters, especially those down by the Mexican border. Wall indeed!!!
111
Ms. Collins outdoes herself in every column
she writes.her depiction of Cruz as the
pompous, pretentious fraud that he is
hits the nail on the head.I don't pretend
to know what will happen in Texas,but
I do know that I want Gail Collins telling
me about it:the finest columnist you have.
153
i get so depressed looking at these sleazy GOP dudes. it is so easy to see through cruz as an insincere disingenious creep.
who would vote for this guy?
146
Beto seems to be a wholesome all American guy. A hybrid Jimmy Stewart and JFK.
Come on Texas, don't sell yourself short. Beto will work hard for you, and you deserve better than Ted.
252
Hillary received 450,000 more votes in Texas than Obama 2012.
I hope Latinos don't again let down Democrats and that they register and vote.
138
When reading the name “Ted Cruz,” I habitually think “rattlesnake.”
But then I remember the forthright rattlesnakes I’ve known (briefly) and am embarrassed to have insulted that agile reptile.
87
There was a joke on Capitol Hill several years ago. Q. Why does everyone take an instant dislike to Ted Cruz? A. It saves time.
270
No. I NEVER feel sorry for the complicit daughter.
GO BETO!!!!!
158
Man I wish Mollie Ivans was still around to tear Ted Cruz a new one.
A guy who leaves his wife under the bus as his gesture of good faith to talk-show prez Trumpo, who threw her there, and who then brags to Beto that “I could’ve just taken my marbles and gone home” as high hat proof of his weasel-brand “courage”makes my skin crawl.
Retire Ted and his underwear story too, Texas. Fingers crossed.
186
Here from Austin Texas and Beto beat Cruz hands down! Loved Beto’s ability to stay positive and hated Cruz’s smirks throughout the debate. Cruz is full of hubris and greed. Cruz doesn’t care for regular Texans. Go Beto!!!
141
In that picture, Ted looks more like Uncle Fester than ever. But he's far more ghoulish than Fester ever was.
81
In Texas, it matters that Beto is 4th generation Texan and Cruz is a Cuba Canadian who claims to be more Texan than a Texan. The most obnoxious politician in America against a very charismatic guy who is a uniter and not a divider. We will see if a democrat can be elected in Texas.
184
Lyin'Ted's in trouble.
My Rush Limbaugh loving elderly mother sees through Ted. She is voting for Beto.
215
BETO.
176
The gaping canyon between GOP and Dem voters is evident when Cruz comes into the conversation. He is extremely slimy. I don't understand how someone could vote for him. I wouldn't even buy a washing machine from him, let alone elect him to high office.
142
I could never vote for anyone whose father participated in the Kennedy assassination.
140
Ted Cruz is a master debater.
16
Beto is a gentleman, Cruz is a snake oil salesman.
Cruz attacked Beto after Beto had just finished complimenting him for the hard word Cruz is doing for the country - BTW, Cruz is not working hard at all.
But Beto had the last world and killed him with a historic
"True to form".
Looking forward voting for Beto!!!
173
Beto would do well in a national general election. I assume he will lose Texas because there are a lot of Texans, just like Kansans, who have been scared into voting for the GOP because they think God will be taken out of the US and there will be an abortion in every corner.
105
Has Tom DeLay or Blake Farenthold been warming the Cruz crowds on this circuit? It’s important that Texas GOP stalwarts like Louie Gohmert bring their faces to the party. Will Cruz repeat a gun toting Rio Grande freedom flotilla with Chuck Norris and Ted Nuggent as Rick Perry photo op’d? Time will tell.
23
Brilliant! my take:
There are several Senators that makes my bile rise and Cruz is a trigger. Of course, Mitch McConnell is in the hall of fame and Cruz was next at the top of the list before, during and after the debates.
The GOP felt neglected and brought in the Pres. of the Senate, Mike Pence the Pious to compete, now its day by day pick a leader.
On the other end of the spectrum we have Ben Sasse the spineless, Jeff Flake, well.. the flake, Susan Collins (equal opportunity here) the Devious.
I used to like Lindsey Graham for his snappy quotes on Ted Cruz, a few of his other gems: on the choice between Trump and Cruz, " “It’s like being shot or poisoned, what does it matter?” and “If a woman is raped in Ted Cruz’s world, she is going to have to carry the baby of the rapist. I’m pro-life but I won’t go there. I think that’s hard to sell with young women.” But then he became a Trump apologist...
I sent Beto a small donation and bought his T-Shirt. It confuses people here in CA but what the heck. People, support Beto, Cruz should be retired.
Gail, please write a column on GOP reps and the Democrats, I have a few choice things to say about Nunes, Rohrabacher, Feinstein, Schumer, Booker and others...
53
It don’t happen if ya’ll don’t register to vote!
No excuses
77
Thank you, Thank you, I needed a laugh.
26
The good people of Alabama prevailed and sent Moore packing. I can only hope the same here.
Good people of Texas, see the light, please. Help America. Help your fellow Americans.
Vote Cruz out, please for all that is good in this world. Please.
169
Please, Lord, let these actually be the End Times.
21
I really hope Cruz is crushed in the election, he, like Trump, are a shining example of authoritarian-dictators who care nothing about America, only themselves. Cruz does not do the people's work at all. Cruz is crud, a lying hypocrite and substantial party tool now for Trump.
107
Beto is a very decent and charismatic leader.
I pray he defeats Ted Cruz, who is a despicable fraud and right wing extremist. How he would ever want to associate himself with Donald Trump and even befriend and campaign with him is beyond me and tells you a lot about Cruz's character! If somebody ever smeared my father with such demagogic lies, I would denounce him and never want to do anything for or with him again.
I would use my political power to expose his indecency for the rest of my career. Cruz is just odious and a political coward as well. He has no class!
90
1. Texans will vote for Ted Cruz not because he serves them well (he doesn't), but because he is a Republican, and they have been brainwashed by the far-right-wing school system.
2. Who cares where Ivanka goes? She is as useless as her husband, father, and her vile brothers. No amount of PR will change that. The only thing that is noteworthy is that she and her brothers travel at taxpayers expense.
155
I wish Beto would have told Cruz that more armed police would have done nothing at Las Vegas.
32
Cruz came across as his usual smarmy, smirky self. Trump did get one thing right in his nickname for Cruz - Lyin' Ted. Just constant lies and constant negativity. And then that ugly way he snuck in the lies and sly comparisons to the far left when the moderators asked them to say one nice thing about their opponent. Ugh! Think of all the slimy, disgusting people you've ever encountered, roll them into one person, and that's Ted Cruz.
Beto was such a class act. He stuck to the facts and merits of each topic. He was a true Texan with his straight talk without obfuscation. And he stood up for himself and corrected Cruz when he repeatedly lied about Beto. How can anyone vote for Cruz when there is such a high-quality candidate in Beto?! Beto and Cruz - there is no comparison. One is a decent, intelligent, compassionate, inclusive human with integrity and courage and Cruz is a slimy, mud-dwelling, lying swamp creature.
Beto isn’t running against anyone, he’s running for everyone. We need something good to happen in this state and this country for a change- and that’s Beto.
144
Thanks so much for reminding us about the "fake name" thing -- Rafael Cruz it is! I'd love to hear Gail's take on why Cubans are considered to be less Latin and more American than Puerto Ricans.
61
Watching Rafael “Ted” Cruz share the stage with Beto O’Rourke makes one wish Canada would be forced to take Cruz back.
80
Sorry. I never feel sorry for Ivanka Trump.
72
So, God (not her real name) will solve our problems? Because every day in Congress they start with a prayer? It’s really working well there, they don’t get anything done.
How about you start every day with your oath of office, and a revised one at that. “I will not lie, cheat, or steal today. I will put the interest of all the people before mine in every waking moment of this day.” And no “so help me God” at the end. You don’t get blame someone else anymore.
100
"Ethnic politics in Texas is very important, and in this race we have a non-Hispanic Democrat who was born near the Mexican border..."
That description happens to fit a man perfectly who was elected to the House from Texas numerous times and to the Senate from Texas numerous times and who won one of the greatest presidential landslides in US history. He was Lyndon Baines Johnson.
113
Cruz believes that no one should be “shot and killed in their own home.” Well, what do you think Botham Shem Jean was doing when a "mistaken" police officer shot and killed him?
115
Vote for the Democratic candidate. Change is needed. Answer truthfully if you are from Texas and trust Trump. He controls Cruz. Trump is in the pocket of Putin. Not even his past oil industry Secretary of State from Texas likes Trump. People from Texas are hardworking and this is their chance to send a message to Trump. Why won’t Trump show his past taxes? Why did he have Putin’s representatives to the White House and kicked the press out. Texans aren’t stupid. Any religious leader that still backs Trump has been corrupted by the dark side. Texas you know what you have to do. Just do it!
71
No, Gail, never feel sorry the daughter. As long as she smiles and puts up with her father when he says “I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.”
55
"came to Texas with nothing and had $100 in his underwear.”
Don't you think it's time the GOP stopped making us think about what may be in their underwear?
97
"Polls are all over the place"? What polls, Gail? Last poll shows Beto trailing by 9 points. And what about all the money Beto's been receiving from outside our borders here in Texas? This is a very wishful op-ed piece.
6
Only one objection to this: instead of a cupcake or popcorn emoji (where are my reading glasses this morning?) to truly represent Cruz's smarmy inauthenticity - the emoji at the end of Gail's column should be a "basketball ring"!
18
I'm sorry but while looking at Ted Cruz in the lead photo I was reminded of the late Al Lewis with his make up on when he played "Grandpa Munster" int the 60's TV show.
76
I’ve listened carefully to almost every single point of ORourke as it relates to my values and morals. He is no John Kennedy, to all my New York Times friends. He needs to return to El Paso permanently at the earliest possible time and run an open door mission with his passions.
5
I watched part of the debate last night.
While being asked a question about his observation that Trump is a pathological liar, Cruz tried to smile. That turned out to be a truly creepy and cringeworthy moment.
No wonder everyone despises this guy.
80
..."no Texan should be 'shot and killed in their own home.'
Love it. He's against spousal murder.
1
Beto won this debate hands down. Cruz plays to racism and fear. Knee-jerk Republicans will vote for Ted, but Beto has my money, literally. I'm convinced he can win and oust the odious, opportunistic Cruz from the national scene.
77
Beto is the real thing. Ted is as disingenuous as they come.
88
Beto reminds me why some people should go into politics.
Cruz reminds me why some people should get out.
150
Will Rafael get ICE and the Border Patrol to park their vehicles within sight of polling places? I'll bet anybody in the house five dollars that happens, or they try to do it, anyway. Anything to keep the people that founded Texas away from a chance to vote.
Does that sound wrong? Mexicans built the first organized towns and government here. Even before it was part of Coahuila y Tejas, where slavery was illegal, it was part of the vast Intendencia de la San Luis Potosi. Our land is laid out in medieval Spanish varas, and Spanish Leagues and Labors. A close study of Texas will tell you that without Mexico and Mexicans, there IS no Texas. It would just be West Louisiana.
Good night, you-all. I'm goin' to the house.
84
Watching from Michigan, I really hope Beto O’Rouke wins.
48
I never feel sorry for Ivanka.
46
I admire the way this article is written. You deftly convey a good profile of Cruz's oiliness without going overboard.
41
Beto vs Beta
12
Please do not refer to Cruz as Cuban Canadian, Canada is in no way responsible for him.
56
Beto’s campaign should take every condescending Tweet written by Trump regarding the 2016 campaign and simply convert the same image onto billboards all over the Texas landscape.
A few examples offered verbatim follow:
“Why would Texans vote for “liar” Ted Cruz when he was born in Canada, lived there for years and remained a Canadian citizen until recently.”
“Ted Cruz said he didn’t know that he was a Canadian citizen. He also forgot to file his Goldman Sachs million $ loan papers. Not believable.”
“Lyin’ Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a GQ shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin’ Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife.”
“Why would the people of Texas support Ted Cruz when he has accomplished absolutely nothing for them. He is another all talk, no action pol!”
All a voter in Texas needs to know. Who needs more endorsements than that?
62
This is what this country needs a LOT more of. Young forward looking, articulate, intelligent, informed representatives of the people...It's time to retire and send to the farm the old, white guys who still think it's 1950. Let's vote in more diverse men and WOMEN. Enough of grandpas, let's get more Mom and Dads in Congress.. VOTE FOR BETO.. He is for this time what the "Kennedy boys" were for their time... VOTE VOTE FOR BETO
83
For the first time I have a sign of a politician stuck in my front lawn which says BETO. Spineless Cruz never was our "cup of tea" anyhow.
98
Even in the most upscale neighborhoods of Dallas, the "Beto" signs far outnumber the "Ted Cruz" ones. Yet, this race will be determined by turnout and the democrats just don't have the organization to make it happen. Texas democrats are notorious no-shows in the midyears. -- Maybe Beto will take a cue from Abe Lincoln and run for president even after losing his own senate race to Douglas.
34
Howdy, Gail!
Nice of you to think of us Texans. Many of us have immigrated from foreign lands for jobs in large corporations. My point of origin was Brooklyn, N.Y.
Down the street a piece is a Cruz sign. That's the house with the Maserati. Immediately across the road are two houses with, Beto signs.
You'd be surprised to find that many folks have no idea who he is. But he might win on the "Anti-Cruz the guy who might even be associated with our Russianable president" sentiment, spreading across the prairie like a coyote chasing a barbeque sandwich!
36
Beauty, Gail. Just beauty.
23
I'm rooting for Beto to unseat that slimy, unscrupulous Cruz. I'll never forget his role in the government shutdown in 2013 that cost us over $2 billion. Texas needs to send him packing. I'll gladly chip in to that effort. Go Beto!
90
Beto and Ted or as locally known Paunchy and Lefty - Who's Ahead?
3
I can't beleive Ted Cruz's Mom likes Him.
49
When Ted Cruz ran for president in 2016 he put together this “machine gun bacon” video to get his share of NRA money. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EaZGaJrd3x8
It is actually an assault rifle in the video, not a machine gun but it’s still disgusting. I can’t imagine any self respecting gun owner treating a gun that way. (Generally one keeps their weapon clean.) It seems like a frying pan might be a cheaper, safer and tastier way to make bacon. But the real horror is the cavalier way he treats a weapon that is often used to shoot up schools, churches and innocent people. Mr. Cruz is a poor excuse for a Texan and he embarrasses me. We are a diverse and friendly state with a wide welcome for visitors and would be Texans. Beto for senate in 2018.
91
O’Rourke reminds me of Obama, even looks like him.
27
Cruz tried several times to tie Beto to Hillary, as if that's the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone. It's hilarious to watch Republican ads against Democrats. They think all they have to do is say the person is for/with/like Hillary or, (gasp, horrors) Nancy Pelosi and that's supposed to scare the bejesus out of all of us.
Slimy Ted just couldn't help himself. He started out saying nice things about Beto, but had to throw in socialism before it was all over.
If it's a charm contest, Beto wins. I don't believe Beto will wallow in the dirt to out-nasty Ted.
83
I live in Florida. I was impressed by BETO. Ted still has that smirk crooked look that he had when DJT called him lying Ted. Good riddance when he is gone. Need more people like Beto regardless of political affiliation.
85
Does Cruz even realize that Whataburger started in Texas and is headquartered here? Saying Beto is a “Triple Meat Whataburger liberal who is out of touch with Texas values” only makes Teddy look like the one who is out of touch with Texas values. We love our Whataburgers almost as much as our barbecue!
And ragging on Beto about his nickname - one that his family gave him when he was very young while Cruz was thirteen when he decided he no longer wanted to be called Felito. I guess he thought Felito sounded too Spanish as did Rafael.
My fellow Texans need to vote in the one man who truly is a Texan and understands the Texas way of life. No phony Cuban/Canadian Texan wannabe. Go Beto!
134
I watched their debate tonight. And I was really impressed with O’Rourke. I think he’s going to beat Cruz handily. And maybe he’ll even throw his hat in the ring in 2020 and run against our Criminal-in-Chief. Go Beto!
75
So Ted Cruz thinks no Texan should be shot and killed in their own home? I am sure The family of Botham Shem feels the same way.
113
Cruz is probably the most bizarre candidate I ever seen.
A short time ago he compared Trump to the devil incarnate, ie a few steps below Hitler, now he wants him to campaign for him.
What is next? Will Cruz publicly make a pact with the devil to insure his win and blame it on Hillary if he doesn't?
65
Cruz was true to form as Beto dryly pointed out after Cruz said something "nice" about him. Tee shirts and bump stickers soon.
BETO!
82
Go Beto! Estamos contigo
83
Please hammer Ivanka on the First Daughter bit - she wants the Secret Service to carry her train and the rest of us to curtesy in the mud.
61
Trump not only insulted and humiliated Cruz personally during the campaign, but also accused his father of somehow being involved in the Kennedy assassination and insulted His wife and her appearance.
Apparently Cruz will forgive any humiliation to be re-elected.
89
Cruz is an empty suit. If the Democrat can't prevail, then he deserves to lose.
22
While the name change from Robert to Beto - and the alleged political machinations behind it - was brought up, the Op-Ed neglected to mention that Mr. O'Rourke recently shared a photo of himself from kindergarten with BETO stitched on the front of his shirt.
So, not so political after all, I guess?
144
I wish Beto would debate Canadian Ted once entirely in Spanish. I could easily predict who would win that one.
142
My wife is from Texas. I find the people there enjoyable, intelligent, and strongly proud. So one would think that Ted Cruz would be an insult to everyone in Texas. His groveling to djt just to get votes is a reflection of his empty character. He would be cast out by every true Texan I have met. No one is allowed to insult your wife, your father, and yourself (lying ted) and be welcome in your home. His reputation is deserved.
132
Gail, I can see Molly Ivins is smiling upon you! Keep up the good writing.
96
I'm fascinated with the race - Mr O'Rourke is like a breath of fresh air in Texas. He will defeat Mr Cruz in a close election. Times up Ted.
85
"When O’Rourke talked about the danger of assault weapons, Cruz said the real problem was “removing God from the public square.”
I'll be happy when Texans grow up and take god out of their politics and put the common good back into it.
146
This was laugh-out-loud enjoyable (including the article in the "Whataburger" link that Ms. Collins provides). I count heavily on Gail Collins to get me through these "dark times." Her wit, intellect, analysis and incredible pointedness on her subjects is so, so, appreciated...
62
While Ted Cruz gave a great impression of Snidley Whiplash, Beto was remarkably well versed on issues, and respectful of all Texans and all Americans. Ted Cruz will say whatever he thinks he has to say at the moment, regardless of the veracity of the claim. That is why he can call Donald Trump a “pathological liar”last year, and this year Cruz is begging Trump to come to Texas to campaign for him. That’s gross and also pathetic. Ted Cruz oozes insincerity and I may not agree with Trump on anything else except his observation about “lyin Ted”
130
It was a one-sided debate.
O'Rourke kept bringing up how there is such a large percent of convicts who are black, kept saying we need criminal justice reform to reduce sentences on black criminals. But he completely ignored that blacks commit a disproportionate amount of crime and offered no proposal to reduce crime. (NYC PD issues a report "Crime and Law Enforcement Activity" that has detailed race data) If he got his way, crime would increase dramatically.
O'Roarke brought up wanting to ban some kinds of guns to reduce school shooting, which of course is proven to do nothing. Cruz helped get more money to schools for physical security and wants more of it, especially officers.
O'Roarke wants to raise taxes on most everyone. Cruz wants to keep taxes down.
O'Roarke wants to abolish ICE. Cruz would have none of it.
O'Roarke wants to expand Obamacare and the premiums that go with it, instead of reducing the cost of healthcare that Cruz wants.
O'Roarke may be a fine candidate, but he should be running in Rhode Island or Massachusetts.
8
I always wonder why Curz never consider moving back to Cuba?
Clearly, Canada wants no part of him.
His lack of charisma makes him a perfect fit in the company of McConnell, Grassley, Hatch, and Inhofe. But he will find his real calling in Cuba bringing Cummis to the Lord.
He surely will never be missed.
27
Cruz reminds me a lot of George W. Bush. Both are smarmy and smirk at times they shouldn't. They are the disrupting spitball boys in the back of the classroom.
Cruz also shares malignant narcissism personality disorder traits with Trump. Both run toward the cameras ("Look at me!"), and both would run away from helping someone in distress, lest they get harmed in the process.
49
During the debate, O'Rourke denied fleeing the scene of a 1998 DUI accident. "I did not try to leave the scene of the accident, though driving drunk, which I did, is a terrible mistake for which there is no excuse or justification or defense." However, the Dallas Morning News noted that the police report states that a witness sis O'Rourke was driving at a high rate of speed, lost control, hit a truck and careened into oncoming traffic, then tried to leave.”
6
The Democrats should change party names so Cruz and other Republicans can't use the Civil Rights movement era as an example of the Democratic Party's evil.
3
Thanks for a couple of good laughs, Ms.Collins!
14
Beto has electricity. He is connected to humanity. He cares deeply. He’s on fire! Listen to the guy. I think this is our future President. Wow.
85
Rarely, if ever, do I recalled Lindsey Graham's witticisms but mention Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz and this comes immediately to mind:
"If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you."
You don't suppose Trump was referring to "Ted" when he said, "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters."?
35
Texas has never been in Democrat control. The one fact that's true is the states and cities in democrat control have the most serious problems. Texas has never had the kind of problems they could be looking at with a Democrat ,let's not learn the hard way,that's dangerous.
5
You mean Human vs the Devil ?
Of course we want a human to be ahead to win.
26
Part of me feels that Beto O'Roarke cannot win, because he comes off as both intelligent and thoughtful with his heart in the right place. We can't have any of that in the Senate. Good God, man, what are you thinking!?!
Next thing you know, we will expect probity, sobriety and a sense of fairness in our judges. What on earth is this world coming to?
But go, Beto go, and give Cruz (I used to think of him as a lizard, but the lizard wearing a human suit is Stephen Miller, so Cruz gets a pass - he is just lizardian) a run for his money. And if the reptiles prevail, feed them crickets and mice, and move on to the next election. We still need intelligence and idealism.
Fight the good fight, keep the faith- you are bound to win the race eventually.
69
"Sometimes you have to feel sorry for Ivanka."
Nope.
68
Cruz just makes me need to shower. Beto is the real thing. I don't know if his strong negative stance on feral hog and ranch rifles will give him a "pass," (for those of you in the east, those are AR15s, which you claim have no purpose but roughly a million of them are put to good use every day on Texas ranches). I hope he wins. Great man.
64
Beto is the future of the new and improved Democratic Party. He is a refreshing answer to people like Rafael Eduardo Cruz who embody the moral emptiness of the other side.
Beto brings many things to the table that remind me of a recently retired President whose initials are also B.O.
GO BETO!!
63
“O’Rourke responded by eating a Whataburger and then skateboarding around the restaurant parking lot.”
Just for this he’d get my vote.
106
If only those NFL players were spraying the stadiums with semi-automatic weapons. Then Ted Cruz would be supportive of them as they would be practicing their 2nd and not 1st amendment rights.
63
Just tell me what Beto's plan is to get the country and the world off the highway of oil.
From the big state of oil, how do we deal with the end of oil without it being our end? Without it being 'The Road' ruled by AR-15s and cars rusting in the arroyos?
9
Last night was the first time I'd seen Beto in action. And he seemed to be constantly moving, almost rocking back and forth as he followed his inner Muse. Maybe that was a remnant from his rocker days, but it made him seem less stable than immobile Ted. Cruz does seldom move out of the slime, as his slimy rhetoric shows. But his experience as a debater showed up, and on debating points alone, Ted won. Ted's killer instinct won out over Beto's bringing us together because Ted regularly used well known cultural political slogans. I hope Texans see through that.
30
Simple solution. Give Texas back. No wall no 5 billion expense no immigration issues. Make sure Ted is included in the gift. Perhaps the only thing Trump said about anyone that is true.
30
No, you don't have to feel sorry for Ivanka. In contrast to the role of First Lady, there is no official expectation that adult children of the President participate in any type of service, formal or informal. Whenever Ivanka pops up or pops off, it's entirely her own choice to do so.
37
I watched the debate online. It looked like David and Goliath pitting Cruz's self-assured smirking, posturing and topic twisting against Beto's directness and sincerity. Beto showed that he had a firm grasp of the issues facing the people of Texas, probably from actually talking to real people. He didn't waver off topic and readily put up the facts to back up his statements. I'm really hoping that the pundits and political hacks will get a November surprise when Texas hands lyin' Ted a pink slip.
91
It's not about us anymore. It's about the whole world. We were the land of the free and the brave. We were the land where the tired and the poor could find respite and hope. For God's sake that's why we came here. If you can't find that here where can you find it? Please, please let us stand up and reclaim the things we hold dear... Truth, Justice, and the American way. Dump Trump and anyone who supports him. Vote for whomever will restore us to who we were meant to be. We are good, strong, capable and caring people. We really need to get our heads screwed on right. Ignore the lies. Fight back with Truth.
78
Living here 20 years has not desensitized me to the robotic allegiance to "the greatest hits" of conservative GOP values in Texas. Even though I have heard staunch Republicans articulate they can't stand Lyin' Ted (nicknamed by Trump), they will vote for Cruz to keep the GOP seat. That's the problem, This Senate seat is not a Divine right for Ted and the GOP. This very notion should be an insult to every self respecting, so called "free" Citizen of the Republic of Texas. Let's show Ted WE ARE Texas Values of independence and opportunity. Lets take OUR Senate seat with every possible vote for Beto.
113
What every race should be about IF we were all voting RATIONALLY is the candidate's:
basic proven integrity, empathy, compassion, honesty,
commitment to the scientific method (logic, empiricism, disinterested assessment, following and deciding things based on the the facts/best evidence),
corollary: secularity (evidence based world view and objectives without presupposition or religious or religious-like ideology forced slanting),
and last but not least: commitment to the very enlightened and game changing modern idea - perhaps imperfectly and clumsily - but obviously enshrined in the forming of our Country - that Government should exist and that it should serve ALL the People and the concepts of egalitarianism.
Need litmus tests? I'll give you two but only discuss the latter: the candidate's stances/actions respectively on Global Warming and Universal Healthcare (UH). Look at those - they define the candidate really.
It is patently factual that society gains (PROFITS over costs) if it maintains its populous healthy mentally and physically and beyond that cares well for them even when they cannot serve.
It is also factual that we collectively spend about $3.3T per year or 17% GDP on health care one way or the other and yet we still have a broad swath without what they need.
It is also patently factual that other UH models do service much more overall better and for less - about 10% GDP.
Why would you vote for a candidate that opposes greater profits/less cost??
31
Beto will lose. Don’t forget it’s Texas. I actually feel the same way I felt about Bernie in 2016. Didn’t allow myself to get too excited because I knew HRC would somehow emerge victorious by hook or by crook. If Beto wins the Senate is overall flipping Blue and we’re really looking at a wave... and possible redemption for the US.
19
Cruz spent a good part of the night using a technique of saying O'Rourke must have just accepted the lie he told since it was not refuted. Instead O'Rourke focused on the issues. The lies probably played well to Cruz's base, but most of us are sick of this type of politics.
57
I loved the paragraph in which Attila the Hun made a guest appearance. Great writing, Ms. Collins! Beto would do well to bring to the fore Cruz's having suffered Trump's lacerating insults and his consequent toadying up to the President now that both Cruz and Trump need one another. Neither of these two is trustworthy and deserving of national or state support.
15
to me Ted Cruz and many other Republicans became unlikable when they accepted Trump attacking their looks and their family, and their families looks. I have no interest in any candidate without a backbone to stand up against what is wrong.
64
The admission that Texans can actually be quite sensible (wanting decent border guards and hating the idea of a wall) is a breath of fresh air and is an expression of hope that O’Rourke might prevail. Getting Cruz out of our national agenda would certainly be like opening a window on a beautiful fall day. It would feel downright cleansing.
Good people of Texas—open a window. Get some fresh air in here. It will help us all and we’ll love you for it.
78
I live in New York and sent money to Beto. I have been aching for someone like Beto. Win or lose, I would love to see Beto skate board around Trump tower in Manhattan as he intellectually skateboards around Trump. As to Ivanka. The last thing I feel for her is sorry. She portrays herself to be this great champion of women. Who has absolutely ignored every incident of abuse of women, all the illicit affairs, and the embracing of other abusers of women and children by her father. I wonder if Ivanka stays silent just for the money. Or is she hiding something from her past she doesn't want the rest of us to know?
57
Thanks Gail! I agree with everything except feeling sorry for Iv. Not gonna happen. She has no right to be front and center of anything except her own business. The blatant nepotism in 45's White House is something we've never seen before and smacks of authoritarian regime dreams. It's undemocratic; placing amateurs in positions of high power. It needs to be called out at every opportunity - and you missed one.
119
I am a life long Texan living in Dallas. i have never seen democratic signs in my neighborhood until now and i am hopeful for that sea change finally. I went to a bike ride rally with Beto and there were plenty of mercedes and bmw's with bike racks attending along with healthy cross section of young and old. Watching him speak at the end of the ride was like watching a young Ted Kennedy- i am old enough to remember.... As for the debate- where was the Fact Check? and lets see some stats on how Texans have faired under the born again, Republican Bush Dy-nasty that still reigns. Nothing has changed for Republicans- guns, oil race and God over Common good, environment, education and healthcare. How soon some forget that Enron was and still is the republican party's model for success.
136
A Beto O'Rourke victory would serve as a powerful example how a candidate for office can succeed without PAC money. I do not live in Texas but I donated to the Beto campaign because I am inspired by his people-driven fundraising as well as inspired by his message.
149
Ms. Collins, when you are funny, you are very funny. Keep it up!
55
Wendy Davis...beloved by New Yorkers defeated by Texans.
It’s quite a hedge for Ms. Collins to say no one expected a competitive race after the last 3 election cycles have seen unprecedented ad buying (and opinion buying) in the Lone Star state.
3
I fail to see the appeal Cruz holds for Texans. From what I understand, he is unpopular there, a government blocker, beholden to wealthy donors, and spends very little time in the state. In fact, during his first term, he already had his eye on higher office. This is a man of little principle. Texas deserves better.
111
Cruz sounds like the actor who never gets the good part in a small-town theater troupe, but thinks if he tries harder, he will someday be seen as a major talent.
'God . . . bless . . . this . . . country . . . '
Director: Thanks Ted . . . that was . . interesting. NEXT!
38
Cruz made a major mistake agreeing to the debates. He’s got all the platitudes that will play with an underinformed electorate (and Texas has been working hard to suppress the vote as far as possible) but those can play out just as well on a meme.
Now he’s stood across the stage from someone exuding compassion and intellect who can respond directly to his lies, half-lies, and deliberate misinterpretations.
Whatever “never heard of him” factor Cruz had over Beto has evaporated.
Cruz must have forgotten how badly the 2016 debates went for him.
50
As a Texan, when I heard Ted Cruz say that he would not want to protect Dreamers, and would in fact deport them if he could, I was struck by how out of step with Texas that viewpoint is. Of course, Ted grew up in Canada, and he was able to come to the US and get citizenship immediately, and rather then feeling empathy for kids who were brought to the US as babies, who grew up here, went to high school and college here, and who,have known no other home, Ted Cruz said “illegal -bad legal-good”. I say we have the time to add a few words and a bunch of nuance to the plight of the Dreamers.
91
I vote for person and not party, which in this day and age doesn't mean a thing. This time I will vote for Beto, the Democratic candidate. I live in Houston over 40 years. After the Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Texas governor Greg Abbot & senator Ted Cruz seemed absent to help Houstonians from the most devastating natural disaster. Till recently, some residents still cannot move back to its original homes. Pretty sad.
102
I'm a native of the Massachusetts and I lived in Texas for six years. I'll never forget the 2010 race for governor when Rick Perry was so far ahead in the polls he declined to debate his opponent, Bill White, the Democrat, in the general election. I was astounded by the arrogance of it (in Massachusetts such a stunt would result impeachment!). The GOP has too much power in the Lone Star State. They abuse their power and use it to benefit their friends. It's time for a breath of fresh air.
151
How many points is Cruz's Latino surname is costing him with the racist element of the Republican base?
The post-Trump Republican party does not even try to conceal its racism against Latinos. Trump's tirades against Cruz may be corollary to his own anti-Latino racism, which drives his anti-immigrant policies and hate speech.
Last week, when a border patrol agent was arrested and charged with being as serial killer, the conservative base lit up their message boards lit with comments to the effect that the man's last name--Ortiz--fully explained his criminal behavior.
Not all Republicans are racists. But there IS a significant racist element of the Republican base. One wonders how this element reconciles their hatred of Latinos with their vote for a man named Cruz. Perhaps some of them do not...and won't turn out to vote for Ted Cruz.
35
That really is impressive that Beto has visited all 254 Texas counties. Texas is a BIG state.
I remember going cross-country years ago, from east to west, and it felt like it took forever to get out of Texas. I'd been driving for about 10 hours and I saw this billboard:
"THE SUN IS RIZ, THE SUN IS SET, AND YOU AIN'T OUT OF
TEXAS YET."
Go Beto, you have the political strength of Samson.
126
In light of the fact that 'Beto" would be in the Senate for six years, I seriously doubt that he'll get elected.
2
Ted Cruz maybe a terrific debater, yet the thing he excels at most is hypocrisy. He denounces democratic opponents as squishy, pointy-headed, east-coast intellectuals who don't understand "real" America. This from the man who graduated from two of the most elite Ivy league schools. As a law clerk he worked at the highest levels of the Washington D.C. judiciary. Of course, these are accomplishments to rightly be proud. However, senator Cruz turns his background into a "humble roots, man-of-the people," story while castigating his political adversaries as out-of-touch "government elites."
As the article points out, no one dissembles a question more deftly than Ted Cruz. If you asked him to name his favorite sandwich, no doubt he would spin it into a diatribe about the need to defend the rights of Texans to barbecue their meats in the face of sinister environmental lefties who would love to take it away and kill it with government regulation!
Cruz, like the rest of the Republican party, now belongs to Trump. Sadly, the goal is no longer to speak truth and do right; but rather to save their own political position and power. So for now the hypocrisy never ends. It is also why, after 40 years, I am no longer a republican.
My favorite Ted Cruz quip was when former Senator Al Franken was asked if it was true that Cruz was detested by his fellow senators. Franken replied, "Well, I certainly like Ted Cruz more than most of my colleagues; and I HATE Ted Cruz." Enough said.
119
Why do we have to feel sorry for Ivanka? As a wealthy adult business person does she not have agency for her own decisions? Liberals need to stop overlooking or apologizing for her complicity in her father’s administration and policies.
31
Thank you,Gail, for this enjoyable read. One of the most underrated traits in political commentary is .... levity lol.
30
I cannot imagine any circumstance that would make me feel sorry for Ivanka Trump. Not in this world. That entire family should just go back where they came from. The sooner the better.
71
Ms. Collins, I really like your columns, but you said very little about the substance of this important debate. It read more like something from the Style section!
What were their most compelling arguments and policies? How well did they make their case? How well do you think each did in reaching Texans?
10
I wonder how Senator Rafael (Ted) Cruz feels about kids getting shot and killed in their own schools? There may not be polling data on this question, but my wild guess is that the children of Texas are less than thrilled.
29
After a horrible week with the judiciary committee, I needed a laugh before I went to bed. Thank you, Gail Collins!
21
Well, if Attila the Hun was running, not only the Republicans would run adds about "his great skills in horsemanship", but they could run advertisement about his great accomplishment: standing up to the Roman Empire, building an empire covering Central Europe, part of Germany and part of Russia. He never lost a battle, except the battle of the Catalaunian Fields which was a draw. And by the way the borders walls build by the Roman Empire did not stop Attila the Hun invading the empire.
21
I don't get how "Roberto" morphed into "Beto" instead of "Berto," but never mind. What strikes me is how much he reminds me physically of one of the Kennedy boys. Not that I can vote for a Texan senator here in Missouri, and not that I am all that shallow, but I would vote for him on appearance alone instead of Ted "the Count from Sesame Street" Cruz, any day.
36
One can see by the comments to this article that what is patently clear is this yearning for a Democratic saviour from Trump. For since Trump's election the 'Left' have morphed more and more into a quasi Religious movement in their desperation. Mr O'Rourke, with that patina of 'Kennedyesque' Irishness in name and stature fits the Saviour bill, here one has to point our that his Irishness seems to have extended into to his partiality for a drop of the hard stuff (his past arrest for drunken driving). Still, where is the justice if a fella can't have a drink. Fast forward to the present and with donors aplenty and the Media press pack cheering him on Mr O'Rourke might very well manifest himself into the second coming that Democrats so yearn for. But hold on, isn't Religious belief metaphysical and metaphysics defies reason, does it not? On the other hand is reason, reasonable? Aw Jaysus I am getting all confused, I am Irish myself and I will have to stop here cos' I'm dying for a drink and why not for in these politically febrile times everybody else appears wide eyed and leglessly drunk.
4
Sorry for Ivanka?? I'm sorry for a lot of things in these dark times, but NOT (underscore, boldface) for Ivana Trump.
22
We need more impressive young Democrats like O'Rourke coming along before the Republicans tank the whole country.
69
At times it's hard to understand how Republicans can stand to be around each other.
67
First of all, I don't feel a bit sorry for Ivanka. All her actions are monetized. She still has a 'brand' to promote even if she recently stopped hawking clothes. It's MELANIA who is pitifully imprisoned who I feel sorry for. A little.
Second, as to the main point of the piece: GO BETO! We are all tired to death of T Cruz and his lying mouth, typically frowning like the mask-of-tragedy.
In fact, there *are* elements of Tragedy and Comedy in this contest. The ancient Greeks would have loved it - as long as it wasn't happening to them!
42
No I've never felt sorry for Ivanka. Not even a little. She's a mini me and she doesn't know what complicit means.
74
Watching state and national politics for many years I have come to one general conclusion: When Democrats run young attractive candidates with positive ideas they tend to win. When the party runs older (sometimes cantankerous) candidates they tend to lose. Somehow, the republicans seem to have that demographic locked in.
So keep running younger people like Beto and the many others that are showing some unusual success this year with a strong message of ideas rather than name calling.....it's going to go well this fall for the blue party.
Now if we can just get Pelosi's face off of the party national label and bring in a younger more charismatic face to carry that message it will go even better.
49
As much as I’m not fond of Ted it’s got to be hard for Ted to spend a week with senior political adviser Ivanka. Ivanka likes the spot light like her father and she will be sure to make sure Ted is a Trump loyalist. Beto O’Rourke seems sincere and much more likable than Ted and Beto just may win over Ted,
45
I read that Mr. O'Rourke not only had a DUI a number of years ago, but that in that incident, he had hit another vehicle (the driver was not hurt) and that Mr. O'Rourke tried to flee the scene of the accident. If true, this is highly troubling.
3
@Alex
Witnesses stated he started to flee the scene, but when called out on it, he wisely changed his mind.
He was also arrested for criminal trespassing. It was at a public facility, as in Texas that can be a capital offense on private property.
3
@Alex he addressed this question directly last night on stage with grace. In short, no he did not flee the scene. I recommend watching his answer, it’s heartfelt and worth a listen.
56
@Alex I read somewhere that Mr. Cruz is actually the Zodiac Killer. If that is true, it's way more troubling than a minor traffic incident.
36
Loved the Op-Ed! It's nice to start the day with a nice balance of good news and interesting details sprinkled with humor.
64
The defeat of Ted Cruz would send quite a message to the Republican Party. Cruz has a built in ability to set people's teeth on edge and removing him from the Party would be an admirable step. Cementing Ted's place as the creep he appears to be could very well be the end result of a Trump support effort First Daughter notwithstanding.
103
"Hope springs eternal," but let's not forget the supermajority we need as a result of Gerrymandering and voter suppression.
Regardless,
Vote BLUE in every election!
201
If Texas is fact-based, or rational, Beto should be ahead. But Wendy Davis's run has demonstrated facts, common sense and even human decency are underrated in Texas.
Per Stephen Colbert - it is ironic a comedian is still the most trusted source of news - that a Texas school committee has done away of mentioning HRC, even though she was the First Lady for 8 years, a Senator for NY in Congress and a real Sec of State dealing with world leaders. Instead, this committee wants to mention Moses's influences on America. Moses? Do they really mean Charlton Heston?
So, never underestimate the possibility Ted got to keep the job, even if some people there once believed his dad had something to do JFK a la Trump
180
@Bos: And do not forget that in some districts, the schools will not even teach that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Can you believe that? A state which separate from Mexico (1835) and the USA (1861) to protect slavery considered a slave owner like Thomas Jefferson to be too left wing to be included in their school history books.
29
@Bos
Wendy "Sugar Baby" Davis didn't have a chance. She was the darling of the elitists Democrats on the coasts,who have no clue what Texas is all about.
1
About Cruz's dad and his underwear. That's it - Cruz has always looked to me like a guy whose underwear is way, way too tight. Maybe it's because that's where he was taught to carry his stash. And, just now, I am trying my best not to picture the prez in a thong, in the shower, with that hair. God, sometimes you just have to laugh.
116
@Michael thanks for ruining what was a perfectly nice Saturday . Those images you invoke are the stuff of screaming nightmares !
14
@Michael
Did you really have to put those images in my head this early in the morning? I blanched as I read your descriptions. LOL!!!!
11
@Michael
Ewww. Why, why, why did you have to give me that image?
8
I listened to the debate. Cruz did not answer questions, he trotted out every scary cliche the Republicans have been using to whip the base into a frenzy for a decade or more.
I have to say that Trump's characterization of Ted Cruz as "Lyin' Ted" is probably the most truthful utterance he's made since he started his campaign for president. Cruz certainly demonstrated how he earned the nickname last night, over and over again.
443
@TheLifeChaotic
Many Americans and likely most Red State inhabitants (read: Texans) have been conditioned by Fox News and conservative radio talk shows to consider that not answering questions by substituting right-wing talking points is truthful and that accurate reporting of events is fake news.
It's a given that Rafael Edward Cruz will have another six years to fend off his demise at the hands of a fellow Senator on the floor of the Capital Building.
4
@TheLifeChaotic. And to confirm, the Politifact Texas non-partisan fact-finding peeps have repeatedly found his statements, “Pants on Fire!”
8
How did Beto do?
I, my husband, and young children lived in Houston in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Our area of Houston had many middle class families recently transplanted from the northeast and Midwest for short stints by large corporations. It was truly cosmopolitan. As northeast liberal Democrats, however, we were like fish out of water among the native population. On a sweltering November day in 1980 I walked two miles (my car was in for repair) to the polling place, waited on a long, snaking line to vote, and cast my ballot for Jimmy Carter. When the votes were counted in our precinct Carter got 10% and Reagan 90% to win his first term. Maybe today Texas is more liberal. I hope so. I have been impressed with Beto O'Rourke and his courage to take on the good-old-boy mentality, which is the dominant mindset there.
235
@Barbara
The Democrats have not won a state level election or a national Senate election in over twenty two years. It is not the good-old-boy mentality. It is because we are a conservative state. We elect candidates that have conservative values.
4
@Barbara Houston ain't what it used to be, this transplanted Texan is happy to say. Nor is Texas. Were it not for extreme redistricting and various voter-suppression ploys that packed the state legislature with some of the right-wingiest politicians on earth, the Lone Star State would go blue sooner rather than later. And in IMHO that's gonna happen by 2024, thanks in large part to demographics and that proverbial swinging pendulum.
https://www.texastribune.org/2016/11/11/harris-county-turned-blue/
25
Only one point I disagree on - I can’t find it in me to feel sorry for Ivanka...
419
@Mark No kidding. She is insufferable.
7
"True to form."
What Congressman O'Rourke said when Senator Cruz, tasked with sharing what he respects about his opponent, entwined back-handed criticism around faux complements.
Beto's response reveals that he knows his opponent well. May Texas voters see the truth.
149
Wonderful perspective, Gail!
It kind of looks like Beto is gonna pull this one out--both candidates undoubtedly have their die-hard supporters, but voters everywhere, given enough exposure to a contest, can usually discern quality over bombast and genuine likability over genuine arrogance.
This may be the most interesting result of election night.
59
It's nice that O'Rourke has done so well, but I fear this is more a reflection of Cruz's well-documented lack of charm, grace, and humility than of the Senator's general failure to represent the interests of his 28 million constituents, the vast majority of whom are not the plutocrats with whom he feels most comfortable. But Texas is changing demographically, and even GOP gerrymandering can't stop the state from flipping blue eventually. For now, I am just enjoying watching the most second most contemptible big mouth in Texas politics (the first being Alex Jones) squirm a little. And who knows? Maybe even anglo Texans have finally had enough with the man America's President -- an expert in these matters -- calls "lying Ted."
176
@Andrew S.E. Erickson LtGuv Dan Patrick has to be in the top two ahead of Jones. Jones is a wack job but his impact is comparably minimal.
2
My amateur perspective: Cruz keeps conservatives; Beto keeps liberals (of course). If Cruz makes the case that (1) Beto is left of Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, and Hillary Clinton; & (2) Texas economy continues to do well, Cruz wins moderates and ... the election.
16
Regarding the possibility of Beto O'Rourke running for president in 2020 even if he loses: eight score years ago, Abraham Lincoln lost his race for Senate to Stephen Douglas, and yet was elected president 2 years later. So there's a noteworthy precedent.
323
@AAC Beto reminds me of Lincoln in a couple of ways: he's tall and lanky, explains concepts well and tells stories and he is very humble (to hear the humility watch his recent video talking to campaign workers as they drive to San Antonio and stop for at Whataburger.
15
As much as I like Beto. -and will vote for him- he is running in a year that a strong Republican Governor is running. Many Republicans who dislike Rafael will hold their noses and vote for that stinker as they pull the lever for a straight ticket. So sad. Texas deserves better than a carpetbagger, who only cares about himself and not the citizens of Texas.
145
@Michael Tiscornia. I thought you were talking about sen. Hatch, of Utah, when you said Cruz cares about himself and not the citizens of Texas. Lots of prima donnas.
10
@Michael Tiscornia
True - this, coupled with abysmal turnout is highly problematic for a successful Beto run, especially since the Democrats nominated a candidate for governor who is totally unelectable for state-wide office.
10
@Michael Tiscornia
I’m hoping that a significant number of Republicans do not bother to vote. Abbott is so far ahead in the governor’s race that he will not need their votes. Fingers crossed—I want Beto to win, not only for our sanity but also because Cruz does nothing for Texans and is just using the Senate as a platform to run for president, and he seems like a disgusting human being.
16
What's is it exactly that makes him so unlikable? I know the sensation but don't know the reason.
18
@DM For starters, just search out stories on how Cruz orchestrated the 2013 government shutdown over ACA funding with no strategy to actually win but purely to advance his own political profile at his fellow Republicans' expense. He even recruited an outside conservative group to beat up on his fellow congressional GOP members as not conservative enough. Cruz is smarmy and self-righteous. He's also out for one thing and one thing only: Cruz.
96
@DM What makes Ted Cruz so unlikable? His insincerity for one thing. The people of Texas he works so hard for are wealthy, white Christians. All the rest of us are out of luck. I have been drawn to Mr. O’Rourke’s campaign for many reasons but the greatest is that he actively works to unite people while Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and many of both our state and national leaders have sought for years to divide us.
120
@DM Having witnessed a succession of "Prince Charmings" fill that Senate seat (Tower, Gramm, and now Cruz, I may have an answer for you. I don't believe Mr. Cruz has ever allowed the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance to stand in the way of his pursuit of fame, fortune, and power. As people did with Cassius in 44 BCE, they pick up on this same character quirk with Mr. Cruz in 2018 CE.
8
The United States is almost beyond redemption; when the Supreme Court, the Presidency, the Senate, and the House are all corrupt beyond calculation, the only hope is in the People. Al least the 60 percent not in thrall to the aforementioned.
Whatever Beto's fate in November, I hope he will consider a presidential run in 2020. He can't be any less qualified than Trump. Beto and Warren might save your country.
172
@Terence why not invite them up there to save Canada?
2
Thanks for the update on the debate most of us could not hear.Listening to Cruz pontificate is excruciating.Thank goodness Beto is so likable and approachable and does represent Texas values.We badly need a reasonable candidate who can make us cheer and laugh .There is nothing to smile about in Washington these days- maybe Beto could come and eat a burger here and skateboard down the Mall.We would all cheer him!
73
I have a Beto sign on my lawn, a sticker on my car, and a funky t-shirt I bought at a rally. I've met him twice as he travels around the state talking to ordinary people like me. His message is sincere and one for working class Americans.
I listened to the debate and thought Beto gave truthful, inspiring answers. Ted misrepresented the facts at every turn. He claimed it was Obama fault for rising insurance rates when Ted, and every other republican, obstructed the program from day one. Republicans made sure rates went up. Did you hear that? They hurt people for political gain. No shame. No remorse. No compassion. No more Ted in November!!
327
I watched the debate. Beto looked rattled. Cruz was over-rehearsed. Cruz hit all the hot buttons - flag, anthem, guns, "values" - and Beto didn't try to answer. When Beto had to apologize, again, for a DUI twenty years ago, Cruz segued into opioids. Beto's chances depend on whether Cruz's smarmy phoniness was as obvious to voters as it was to me.
42
It is encouraging that O’Rourke has literally given Cruz a run for his money with fundraising. But better yet is that Beto has the best among ‘the kind of things that money just can’t buy’ - he’s likable. Ted Cruz is as off-putting of a person as is imaginable. Cruz is phony, self-righteous, grandstanding and arrogant. He attended Ivy League universities, clerked for a Supreme Court Judge, but pretends to be a salt of the earth guy. Cruz’s body language is villainous and his way of speaking speaks to a lack of social skills. And he showed himself to be wholly unfit for national leadership when, while running for president, Cruz mocked ‘New York values.’ That Cruz still backed the same Trump who made fun of Heidi Cruz’s appearance shows what poor values he has.
Ted Cruz is so creepy, he wouldn’t even know how to act otherwise.
289
An unlovable Grandpa Munster.
9
I greatly enjoyed reading this column. Politics can be the best spectator sport out there!
21
I am not of the opinion higher taxes would work here. Why pay higher taxes and live here if you could live in a nicer climate? I would assume the majority of the middle and upper class would prefer to live in Colorado or somewhere else if a Blue state tax status was forced on us.
7
One way or another, you pay. Just look at what happened in Kansas and other states where they lower taxes too much.
39
We in Houston overwhelmingly voted to raise property taxes to assist in Harvey recovery.
29
@Terry
Where do you people get these ideas. Having a "Blue State tax status" forced on you. Do you realize how ridiculous that is – taxes don't miraculously rise because a Democrat is elected. Besides if you want to live in a decent state with services, and schools, and libraries, and health clinics, and the like you have to pay for them. Otherwise you end up like West Virginia or Mississippi.
24
Sounds like O'Rourke tried to actually debate with Cruz. That is a big mistake when your opponent just jumps from one untruth to another and spices up his conversation with cat calls to the base.
The only strategy for O'Rourke is to make it clear to the audience that he is there to discuss the issues and pretend Cruz is not on the stage. Debates are a great stage to get your message out. The message must be, "I am here to discuss and solve problems. He is here to divide and deprive Americans." There is nothing worse for one of these Republican demagogues than to be ignored. Treat what Cruz has to say as nothing but blather.
156
The great wit Al Franken wrote that though he was the Dem senator who got along best with Cruz, even he couldn't stand Calgary Ted. The Senate fancies itself a forum of collegial debate but the GOP caucus cringes when Lyin' Ted starts bloviating. Even when Cruz read Green Eggs and Ham aloud in an Obamacare filibuster the self-proclaimed genius couldn't understand Dr. Seuss's moral which is that you shouldn't judge things before trying them.
Maybe Calgary Ted could look at Canadian medicare that delivers better results at half the cost.
115
My 28 y/o son moved to the Dallas area(Denton), seven years to take a job in the medical field. We had no family or friends there to make his transition easier. The people there were generous and kind in helping him make a new life. This was also true in San Antonio and now Austin, where he finally ended up. The instances of Texas altruism are too numerous to recount. The people in the state are much nicer than their politics would suggest. I can't stand Trump or Cruz! I don't make contributions to politicians generally but I will send money to Beto in the hopes that we can start to turn this country around. Good luck TX!
273
@Economy Biscuits
I lived in Texas back in the 70s and really enjoyed it there. I lived in San Antonio, and visited Austin often. Those two cities are far more liberal than many other parts of Texas. Come to think of it, Democrats were popular when I lived there. Hopefully, Texas is ready for a big political change. But, I do agree that we should never judge people by the political atmosphere of the state where they reside.
76
As someone who just returned to Texas 33 years later, I have joined the Beto revolution.
The state I left in 1986 has changed dramatically, and not for the better. With its race to the bottom in preschool, K-12 and higher education, the growth the State is experiencing will not be sustainable. Good public schools, better health care, and tolerance of all viewpoints is critical to success.
Working on Beto’s campaign has given me a reason to hope. It is time for your close up Texas, time to step it up.
316
Thank you for a wonderful last paragraph Ms. Collins, it made me laugh and that - in a time like now - was a real gift.
Some years ago you took the position that watching Texas was critical to understanding the USA. My take away was that as goes Texas so goes America. If that is the case the Beto vs. Ted election may be the most important one of this November.
From experience of over seven decades I know Beto cannot be as good as he looks but I do want him to win. If he does not win then hopefully the converse is true and Cruz cannot be as bad as he seems - hmmm.
40
Beto referenced the problem of low voter turnout in TX.
Only 68% of eligible citizens in Texas are registered to vote, making it the 44th out of the 50 states for voter registration. Of Texans ages 18-24 who are eligible to vote, just 48% are registered vs the national average of 55% for that age group. Here's hoping Beto's truly inspiring campaign will change those stats. If he can win in TX, anything will be possible once again in America.
360
O'Rourke reminds me of a certain young politician from Illinois who captured our hearts and attention at a democratic convention not all that long ago, though it sometimes feels like eons. Beto is proving himself to be just as filled with passion and intelligence, conviction and dedication to the real values our country once stood for as that man proved to be. I believe many of us think it would a very good thing for our country if Beto O'Rourke could make his way to the same house that Illinois senator came to occupy, the one at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Whether he wins this Texas election or not, his future may already be written in the stars.
609
I do not like thee, Mr Cruz
You acquiesce in Trump's abuse
To help the working class refuse,
i do not like thee, Mr.Cruz.
Beto would be a welcome change
A Democrat in Senate, strange,
But Texas this change could arrange
Beto, would be a welcome change.
436
@Larry Eisenberg
Mr. Eisenberg, your rhymes give me the same feeling I get when I see a shooting star - they are tiny delights that leven the moment.
19
"Outsiders tend to underestimate the rationality of Texans on the subject." Hmmm. I grew up and Texas(my father worked at the Space Center Ivanka is supposed to tour). While there are some very bright and sensible people in Texas, they are in no way a majority. Or even a large minority. How else do you explain a governor who commits the Texas Rangers to keep an eye on the US Army during their maneuvers in Texas because they were afraid that they might declare martial law in Texas under President Obama and take away their guns? Or that Cruz was re-elected? Or Rick Perry at all?
There was tell of some farsighted leaders in the past who funded some great state universities that state residents could attend for dirt cheap but there is no sign of anything like that in Texas at the moment. And I think graduates of those schools must account for all the Texas license plates I see here in California
314
@Philip Greider Senator Cruz is still serving his first term. He has yet to be “re-elected.” I, for one, am voting to make that never happen.
23
@Philip Greider
Cruz has been elected only once; that was six years ago to the US Senate. On the subject of Texans' rationality, it seems to me a mixed bag.
5
We out here in the land of grapes and oranges got our state legitimately, we bought it from Mexico, while Texas was stolen from it by James Polk. If I were a Mexican, I would consider Texans illegal occupiers of my country.
We do have quite a few Californians moving there, they can operate their pollution spewing businesses in places like El Paso. Even our Mojave Desert is more scenic and cleaner than West Texas, but if people like Cruz have their way, that will not last.
Cruz looks to me to have a typical Texan view of the world about him. A Hispanic name, but has not done anything for those from south of the border who do the dirty work for the state. O'Rourke has made the connection with them, but the states politicians are doing all they can to keep them from voting, and along the Rio Grande, their citizenship is being challenged.
It seems that one time Texas did vote Democratic, but Bush treated the Latinos better than Wilson did in California, so they vote GOP in Texas. Now Cruz is insulting them, so O'Rourke is picking up many of their votes. If he can rouse them, he will get the job. As we are seeing, Cruz is Dishonest Don light, certainly an antithesis to those original inhabitants of Texas from Mexico.
170
@David Underwood.. If I were a Mexican, I would consider Texans illegal occupiers of my country. ....Interesting thought, but did you know. When Texas became a state less than 10% of the population was Hispanic. Today the Hispanic population is 39%
43
@W.A. Spitzer
Just because a lot of people occupy a foreign land does legitimize its theft by force. A misleading and lame defense of American imperialism often justified by the "manifest destiny" that also justified the genocide of native Americans.
@David Underwood >>>Thanks for the Polk reference here. I always wondered why the Mexican American War got such a "light touch" in all my American History classes. I concluded that the main reason was that it was such a clear cut case of theft and bullying that there was no way to sanitize what happened. For a thorough recounting of this event, check the link here. https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-War-Lincoln-Invasion-Mexico/dp/0307475999/...
9
Being originally from Texas, I don't like Ted Cruz. Cruz represents carpetbaggers, like Phil Gramm, who come to Texas with their special brand of fiery conservatism, that does not serve the majority of the public well. The conservatism they profess to represent, has usually ended up with massive tax cuts for the wealthy with the bill being sent to the Middle Class and the poor to pay. Cruz has opposed Medicare...and Texas, of all the large states, with its low earnings history, has millions of people who need those federal medical subsidy programs.
450
Even in my wealthy, conservative suburb in Texas, yard signs for Beto vastly outnumber those for Cruz. The difference in excitement reminds me of the 2016 election. Like it or not, while Trump’s supporters were sincerely energized for his election and packed his campaign events, many of Clinton’s slogged along just hoping to get to the finish line in first place. Beto’s energy gap will translate into votes in November, helping to give him a legitimate chance in what has for decades been a hostile state for Democrats.
553
Unfortunately, signs don’t vote and are no predictor of elections.
13
@Louise
Of course signs don't vote, Louise, but they are indicators of enthusiasm and commitment. Hard to think that those who have gone to the trouble to acquire signs and plant them in yards won't be voting in Nov. Certainly true of me and I'll be 78 by then, long wheelchair-bound by MS. You couldn't keep me away!
78
@ChrisM what an unfortunate example.
The Trump enthusiasm you refer to resulted in Trump *losing* the popular vote. So, the analogy would have Beto with more yard signs, but fewer votes than his opponent.
And, as far as I know, there is no electoral college equivalent in Senate to steal the election.
6
It’s optimistic to think that a Democrat can win a statewide election in what is still a deep red state outside of its urban pockets. However, Ted Cruz has an odious ‘unlikeability’ that provides a legitimate opening for someone with Beto’s positivity, charisma and normality. Is this the election that signals the demographic shift? It just might be.
358
@ChrisM-Texas used to vote Democrat but then some interesting things started to happen: redistricting, Voting Rights Act violations, misdirecting voters to the wrong voting locations, failing to put eligible candidates on ballots, and a voter ID law that allows military IDs and concealed carry permits to be valid but state employee photo IDs and university photo IDs are not. Sadly suppression tactics are alive and well....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_suppression_in_the_United_States
198
@Ann None of the factors you mention is responsible for the shift of TX from D to R. They are just holding actions for a shift that occurred in 1964. LBJ saw it coming when he made his famous comment about losing votes when he signed the Civil Rights Act. Maybe after a half-century plus it's finally swinging back.
3
@ChrisM
I believe Beto can win, but it is going to take heavy turnout to achieve that goal. It concerns me deeply that the reality is that Texas has abysmal voter turnout rates. If Beto's supporters are all talk and no action, Texas just might inflict Ted Cruz on America for another six years.
9
I don't feel sorry for Ivanka (maybe just a little bit for Tiffany) and I certainly wouldn't feel sorry for the voters of Texas if they ended up reelecting Ted Cruz- don't dare pronounce it "Cruth"- when they have the opportunity to send a first-class mensch to Capitol Hill. Mr. O'Rourke is like a younger version of Jerry Brown, a man who could have been one of America's greatest chief executives. Cruz is a man without shame, considering his embrace of a president who insulted his wife and his dad. In that way he and Trump are like two hogs rummaging through a pile of slop. They clearly deserve one another.
788
@stu freeman: Well put, but for two details: "Cruth" is Castilian, not Cuban. And you could have said Cruz is nasty, nasty.
81
@stu freeman
If this is a close race, and Beto loses--due in no small part to gerrymandering and other Republican shenanigans--please DO feel sorry for those of us Texans who have supported him in one form or another. It's been a long, long time since I've had real representation.
208
@TXreader. Senate races are statewide and, therefore, not affected by gerrymandering.
House races, on the other hand, are very much affected by gerrymandering.
8
Oh man, I hope that Beto wins. I grew up in Beto's home town through the 60's and 70's and then attended college on the opposite side of the state in the early 80's. I am so thankful for my racially diverse upbringing. Stand strong Beto. I hope my home state citizens vote and make you the new Texas senator.
792
Cruz put on a master clinic in the distortion of facts and when that didn't work for him, he just outright lied. He did look comfortable, though, and he seemed to have something of an upper hand when the debate favored wonkishness. Fortunately, though, Beto was able to use his closing speech to pivot away from the conventional format and focus on what he's better at: addressing voters directly, and sincerely. At the end of the night, the choice was clearly between the slick, established politician and someone who brought something different, and new, to the table. Beto is not just an alternative to the moral atrocity that is the Texas Republican party, he's an alternative to conventional politics as such.
939
@Jeremiah Crotser I hope you are right, and that other candidates like Beto will come forward, and very soon, in the next two election cycles, and give people a far better choice.
101
@Jeremiah Crotser People who are in their comfort zone when outright lying are called sociopaths. Cruz qualifies as such. The man is such an odious artifice it would insult phonies to call him a phony.
10
Hope springs eternal, Gail - we Progressives are lucky to have a candidate with Beto's pluses, every one of which he will need to overcome the incumbent jerk.
Beto has sworn not to go negative, and stay issues-focused, but it would sure be nice for him to remind Texans that Cruz chiseled us all out of $24 Billion$ due to his 2013 government shutdown hissy-fit grandstanding:
https://www.npr.org/2013/10/02/228376346/why-sen-cruz-looms-large-in-gov...
Sometimes, voters need to have their memories jogged - it's too bad Beto doesn't have a Progressive angel Billionaire hanging around, who could put up a viral ad labeling Cruz 'The $24 Billion$ Senator Texans Can't Afford'.
Turnout in November will be critical; this last Tuesday - even though it was a special election - not enough Progressives turned out to hang onto a seat that has been Democratic since 1879; for the first time since Civil War Reconstruction days 140 years ago, GOP'ers succeeded in flipping the State Senate district.
Importantly, the more rural areas voted Progressive, whilst the larger more urban counties went red.
Just as importantly, Google Trends shows voters here are most concerned with healthcare and immigration, though the tariff policies of His Unhinged Unraveling Unfitness hurt Texas big-time.
Texans need to vote early, and take their neighbor with them to the polls !
452
@R. Law@--A good reason to press for fair and transparent elections. Texas Republicans have succeeded in measures to keep citizens from voting:
U.S. appeals court lets Texas' revamped voter ID law take effect ...
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2018/04/27/appeals-court-uphold...
https://www.aclutx.org/en/news/sorry-state-voting-rights-texas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_suppression_in_the_United_States
27
@R. Law
The urban counties turned red, while the rural areas voted Progressive?
Sounds like the hidden hand of the manipulators trusted the rural areas and left them alone, while they concentrated on rigging the outcomes of the voting machines in the urban counties.
Good to see their 'trust' in loyalty to their betrayal got shamed right back with no mercy.
We need dependable preadjusted exit polls stats for all races.
6
@Ann, The fix is in - Something's indeed not quite copacetic, unless Dems just couldn't motivate their voters; the district is over 66% Hispanic, with the more rural counties voting blue (as they have been for the past 140 years), but the urban counties including San Antonio's south side oddly voting red.
The district is hugely gerrymandered:
https://www.texastribune.org/directory/districts/tx-senate/19/
and:
http://www.tpr.org/post/early-voting-texas-sd-19-special-election-begins
The Dem (first name Pete) running for the office had been a State Representative for many of the same counties for years - then GOP'ers picked a challenger (who came out of nowhere to win the GOP'er primaries) also first name of Pete.
It's odd, too, that the winning margin was about 3,000 votes, and that in one of the counties immediately west of San Antonio, there were exactly 2,000 more early ballots for the GOP'er than the Dem.
Aiding GOP'ers in the process was the fact it was a special election deliberately called by our GOP'er gub'ner to be outside the normal November voting.
Dems needed to keep this seat to prevent GOP'ers from having a super-majority in the Texas Senate; a majority which allows them to ram through any piece of scurrilous trash legislation they please.
9
I live in Massachusetts, where elections can be so boring! The Texas Senate race, among others has captured my attention and it was great to watch the debate. Having seen Cruz at a New Hampshire Town Hall in the 2015 primary season and been completely unimpressed-he spoke for 90 minutes nonstop, sounding like a deranged preacher, in a talk filled with misstatements of fact, theories that made no sense, in a voice dripping with insincerity, his debate performance reinforced my impression. He may be intellectually brilliant, but he is a man without a moral center. Beto, on the other hand, is a dreamer. A man who believes in the goodness of people, who aims high and believes we can all be better. A man who wants to help all of us get to a better place. I wish I could vote for him! GO TEXAS! ELECT THIS UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL AND BRING HOPE AND SANITY BACK TO THE NATION!
1235
We will do our best and hope not to disappoint you! We have our sign out and have donated several times. Thanks for your encouragement.
76
@Rachel Bird
I live in Texas, and until this year elections here were boring too because it was always a republican win. For the first time my friends and I are actively campaigning and hoping (against hope?) that we might see a democrat senator and a congresswoman (district 7).
29
Dang! I live n Texas. We’re doing our best to make Beto our Senator.
8
Gail is really on top of it! I just finished watching the debate and here is her humorous analysis. There are many Beto signs here in the Hill Country and I've only seen one for Cruz so far. I've met Beto and think he is a very appealing, sincere guy and so far he hasn't expressed an idea I don't agree with. When he stopped in Blanco he asked what our concerns are so he could do a better job should he become our senator. He is the "real deal" as they say. All the money he's gotten for his campaign is from individual donors like me. He owes nothing to any PACs, just to us. Rare in today's political world.
I was very impressed with his debate performance and considering that Cruz is billed as a master debater Beto looked good in comparison. We are all working hard here in the Hill Country of Texas to help Beto get elected!
1505
@Amy: Are you certain that Cruz is regarded as a "master debater"? Sometimes people might think they're hearing a mid-syllable when it hasn't actually been spoken.
111
@Amy Thank you. Best wishes.
13
@stu freeman Yet Cruz is only a master debater for procreational purposes ... Otherwise he’s against self-debating ...
I think it's great that Beto refuses to take PAC money (and has out raised Ted so far). Remember Bernie? People are yearning for a charismatic force for good. I hope he wins. But there will be big money and big negatives against him.
340
@Rocky Mtn girl We got Tim Keller in as Mayor of Albuquerque in spite of money and negatives. Beto will do fine. People had a charismatic force for good in President Obama. Many did not appreciate him and many did not realize how obstructive the Republicans were during his administration. Bernie would have had the same problem.
133
@Rocky Mtn girl
Beto is 10 times the candidate Sanders was.
12
There are so many immigrants in Texas that every Anglo has Mexican or Mexican-American friends, neighbors, acquaintances and family-members-by-marriage. Trump's anti-immigrant message goes over much easier in the Midwest, where people don't know any immigrants and can be more easily induced to hate and fear them.
668
@Carson Drew: Every Midwesterner's ancestors were immigrants. That should be enough to ward off the hatred.
80
@Carson Drew-A good reason to press for fair and transparent elections. Texas Republicans have done a lot to keep citizens from voting : Voting Rights Act violations, redistricting, gerrymandering, voter intimidation, misleading information to voters about polling locations, language access problems, and other outright voter suppression tactics. Plus the additional insult: Texans have no way to validate their vote was counted.
https://www.aclutx.org/en/news/sorry-state-voting-rights-texas
U.S. appeals court lets Texas' revamped voter ID law take effect ...
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2018/04/27/appeals-court-uphold...
31
@Carson Drew
You might be surprised at how many immigrants there are here in the Midwest, where people mostly tend to get along, and I enjoy practicing my Spanish.
10
There is a saying that, by the time you are 40, you've acquired the face you deserve. Beto O'Rourke looks like a very nice person. Ted Cruz looks like he's running a crooked carnival game that no one can ever win.
1577
When we demean someone for their physical appearance, we demean ourselves. All we have to do is look at what Ted Cruz says, and what he does, and consider that Trump supports him. These are more than enough reasons for any rational person to know that Ted Cruz must be shown the door.
28
@Linda You absolutely nailed it!
2
@Linda He has always reminded me of Mr Haney from Green Acres if he had gone to college.
2
There are over 200 Beto signs in my neighborhood (I and my mother have one each, the house on the corner has 40 ). While I have seen two Culbertson signs, I have yet to see a Cruz sign. Yes, I live in what was once ubercool Montrose. Which we now occasionally call Kingwood North. The empty nesters are moving back in town and they are not bringing Republican politics with them. Or they are not advertising.
574
If the democrats keep offering up candidates like Beto, we have a chance for restoring a sense of integrity within our politics. I like it when a person just owns up to past mistakes and answers a question directly. Ted could take a pointer or three in that category.
1042
My family is originally from Texas. We hope that Trump campaigns for Cruz, since the President reminds Texans of why they hate New Yorkers.
As for Ted, we don’t know what he is. Cubano? Ivy League lawyer (another flag in Dallas)? Or, more obviously, willing to grovel to and lie for every polluter in DC and Texas?
Beto stands for all of us, and talks like a man. He will win, and be a great Senator.
1355
@Mike Roddy
As the expression goes, "From your mouth ..."
@mike - If Trump reminds Texans of why they hate New Yorkers, they don't know New Yorkers. New Yorkers knew Trump and voted against him in big numbers and proceeded to take his name off buildings they lived in. I can't speak to why Texans might hate New Yorkers, but Trump is no representative of the Big Apple.
21
@Mike Roddy "Talks like a man"? Gee, I'm afraid to ask...........
2
It was refreshing to see a substantive debate with clear policy ideas and few personal attacks. This is how our politics should be.
242
@Ali Sayed
And the personal attacks were aimed toward Congressman O'Rourke .... proof that if you have to make personal attacks, then you have little of substance to contribute.
21