iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

I wasn’t saying you don’t, btw! Genuinely curious.

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I’ve shared this before but when I travel out of state, I’m always shocked by the condescension that some liberals express when I say I live in Texas. ”Oh, I’m so sorry,” is the most common response. I wonder if liberals in other red states get anything like that.

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I’ll be back at some point!

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If you respond to my observations about Democrats’ chances in Texas by saying the GOP will pull off a state-wide sweep and “Texas is going to Texas,” I will block you. We are not a monolith; that remark dismisses the incredible work activists did and are doing to get us as close as we are.

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How long have you lived here?

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My suspicion is Tafoya support is almost entirely exurbs and rural—people still upset about the Somali welfare scandal that happened pre-ICE invasion (and was a pretext for the invasion) as well other progressive initiatives under Walz. I doubt anyone who SAW the ICE invasion won’t vote for Tafoya.

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I lived in Minnesota for a decade and had nothing but positive experiences with Flanagan, go figure. But I’m still worried.

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Yup. Also, none of those polls meet the Times’ polling standards.

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Republican Senate Candidate In Deep Blue State In Striking Distance of Major Upset, Recent Polls Show

Like a lot of folks, I have spent so much time getting excited about Texas, I didn’t look to my other home state—and it’s worrisome. I genuinely thought Flanagan would run away with this. I *still* think Minnesotans will wind up pulling this out but… www.mediaite.com/politics/mic...

mediaite.com

Three recent polls have shown ex-ESPN reporter Michele Tafoya is in a virtual toss up with Democrat Peggy Flanagan to become Minnesota's new senator

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Reposted by Ana Marie Cox

I Travel Like Sound Dog @chadstanton.blacksky.app · 30/09/2026

“Texas Republicans redrew several House districts last year with the assumption that the Hispanic voters who moved toward their party were part of a new, durable coalition. But many of those voters have turned against the Republicans.”

nytimes.com

Hispanic Voters on the Texas Border Have Soured on Trump (Gift Article)

In 2024, these voters were an essential part of the winning Republican coalition. Now, many feel abandoned and furious, complicating the party’s chances in November.

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I suggest the polling says otherwise!

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Watching TV in Texas it’s becoming more and more clear that THE ONLY THING Paxton has is transphobia. I can’t say if it will be enough. People here are hurting, but white people especially have a history of hating. It’s gonna come down to depressed GOP turnout/distaste for Paxton personally.

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This period will go down as one of the greatest moments for Democrat attack ads in history. We're seeing LBJ "Daisy"-level spots daily.

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The only thing that can mess with Cruz is to mock him or otherwise turn the format around. To put him on the on the defensive, to refuse to play within the format—which might get a witness in trouble! Not sure how you’d do it, really. But he’s really good at steamrolling. Better than most.

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Every time I see Ted Cruz trying to use a Senate hearing to prosecute a witness, I’m reminded that he still uses all the tricks of being a policy debater to try box in his opponent—and those tricks are explicitly designed to show off rhetorical fluency as a substitute for fact-finding.

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Jack Smith out there doing more to support girls’ sports more than any transphobe has ever done.

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Do you know this for sure?

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Schmitt *must* have gotten this from some MAGA podcast or something. Tim Pool?

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Do you think that conservatives’ resistance to paying stay at home parent is in part just a resistance to the idea of *paying people*? Not that it makes it any better but it seems like there is a real block to directly giving people money (unless they are already rich) no matter how you frame it.

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I think it's a bit? I *hope* it's a bit?

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I need @dieworkwear.bsky.social to weigh in on Piker’s look, which I myself would describe as “thought he found a bargain at a thrift store but no it’s actually cheap and it doesn’t fit you.”

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This whole interview is such an incredible series of self-owns.

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This the most anti-American administration in history. Destroying everything good about us, growing all that is bad.

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Someone forgot to fix the merge field. (I’m sure they’re busy.) Also I have not donated to the campaign!

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Sure he does! But it’s not nearly as dire as legacy media wants to make it seem.

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Because I have and SEP 401k I might be able to withdraw money from my traditional IRA and then deposit it in the 401k, which means I have to count the withdraw as income BUT I get to make money on the withdrawal rather than give it to the tax man.

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Yes, I'm aware. I got rooked, what can I say? I've admitted this a thousand times.

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Maybe Dems will change it. But I'm fucked either way, because (thanks to the job I got!) I will bust over the 400% MAGI cap.

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I am going to have to go on payment plan, I just don't have that money.

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Glenn Beck ALSO turned this whole story into a laudatory monologue on the grit of the 80yo, of course. Not about how he shouldn't have to do it, but how noble and *masculine* the sacrifice is.

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Also, if you didn't know, GFM actually shut down the fundraiser and refunded all the money because the original poster turned out to be his daughter and not a neighbor. I think it was not smart of her to misrepresent herself! But I hope they can re-raise a good portion.

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I already see I'm going to bust through the cap this year, BECAUSE I GOT A JOB (which you would think the government wants). Going to owe thousands.

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Listening to Glenn Beck rn (because I am not a well person) and he's very earnestly telling the story of the Texas 80yo who is delivering lost luggage to help pay for his wife's cancer treatment *and turning it into a story about Americans' generosity.* Not, you know, our broken healthare system.

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I'm doing my taxes to do an extended filing and the reality of what the disappearance of the capped ACA clawback will do to me in 2026 is crushingly real. If that sounded like gibberish to you, you're very lucky and I envy you.

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It goes up as Election Day gets closer. I think non-Talarico supporters showing up in "haven't thought about it." texaspolitics.utexas.edu/set/u-s-sena... www.facebook.com/CBSRGV/posts...

facebook.com

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Here's a story from the Times. It has a lot of interviews with consultants saying that there's an enthusiasm gap *for Talarico*, and then a paragraph admitting that this not a Talarico problem. Also, you know what's not in this piece? *Active voter suppression activity in Texas (and elsewhere!).*

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Obv that's less important, heh. But it's a good point. GOP disaffection with Paxton is *a lot* bigger story than Black voters' disaffection with Talarico.

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I am aware of the primary contest with Crockett. I have written about it. She may be trying to influence coverage or and that lingering sourness is poisoning the atmosphere in some way--but that, my friend, is the definition of vibes. *The polling* tells a different story. *History* does, too.

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