Democrats have had trouble in recent years attracting conservative evangelical voters, who mostly vote for Republicans. In 2000, former Vice President Al Gore gave it a try. He failed badly when he said the first instance of pollution in the Bible is when “Abel’s blood cried out from the ground” after his brother Cain murdered him. Gore said this meant Abel’s blood had “defiled” or “polluted” the ground, rendering it incapable of yielding crops. Not exactly.
Now comes Democrat James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for the Texas Senate seat currently held by Republican John Cornyn. Talarico is giving it another try.
This time his appeal to religious voters is more subtle. The media refers to Talarico as a “Christian” and “seminarian.” No one should question the legitimacy of another person’s faith, but as Jesus warned: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20)
A visit to Talarico’s campaign website displays his “fruits” on several issues, all of which could be held by a secular progressive. Curiously (or maybe not) there is no mention of his views on social issues, other than a statement that might be regarded as ideological and theological pablum. Talarico opposes school choice and vouchers which allow the parents of public school children, especially poor children trapped in underperforming schools, to get a good education in private schools. The teachers’ unions oppose school choice and contribute heavily to Democrat candidates who share their view.
Talarico also believes in “climate change,” though that issue has sharply declined among voter priorities.