r/politics • u/Newsweek_ShaneC ✔ Verified - Newsweek • 16h ago

No Paywall George W. Bush's brother trashes Paxton, says he voted for Talarico

https://www.newsweek.com/george-w-bush-brother-neil-votes-for-james-talarico-trashes-ken-paxton-12597383
14k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

540 comments sorted by

View all comments

49

u/AlliedR2 12h ago

Knowing Barbara Bush donated to Talarico's campaign I think we are seeing what long time republicans think of Paxton and how this is playing out with those who are not as much in the public eye. Paxton's fucked (as he should be).

31

u/taylorbagel14 11h ago

Barbara Bush has always been a lowkey liberal, one of her best friends is queer and apparently her mom had to ban LGBTQ rights as a dinner table talking point because she and her dad would get into such heated arguments that one or both would leave. Barbara has BEEN a real one

-3

u/abecrane 11h ago

No, we don’t need to elevate any member of the Bush dynasty just because they arent homophobic.

14

u/SouthIsland48 10h ago

This is weird, it's W's daughter. Are we really lambasting children who seem to support liberal ideas because her parents are conservative?

Do you know how many current liberals would be omitted due to that qualifier?

•

u/PinkNGold007 6h ago

Right?! They are their own people.

I think it's interesting that Reagan's and W's kids turned out to be liberal or leaned that way.

-6

u/abecrane 10h ago

Barbara Bush is fine as a person, but we don’t need a “please clap” moment for her just for accepting queer people. This is a family that has run candidates in dozens of elections, and been appointed to positions of power and influence regularly. When we spread word of the Bush family’s positive traits, we build their influence, legitimizing their presence in American political life further.

Regardless of her personal views, she’s still close to her dad who killed 1 million people with the War on Terror. Nobody should be judged for the sins of their father, but that also means nobody should be elevated just because they have a famous family name and basic human decency.

7

u/taylorbagel14 11h ago

She’s not her parents and I don’t think it’s fair to judge her because of their politics

-3

u/abecrane 10h ago

Not what I’m saying. The Bush dynasty has had a stranglehold on Texas politics and American foreign policy for over 60 years. H.W. laid the groundwork for the Bay of Pigs, the JFK assassination, and pushed the domino that resulted in 9/11 by dealing so heavily with the Saudis. Then his son ends up starting the War on Terror and killing a million people. Barbara may hold good views, but everyone holds some good views. If you recall, H.W. pioneered the ADA during his presidency, which was undeniably a great thing. But participating in this family’s reputation laundering will only prolong their relevancy, and that will damage this country further.

6

u/taylorbagel14 10h ago

She’s also not planning on running for any sort of office so I think your point is moot.

•

u/pchs26 7h ago

I think though she has donated in the past to Dems but I could be wrong. However the point is that it has to be pretty awful for them to say GOP is too far right.

1

u/ogreofnorth 11h ago

Texas has as many independents as it has republicans when I last looked. That is a lot of people who have no ties to just voting Republican.

5

u/kpg_on_ao3 11h ago

I've lived in Texas for forty years, and I've every independent I've ever met hated Republicans bc they weren't far enough to the right. There's basically no centrist or leftist independents here.

5

u/JDMLeverton 11h ago

This is the case across the country for the most part. People really need to stop taking independents at their words when they answer polls with "I'd vote for whoever is best!"

Nearly all independents are closeted Republicans in one of two camps - either they are people like you're describing, who think Republicans are too liberal and they are somehow threatening or punishing them by withholding their registration, OR they are people who are scared of the social ramifications of admitting they are Republican, so they lie and act enlightened. They both vote Republican religiously without fail however.

Take the number of independents in any area, lump 80% of them in with Republicans, and that's a more realistic depiction of party break down.

Im so sick of everyone pretending Independents are actually enlightened centrists who make fact based decisions. They are Republicans who are working an angle.

1

u/kpg_on_ao3 8h ago

Yeah I just didn't wanna speak for other states. I lived in Wisconsin but still couldn't tell you much about them other than I ran a marathon through suburbs of Milwaukee in Sept or Oct 2016, and that's when I knew Trump was gonna win: Trump signs everywhere, no Hillary ones.

1

u/AlliedR2 10h ago

As a Democrat I would agree however considering the party that has been running the state into the ground since Ann Richards left office I think that the Republicans have had a greater effect than both the Independents and Democrats. So it does matter when their attitude shifts.

•

u/pchs26 7h ago

I mean I am a registered independent and I haven't voted for a Republican...so...

1

u/Lost_And_Found66 12h ago

Oh god the zombie apocalypse has begun

1

u/AlliedR2 10h ago

Barbara Bush, the daughter of former President George W. Bush donated $2,500 to Lone Star Rising PAC, according to the political action committee’s FEC report for the third quarter of 2026.

-4

u/Oogaman00 12h ago

From the grave? She is very dead

18

u/jamesnoonen 12h ago

One of George W’s daughters is named Barbara

8

u/Coool_cool_cool_cool 12h ago

W's daughter, not his mother.

6

u/stevenmoreso 11h ago edited 11h ago

Worth noting that the older Barbara was also personally more liberal than she let on and was opposed to a lot of the republican party platform, even in the 80s. Folks my age will mostly remember jokes about her appearance which is kinda sad.

1

u/AlliedR2 10h ago

Barbara Bush, the daughter of former President George W. Bush donated $2,500 to Lone Star Rising PAC, according to the political action committee’s FEC report for the third quarter of 2026.