A Little Bit of Hope is a Dangerous Thing
By Bob Gatty
Texas State Rep. James Talarico has produced one of the best, and I believe, most effective political ads, “Anthem”, in his race for the U.S. Senate against Republican Ken Paxton. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9coTl6n_6o
In a poll conducted by Texas Public Opinion Research (TPOR) between October 15 and 18, Talarco had a four-point lead over Paxton, 51%-47%.
A Talarico victory is crucial to Democrats’ hopes of capturing control of the U.S. Senate, but would be a shocker in this GOP-controlled state.
According to the TPOR poll, Talarico has the support of 66% of independent voters compared to 28% for Paxton — a trend that is critical to the success of Democratic candidates in close races across the nation. He leads Paxton 87%-11% among Black voters, Latino voters 60%-39%, women voters (54%-47%) as well as voters under age 55.
Meanwhile, white voters support Paxton 60%-38%, men (50%-47%), voters without a college degree (50%-47%) and voters over age 55.
The anthem ad, with its theme of “Hope,” brings back memories of Barack Obama’s campaign ads, as it closes with the line, “Because a little bit of hope is a dangerous thing.”