The Texas TV Debate (Give Me A Break!)

I just saw the debate a few nights ago between Greg Abbott and Beto. It was very interesting, and there is a lot to type. Regardless though, in this election, it's not about who you vote for, but who you're voting against. In a perfect election, one should be able to vote for any candidate because they like and support him or her, not because they dislike the other one. However, as noted in previous blogpost, this isn't a perfect world. The fact is that when you live in a two-party state, you're just given two options to choose. If you're like me, an Independent, then you don't have a choice. Republicans complain about the perceived censorship. Yet, Independents don't have a voice at all! As an Independent, you might as well be invisible! Thus, you just happen to vote for the candidate that you dislike the least.

Greg Abbott has been a colossal trainwreck of a governor. We has failed this state multiple times; from Covid to the Freeze, Gun Violence, Women's Rights, etc. His party affiliation means nothing to me. If he was a Democrat with the same failures, I would still hold him in the same light. 

I would have far more respect for Greg Abbott if he just admitted his failures and shortcomings as governor. If he just said something like.....

"I failed you as governor. I placed my politics ahead of the safety and well-being of the residents of this great state. I failed the teachers, parents, and above all, the children. I must personally do better to make amends, place my politics aside for what's best for this state and its citizens".

.....then I would have far more respect for him. However, disappointment would set in as I know those words will never come out of his mouth. He would just spend more time blaming everybody else under the Sun for the failures of his own making (Beto, Biden, Democrats, Republicans who don't support him, etc.).

Greg Abbott hasn't done anything for this state. He just makes empty blanket statements that anyone could boast. (in all fairness, Beto has made plenty of general blanket statements as well. However, Beto isn't governor, so I can cut him a lot of slack) Greg Abbott has constantly made claims of grandiose accomplishments without actually providing anything of substance. People talk about all the wonderful things that he has done for this Texas. Yeah, I am still waiting too to see all those wondrous things that he has done for this state! 

I know that anyone who isn't a resident of Texas isn't going to understand or form a one-sided, false impression of him. However, as someone who actually lives in this state, he isn't the person who you think he is. The problems that afflict Texas currently are (largely) those of his own making.  

When Greg Abbott became governor for this state, he became governor for everybody, and not just his supporters. I've gotten the impression that as me, an Independent, he doesn't want to be my governor. He just wants to be governor for those who blindly scream his name to the high heavens and no one else. As such, he is not deserving enough to get my vote. Why should I reward incompetence?

Immigration

The reason why New York City and Washington D.C. had been caught off-guard is because Greg Abbott didn't give either one of those places a heads up before bussing immigrants there. This reinforces the claim that what he did was a stunt designed to grab attention. 

Greg Abbott is someone who craves attention. He has grand ambitions. Greg Abbott has to do grand, yet pointless and expensive, stunts so that he remains relevant among his supporters, both inside and outside of this state. This is also the reason why immigrants have not been bused to sanctuary cities run by Republicans. He doesn't want to potentially offended future voters when he makes his Presidential run. 

El Paso has bussed immigrants out too. However, El Paso has given the destination cities a heads-up. Thus, they were able to prepare for the coming influx. Also, I can make the safe assumption that both Washington D.C. and New York City are still willing to accept more immigrants and coordinate a relief effort with the Governor's Office. However, they hadn't received word back from Abbott. For someone with grand ambitions built on partisan and divisive politics, cooperation is very counterproductive to those aims. The very word "cooperation" is profanity in his ears.

Operation Lone Star is an abject failure. Greg Abbott spent 4 billion on it. What does he have to show for it? Immigration is a complex issue where there isn't a simple answer too. However, there won't be a solution to meaningless and expensive stunts, especially one that is costing the state dearly. 

The Electric Grid

I'm going to reiterate my opinion here from my previous post. When California went through their energy crisis in the early 2000's, the voters in that state rightfully held the Democrat Party there responsible as they voted The Terminator into office. When the Republican Party here in Texas mismanages the grid, voters need to hold the elected officials responsible as well. The Republican Party has been running this state for the last 20-30 years. There is no one else to blame except them. 

I don't believe our state is ready for another freeze. The only reason why the grid is still operating is because it hasn't been tested like in February 2021. We shouldn't have to wait until the next freeze to find out if we are going to potentially freeze to death. Since deregulation, the price of energy in this state has actually climbed, not become cheaper as the pundits who favor deregulation claim. 

Abortion

I'm just going to relink my article of abortion here:

https://kixpigeon.blogspot.com/2022/06/when-democracy-fails.html

Greg Abbott is not Pro-Life. He is only using abortion as an issue to fool people into voting for him. He doesn't care about women's rights. If he was Pro-Life, he would take a harder stand on the gun-issue. If he was Pro-Life, he would mandate major corporations operating here in Texas to provide mandatory maternity leave for new mothers. Above all; if Greg Abbott was Pro-Life, he would champion the right for universal health care. What is more Pro-Life than that. One becomes a very massive hypocrite if they say that they are Pro-Life champions, but yet, reject the idea of universal healthcare.

The Police

I'm talking about law enforcement, not the band. Police render a very valuable service to society, like teachers. I support the role of the police in the community. However, I also feel that police officers need to be held accountable for their actions. 

However, many in the Blue Lives movement have assumed the idea that if you are to show support for the police, then you have to blindly support them unconditionally, regardless of their actions. This is a very one-sided and destructive assessment. This is a community issue though. In communities where the police departments play a very positive role, they should be commended for their actions. In communities where the police department has failed in their law-enforcement role, they need to be reevaluated. It shouldn't be up to Greg Abbott to blindly assume that police departments can't do no wrong, and then prevent the communities on the local level from deciding how to respond to their police department.

Uvalde has a very well-funded police department. 40% of the town's budget went into it. How did that work out in the end though?  What happened at Uvalde was an abject failure on the local, state, and national level. Greg Abbott shares a lot of the blame because he refused to take action because he wants to keep his supporters happy, regardless of what's best for the general welfare of the state. It's party over principle. 

Give Me A Break!

The irony here is that Greg Abbott claims to be a champion of small government. Yet, he prevented public schools from enforcing mask mandates in the same way that he's trying to prevent local communities from acting on police matters on the local level. The mask mandates enacted by the school districts were enacted on the local level by small government, but yet; nullified by the power of the state. A personal private decision, abortion; was dictated by the state level by someone who claims to be a champion of individuality. Greg Abbott has used the power of the state to prevent actual small government from doing their job. How is that small government? Are people only small government when its convenient for them? Are people only free speech warriors when they want to defend there speech? Is there a double standard when we demonize Democrats when they want to enact policies, but give the Republican Party a pass when they do the something thing!? Give me a break!

Education

There is a teacher shortage in this state. One that is largely a creation of Greg Abbott. The governor just doesn't hold the teachers in regard at all. There is a teacher shortage because teachers are being shot at while being called Radical Leftist simply for teaching history while not teaching the idea that the Earth is only 6,000 years old and flat. All of this while being underpaid too. Who in the Hell would want to operate in that environment!? Critical Race Theory (thank you for forcing me to use meaningless political slang. My mouth tastes like vomit now) has become an umbrella term for any discussion of race that makes people uncomfortable as those offended only by what history taught as written by the victors, not for those who toiled, suffered, and sacrificed to make this country what it is.

I love this country. But if we're to become who we proclaim we are, then we need to uplift and recognize those who made the sacrifices while acknowledging our historical shortcomings. If one feels guilt from such a discussion of race, maybe there is something deeper that is driving that discomfort. However, there is no guilt, neither real or perceived. There isn't a demand for an apology, again, neither real or perceived. We need to acknowledge our past though, just as painful as it might potentially be. It will make us stronger in the end. It will also reinforce our sense of community, regardless of race. 

Greg Abbott, are you reading this? I need to let you know this. Teachers are not the enemy. They render valuable public service for society. When you demonize them for your own ambitions, then society suffers as a whole. If you demonize them for the work that they do, our children's education will suffer as well. Do you want that? 

Uvalde

Greg Abbott did not make the victims or their families a priority. He paid them lip service while holding a farce of a press conference with him, Ted Cruz, and his political groupies being the headline act, at the expense of the grieving parents. Greg Abbott placed his party first instead of the state's welfare. 

As noted from the previous blogpost on this subject, if what Beto did during the conference was a stunt, how would his actions be any different from those of Greg Abbott and friends when they uplifted themselves during that press conference. I'm not the biggest fan of Beto. However, I feel that Beto's feelings are very real and genuine. He is driven by intense emotions, especially after El Paso, and then meeting the families of the children killed in Uvalde. 

Greg Abbott, Gun Regulation, And The NRA's Tomfoolery (Yet Again)

This will be a separate article.

Conclusion

After the colossal failure that is Greg Abbott, it should have been cake for the Democrat Party of Texas to easily thump him from the governorship. Yet, when the Democrat Party of Texas decided to rally around one of the most despised men in this state, I came to the conclusion that the Democrat Party of Texas is just a stupid as the Republican Party. The party could have found a candidate much better than Beto. However, even I've been pleasantly surprised by the turn of events during the election. The fact that Beto has gotten as far as he has so far is a massive accomplishment. In a state run by Republicans, Beto rank in the polls should be in the single digits. I still know that Beto is one consumed with ambition. It's obvious. However, I know that as governor, he will still probably be far more responsive to the needs of Texans than our current governor who has just been nothing but disappointment. I do wish Beto well.

I know that at the end of the day though, this won't change anything with Greg Abbott, He will continue to look for scapegoats to blame the problems that are of his own making. There are no "Woke" crowds or "Radical Leftist" to blame though. These are imaginary demons of his own creation. Greg Abbott has failed this state. The shooting in El Paso was linked to racism and extremism. Yet, instead of calling these forces out, he copped out with vague language of unknown reason for the shooting. He cops out of everything as governor. Texas is not a priority for him. Greg Abbott will just assume that his party will blind support him through both thick-and-thin. However, even many Republicans are disgruntled about his antics. Can you blame them. They deserved better than what they got. We all deserved better!

The Republican Party here in Texas has been hijacked by extremist who have become disconnected from reality. Regardless, Trump's support though will only get him so far as even he is fading himself. For someone who should have spent several years being proactive in the affairs of the state, Greg Abbott instead chose to become a slave to his political ambitions, with the state becoming his victim in the process.  The issues that afflict Greg Abbott are not the work of liberals, but of his own making. At the end of the day, we are better than this. We are all better than this. We deserve better than Greg Abbott. I don't know how Beto will be as a governor. However, I do know this......Greg Abbott has to go. For once, vote how you want to, and not how your party is telling you to vote.