Greg Abbott: To Governing What Mass Murder Is To Population Control
Never underestimate the power of sleazy, self-absorbed ambition
“There are countless stories about the destructive harms of social media, especially for minors….” Do tell. But how about offering up some data to back up your assertions instead of speaking in vague generalities?
The “there are countless stories” or “everyone knows” arguments aren’t just intellectually lazy, but they do nothing to prove your point. If you’re trying to convince me that something is wrong/nasty/evil, tell me WHY it’s that way. Show me the evidence; then we can talk. Until then, all your doing is feeding the Right-wing outrage machine.
Unsurprisingly, Rep. Patterson is passing “GO” and going directly to the “ban social media” card. First, I’d love to see how he proposes to accomplish that. How does he suggest keeping minors off social media in a free society? And after that trick, I suppose you’re going to ban online porn? Good luck with that, eh?
Second, there’s a significant 1st Amendment issue in play here. How can Rep. Patterson propose banning social media for minors without violating free speech rights?
Third, remember that Texas is the same state whose Governor, Greg Abbott, pledged to “eliminate rape.” Then it proceeded to LEAD the nation in the number of rapes committed in 2021. So any Texas Republican who commits the state to becoming “the national leader on the issue of child online safety” should automatically be considered suspect. Or, at the very least delusional. SAYING something is not the same as actually DOING it
Texas couldn’t protect a brisket from a bottle of barbecue sauce.
State government in Texas exists for two purposes:
to license cars and drivers, and
to further the careers and political prospects of Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton (who’s a walking, talking, living, breathing ethical conflict)
Anything beyond that may or may not be important to Texans, but it barely registers in Abbott’s consciousness.
The electric grid? So a few hundred Texans died during a cold snap. They could’ve gone on vacation to Cancun, right? Sen. Ted Cruz did that, and he came back tanned, rested, and ready.
Minimum wage? Pfft…every employer has the right to pay their workers what the market will bear. If those are starvation wages, that means more for the employer. If the employee doesn’t like it, let them go to college, get an advanced degree, and maybe go to law school- as long as they’re White, of course.
And don’t get me started on the Texas GOP, which makes the national GOP look like the model of sanity and decorum (it isn’t). The Texas GOP’s most recent platform advocates for seceding from the Union (which may or may not be legally possible). It calls homosexuality an aberrant lifestyle (As if being a Texas Republican isn’t). It puts in writing all of the undeniably crazy s**t that the national party believes in but has the good sense to leave unwritten to maintain plausible deniability.
Texas Republicans have no issue with saying the quiet part out loud. They’ll even put it in writing.
Gov. Abbott, one of the most self-interested and self-absorbed political animals in America, has the firm, unshakeable beliefs that his pollsters have focus-group-tested. Nothing he’s done and/or said hasn’t been thoroughly vetted for political viability beforehand, perhaps with an eye toward the White House in his future.
Texas has the least politically informed electorate in the country, and so Abbott has learned to maintain his edge via soundbites and tough-talking. Texans may not know much about the politics of their state, but they recognize Greg Abbott and his stage-managed appearances. He speaks in moral certainties, never betraying a moment’s uncertainty about what needs to be done and what he’ll do in a given situation. At least on camera, his leadership appears rock-solid because he never allows himself the luxury of a lax moment.
The stage-managing almost makes up for the fact that Greg Abbott has all the charm and charisma of a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich. Behind his “Why, yes, I AM a serial killer smile” lies the brain of a politician best known for looking out for #1. Quite possibly the most focused and driven politician in America, he’s not Governor because he enjoys the public service aspect of the job.
Of course, the job description of a Texas Governor isn’t exactly one with a lot of policy responsibilities. A Governor can exercise a lot of moral authority but doesn’t have much actual control over legislation. Nonetheless, the Governor's job has been a launching pad into national politics, most recently for George W. Bush and Rick Perry. Greg Abbott may have his sights set on the White House, but with the national GOP in such Trumpified disarray, it’s difficult to know what Abbott’s prospects may be.
In the meantime, though, he still has a re-election fight on his hands against Beto O’Rourke. While Abbott still holds a slight edge in the polls, O’Rourke’s momentum continues to grow. Speaking as a former resident of the Lone Star State, it would be nice to see Texas have a decent, competent, and compassionate Governor in Austin. Unfortunately, it’s been a minute since that’s been the case.
It would be interesting to see a Democratic Governor facing off with a Republican legislature. Unfortunately, given the state of the Texas GOP these days, it feels like it could be like the final battle of Good vs. Evil.
Stay tuned.
