The Political Race that can Change the Nation


I was pleased to see the Trump guy won the Republican primary for Senate in Texas. This will set up the perfect battle of ideas that should have happened decades ago but has now arrived. It is the confrontation with a student of the Bible, Democratic Talarico, against the conventional-wisdom-Bible-talker, Paxton.

An atheist with a big following on Face Book complained that the Democrats should have someone with broader appeal than Talarico. Another poster on a news site said both Democrats and Republicans should not put up such extreme candidates because the public is not that polarized. Talarico was one of his examples. 

I think Talarico is the perfect guy to run in a state like Texas that has voted majority right-wing for a long time. He quotes the Bible on abortion. That is, he notes the Bible does not condemn abortion. A choir of pundits and politicians say he is wrong. But I think the political effect of him saying correctly the Bible does not condemn abortion is different than whether voters agree with him. 

Several women have died when an abortion was delayed because the fetus had a "heartbeat." The "heartbeat," of course, is not a heartbeat because there is not a heart. It is nerves firing. Surely, I'm correct in saying a large majority of voters do not approve of these women dying. 

Add to that the small army of women driving daily from states like Texas and Arkansas to other states to get abortions or abortion pills. The majority realizes, "Gosh, they drive way over there and get abortions even though we have a law against abortion. I don't approve of that, but it is a thing that is happening. I can't deny that."

Women dying because of the "heart-beat" law introduces doubt. Women driving to other states because off state anti=abortion laws introduces doubt about the laws. 

But, so long as religion, i.e. the Bible, forbids abortion then religion trumps these doubts. However, when someone prominent raises a question as to what the Bible says, as Talarico is doing, doubt is introduced where it did not before exist. This, I believe, increases doubts on the two issues already raised.

The race will be close. This means that if even just a few anti-abortion voters think Talarico is tolerable it will give him a shot.    

    

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