I don’t normally write about political battles that don’t affect us here in Nebraska, but I have to admit I am fascinated, perplexed, concerned, amused and saddened, by what just happened in Texas during the primary runoff between incumbent senator James Cornyn and the newly crowned nominee Ken Paxton.

As I read the news reports of all that went down, I was struck by the mixed emotions I felt.

It is fascinating to see the impact President Trump has on the Republican Primary voters in this country. For the life of me, I don’t understand it, but it’s impossible to deny the strength his endorsement carries. Cornyn joins Thomas Massie as the most recent high-powered Republican official to be dethroned because they upset President Trump.

I’m perplexed why so many Texans would support a candidate like Paxton who has such a sketchy resume. The man was indicted on three felony counts for investment fraud. His own staff reported him to the FBI for bribery. Why would the same Republicans who impeached him as Texas Attorney General for corruption now vote for him to be a U.S. Senator? It leaves me scratching my head.

I am concerned that the America I thought I knew will further slip away if Paxton and more Trump loyalists win in the general elections and give the man who wants to be king even more power.

I do find it amusing to see all the Texas Republicans worried that by nominating Paxton, they have given a boost to his Democrat opponent, James Talarico. Talarico is the best chance a Texas Democrat has had to go to Washington since Lloyd Bentsen won in 1970.

And I am saddened that integrity no longer seems to matter to so many voters. They blindly follow the desires of one man over the record of such a flawed candidate.

Our primary system is broken and needs to be fixed. Far too often, extreme candidates are picked by a small percentage of voters. And that goes for both sides.

I wish I had a magic wand that could get more moderate, informed voters to get off the couch and get to the polls for a primary. I could make the argument that, in many cases, the primary elections are more important than the general elections. Because if the primary advances two flawed candidates, there won’t be a good outcome, no matter which side wins.

I’m wracking my brain, asking myself if America has changed so much that integrity no longer matters in politics. Was I just being naïve to think that men and women with principles used to matter in our elected representatives? Has it always been this way, but in the age of Trump and the internet, the candidates no longer feel the need or have the ability to hide it?

I don’t expect to agree with everything our elected officials do, but I do expect them to be decent, honorable people. They can have different views on issues like taxes, government spending, wars, and even bathroom usage. But at the very least, I expect them to be trustworthy. I expect them to be honorable.

That no longer seems to be a requirement anymore.

Sure, character assassination has always been part of the game to some extent, but there’s a big difference between calling a candidate a name like “Sleepy Joe Biden” and nominating a person like Ken Paxton.

The early polling shows that Talarico and Paxton are in a statistical tie to win in November. I sure hope it doesn’t stay that way.

The bar has been set pretty low when it comes to who we elect these days. The Oval Office is currently occupied by a convicted felon who instigated an attack on the Capitol. Our Commander in Chief is a serial adulterer whose best friend was a pedophile and who brags about grabbing women in their nether regions.

I still believe that integrity and decency matter more than party affiliation when it comes to who we send to Washington. If Ken Paxton gets elected, it will be another step backward in the great experiment our Founding Fathers started 250 years ago.

You may not agree with Talarico’s policies, but you should agree that a person like Paxton should not be allowed to enable this administration to continue us down the path we are currently on.

I guess what happens in this Texas election does affect us after all.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

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