Talarico vs Paxton Smear Campaigns
How to be misinformed: Get all your information from news outlets, memes, random social media posts, political ads and other people’s opinions.
How to be informed: Use the above-named sources as a jump-off locus and search out official sources. Read Congressional records, government reports, court dockets and other legitimate authorities. Also watch pressers and news interviews of the involved figures to see what they are saying (keeping in mind their words may or may not be honest), and search out their official websites to see what statement they are making on the issues in question, and what their press releases say. When a political figure is under fire, watch the Congressional hearings when there are any.
I’m in Texas, so I’m seeing Texas ads. Most of these are for or against Talarico and Paxton. I don’t want to spend a week researching all the issues being thrown around just to write a blog post, so I plucked two out of the air that are proving to be especially hot topics.
Anti Talarico Ads
Allegation:
“Talarico supported using taxpayer dollars for sex change surgeries on young children.”, and related claims.
Facts
No, he did not. He voted against TX SB14 as it was originally written, because the broad wording would have potentially denied treatment for children with certain kinds of cancer, sex development disorders, and various other medical conditions which require hormone therapy. This has ZERO to do with gender reassignment and everything to do with helping children born with congenital conditions, disorders, and other anomalies, and other conditions that develop during childhood.
So an amendment was introduced which would allow for medically necessary exceptions. Talarico voted FOR the amendment.
I’ve seen various other quotes by or attributed to Talarico regarding LGBTQ children which have also been taken out of context.
Anti Paxton Ads
Allegation:
Adam Hoffman admitted to sexually abusing a child and faced life in prison. Instead, Ken Paxton offered him one day in jail, with no requirement to register as a sex offender.
Facts
Adam Hoffman’s trial ended in a hung jury, 7-5, which led to a mistrial. Prosecutors were left with three options — dismiss the case, negotiate a plea agreement or take the case to trial again, which would have required the victim to take the witness stand once more.
Paxton’s team were prepared to open a new trial, but the victim and his family decided the child had already suffered enough emotional trauma from the first trial. The victim didn’t want to testify again so they had to do a plea deal.
Hoffman was legally admitting to abusing an individual whose age is not specified in the plea documents. Texas law does not require a child sex abuser to register as a sex offender if the victim’s age is unspecified.
Pot Meets Kettle
Political candidates are human beings. Each individual has good qualities and bad qualities.
My philosophy is to evaluate which candidate is most likely to represent the people’s wishes and needs, regardless of what party they belong to. But it sure will be difficult, if not impossible, to honestly and accurately assess a candidate’s qualifications if you are being influenced by the mud slinging.
One other thing to mention- the candidates aren’t necessarily responsible for the misstatements being made in the ads. If an ad doesn’t specify that “[candidate’s name] approves this message”, then it’s a PAC saying it.
Listen to what the candidates themselves are saying. If they themselves are twisting the facts about their opponents, then they lose a few points of respect, as far as I’m concerned.
