Meet the Republican Party
As y’all have heard more times than you care to think about, my county turned from bright red to total blue in 2018. Every Republican candidate who had a Democratic opponent got beat so badly that their grandchildren will be born shaking. One of the reasons for that is because of diversity. My county – Fort Bend, a suburb of Houston – is now equally split four ways between white, black, Asians, and Hispanics.
A little bit of explaining. Our congressman Pete Olson has resigned. The open seat attracted about 15 Republicans and we’re fixing to go into a run-off election between Troy Nehls, the current sheriff of the county who’s slicker than a greased tadpole, and Kathleen Wall, who is on the other side where the wall of conservatism ends, but if you stand on a box and get a pair of binoculars you can see her jumping up and down waving her arms.
So the sheriff is frettin’ and sweatin’. I kinda want you to back away from the computer a bit to see the mailer that arrived in Republican mailboxes the day after a white police officer tortured and murdered a black man in Minnesota.
Deep breath, now. Here’s the front and back of Troy’s mailer to elect him to congress.
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No mention of health care, education, the economy, jobs, or anything that concerns real Americans. He’s campaigning on more guns for Republicans (read: white people), hating on immigrants, and supporting Donald Trump even if he shoots a guy on Main Street.
Holy crap. That’s what he thinks is wrong with America? White people need more military weapons to mow down whole crowds, churches, schools, and concerts, we need to deport men and women working hard in construction, harvesting crops, and cleaning houses, and Donald Trump is like God and family.
Did you notice how all of a sudden, he’s all for those mail-in ballots. Maybe that’s how he got elected sheriff?
And, oh, by the way, he’s a graduate of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University and we all know the great academic standards and welcoming to independent thought they are.
Okay, but it doesn’t stop there.
On Thursday night, one of Troy’s deputies shot and killed a deputy constable while checking out a house that was reportedly being vandalized. Troy’s twin brother, Trevor, is a constable in the county and is currently running to replace Troy as sheriff. Yeah, incest is common is Texas politics.
The story is kinda weird since both agencies use the same radio frequencies.
The constable was wearing a body camera, the deputies were not.
Hopes and prayers, JJ, hopes and prayers.
1Well, you can say one thing about him — he’s clear about his priorities, one of which is finding a nice, comfy rock to live under during a major crisis. Except when he ventures out without a mask.
I take that back — 3 major crises in a row. None created by the people of his party but all certainly exacerbated by them.
Watching him not only lose his job but fail to snag a new one would be delicious except for the fact that his kids don’t deserve a deadbeat dad.
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Btw — and this is a perennial gripe with me:
What’s the deal with the pictures of his kids? Members of both parties do it and it’s a mystery to me.
What’s the message here? “I have viable sperm/ovaries so I’ll make a good sheriff? Mayor? Dog catcher? Representative? Senator? Governor? President?”
How does that follow?
2And yet they all do it.
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Please keep us apprised, JJ. Would love to watch the flames as this guy is shot down.
And the photos of kids (only used sometimes around here by candidates for school board) are to prove he’s white and (theoretically) heterosexual. Here, the candidates on our side tend to use photos of themselves and their dogs – especially if the dogs are yellow.
3From the article:
Constable Trever Nehls said. “I think what we have in this certain circumstance is mistaken identity.”
That’s some serious understatement from the brother of a thoroughly bombastic Troy Nehls.
4He seems nice.
5Liberty U? Is that a step below or above Trump U? Difficult to keep track of the non-accredited wingnut diploma mills. Like thinking Bob Jones U might be good for an athletic scholarship or something.
6Maybe I’m missing it … but it sure LOOKS like a military uniform.
“it seems a lot of would-be politicians who’ve spent time in the military are breaking the 2008 DoD rule (see section 4.3.2.1 here) that makes it illegal for any veteran to “use or allow the use of photographs, drawings, and other similar media formats of themselves in uniform as the primary graphic representation in any campaign media, such as a billboard, brochure, flyer, Web site, or television commercial.” (There’s also a secondary rule (4.3.1.2, same document) that requires incidental use to be accompanied by a disclaimer stating that the image does not imply DoD endorsement.) ”
Maybe the DoD rules don’t apply to Texas?
7Oh, thanks! Let’s see if he’s in violation. He’s exactly arrogant enough to do that. Anybody want to help follow up?
8I’m by no means a fan of the Nehls boys. Troy seems to have a tremendous ego, and loves to get on tv and get his picture taken. Unfortunately, as bat-sh*t crazy this mailer is, he is downright moderate compared to Kathaleen Wall, his primary opponent. Let us pray (and vote) for the Dem, Sri Kulkarni.
9God, it just gets worse and worse. A graduate of Liberty University is an immediate RED FLAG for me. Sadly it is very hard to beat a certified redneck in Texas – I feel for the residents of Ft. Bend County.
10john from denver: you’re missing the big picture. Rules don’t apply to Republicans.
11Apologies – but anything/anyone that stands WITH Trump ………………………………….
12When your only tool is an AR-15, everything looks like a target…
13May he burn in HELL! If there is such a place, as our parents once told us, but we did not actually believe! Hell is the current White House with its devilish spawn!
I was once a Captain, USAF, but it did not corrupt me. Repugnuts may be born corrupt. Certainly born stupid.
14In spite of having friends and in-laws in Fort Bend County I never knew until this fratricide event that the constipated constable and the high sheriff were related, let alone twins.
(Vectoring off here, I can easily imagine Josef Mengele’s involvement in these fine Aryan twins.)
Maybe I have become hyper-critical of law enforcement given what I see in the media for years, but high sheriffs and police chiefs everywhere cast long shadows. Unless an aggressive civil service commission exists to de-politicize hiring and protect rank and file police and deputies and the community they serve from an idiot chief or sheriff, the PD or SO becomes a good old boy garden in which the chief or sheriff hires people that look, think, and act exactly like themselves.
If Fort Bend County doesn’t have an aggressive civil service providing a common pool of applicants for hiring by Constable and Sheriff, I doubt these agencies are anything but a bunch of good old boys out for the evening.
15Would it have been ‘mistaken identity’ and a tragedy if the shootee had been, say, the homeowner? I am guessing not.
16Nehls is beyond arrogant, and dont deserve Congress The military uniform with and without badges in different photographs. Being a Marine vet it’s easy to spot stolen valor. His non ethical stance is not what we need in Congress. He probably sleeps with a trump doll
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