General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDid anyone else hear this response from Talarico to insults about his "masculinity"?
Last edited Thu May 28, 2026, 07:20 PM - Edit history (1)
He is on a five-city tour of TX and talking to people as the matchup between him and Paxton begins. He addressed the masculinity thing by using his father as an example. He said, "A real man serves others."
Then he gave the example of his own father who used to mow the lawn every Saturday morning and then without telling anyone, would go next door and mow the neighbor's lawn. She was an elderly widow. He finished by saying, "That's what a man does." He serves others. And he does it without bragging or complaining.
Imagine that. I love that response.
modrepub
(4,207 posts)With the amount of crap the Republicans are going to hurl at him. And don't expect the M$M to come to the rescue either.
senseandsensibility
(25,642 posts)would be certifiable. But the think we've finally learned the lesson about fighting back and addressing this kind of childish name calling. At least I hope we have.
BidenRocks
(3,547 posts)No, and they can't even say it correctly!
senseandsensibility
(25,642 posts)I thought they believed in freedom? Weird.
Wounded Bear
(64,704 posts)Vogon_Glory
(10,393 posts)a lot of these fellers got older, their arteries clogged up, and their cardiologists told them Cowpoke, youre going to have to change your diet!.
DFW
(60,500 posts)I havent had a steak since.
At 52, I was feeling a bit weird, and thought it might be heart-related, since both my fathers parents died of heart attacks before they were 70. So I sought out a cardiologist. Within less than 72 hours, I was in a hospital, having 2 stents put in my arteries. They had an ambulance waiting outside to rush me to another clinic in case the stent implant failed, in which case I would need an emergency bypass operation. The implant was successful, but the surgeon played me back the video if the procedure, and I had two arteries 99% clogged. My coming major (and probably fatal) coronary was maybe 48 hours away. Maybe less. He said only one thing to me in English: Just in time. I was told, among other things, from now on, if it walks on four legs, dont eat it. I havent.
Trueblue Texan
(4,643 posts)Hes been a vegan for decades.
The Roux Comes First
(2,354 posts)They and he are all about vengeance, vituperation, and vitriol these days.
Cha
(320,879 posts)andimal products. Good On him!
hamsterjill
(17,794 posts)The "outrage" of the Repukes calling him this is comical; however, he has addressed it and he is not a vegan.
Just clarifying. It should make no difference if he were. It's an absolutely STUPID thing the Repukes put forth.
niyad
(134,210 posts)Cha
(320,879 posts)calls out Paxton for will be true.
niyad
(134,210 posts)BidenRocks
(3,547 posts)James Talarico loves his BBQ.
He also has a girlfriend of four years if they choose to be total pigs.
summer_in_TX
(4,313 posts)against him.
In a speech he gave during his 2022 run for reelection to the Texas house, Talarico said reducing meat consumption is the "moral thing to do" and "necessary to fight climate change."
"I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign, so we are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses," he said, adding, "Everyone has to take personal responsibility in this effort."
But he did not claim to be a vegan.
Cha
(320,879 posts)I'm vegan, but it doesn't matter to me if anyone eats meat. I do it for my health purposes.
To each his/her own, and to thine ownself be true.
keroro gunsou
(2,312 posts)if people want to go vegan, fine by me, it's a personal choice and more importantly, none of my business.
i happen to like meat way too much to go full on vegan, fish-aterian i'd be ok with. i'd give some vegan items a try, plant based burgers for example. my biggest issue with being a vegan is that i only like a small amount of vegetables: onions, carrots, corn, peas, and lettuce (iceberg). it's a texture thing for me.
like you said, to each their own. and in my case, to swine own self beef true...
Cha
(320,879 posts)Potatoes are verges, Corn on the cob!
I eat Protein grains like Buckwheat & Quinoa, Beans, Pinto, black beans, lentils, Chick peas, hummus, Pasta.. all organic, of course. Brown Basmati Rice. Lots of great food is left, in addition to all the fruits available. Mangos!
Not trying to talk you into anything, just stating what I have available being vegan for my health.
Beartracks
(14,670 posts)Helping others, like Jesus would do, is weak and woke.
Helping yourself and letting others struggle -- THAT's where it's at!
summer_in_TX
(4,313 posts)the GOP is going to exaggerate what he said.
During a speech while running for reelection in 2022, Talarico said reducing meat consumption is the "moral thing to do" and "necessary to fight climate change."
"I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign, so we are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses," he said, adding, "Everyone has to take personal responsibility in this effort."
He did not say he was a vegan though.
SpankMe
(3,770 posts)But in Texas, calling someone a vegan is considered a high insult.
Cha
(320,879 posts)on to that.
DFW
(60,500 posts)We have vegans in our outfit, as well as in our circle of friends (my CEO funds his wifes modern dance company).
applegrove
(133,247 posts)IronLionZion
(51,590 posts)Torchlight
(7,102 posts)(a paraphrase of his statement earlier this week)
surfered
(14,483 posts)Cha
(320,879 posts)a PEDO or a PEDO Pusher.
Good reply to the Fascists' Stupidity.
Seinan Sensei
(1,660 posts)Cha
(320,879 posts)Graham, Rubio, the whole pack of bow and scrapers. 


SWBTATTReg
(26,443 posts)70sEraVet
(5,659 posts)Cha
(320,879 posts)LymphocyteLover
(10,223 posts)Ilsa
(64,615 posts)on my "good husband potential" list, once upon a time. I'm not in the market, though and haven't kept a mental list like that in 35 years.
biocube
(277 posts)and have now made the race about who benches more (or something).
Sogo
(7,325 posts)the border and trans issues.
TBF
(37,346 posts)honestly this is getting kind of ridiculous. Y'all need to watch his interview (see Youtube) with Jamie Kern Lima. It's like 2 hours and he puts up with all her intrusive questions! He eats meat, he has a girlfriend, he wants kids someday. IDK what else people want to know.
And he's a hell of a lot better than Ken Paxton, who is corrupt as hell - so much so that his own party impeached him for corruption! Not to mention the adultry, theft, etc.
BaronChocula
(4,814 posts)So James is selling the t-shirts.
https://store.jamestalarico.com/products/im-a-talafreako-black-tee
TBF
(37,346 posts)I may just have to buy a couple and experiment with cutting the sleeves off and tying the shoulders w/ribbons or something ...
His campaign has a great sense of humor!
BaronChocula
(4,814 posts)Make tease-shirts.
I say get one and customize it your way.
patphil
(9,247 posts)She was suffering from dementia, and was at loose ends when her husband died. I also took my turn shoveling her walk and mowing her lawn.
She got so bad that she believed that no one could watch TV if she turned her set off. So we contacted her son who lived in Texas, and he came up and got her.
This is what neighbors did in small town America. They take care of folks who need help.
Skittles
(173,082 posts)people in big cites and the suburbs do favors for their neighbors too
patphil
(9,247 posts)Marcuse
(9,101 posts)Skittles
(173,082 posts)unless they disapprove of your "lifestyle"
OldBaldy1701E
(11,639 posts)It can refer to your love of planting flowers in your upper windows.
I mean, it can refer to anything... because that is not there real reason for it. They do not like a person, then they come up with a reason for it.
That is 'small town behavior' in a nutshell. And, if you say you have never noticed this... well then, guess where you fall in the 'popularity poll' of the town? (The 'in' crowd never notices anything, because they never do... unless it happens to them.)
GenThePerservering
(3,789 posts)People in cities aren't much different than people in small towns. We have a thing called 'neighborhoods'.
Skittles
(173,082 posts)I live in a metroplex and I see (and perform) acts of kindness all the time.
Tree Lady
(13,398 posts)Back then they did things without talking about it. My dad's older brother went to college got a pilot job after WW2 and ended up making a lot of money. My dad stayed home didn't go to school worked at Mare Island building submarines and supported his sister and widowed mom.
GenThePerservering
(3,789 posts)People still do, quietly.
IcyPeas
(25,859 posts)It echoed a line from Paxton after his runoff victory on Tuesday, and Talarico had a response ready for his supporters at the Houston rally: "I've been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton's first indictment," he said.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/talarico-targets-paxtons-scandals-in-texas-senate-race-pivoting-from-his-sunny-primary-message
Great comeback!
Joinfortmill
(21,747 posts)Soul_of_Wit
(161 posts)He serves on the city council. I would never vote for him, but I have told him that I admire anyone who gives back to their community. He also volunteers to shovel snow for local seniors here in southeast Michigan. Further, he volunteers his teenage son to assist on these activities. It is clear that he wants to raise his son well, even if voting for the opposite of integrity sets a poor example.
AdamGG
(1,900 posts)Paxton is what he is and there isn't really a way to rehab that. Talarico is a relatively unknown and they are going to destroy his image. To me, I see it shaping up like the right trying a campaign like Lee Atwater ran against MIchael Dukakis in 1988, except nastier.
They'll focus on Talarico's pro-LGBT stances and that he's unmarried, that he's lobbied for gun control, and try to make him seem alien and to the left of Karl Marx. They'll probably fabricate personal scandals because he seems so clean cut, religious and wholesome.
Hopefully, it could backfire, and Talarico seems like the kind of candidate who can counterpunch well. But, I suspect that this is about to be a very sleazy campaign.