Former President Barack Obama has recently made a surprise appearance alongside Democratic candidates James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa, drawing mixed reactions from voters. While Talarico is currently a U.S. Senate candidate in Texas, Hinojosa is running for governor, a position that will likely be more difficult to win than Talarico’s bid.
According to reports from the Austin American-Statesman, Obama made a “campaign-style visit” to Taco Joint on San Jacinto Boulevard, meeting the two Democrats, talking with locals, and posing for photos.
While this was not an official endorsement from Obama, it had a similar effect. The former president told locals not to forget how to vote in the upcoming midterms and showed support for the candidacies of Talarico and Hinojosa.
Texas Voters Are Divided About Obama Endorsing Talarico
Texas residents were somewhat divided on Obama’s endorsement of Talarico, who has been rising in recent polls. The main concern for some Democratic voters is a preference for a candidate with fewer ties to the American political establishment: “I’d really rather he not be associated with or endorsed by ANY of the previous presidents. That makes me look at him sideways, and I’ve donated a lot of money to James.”
Some folks were very negative about this association, saying, “He’s going to lose by double digits.” Others explained, “Frankly, in retrospect, I don’t like Obama. He’s an incrementalist moderate, which means he will gleefully hold up progress for some ‘better day,’ all while the country backslides. If he’s campaigning with Talarico, it makes me question Talarico’s values and actual intention to get anything done.”
There were all kinds of opinions about the unofficial endorsement, including some in support. “This is HUGE. I don’t remember the last time any big Democrat outside of Texas came to campaign, especially THE biggest star,” one user said. Another voter theorized about Talarico’s future: “He’ll be president someday if he plays this right. Why other Dems don’t frame their races as ‘it’s us versus the billionaires’ is beyond me.”
In any case, some Democratic voters seemed unbothered by the whole thing. One of them wrote, “I’m going to vote, but honestly, I’m not sure that matters anymore,” likely referring to how strong Republicans are in Texas.
The midterms will take place in early November, and time will tell whether Talarico’s approval will grow or decrease until then.
