Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, 37, disappeared off the campaign trail for more than 10 days, claiming a bad case of the flu.
asserted
Talarico → disappear → flu
Now his office is denying reports that he spent the time in a mental health facility in Ohio, after conservative influencer Nick Sortor posted an unverified audio recording purportedly of an employee of the Lindner Center of Hope near Cincinnati, saying a patient named James Talarico had just been discharged.
uncertain
patient → deny → Cincinnati
The Center issued a statement Sunday night, saying: “Representative James Talarico has never received treatment from Lindner Center of Hope.”
asserted
Talarico → issue → Hope
Talarico’s campaign called the allegation “a pathetic conspiracy theory.”
asserted
campaign → call → allegation
But that isn’t enough from the party that propped up Joe Biden for years and lied about his health problems.
asserted
that → prop → problems
Democrats don’t get the benefit of the doubt anymore.
asserted
Democrats → get → doubt
When a candidate in such a crucial race goes missing for so long in the final month before the election, the situation demands proof beyond an airy flu excuse and “trust me” attitude.
asserted
situation → go → me
As White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller tweeted on Sunday: “Talafreako needs to release the medical records.”
asserted
Talafreako → tweet → records
It’s a reasonable request and one that the Washington Post, for one, should be demanding.
asserted
Post → ’ → one
After all, the legacy news outlet has applied relentless scrutiny to Natalie Harp, an unelected White House presidential aide, complete with baselessly nasty insinuations about her relationship with her boss.
asserted
outlet → apply → boss
Where’s WaPo?
asserted
WaPo → ’ → ?
In the past seven weeks, the WaPo has published five substantial personal stories about Harp, 35, that amplify a dispute with an estranged brother and details of a family tragedy involving her father.
asserted
that → publish → father
This weekend it was a 1,700-word investigative feature titled: “How Trump aide Natalie Harp’s family broke apart — and polarized.”
asserted
family → title → ?
A terse 250-word piece on Friday noted Talarico’s appearance at the Austin City Limits music festival: “The Democrat’s campaign said he was recovering from the flu, while Republicans tried to make his absence seem suspicious.”
asserted
absence → note → flu
Voters should be a little more informed when Talarico appears at a CNN town hall on Wednesday night in Fort Worth.
asserted
Talarico → appear → Worth
But, of course, that will rely on CNN moderator Erin Burnett doing her job to hold him accountable.
asserted
him → rely → job
It’s inexplicable that the Republican candidate Ken Paxton has refused to confirm he will join Talarico for what should have been a debate.
asserted
what → ’ → Talarico
It’s not as if he can afford to coast: the latest Trafalgar poll last week shows Talarico leading by three points.
asserted
Talarico → ’ → points
Paxton should be there to press Talarico about his absence.
asserted
Paxton → press → absence
It’s the least the voters deserve.
asserted
voters → ’ → ?
The successful strategy of hiding Biden in his basement during the 2020 election and then keeping him out of the public eye and away from the media during his presidency seems to have inspired candidates on both sides of the aisle.
asserted
strategy → hide → aisle
Keeping voters in the dark paid off for Biden, goes the thinking, so why subject yourself to needless scrutiny — especially when you can count on friends like the Washington Post to cover for you?
asserted
you → keep → you
Slanted media can be bypassed, and a lazy incumbent can be destroyed on stage by a talented upstart, as happened last week to New York Attorney General Tish James in her NY1 debate against Saritha Komatireddy, a formidable career federal prosecutor and mother of four.
asserted
incumbent → bypass → four
Komatireddy stars
Komatireddy left a haughty James open-mouthed and flailing as she socked her with devastating criticisms of her failure to rein in lawlessness and Medicare fraud.
asserted
she → leave → lawlessness
Crime is up, homelessness is up, and we are the worst in the nation in prosecuting fraud . . .
asserted
we → prosecute → fraud
She’s obsessed with national politics.
asserted
She → obsess → politics
I’m focused on the safety of New Yorkers.
asserted
I → ’m → Yorkers
At one point, when James struggled for what seemed like an eternity to name a predecessor she admired, Komatireddy quipped, “She only admires herself.”
asserted
She → struggle → herself
James, unused to pushback or accountability, grew even more flustered: “No, no, no, no.
asserted
James → grow → pushback
We admire others,” but still couldn’t name anyone.
asserted
We → admire → anyone
Her only comeback was to call her opponent a “Trump puppet” and cite the president 15-20 times in the hourlong debate.
asserted
comeback → call → debate
Komatireddy deftly parried: “Every time Letitia James mentions Donald Trump, just remember it’s because she can’t defend her failing record.”
asserted
she → parry → record
Unfortunately, the most recent Siena poll puts her at 39 percent to 52 percent for James.
asserted
poll → put → James
In a Democrat-ruled state, it’s hard for a Republican to get a look, even one as competent and well-credentialed as Komatireddy.
asserted
Republican → rule → Komatireddy
Across the country, if the polls are to be believed, far-left candidates who would have been unelectable a few years ago look to be victorious in November.
asserted
who → believe → November
In Michigan, a socialist Muslim supremacist candidate in the image of Zohran Mamdani is polling ahead of establishment Republican Mike Rogers.
asserted
candidate → poll → Rogers
In their candidate debate last week, Abdul El-Sayed showed his true colors when he refused to say whether Iran or Israel posed the greater threat.
“That’s a ridiculous question,” he said.
asserted
he → show → threat
Most Americans would have no problem instantly recognizing Iran as the greater threat.
asserted
Americans → have → threat
A candidate who refuses to distinguish between an ally and an enemy and its proxies — who have killed hundreds of Americans for half a century, threatens the world with nuclear annihilation and against whom we are now waging war — has no business being in public office.
Rocky road ahead
Just as with Mamdani’s malicious disrespect for the victims of October 7 and 9/11, and dangerous advocacy for illegal alien criminals, El-Sayed’s moral compass is awry.
asserted
compass → refuse → is
Like Mamdani, he is loath to antagonize his socialist base but adept at masking his views when he must.
asserted
he → antagonize → views
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
