Republicans Slam James Talarico for Quick Drag Queen Pick

The whole “quick drag queen pick” pile-on against James Talarico feels like Republicans trying to win a Twitter day instead of a Texas year. Yes, he’s been loud about praising and defending drag performers. He wants voters to know it. Fine. But when we act shocked that a Democrat did the thing he’s been doing in public for years, we look unserious.

Here’s the part that matters: Talarico isn’t being “tricked” into this. He’s choosing it because he thinks it plays with his base and with the media class that covers Texas politics like it’s a culture-war reality show. The question for voters isn’t whether drag exists. It’s whether a lawmaker is spending his time chasing applause lines while schools, property taxes, and public safety are what actually hit families in the face every day.

Republicans should be able to say, calmly and without the theatrics, that kids don’t need sexualized performances, that public institutions shouldn’t be blurring lines, and that parents deserve a say. Then stop there. If the headline is the whole strategy, we’re losing the plot. People want adults in the room, not another round of “gotcha” politics that doesn’t move a single bill or fix a single classroom.

And if Democrats want to make drag a symbol of “progress,” they can own that choice in a state that is not confused about its values. We can win that argument by being focused and disciplined, not by acting like every provocative booking is a five-alarm emergency. Texas voters can handle the truth, just not the noise.