WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:10.279 Presenting sponsor for today's program is Builders. Our supporting sponsors 2 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:14.880 are Texas Matters and Texas State Technical College. 3 00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:21.679 Hello, and welcome to the Texas Tribune Trip Cast for Wednesday, 4 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:25.760 May twenty seventh. I am your host, Matthew Watkins, joined 5 00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:28.120 as usual by my co host Eleanor Klibanoff. 6 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:29.719 Hello, Eleanor, Hello Matthew. 7 00:00:29.719 --> 00:00:30.039 How are you. 8 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:32.520 I am feeling very well rested. 9 00:00:33.079 --> 00:00:36.280 Alarmingly well rested for the day after an election. Yeah. 10 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:39.560 We of course usually have very late nights on election night, 11 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:43.880 but sometimes the races are so you know, much blowouts 12 00:00:43.960 --> 00:00:45.640 that we can all go to bed and go home 13 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:46.799 by ten eleven o'clock. 14 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:48.000 And that is where we are today. 15 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:48.359 Yeah. 16 00:00:48.359 --> 00:00:51.000 I was home by and in bed by midnight, which 17 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:52.240 is amazing. I don't know if that's a good thing 18 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:52.840 or a bad thing. 19 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:55.759 Amazing. We'll bring we'll bring the energy today to make 20 00:00:55.840 --> 00:01:01.799 up for that. Joined this week to recap the Texas 21 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:05.760 primary runoffs by our Washington correspondent Gabby Beerenbaum. 22 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:08.879 Hello, Gabby, Hello, Hello, thanks for having me and. 23 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:09.920 You know him, you love him? 24 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:14.000 From Spectrum News and from formerly of the Trip Cast, 25 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:15.599 James Badergan, Hello James. 26 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:16.680 Hello, it's good to be back. 27 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:18.480 Came crawling back. 28 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:20.200 Away. 29 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:22.319 We invited him. 30 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:24.200 Right. 31 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:28.159 So, of course, as we already mentioned, it was not 32 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:30.280 a late night. The reason it was not a late 33 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:33.640 night for many of us was because at the very 34 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:38.239 top of the ticket, Ken Paxton, our Attorney General, trounced 35 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:41.920 John Cornyn, the incumbent US Senator. Last I looked, we're 36 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:44.359 at i think around ninety nine percent of the vote's cast, 37 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:46.359 so it could switch, you know, go up or down 38 00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:50.480 a percentage pointer or so. Paxton receiving sixty four percent 39 00:01:50.519 --> 00:01:55.159 of the vote, Cornyn receiving thirty six percent. Gabby, you 40 00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:58.000 have been following this race closely. Were you surprised? 41 00:01:58.920 --> 00:02:01.719 I wasn't surprised that Paxton. I was surprised by the margin. 42 00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:05.400 I think people read into the early voting tea leaves, 43 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:07.760 I guess myself included it seemed like the urban counties 44 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:09.719 were turning out at a high rate than the others, 45 00:02:09.719 --> 00:02:11.400 that that might be good for Cornyn. But I think 46 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:13.879 clearly persuasion mattered a ton. Over the course of the 47 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:16.919 runoff and over the course of those almost three months, 48 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:19.199 I think it was clear that the people who came 49 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:22.199 back were more Paxton friendly that undecided people broke Paxton, 50 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:24.719 Wesley Hunt voters book broke packs at all. Sort of 51 00:02:24.759 --> 00:02:25.919 was coming up Paxton last night. 52 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:31.199 What happened, James, I don't know. 53 00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:34.159 I'm with Gabby in that I think I thought that 54 00:02:34.280 --> 00:02:36.719 Ken Paxton was still going to win, But I was 55 00:02:36.759 --> 00:02:40.439 also sort of swayed by all this conversation that the 56 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:45.680 early vote was trending well for Cornyn. But I mean, 57 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:48.159 I think at the end of the day, anything that 58 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:50.280 was going to be close, if it was going to 59 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:54.719 be close, got switched by the President's endorsement last Tuesday, 60 00:02:54.919 --> 00:02:58.120 with a lot of early voting still to go. And 61 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:00.639 I think what we really learned last night obviously is 62 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:05.000 that it's the President's party because in multiple races where 63 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:09.680 he endorsed, his candidates won, and they didn't win Squeakers 64 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:12.199 like they won by a long shot, even in some 65 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:17.039 races where there were other major endorsements. So I think 66 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:18.960 that's obviously what did it. But you know, you've got 67 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:22.879 to also give the flowers to Ken Paxton. He was 68 00:03:22.919 --> 00:03:25.639 spent outspent. I think I read in your story Gabby 69 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:30.199 nine to one in the in the primary, three to 70 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:33.479 one in the runoff and this guy keeps winning. I mean, 71 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:36.680 he's just so tapped into the grassroots, he's so tapped 72 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:39.400 into the base that you do kind of have to 73 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:41.439 give it up for him. I'm sure we'll get to 74 00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:44.199 this and it's going to be a different discussion in November. 75 00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:48.520 But sixty four percent, I mean, what else can you say? 76 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:51.560 Yeah, I mean, I think like it's so clear that 77 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:54.599 Trump endorsement. I think there was, you know, any last 78 00:03:55.159 --> 00:03:57.319 hope maybe that the Corning camp had was you know, 79 00:03:57.360 --> 00:03:59.599 well maybe the timing of the Trump endorsement, certainly if 80 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:01.719 it had come much earlier, came in the middle of 81 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:05.000 early voting. It's a weird election time. The day after 82 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:07.759 and it proves like it doesn't matter. And I do 83 00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:10.479 think we were discussing this earlier, like it raises the 84 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:13.840 question of were their corn In voters who maybe just 85 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:17.360 stayed home feeling like this is like, you know, definitely 86 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:19.279 what's going to happen, Like it's not even sort of 87 00:04:19.319 --> 00:04:22.600 worth getting out to the polls, and does that impact 88 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:23.879 races lower down? 89 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:26.399 I don't think there were Corning voters that stayed home. 90 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:28.279 I think they just got rocked. I mean, I think 91 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.800 that's what happened. I mean, because Cornin is very, very 92 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:32.680 good at getting out the vote. I mean, that's what 93 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:35.600 I mean. We saw that in March for the primary. 94 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:38.920 He surprised everyone. I think it was a tall order 95 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:41.360 to ask him to do it twice. But I don't 96 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:46.079 think that Cornin voters stayed home. I think the Paxton base, 97 00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:49.600 the Paxton patriots as he calls them, came out, and 98 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:52.399 people who are motivated by the President came out. And 99 00:04:52.759 --> 00:04:57.000 that is just where the Republican Party in Texas is, 100 00:04:57.040 --> 00:04:58.240 as you guys have well covered. 101 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:00.879 I also think it increasingly looks like, given the margin, 102 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:04.519 Trump's endorsement I think wasn't necessarily to get Packson over 103 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:06.519 the line. I think it more looks like the White 104 00:05:06.519 --> 00:05:08.399 House saw internal data that showed that Paxson was going 105 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:10.000 to win, and the President likes a winner. I mean, 106 00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:12.680 that's always been his mo. And I'm not the only 107 00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:14.720 one who thinks that. Ted Cruz said that last night too, 108 00:05:14.759 --> 00:05:16.560 that he feels like they must have had looked at 109 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:18.920 some data and thought, Okay, this guy's winning. Let's let's 110 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:20.399 be a part of it, right. 111 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:22.879 I mean, inevitably, some corn And voters, you know, or 112 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:25.959 people that Corny was hoping to convince did not come 113 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:27.680 out for him, right, I mean some of them swung 114 00:05:27.720 --> 00:05:29.639 over to and certainly some of these Wesley Hunt voters 115 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:31.759 swung over. But like, I do think there was this 116 00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:34.319 I mean, Cornin was saying like if you didn't vote 117 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:36.240 in the primary, like get out now it Certainly I 118 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:39.519 think he was hoping to convince sort of this moshi 119 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:41.959 middle of people who were like, Oh, I don't really 120 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.000 think Ken Paxson was really a thread. Maybe I'll go 121 00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:47.160 And I don't think that group really if they exist, 122 00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:49.120 they're not as motivated as Cornan was hoping. 123 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:51.480 No, I think the early voters were like eighty five 124 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:53.920 percent or something people who voted in March. So he 125 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:55.480 just did not get a lot of people out who 126 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:58.720 hadn't participated in March, let alone like Warren consistent primary voters. 127 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:01.639 Two point two million million voters in March in the 128 00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:06.079 Republican primary as of most recent count. It'll go up 129 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:09.199 a little bit one point four million in May. That 130 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:11.920 you know, if you have, by the way, eighteen point 131 00:06:11.959 --> 00:06:15.319 seven million registered voters in Texas, so seven point four 132 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:18.000 percent turnout, it'll maybe go up to seven point five 133 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:19.480 as those last votes are counted. 134 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:21.600 Not great for Texas. 135 00:06:21.639 --> 00:06:23.680 You know, we know that these runoffs are really important 136 00:06:23.720 --> 00:06:26.199 in a state that's been voting Republican for the last 137 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:29.160 you know, more than two decades. But this is how 138 00:06:29.160 --> 00:06:32.600 it goes, right, We if you've covered politics in Texas 139 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:35.079 long enough, you know that it's going to be a tiny, 140 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:38.160 tiny fraction, especially when you get into the runoff, that's 141 00:06:38.199 --> 00:06:41.519 going to decide these races. And most often that tiny 142 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:46.319 tiny fraction is going to be the most activist wing 143 00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:49.439 of the party. And I think we've known all along 144 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:52.160 that the most activist wing of the party likes Kin. 145 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:54.839 Paxton here, and I think it's this arm of the 146 00:06:54.879 --> 00:07:00.399 party that, like, you know, since Ted Cruz beat David Hurst, 147 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:04.000 you know, a dozen years ago, it's like, has continued 148 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:06.959 to portray itself as like the underdog and the insurgents 149 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.759 and certainly not the establishment, sort of the opposite of 150 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:13.519 the establishment. But they have been consistently winning, consistently claiming 151 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:16.519 more and more parts of the party. I mean, there's 152 00:07:16.519 --> 00:07:19.519 been some ups and down, certainly, but like they are increasingly. 153 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:21.480 We've talked about this on the podcast a lot, Like 154 00:07:22.199 --> 00:07:24.199 at what point do you start saying like the party, 155 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:25.879 the group, the arm of the party that's been in 156 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:28.519 charge the longest, you know, for the last twelve years, 157 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:29.639 is the establishment. 158 00:07:29.800 --> 00:07:33.720 Yeah, I mean I would argue that the takeover began, 159 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:36.720 you know, pick your date, whether it's twenty twelve or 160 00:07:36.759 --> 00:07:39.879 even a little bit earlier than that. But let's say 161 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:42.079 it started in twenty twelve. You know, at that time, 162 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:45.720 John Cornyn was our senator. Kay Bailey Hutchinson was our 163 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:50.079 other senator. Ted Cruz going up against David duh Hurst, 164 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:53.680 who you might term a bit of a more traditional, 165 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:57.639 you know, a wealthy guy criticized on the right as 166 00:07:57.639 --> 00:08:01.439 being too moderate. He wins or comes out of the 167 00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:04.879 March primary as the front runner against Ted Cruz, winning 168 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:07.680 by nine or leading by nine percent but failing to 169 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:10.360 get the majority. Cruise outspins him three to one in 170 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:14.800 the runoff, I mean, sorry, Dehurst, who is personally wealthy, 171 00:08:14.839 --> 00:08:17.519 outspends Cruise three to one on the runoff. Cruz ends 172 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:20.560 up winning by fourteen percent. Now we have Cruise and 173 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:22.959 Packson as our well, we'll see about that. 174 00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:25.680 Jumping the gun. 175 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:28.839 Whoa, whoa, whoa. You know we have Cruises. 176 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:31.160 I got the rest of the podcast here buddy. 177 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:34.480 We Cruise as our senator. We have Paxton as the nominee. 178 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:35.480 We have. 179 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:40.639 Abbott, who has really moved toward that wing of the party. 180 00:08:40.679 --> 00:08:44.120 We have Dan Patrick the legion and governor. The establishment 181 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:47.799 is no longer the established anymore. This is the establishment 182 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:50.320 in Texas. And I would argue that this was the 183 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:53.200 culmination of that. This is the end. It has been 184 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:56.440 fully completed now that that wing of the party runs 185 00:08:56.480 --> 00:08:58.840 the Republican Party in Texas. I mean, we can go 186 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:00.879 down the ballot and talk about a little bit more, 187 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:02.559 but let's not do that yet. 188 00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:04.759 We'll hold Okay, So. 189 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:12.200 Let's just pause for a minute and reflect on the 190 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:16.000 survivability of kN Paxton to peel back the curtain a 191 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:19.279 little bit. In the journalistic process, right, we have something 192 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:22.200 that we had the Tribune call the political obit, right, 193 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:25.399 and we write it when we feel like a politician's 194 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:27.720 career could be at risk of coming to an end. 195 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:30.840 And we wrote a political obit for Ken Paxton in 196 00:09:30.919 --> 00:09:35.320 twenty twenty three when he was impeached and it hit 197 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:39.240 his future went to the Senate and we didn't know 198 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:41.000 when that vote came out whether he was going to 199 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:41.720 remain in office. 200 00:09:41.799 --> 00:09:42.000 Or not. 201 00:09:42.600 --> 00:09:46.519 We dusted it off and rewrote it. After the March 202 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:49.600 primary when Donald Trump said that he was going to 203 00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:52.559 endorse someone in that race and insists that the other 204 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:55.440 person drop out, and many people reading the tea leaves 205 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:59.200 made the assumption that he was going to endorse John 206 00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:03.039 Cornyn and ask Ken Paxton to drop out. We didn't 207 00:10:03.159 --> 00:10:06.559 use it. We had one ready to go last night. 208 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:08.360 We were pretty sure we weren't going to need it, 209 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:11.720 but it was there. You know, people have been writing 210 00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:16.480 the political obituary of Ken Paxton for a long time. 211 00:10:16.600 --> 00:10:23.240 We are leaving out, you know, the when his lieutenants 212 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:25.639 you know, accused him of bribery and all resigned in 213 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:28.679 mass We left out when he was indicted on a 214 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:32.759 on a you know, criminal charge. He continues to win, 215 00:10:32.840 --> 00:10:36.200 He continues to remain in this powerful position, and you know, 216 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:39.200 might now be one of the standard bears for the 217 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:43.399 party in Texas. James, you have been around, You may 218 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:45.879 have been the person who pre wrote that twenty twenty 219 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:49.120 three potential political obit How does he keep doing this? 220 00:10:49.159 --> 00:10:50.200 How does he keep surviving? 221 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:54.840 Well, I think that Eleanor and I were talking about 222 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:58.200 this before the podcast, when we're just kind of chit chatting. 223 00:10:58.279 --> 00:11:04.000 But there's this question about all of his legal troubles, 224 00:11:04.039 --> 00:11:07.639 his personal troubles, and I think I saw and someone's 225 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:14.399 reporting that they likened his affairs and legal scandals to 226 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:17.440 the president. And in a certain way you're talking about, 227 00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:19.879 you know, the Tea Party wave that started the shift 228 00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:24.799 from the Republican Party to this Texas I think started 229 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:28.200 a lot of that, And there's all this this chicken 230 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:31.799 and the egg question about the president and the role 231 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:35.320 that he plays in this. But Ken Paxton rode that 232 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:37.360 wave early, and I think he was on it before 233 00:11:37.399 --> 00:11:41.480 the president was, and so I think he is so 234 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:48.919 tapped into Republican base voters. You know, in our reporter 235 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:51.720 who was covering this for for Capital tonight on Spectrum News, 236 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:54.000 she was talking to people and they were saying, like, 237 00:11:54.279 --> 00:11:57.480 we're voting for a politician, not a preacher, So we 238 00:11:57.600 --> 00:11:59.320 like the things that he does. In my reporting on 239 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:02.159 Camp Paxton, for you guys, they would say, we don't 240 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:07.159 care about his like moral qualms. He is doing the 241 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:10.279 things that we like on abortion, on the border, on 242 00:12:10.440 --> 00:12:13.879 suing a big pharma. We've seen those kind of successes, 243 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:16.679 and so people like his policies he goes where the 244 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:19.799 base is going. Or yeah, he goes where the base 245 00:12:19.879 --> 00:12:23.080 is going. So I think that's why he has remained 246 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:27.000 so popular with that base. I mean, he's just doing 247 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:28.639 what they want him to do. Yeah. 248 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:31.360 State Representative Shelley Luther said to The New York Times, 249 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:34.480 you know, I'm picking a senator, not a husband, which 250 00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:36.320 is I think kind of sums up where a lot 251 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:38.519 of people are. You know, they want someone who you 252 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:40.840 know is going where the base is going and in 253 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:43.639 some cases going you know, pushing that last little bit 254 00:12:43.720 --> 00:12:46.080 further that you know, other politicians aren't willing to push 255 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:47.159 on these social issues. 256 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:48.720 And I feel like the word I hear a lot 257 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:51.000 is fighter, which is interesting because that's something really going 258 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:53.840 on on the Democratic side. People are looking for these fighters, 259 00:12:53.879 --> 00:12:56.519 and they want change agents, and that's Ben Paxton's brand 260 00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:59.080 from the jump, and so I think that's when you 261 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:01.000 talk to people, that's what speaks out about him. And 262 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:03.720 he also has this populous streak. He just suited Lululemon, right, 263 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:06.679 I mean, it's not the most traditional like business conservative 264 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:09.080 at all. So I think that's part of the appeal 265 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:09.919 to the. 266 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:12.799 Fighter thing, especially because he just has not given an inch. 267 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:18.639 I mean throughout the felony fraud charges, throughout the FBI 268 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:22.919 accusations about impropriety and office, throughout the allegations of affairs, 269 00:13:23.080 --> 00:13:25.039 he has just not given an inch. He's just like 270 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:28.799 pushed through it. Never really said sorry for any and 271 00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:31.720 never said, hey, I embarrassed my family or I embarrassed 272 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:33.399 the voters, and you know, I promise to do better 273 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:35.240 in the future. I embarrass my staff, Like he's not 274 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:40.960 the state six six million dollars, Yes, impeachment put us through. Impeachment, 275 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:44.320 We'll put him through. I can see why he doesn't 276 00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:47.440 say sorry for that. But you know, he just has 277 00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:51.000 dug in. And I think right now our politics is 278 00:13:51.320 --> 00:13:53.360 like the president. The president digs in, he's not going 279 00:13:53.399 --> 00:13:55.399 to give an inch. Ken Paxton doesn't give an inch. 280 00:13:55.440 --> 00:13:58.159 And that is, you know, to what Gabby was saying. 281 00:13:58.200 --> 00:14:01.320 That's what's so appealing to him for republic voters. 282 00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:04.639 For Republican voters, is the key message here, right. I mean, 283 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:07.679 people compare him to Trump a lot due to the 284 00:14:07.960 --> 00:14:11.039 you know, legal history and some of the other criticisms 285 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:12.919 that are laid against him that y'all just laid out. 286 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:15.799 I mean, the big difference to me as someone just 287 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:16.600 observing him. 288 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:17.200 Is the. 289 00:14:18.679 --> 00:14:22.720 Charisma factor, right, Like Trump has this magnetism. You watch him, 290 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:26.720 whether you love him or despise him. He's hard to 291 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:30.639 look away from. You know, I watched Paxston's speech last night, 292 00:14:30.679 --> 00:14:33.720 and he I don't think he has that right, Like 293 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:37.399 he was very clearly reading right like it was not 294 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:41.639 this like you know, rile up the crowd, get everyone 295 00:14:41.720 --> 00:14:45.279 going type of thing that Trump does. It is, like 296 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:47.919 you said, the fighter. But I guess the question that 297 00:14:47.960 --> 00:14:51.360 we're now going to ask is does that translate to 298 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:56.000 the general election, because it's going to be a challenging 299 00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:01.639 general election for Republicans in Texas. So Gabby get Us 300 00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:04.879 started on previewing this race. What are we watching now? 301 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:07.240 Yeah, I think the key is going to be we 302 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:09.840 know that he appeals right to this Republican base electorate, 303 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.559 and that's important if you can just you know, get 304 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:15.120 the Republican base excited. That's kind of how Ted Cruz 305 00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:17.759 won in eighteen, right, was ginning up turnout in those 306 00:15:17.799 --> 00:15:21.919 heavily Republican areas to counteract the high democratic turnout. What's 307 00:15:21.960 --> 00:15:24.480 going to be interesting is does he appeal to independence? 308 00:15:25.080 --> 00:15:26.799 And he's obviously I think it's important to notepacks and 309 00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:29.200 write one statewide three times before, so he's not new 310 00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:30.960 to this. This is going to be by far the 311 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:34.120 best funded, most you know, national interest in a campaign 312 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:36.799 he's ever had. Democrats in DC are going to be 313 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:39.480 closely watching, Republicans in DC are going to be closely watching. 314 00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:42.480 But I think, you know, last night he did sort 315 00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:46.120 of start to articulate a more affirmative vision if I 316 00:15:46.120 --> 00:15:47.759 think what he's going to offer on the campaign trail. 317 00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:50.000 You know, he did his his bid about tall Ico 318 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:51.759 nicknames and all that. I mean, that was sort of 319 00:15:51.799 --> 00:15:53.480 the initial pivot right to the general. But he did 320 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:55.559 say last night, you know, I want to earn your 321 00:15:55.639 --> 00:15:59.279 vote for people who are struggling to afford you know, 322 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:02.039 their premium page, men struggling to afford housing. You know, 323 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:04.320 I've taken on big pharma, like you mentioned, I've taken 324 00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:07.120 on big food. I'll take on big tech. 325 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:07.440 You know. 326 00:16:07.480 --> 00:16:09.679 So there is sort of like a populist affirmative vision 327 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:11.440 in addition to I'm going to pass the Trump Agenda 328 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:14.759 and you know, just hammering on tall Rico. And I 329 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:16.240 think it's going to be interesting how much he tries 330 00:16:16.279 --> 00:16:19.720 to stick to that versus more of the you know 331 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:21.759 what we've seen out of the primary and in the 332 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:24.200 runoff sort of bashing on the establishment. 333 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:25.200 James. 334 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:28.080 It is true he has won multiple general elections in Texas. 335 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:30.039 It is also true that he has never gone up 336 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:33.360 against someone in a race where he is the top 337 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:35.559 billing at the ticket and where he's going up against 338 00:16:35.559 --> 00:16:39.279 someone who has is going to have a lot a 339 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:42.639 lot of money to spend. Bringing up all these things 340 00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:47.200 in his past, you know, the Attorney General of Texas 341 00:16:47.320 --> 00:16:49.960 is a very high profile job to us, and those 342 00:16:50.039 --> 00:16:52.240 races are very high profile. They might be less so 343 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:58.559 than to your average general election voter. What do you think, 344 00:16:58.600 --> 00:17:02.519 what's it like? How much should he be worried about that? 345 00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:05.279 About being at the top of the ticket, being the 346 00:17:05.319 --> 00:17:06.400 guy yeah. 347 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:08.720 And being sort of having the full spotlight on him. 348 00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:10.440 No, I think he likes it. I think he enjoys it. 349 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:11.680 I think he wants to be the guy. I mean, 350 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:13.279 you would you don't run for you a senate because 351 00:17:13.319 --> 00:17:15.359 you want to shrink into yourself, right, I mean he 352 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:17.359 wants to be the guy. I think in his head 353 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:19.759 he believes he's been the guy. He believes that he's 354 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:21.759 been the true Mago warrior. I don't think he would 355 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:23.599 say this, but I think he probably believes it that 356 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:25.480 he's more of a Mago warrior than some of the 357 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:28.279 other statewides right, and the President has said that, he 358 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:31.160 called him a true Mago warrior in his endorsement. So 359 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:33.599 I don't think that Ken Paxton is going to shrink 360 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:35.960 away from being the guy at the top of the ticket. 361 00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:38.480 I think to Gaby's point, he's a fighter. He's ready 362 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:41.039 for that fight. He's already trying out these nicknames. I 363 00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:43.319 do think he's similar to the President in that he yes, 364 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:46.920 he's a little awkward, he stumbles, he's clearly reading off 365 00:17:46.920 --> 00:17:49.720 a prompter. But you know what, voters don't really care. 366 00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:51.920 I mean, the President has proven that, Ken Paxton has 367 00:17:51.960 --> 00:17:55.839 proven that. I don't think they. I don't think the 368 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:58.319 voters really care. They care are you fighting for their 369 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:01.640 issues and are you get it done? And so far 370 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:05.640 Texas voters have said he's getting it done. So I 371 00:18:05.640 --> 00:18:07.480 don't think he's going to shy away from being the guy. 372 00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:09.000 I don't think he's going to shy away from his 373 00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:13.680 conservative viewpoints and his conservative standpoints. I think that's where 374 00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:16.920 the issue is going to be Can James tall Rico 375 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:20.640 do anything to win over those corn end voters, to 376 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:26.119 win over those those moderate Republicans I guess, to win 377 00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:30.039 over independence because we think about these mythical independence out 378 00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:34.599 there in Texas and who are these mythical independence? These 379 00:18:34.680 --> 00:18:37.319 mythical independence are I'm sorry to say this, but they're 380 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:41.359 more conservative than they are liberal, and so how does 381 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:46.200 Tallarico win over those Independence? Is going to be interesting 382 00:18:46.200 --> 00:18:48.480 because he can he win over those can? I just 383 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:52.079 I've been talking basketball a lot, and I think if 384 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:54.519 you're a Republican voter, or if you're like one of 385 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:58.400 these conservative independents, it's like me, I, as we have 386 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:01.720 discussed on this podcast, A diehard Los Angeles Sakers fan. 387 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:04.839 I love the Lakers. The Spurs are in the playoffs 388 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:08.079 right now. I obviously have beef with the Spurs because 389 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:11.839 we're Western Conference rivals. My friends here, I've lived here 390 00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:14.480 more than ten years. My friends are all San Antonio 391 00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:17.920 Spurs fans. I want to be happy for my friends. 392 00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:24.799 But am I going to root for the Spurs? No, Like, 393 00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:27.480 I'm not gonna. And that's that's what party affiliation is like. 394 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:30.640 If you're a Republican You're not going to easily go 395 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:33.839 vote for James Tallerico. If you're you consider yourself a 396 00:19:33.880 --> 00:19:36.759 conservative person, you're not going to easily go vote taller 397 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:39.799 Ico's got to do something to appeal to them, or say, 398 00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:42.480 like this guy Ken Paxton is so bad that you've 399 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:45.279 got to vote for me, and that argument has already 400 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:48.720 been made. I just don't see how any more taller 401 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:52.079