Everything posted by LCHorn
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Do I get to start the James Talarico thread?
That kind of goes back to my point about the urban, minority heavy districts are poor laboratories for building up minority candidates for statewide office. You can imagine Crockett's complaint, regardless of validity, resonating amongst the black voters in South Dallas District 30. They've voted for her before, have a passing skepticism that it'll ever be fair for a black woman running for Senate in Texas (echoed here), and Talarico's rather rapid ascent into a national profile further fuels the sense of injustice. Unfortunately, none of that is going to broaden her voting constituency, moreover it alienates the other voters she needs because Dem primary voters in 2026 don't want to vote for victims, they want fighters.
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Do I get to start the James Talarico thread?
I'd rather prefer to think that the Texas electorate isn't the 2018 Texas electorate.
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Do I get to start the James Talarico thread?
Crockett's campaign strategy appears to be to wait until there's any hint of unfairness and then play the victim. The problem is that the only people playing attention are elites and the heavily online, neither of which are particularly amenable to that in a contest to see who matches up well with Paxton or Cornyn. I'd prefer a candidate that disarms with humor, but Talarico is doing a reasonably good job of just not sweating the small stuff.
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2026 Midterms ...
There's always the Austin Chronicle, which will predictably endorse in a primary the least electable candidate in a general.
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2026 Midterms ...
I’ll be interested to see the post primary surveys because my presumption is that Crockett is going to have a big name ID deficit. Hard to win votes if you’re not going to campaign. Probably better for a different thread, but I’d be interested in a look-back at minority candidates coming from post 1965 Voting Rights Act protected districts. I guess you could make the argument that minority candidates weren’t winning state wide races before, but I have a suspicion that the gerrymandered minority districts, particularly in Houston and Dallas, make for poor laboratories toward building up candidates for higher office. Presuming they win their primaries, Austin MSA is basically running for Senate, governor, Lt gov, and comptroller.
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2025 - 2026 Astros Offseason Thread
Is that the standard? To build a team that follows the paradigms of everyone else in MLB? Is that how Houston won two championships? Do you countenance failure in your own life by telling yourself “actually, the odds of success were pretty low.”
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2025 - 2026 Astros Offseason Thread
This will probably just be me and @Snake Diggity talking, but Fangraphs did their ZIPS Prospect Ranking and there’s some interesting findings Read here 2016 Houston prospects look to have been overrated. Top production from the group is Aaron Judge. #2 is Bregman. Maybe AJ Reed should have been a pitcher. Maybe Brett Philips, too. Astros current farm looks a lot better (compared to peers) in the context of the top 500 and poorly in the top 100 (which confirms an analysis that the team is weak in top tier talent but not so bad with the AAAA types or lower level lotto tickets).
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2026 Midterms ...
You misunderstand my post, sir. Citizen action via government regulation was my point (as well as Galloway's). His thesis is that the tech companies, for example, that have primarily enriched the baby boomer generation are now rent seekers and use their political power to prevent competition. Moreover, he complains that it's short sided in a global competition between domestic firms and China/misc. international--domestic firms have thrived in a regulatory environment in which rules are fair, there's an expectation of enforcement, and cronyism by the federal government is limited and predictable. All of this is out the window under a presidency in which the only meaningful currency is obsequious flattery before Trump (or investment in Melania meme coins). I suspect you agree with this, but happy to debate you further if you continue in your belief this is a moronic take 😜 I've watched Hillary Clinton sweat Trump pretty heavily and Harris, in my opinion, stole his soul on the debate stage. Like those elections, a Talarico/Paxton debate doesn't matter if nobody is watching that's actually undecided. I don't really think Paxton would be scared, anyway. That dude has nine lives, a very solid base of support, and can count on whatever money is needed in the general. You think he gives a shit about answering moderator questions and cares about playing by debate rules?
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2026 Midterms ...
I think there’s a small Talarico match-up advantage against Paxton that goes away against Cornyn, primarily amongst right voting middle class females.
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2025 - 2026 Astros Offseason Thread
Zach Cole has the background of someone who rakes in the spring, has a 1000 OPS though 50 AB’s in April followed by 400 AB’s of negative WAR as we continue to chase that first hit high.
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The France Thread
I also stayed here-it’s a little inferior but fine and has the same great Le Marais location. Boudoir Des Muses
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2026 Midterms ...
Cable news and/or streaming have an exception because we've allowed it. I know he's probably a poor avatar for a movement, but conceptually I'm on Scott Galloway's side that tech companies, telecom, industry, etc., will exploit rules and it's up to citizens to force a level playing field.
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The France Thread
I should add that I have a hotel lobby fetish and I'm the reason hotels advertise a space that most patrons will spend five minutes passing through each day. I love to go the lobby downstairs, read, people watch, have a drink or coffee, etc. Paris is probably the worst city in the world for this, however, as the interior arrondissements are basically built for these activities times a million. Every moment at the hotel is depriving yourself of the wonder of discovering some patisserie, a little shop, a corner bistro, the chance to eavesdrop on travelers or connect with someone.
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The France Thread
We stayed at the Hotel JoBo and it was decent (really well appointed rooms, fairly small lobby downstairs and not much of a bar, though close to Cambridge Public House). Looks like it might be a little over your budget depending on date but worth checking out because the location is pretty outstanding for the price.
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2026 Midterms ...
I personally don't have a problem with this. I do have a problem with the maturation of the telecom market resulting in the FCC regulating the broadcast networks but not cable news networks. If you're a broadcaster, you should be subject to the same regulatory requirements.
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2026 Midterms ...
So two things can obviously be true, but I'm convinced either Briscoe Cain must be a masterful politician to overcome his quite obvious resemblance to Frodo Baggins, or that his district is full of morons.
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2025 - 2026 Astros Offseason Thread
I know it's taking a big risk on health, but playing Yordan in left solves a lot playing time issues.
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2026 Midterms ...
I was there at 8:30 this morning and voted in the Democrat primary, despite my temptation to vote R in the hopes of giving Senate voters an easier choice between Talarico and AG Odious.
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2025-26 Houston Rockets Thread - Back to Contention?
There’s 23 pages of thread (and counting) on clutchfans connecting the accounts if you’re a masochist…
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New Orleans Food and Drink Thread
Presumptions I might make about you from reading this post: You are late 50's/early 60's, OR you believe that men of that age evoke a certain panache you wish to emulate. You never wear less than two layers and this guy is your hero: You've spent enough time in New Orleans that you got sick of the quarter ("Jesus, it's a just a tourist trap!"), but came back around, because, let's be honest, who wants to stay in Marigny? You will pay the bill with a credit card (AMEX Plat, of course, only fucking millenials have a CSR) but ALWAYS tip with cash. Your wife incessantly teases you about it, but your favorite Hurricane is from Cafe Lafitte. You actually feel a little pride that you don't feel awkward there, unlike all those Aggie assholes you play golf with.
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Jasmine Crockett (Texas Representative)
I might be in the minority on this, but I give zero shits about the supposed purity of forgoing corporate PAC money when the odds already favor the opponent. First you gotta win.
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2025 - 2026 Astros Offseason Thread
Weird trade. Plus we already have one Loperfido named Zach Dezenzo.
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2025-26 Houston Rockets Thread - Back to Contention?
I like Ime but he’s the wrong coach for this version of the Rockets.
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All Encompassing Mortgage and Real Estate Thread
I’m repeating this from upthread, but I think there’s employment anxiety that wasn’t there one or two years ago and that’s even worse than high rates.