Talarico or Paxton? It’s No “Sophie’s Choice”

Commentary: For decades, the Republican Party has held itself up to be the party of Christian family values that stands for law and order. They rationalize electing sleazebags saying God sometimes uses sinners to do His work, while portraying Democrats as dangerous radicals and extremists who pose a threat to the country.

It came as no surprise when the President, a convicted felon, endorsed Ken Paxton, 63, the most corrupt politician in Texas, in his primary runoff. They both have rap sheets longer than a CVS receipt. Paxton represents everything Trump admires: shameless dishonesty, endless scandal, contempt for accountability and the ability to convince supporters that every investigation is persecution.

James Talarico or Ken Paxton?

Talarico or Paxton? Faith and Character

In 2015, a Texas grand jury indicted Paxton on felony securities fraud charges. He settled the case by paying a $271,000 fine as restitution, taking ethics training, and community service. (Doing God’s work!)

In 2020, several senior aides in the Texas Attorney General’s Office reported Paxton to the FBI alleging that he abused his office to help a political donor. The Texas House of Representatives impeached Paxton on 20 articles that included allegations of bribery, abuse of office, obstruction of justice, misuse of public resources and retaliation against whistleblowers. (More of God’s work, I presume).

Then there’s the numerous affairs ending with his wife filing for divorce based on
“Biblical grounds.”

Now comes James Talarico, 37, a young, white male, former sixth grade schoolteacher, seminarian, Bible-quoting, intelligent gentleman, working on a master’s degree in divinity, who is everything the GOP has been pretending to be for years.

There’s only one thing wrong with this picture, he has a “D” beside his name. Yes, Talarico is a Democrat. If not for that little fact, the choice would be easy, but instead many Republicans find themselves in a Sophie’s Choice position. To refresh your memory, Sophie’s Choice, set in WWII Germany, is about a woman forced to make an unimaginable choice: pick one of her two children to survive, while the other is sent straight to the gas chamber. If she refused to choose, both children would be killed instantly. Terrified and pressured, she allowed her daughter to be taken to save her son, a decision that left her with unbearable, lifelong guilt.

Do Republicans go with a known criminal who has no idea what it means to be a public servant, or the choir boy, who represents their self-professed values better than any candidate they have fielded in decades? He speaks openly about faith without weaponizing it. He disagrees without juvenile name-calling.

The most radical thing Talarico calls for is to “love God and love your neighbor.”

He comes across as a man with integrity, humility, respect for institutions and public service, thoughtful, decent, and grounded — qualities that used to matter to Republicans.

Paxton and his allies are at a loss on how to attack Talarico. They accused him of being a vegan, not Texan enough, implied he may be gay and/or trans and called him a hypocrite regarding his faith. (Pot, meet kettle.)

If you’ve supported Republicans in the past because you value conservative Christian values and basic competence over chaos, then it may be time to take a serious look at James Talarico. Supporting Talarico doesn’t mean you’ve gone far left but that you have returned to a place where morals and character still matter.

The current batch of Republicans in Congress have been unwilling to keep in check an out-of-control madman. They sat on their hands while the president destroyed the East Wing of the White House, the Reflecting Pool, the Kennedy Center, Title IX protections, school lunch programs, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, Transgender military service, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline LGBTQ+ Youth Program, LGBTQ+ health research grants, rainbow crosswalks and much more. Texas does not need another Trump lapdog.

Supporting candidates like Paxton is no longer a political choice. It is a statement that you do not care about morality, legality or the truth. That ethics and character are not important. All that matters to you is the R or D after a candidate’s name.

Stop rationalizing voting for slimeballs with ridiculous God references. As Texas’ last Democratic Governor Ann Richards might say, “That dog don’t hunt.”

This choice should not be that difficult.

That’s my take.

Early voting begins October 19 with Election Day on November 3.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of the Montrose Star. Johnny Trlica is the editor of Houston Rainbow Herald Facebook page and has been published in several newspapers and magazines. He grew up in Rosenberg, Texas, lived for over 30 years in the Montrose and now resides in Galveston, Texas. He may be contacted at HRHeditor@gmail.com.

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