Losing the support of the Bush family in a Texas statewide election takes a truly special kind of political sewage, yet Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton just pulled it off.
Neil Bush, the brother of former Republican President George W. Bush, just detonated a political bomb right in the middle of the Texas Senate race.
Rather than holding his nose and pulling the lever for his own party’s disgraced nominee, a lifelong member of Texas GOP royalty publicly defected, cast his early ballot for Democrat James Talarico, and shredded Paxton on the way out the door.
“I have never posted a political message on Facebook not wanting to offend friends whose views may be very different than mine,” Bush wrote in a blistering statement explaining his crossover vote.
“I’m breaking that tradition because I voted early today, and I voted for James Talarico for the United States Senate.”
Explaining why he abandoned the Republican ticket, Bush delivered a brutal reality check to his own party:
“My vote was motivated by two things: deep concern about Ken Paxton’s record and genuine admiration for the character and principles I see in James Talarico.”
Shredding Paxton’s Corruption and the MAGA Cult
Ken Paxton has spent years acting like the laws of Texas and the U.S. Constitution are cute suggestions meant for lesser mortals, and Bush wasted zero time calling out that lawlessness.
“I have been deeply troubled by Paxton’s conduct as Texas Attorney General, particularly his decision to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in other states in an effort to help Donald Trump remain in power,” Bush wrote, tearing into Paxton’s pathetic attempt to overturn a national election to please his cult leader.
“I believe that effort was an affront to our democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power.”
Pretending Paxton is just a misunderstood conservative requires Olympic-level delusion when his own party already tried to throw him out of office.
Bush twisted the knife by reminding voters of Paxton’s historic disgrace: “My concerns about his judgment and conduct are hardly mine alone. He was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House, although subsequently acquitted by the Texas Senate.”
Bush then aimed his fire directly at the rot consuming the entire MAGA movement, writing,
“More broadly, I believe Donald Trump and those who have enabled him have done enormous damage to the Republican Party. I worry about a political culture in which loyalty to an individual takes precedence over loyalty to principle, and where those who hold power begin to believe they are no longer accountable.”
🚨Hit that subscribe button faster than Ken Paxton running away from a process server!
Choosing Sanity and Integrity Over a Grifter’s Entitlement
Contrasting a shameless political operative like Paxton with Democrat James Talarico only makes the GOP nominee look worse. “But my vote today was about much more than opposition to Ken Paxton,” Bush explained, noting that he has “been enormously impressed by the way he approaches complicated and controversial issues.”
Highlighting everything the modern GOP lacks, Bush wrote that Talarico “speaks with respect, seeks common ground, and seems genuinely interested in bringing people together rather than driving them apart.”
Bush also delivered a scorching swipe at right-wing Christian nationalists who weaponize religion for cruelty, observing that Talarico’s “faith appears to be a deeply rooted source of humility, compassion, and conviction rather than a political weapon.”
Watching a lifelong Bush Republican defect to a Democrat shows how toxic Paxton has become ahead of Election Day.
Bush praised Talarico for possessing “integrity, civility, humility, and a willingness to listen to those with whom he disagrees,” calling him “a principled, pragmatic leader who understands that public office is a responsibility to serve, not an entitlement to power.”
Explaining his crossover ballot, Bush declared, “I have been a Republican for most of my life, and I still believe deeply in many traditional Republican principles. But character matters more than party affiliation. Our democracy depends on leaders who respect our institutions, tell the truth, accept accountability, and seek to unite rather than divide.”
He ended with a final verdict on MAGA: “Today, I voted against a style of politics that I believe has damaged our country. More importantly, I voted for the kind of character and leadership I hope will help heal it.”
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Featured Image: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It would be nice if he also voted for every down ballot Democrat as well. Because everything he said about Paxton applies to all the MAGA Republicans on the ballot. Truth be told, the Republican candidates go downhill from Paxton. Furthermore, what he said about Talarico goes for all the Democrats on the down ballot.
Nothing changes in Texas very much with Talarico in the Senate. He'll be our gift to the nation because there is little at the federal level Talarico can do to immediately ameliorate and improve our personal lives here in Texas. Only by voting for Hinojosa, Goodwin, Eckhart, etc. etc. will we see a turnaround here.
In fact, people are placing their hopes and dreams on the back of one man. Without Democrats in power in Texas to have his back, there is no way he can fulfill those dreams. This is all to say if you know Texas Republicans intending to vote for Talarico, tell them not to stop at the top of the ticket. All they have to do is compare the power and reach into their personal lives that local Texas government has and look at the brazen corruption, incompetence and contempt for voters that Texas Republicans exhibit.
Hurrah for Neil Burn. If only other Republicans would have the balls to stand up for America.