James Talarico confronts Rs about what their culture wars are really about in plain language

[senseandsensibility]

Saw him on Lawrence last night. Of course, he's a man after my own heart because he is a former middle school teacher and credited that with his ability to break things down into simple, accessible terms without getting emotional. It's a skill I believe I developed as a teacher as well.

However, what I really liked was how he confronted a Republican legislator about their lies about "furries" and "litter boxes", which were all over the media in 2024. He first established that they were lies. Very important. He then asked why these lies were being spread and said that it was an obvious attempt to turn parents away from public schools and towards vouchers.

Vouchers have been a dream of Rs for decades to siphon money into private companies with no regulations and to break teachers' unions.

Really impressed with him, his communications skills, his positive outlook, his ability to voice what his motivation is (love for his neighbors), and his moral compass. I am not particularly religious, but I admire Christians who approach their calling in the same way that Jimmy Carter did.

I feel that he would be a great Senator from TX, and of course Jasmine Crockett would be too. We have such great candidates!

[leftstreet]

1. Wow. Good for him

That's really been missing from the discourse (in my mind). Politicians blathering on and on about cultural issues, decade after decade, but never addressing the privateering and profiteering happening all around us

DURec

[senseandsensibility]

2. Agreed. And I think one of the reasons

is that it takes a special person to have the patience and skill to break these made up "culture war" issues down to show how dishonest they are. Most people, understandably, get angry, sarcastic or whatever. But Talarico knows (from his teaching experience) that when you do that you lose the very people you are trying to reach.

[Volaris]

3. Ok..so treat them like middle-schoolers, got it. GOOD TIP LOL

[Skittles]

4. I voted for him today

I like Jasmine but I don't care for her jumping into the race as late as she did. Talarico has been at it for some time now and has done a good job reaching out to people.

[senseandsensibility]

5. Good to hear the perspective of a Texan!

[Skittles]

8. well.....I ain't no Texan

but I HAVE lived here a long time

[senseandsensibility]

10. Lol

Gotcha!

[Amaryllis]

6. I also find him very impressive. Love it that the Colbert thing is shaking out in such a way that it has given him

far more attention and visibility than if they had just let him be on the show!

[senseandsensibility]

7. He is very fortunate in his enemies!

Love the way it backfired!

[pat_k]

9. He's been on my radar since I came across his brilliant sermon against Christian Nationalism a couple years ago

"There is a cancer on our religion"