The state of play on 2026 Texas elections from the Trib Fest etc

Per the header, much of this is observations and takes on various comments at last week's Tribune Festival by the Texas Tribune.

Per the Trib, multiple polls show Talafreako Talarico leading Kenny Boy Paxton by an amount larger than the polls' margin of error, and two of them, if we give him one polling vote above 50 percent, give him a majority not a plurality. 

Turd Blossom Karl Rove, without saying he WOULD vote for Talafreako, unlike promising to vote for Railroad Commish Democratic candidate Jon Rosenthal, said Paxton can't win but that Big John Cornyn would already be across the finish line. 

Republican state Rep. Jeff Leach said Paxton should stop being chickenshit and agree to debate Talarico. Odds are he won't, even though Talafreako even said he was OK with Fox's Bret Baier being the moderator.

Rosenthal and French HAVE agreed to such a debate — according to Rosenthal but not French, as of Sunday. 

Contra the Observer, I think Joe Rogan knows more about both candidates, and politics behind them, than he lets on, and rather, he is willfully acting like a stereotypical politician. Just like Talarico, who told Rogan that "purple" is the best political color for Texas. (Sidebar: How many people are actually fooled by such statements?)

Contra the Observer, you don't have to go way out to west Texas, to a place like Crane, to see 80-20 party voting splits in more rural counties. Also contra the Observer, Politico, and Texas Democrats, they're not flipping a dozen or more state House seats. Flipping the governor's spot is just possible, beyond Talarico beating Paxton; don't hold your breath for more. The story does well in distinguishing between real Democrat candidates and "ghosts," something that has plagued the Texas Green Party.