national democracy basedtejano

History and Politics dork, Liberal/progressive, Pragmatic Idealist, Constitutionalist

From Texas, pulling for Talarico

[James Tate @JamesTate121]

Before you decide who James Talarico is based on a campaign ad, a sound bite or a meme, it’s worth knowing a little about the person behind the politics.
Have you ever read James Talarico’s story? Researched his background? Did you know that he taught sixth-grade language arts at a high-poverty middle school in San Antonio? That he earned a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard? That he has concentrated heavily on public education, children’s welfare and access to health care? That he has served in the Texas House since 2018? That he’s studying at a Presbyterian seminary?
Talarico is a native Texan with eight generations of Texas roots. He was born and raised by a single mother in Round Rock. His grandfather was a Baptist preacher in South Texas, and Talarico still attends the Presbyterian church where he was baptized as a child. His faith has been a significant part of his life since childhood.
After graduating from UT, he went to Harvard where he earned a master’sdegree in education. He then went into public education, teaching sixth-grade language arts at Rhodes Middle School on San Antonio’s West Side, in one of the poorest ZIP codes in Texas. He didn't just teach from a textbook and go home. Former colleagues and school administrators have described him as a teacher who connected with students, encouraged struggling readers and earned the respect of kids who were often difficult to reach.
One former colleague recalled that some students who had never finished an entire book ended up loving reading in Talarico's classroom. His former principal said students generally respected him enough that even kids with serious behavior problems stayed in line in his classroom.
That experience changed the direction of his life.
He came away believing that many of the problems he saw in his classroom couldn't be fixed one student at a time. So he went into public policy and eventually into the Texas Legislature.
He was elected to the Texas House in 2018 at just 29 years old and has now served for 8 years in the Legislature. He has worked on education, child care, prescription drug costs, juvenile justice and other issues. Texas Monthly named him one of its Ten Best Legislators in 2021, citing his intelligence, collegiality and political savvy. Among his legislative accomplishments are a $25 insulin copay cap, legislation allowing incarcerated minors to earn high-school diplomas, a statewide pre-K class-size cap and other education and healthcare measures.
And then there's something else about Talarico that gets surprisingly little attention:
He is studying to become a Presbyterian minister.
He enrolled at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary because, in his words, he wanted to explore the first of Jesus' two commandments - loving God - while he was already trying to live out the second, loving his neighbor. He has studied the New Testament and Hebrew biblical interpretation, and he has said that he hopes to become a minister one day.
He's also been very clear that his Christian faith is what motivates his public service. He talks about lowering the cost of child care and prescription drugs, funding public schools and reforming the justice system as ways of loving his neighbors. At the same time, he believes strongly in separation of church and state and says he doesn't want politicians teaching people what their faith should be.
We should look at the whole person and the actual record, rather than letting political memes define him.
This isn't some guy who suddenly appeared in Texas politics yesterday.
He's a Texan from a family with eight generations of Texas roots. A Harvard graduate. A former public-school teacher. A legislator who has actually passed legislation. A lifelong Christian. A grandson of a preacher. And a seminary student preparing for ministry.
That's the James Talarico I see. VIA~~ Chauntel Moore

[national democracy basedtejano @BasedTejano]

@realchickennn @billgoldwater Almost every other major primary loser on the Democratic side has put aside their loss and immediately endorsed and campaigned with the winner. Both wings of the party. Stevens with Abdul ElSayed in Michigan. Hong with Crowley in Wisconsin. Vindman with Nixon in Florida. Vanity..

[national democracy basedtejano @BasedTejano]

@nmmi68 @esjesjesj Wow a 6 year old tailgunner what an amazing young prodigy

[national democracy basedtejano @BasedTejano]

@bingohobbyist Why not Somaliland?

[★Briana★ @briana__gomez]

How normal people spend their Friday night: going out with friends, spending time with family

How Bo French spends his Friday night: wanting me, a born and raised Texan to be deported

I can’t wait to vote Jon Rosenthal for railroad commissioner so Bo French will be irrelevant

[Zim ️✝️🇺🇦🇦🇲🇵🇸 | Scoop Jackson enjoyer @gewoonzim]

If buying isn't owning, piracy isn't stealing.

[Classical Liberal Caucus @LP_CLC]

And, as usual, @RonPaul is right.

[Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 @PollTracker2024]

Gave away a Senate seat where you easily would've been nominated just to get 1% in Iowa award:

[James Talarico @jamestalarico]

When we win, the first bill I’m filing is a comprehensive anti-corruption package:

Overturn Citizens United
Ban corporate PACs and super PACs
Ban members of Congress from trading stocks

Once we defeat the most corrupt politician in America, we can defeat this corrupt system.

[U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. @SenBillCassidy]

Reagan is rolling over in his grave. Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future. Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal.

Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was being crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were still alive. Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped. This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades.

[Team Talarico @TeamTalaricoHQ]

We agree.

[Boston Smalls @smalls2672]

This needs to be played everywhere 24/7

[Billy Binion @billybinion]

As attorney general, Ken Paxton got a businessman under FBI investigation to make him a fake Uber account under the name "Dave P" so that Paxton could regularly sneak to his mistress’s apartment. Proudly standing behind him won’t look good in the history books.

[Bill Kristol @BillKristol]

I’m pro-freedom, pro-law and order, pro-limited government, and pro-the Declaration and the Constitution.

And so today I’m a Democrat.

[Blank @HakaseBlank]

I’ll say this again, once and for all.

Have some fucking human decency.

I don’t care what side you’re on, what you believe, left, right, pro or against anything.

None of that matters here.

You do NOT mock a child’s suicide. Ever.

There is no excuse. Not even a justification, nothing that makes that okay.

And the fact people are still bringing it up months later just to talk shit says everything about you and others alike.

You aren't “having an opinion," you're just being a shitty human being.

Let them rest in peace.

That was a minor. A real person too.

For the love of god mocking it, dragging it out, and even making MEMES ABOUT IT, that’s beyond fucked up IT BORDENLINES INHUMAN

I don’t care what side you’re on. At the bare minimum, act like a human fucking being.

[Franki V. D. @frankidacre]

I’ve noticed people (at least IRL) have been trying to act nonchalant lately. It’s actually pretty fun to care about something you’re interested in and share it with others ☹️

[Heath Mayo @HeathMayo]

Never bet on character in the GOP. It’s a liability. The only thing that matters is blind loyalty.

Vote Talarico, folks. You have to teach them a lesson. People like Paxton use the “R” to take the votes of decent people for granted.

Prove them wrong and dump him.

[Bizzarro @AreBizzarro]

@briana__gomez

[national democracy basedtejano @BasedTejano]

@frankidacre Oh, and McCain!

[national democracy basedtejano @BasedTejano]

@frankidacre George HW Bush the goat! And James Garfield, I'm a bandwagon sorry!