13 Comments

Solid analysis, Seth. That's why you're in the S2 shop and not us medical flunkies. I thought Gov A threw in to stay a step ahead of Ken Paxton, which perhaps he did temporarily. Paxton is making Trumpian moves ahead of the primaries on TX House races and TX Court of Criminal Appeals--endorsing several pro election integrity candidates, judges who will prosecute, and ridding the TX Lege of the cord of dead RINO wood there. If he's successful, perhaps Paxton can be Abbott's successor?..?

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I could support Paxton for Gov. Or for Trump's AG.

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Makes sense. As as a life long Texan I wish that Abbott was more aggressively fighting the Resident’s border catastrophe along with other issues we have here in this state. The Texas House being the biggest issue politically today.

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Thank you Capt. K for your candid analysis. Not being from Texas or anywhere near Texas, I am resigned to read others’ opinions and draw my conclusions from them. Up to this article, I’ve been mostly doubtful that Abbot was anything but a weak-willed, wet finger in the wind, squishy RINO. There have been too many articles written about him and his actions (and lack of action) in alternative media that are not complimentary.

Your conclusion appears to support what I’ve been seeing and sensing about President Trump’s candidacy for 2024 despite the massive, unprecedented, unlawful judicial attacks against him. My optimism is tempered only by the memories of the expectations of Republican victories in 2018, 2020, and 2022 only to see mediocre results or outright defeat via various forms of manipulation in each election.

But if Abbot has stuck his wet finger up in the wind and decided to endorse President Trump at this juncture, it’s hard to ignore that move by a politician who’s been mostly “calculating” up to now.

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I still like Ron Johnson as a potential VP. From Wisconsin, a vital state to win, & also one of the few who has stuck his neck out about the vxes & their harm. DJT is vulnerable to angry voters on that issue & RFK Jr is capitalizing with those folks. Johnson could address the v fiasco better than Trump.

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Good points !!

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Seth: Your logic is sound, so your theorizing may well be accurate. Which gives me shudders.

For political-calculation reasons, the last genuinely MAGA President (Reagan) picked a Republican Establishment Texan for VP, i.e., George H.W. Bush.

That did not work out well for the USA.

P.S. I hope that Abbott doesn't have a son. ;-)

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I hope Trump is one of your Substack subscribers, Captain K. He should read this. Whether Abbott ends up as the VP candidate or not, he is a valuable asset going forward for the MAGA movement. I'm still on the Tulsi Gabbard idea for VP, but Abbott would be a great choice. However, I'm not confident when it comes to the kind of people Trump will surround himself with this second time around. He did, after all, select Mike Pence the first time around.....and Chris Wray......and Bill Barr.......and more. Like a woman who always seems to end up with an abusive guy, Trump seems to end up with backstabbers.

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Glad to see that someone is willing to look at political reality, with eyes wide-open, and not listen to, perhaps, negative trolls, bots, etc. who are attempting to limit Trump's options, via many roads to doom-and-gloomville.

Politics is an art, as in "Art of the Deal". I've never worked for or met a politician who was NOT interested in making a deal, as long as it worked for their "constituents' interests" while they were in office or running for office. (I'm not referring to the present day tyranny we are now experiencing.)

President Trump knows this.

Personally, I have no opinion of Governor Abbott, (not from Texas or even visited Texas). I do not see him as a negative to the Trump Campaign or the Trump Administration, based on my research and observation. I've witnessed that running and handling local and state politics is a bit different than the federal level.

I'm living through the wait and see what happens mode; we'll know in a liddle while.

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Ever since I heard of Abbott’s comments to staffers re Mr. Trump during the 20’s and 21’s, I see him now as nothing but an opportunist, and a large negative to Mr. Trump’s next term.

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I love these types of articles Seth. It’s why I subscribe. I loved the ones you did on Louisiana where I live. I always feel the affection you have for individual states. And I trust your insight and discernment into the personalities and the citizens of the states.

So thanks!!

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Edinburg - my home town. Well said Gov Abbott...

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Flying elbow from off the top rope, you nailed it!

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