“If you look at that Fox News poll, he’s ahead by seven points in the state of Texas,” Fox anchor Ainsley Earhardt lamented on Friday, adding: “How is that possible?” The “he” is Democrat James Talarico, who leads Republican Ken Paxton in Fox’s striking new poll of Texas. This shocker prompted Earhardt’s guest to warn: “Texans have to wake up!”

In truth, both Fox figures are slightly overstating matters. The poll does show Talarico up by seven points among registered voters, 53–46. But it shows his lead is much tighter among likely voters, 51–49. The latter might matter more.

Still, Talarico’s lead among both groups is remarkable in a state where no Democrat has won statewide in decades. What’s more, the poll’s internals help shed light on Trump’s role in bringing about Talarico’s lead. Here the news for Trump is very bad, and it captures something essential about the winding-down Trump era.

  • dmtalon@lemmy.world
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    7 hours ago

    I think it’s simpler, and dare I say worse, than that. US voters on an American “team” have a hard time voting for the other American “team”. Both sides will pinch their nose and vote “blue no matter who” or whatever the red version of that is.

    THAT is a larger problem.

    And I’m not implying actively voting for a criminal is not terrible, just that there’s a larger problem that leads to that. Both sides can be blinded by their loyalty.

    I’m also not saying both sides are equally bad, just making a statement about what this hard-line team stuff has done to our politics

    • spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.worksOP
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      5 hours ago

      I think you’re dead wrong for one reason: Primaries.

      In most places Republicans are the only ones who can vote in GOP Primaries. They are regularly choosing and protecting pedophiles, child rapists and criminals.

      And the “BoTh SiDeS Do It!” you’re pushing is bullshit.

      • dmtalon@lemmy.world
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        4 hours ago

        Primaries are a different issue, that falls back to apathy by voters and money spent by politicians l (name recognition) good or bad unfortunately.

      • dmtalon@lemmy.world
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        4 hours ago

        That happened because I edited it a couple times and ended up going a bit overboard there :/